Neji – Beat Cop's Report 17

Recent Duties: It's only been two days since the raid on the Thames Shipyards, and as such the memories of that battle are still vivid in your mind. In particular, you can't forget the way Valtyrez arrived on the battlefield, descending from the heavens like a golden fireball of justice, and how the criminals cowered in response. This is the sort of effect you someday hope to inspire. Without the flying, of course. In any case, most of the time since the raid has been spent processing prisoners and searching the villainous lair for further evidence.

The Street Beat: (As a beat cop, it's your job to walk the streets of Cormus and keep the peace. In so doing, it's easy to gather rumours and whispers about some of the illicit activities occuring within nearby districts, and the criminal organizations performing said deeds.)

-With many criminals now behind bars, word on the street has switched to more benign, but in some ways no less critical topics. One such is the new Healthy Choices menu that has been released at McCrock's, the galaxy's most popular fast food chain. Coming from this establishment, you have to assume the title of this menu is meant to be ironic. Still, you've been hearing positive buzz about their new deluxe sandwiches, both in terms of price and taste. While you're sure they can't match up with Subway on the latter category, it still might be a lead worthy of investigation. You're on the case, and you should be able to crack it without cracking your wallet open very far at all.

Personal Notes:

-You're still not sure what this special unofficial appointment you've received from the Chief is all about. He seems to have implied that some members of the force aren't to be trusted, at least with anything important. Then again, given the presence of Eldridge and that Anthropologist, you just might have to agree with his assessment. In any case, you're more than willing to accept the extra information, especially since it might help you crack some major cases and make your mark on the force.

-Doc Ock has more problems than just his freakish spine. The blood tests performed by the doctors seem to indicate that he was drugged by some sort of powerful neurotoxin. As far as you understand, this toxin likely caused lots of mental degeneration, leaving him as little more than a Scarecrow-themed broken record. Dr. Falstav seemed incapable of treating this mental trauma, which really doesn't surprise you in the least. You still have the test results with you, although you're not really capable of analysing them further yourself.

-You're glad that you didn't have to give any sort of eulogy for Vix. After all, you never really knew the guy anyway. Besides, Jackie insisted on making it a non-religious ceremony. This is another decision you can't agree with. A funeral without prayers to the true Gods is only a shadow of the ceremony it should be. You believe your own silent vigil showed more respect to Vix's spirit.

Mini-Objective:

-Thoroughly investigate the new healthy choice subs being offered at McCrock's.

John Watson – Crime Doctor 17

Recent Duties: Two days have passed since you unmasked the true mastermind behind this whole sinister scheme. Of course, you had already detected his subtle presence weeks ago. Finally, the police might be willing to give some credence to your pronouncements. Then again, it's probably more likely that they'll attribute this discovery to some other, undeserving inspector. That sort of thing is right up Lestrade's alley. Your alley, meanwhile, leads to uncovering the evil Professor himself.

Newspaper Headlines:

-The society columnist for the Cormus Daily Planet has caught wind of a big fundraising soiree that's being planned to take place at Izael manor in a couple weeks. All the city's social elite are expected to attend, with all proceeds to be distributed by the Izael Foundation. Mayor Don Atchison is slated to be there, and with the momentum of the recent arrests, some predict that he may take the opportunity to drop the writ. The next mayoral race is expected to be highly contested, and the results may well depend on the performance of the police over the next few weeks.

Mysteries:

-You've been checking through the past eight years worth of newspapers for word on the Midnight Gaidin, and you've found several mentions leading all the way back to your earliest archives. In order to get a longer history on the topic, you brought it up with your landlady, Mrs. Hudson, who has lived in Cormus all her life. Though she didn't have specific instances to relate, she claims to first remember hearing about the Midnight Gaidin over a 1000 years ago.

Personal Notes:

-Once again, Professor Moriarty is attempting to destabilize and topple the government. However, for a second time, he did not count on your involvement. You have no intention of letting him get away with this dastardly plan. Unfortunately, the police seem to be doing their best to obstruct your efforts. Even young Wheatie seems to have fallen prey to this distasteful 'bobby' mindset. You thought that boy had potential, possibly as some sort of elite irregular, but it seems he's more likely to impede your progress. It looks like next time you'll have to go after Moriarty on your own, without the rather dubious assistance of the police. You've got a hunch it could be your most difficult case to date.

-You've been so busy dealing with this case that you haven't found much time to catch up with Mr. Cartwright regarding the publishing of your book. When you finally got around to reading his most recent wire, you were shocked to discover that J. Peterman has apparently been making unilateral adjustments to the manuscript. Most importantly, he had your crime doctor shuffled off to the side in favor of some heroic cop by the name of Vix. Even in your own book, you don't seem capable of receiving proper credit.

-Dr. Glossan was as good as his word, at least in regards to your medical license. Of course, you have no intention of using it to practice. But at least this way you have the option, if ever the trail of crime dries up in this city. Given the quality of the police, you hardly thing this possibility to be likely.

Mini-Objective:

-Track down the elusive Professor Moriarty.

Wheatie – Legal Assistant's Report 18

Recent Duties: Two days have passed since the big rumble at the Thames Shipyards. Apparently, this was a major victory for the police. You're not really sure how that came about, as you had to bale before the conclusion of the battle. Still, there are more important cases to come, involving the law. It's not enough to capture the criminals; they also must be put behind bars. And with Nicholas Chesterly still recovering from his injuries, it's up to you and Miss Vayl to see that justice is done.

Book Report:

-In preparation for your time in court, Nicholas Chesterly has recommended that you read up on debater's packages. Apparently, these packages summarize much of the important information on any given topic, and even provide quotes and other useful evidence that you can bring with you into court. You've heard that other lawyers have been known to make good use of these packages. Unfortunately, you haven't been able to locate any that deal with the United Underworld. So you'll just have to bring in a John Grisham novel instead. It's sure to be full of useful and accurate legal information.

Notes from Home:

-Althought the judicial system on Denchul is officially regulated by the Electran Empire, things out in the rural areas tend to be settled in a more ad-hoc fashion. And since most of Denchul is rural, it's not surprising that people there often don't bother with lawyers. As such, your parents remain skeptical about the importance of your job. Nothing new about that.

Legal Report:

-Since the Chief was officially in charge of the raid on the shipyards, prosecuting most of the criminals captured has fallen to the Precinct 13 legal team. Right now, that's just you, Miss Vayl and a couple clerks. Devastator and Eastside Mario were both captured during the raid, and Miss Vayl has already fast-tracked their cases through the system to get them behind bars as quickly as possible. This means their trials are set for this afternoon, a mere two days after their capture. This is almost unprecedented! Of course, convicting them shouldn't be hard at all. It would take a really skilled defense lawyer to plant any seeds of doubt with the jury in either case.

Personal Notes:

-Thanks to your vigilance, Nicholas Chesterly made it through his tonsilitis surgery without having any unexpected foreign objects inserted into him. You were worried when that Dr. Doom first showed up, but he seems to have done a good job. Nicholas is now recovering back in intensive care, and is expected to be released from the hospital within the week. In the meantime, he's developed quite a taste for those Junior Mints. Apparently, they're extremely refreshing.

Mini-Objective:

-Assist Miss Vayl in prosecuting the criminal leaders captured during the raid on the Thames Shipyards.

Jackie - Agent's Report 8

Recent Duties: Two days have passed since you defeated that Eastside Mario guy. With all that rapping, half the time you couldn't understand the words that were coming out of his mouth. Also, that pizza 'food' that he serves is terrible – it doesn't even come close to camel's hump. More importantly, that Eastside Mario was the one who killed Vix (possibly with an assist from Neji), so his encounter with your flying fists was only too deserved. You intend to do whatever it takes to see that he is appropriately punished for his crimes.

Classified Information:

-Although Devastator and Eastside Mario were captured during the raid on the Thames Shipyards, several leaders of the United Underworld managed to escape. Mr. X, the Scarecrow and Moriarty are all still at large. Furthermore, they mentioned Juntao, another crimelord who may be present within the city. Police are continuing to search for the fugitive leaders, even as they gather evidence for the prosecution of the criminals already in custody.

Personal Notes:

-Juntao! Though you've never heard the name before, somehow it evokes some really bad feelings. It sounds vaguely foreign, sort of like you, at least before you learned how to dress and behave like a local. The Cormus police don't seem to have much information on this crimeboss.

-Vix's funeral reminded you once again what a great guy he was. It's a shame you didn't get a chance to get to know him better. Still, you believe he would have been pleased with the ceremony you set up on his behalf. There were some great speeches, especially from Eldridge and J. Peterman. You weren't aware that the catalogue mogul even knew the late Vix. Apparently, Vix really got around and had a lot of friends.

-Those shipyards were a great place for a fight scene, especially with all that construction equipment around. You were hanging off the crane or the helicopters even long after the fighting was finished.

Mini-Objective:

-Demonstrate your ability to keep secrets.

There was also a chart. The winner was unimportant. At least it wasn't Wheatie.

The adventure then moved on to some ludicrously simple mini-objectives. Wheatie's was wait for the plot to save him and Jackie's was to kick us out of the room, which is something he definitely has a handle on. Neji's was to order a new Healthy Choice sandwich from McCrock's. Given that the business of McCrock's was to sell this food, you wouldn't think this would be too difficult. It was made somewhat more so, however, by the presence of Patrick Stewart, star of TV's Star Trek: The Next Generation and the host of the documentary story MGM: When the Lion Roars. Still, after taking down the cueball's license plate for warp-speeding another car, Neji got her sandwich, which she declared to be no match for the sickeningly self-righteous trendiness of Subway. Most of us didn't need her to try it to know that would be the conclusion.

Watson, meanwhile, was already on the case. The arch-criminal Moriarty was on the loose, and unlike the cops who were more concerned about lunch, he wasn't about to stand by. The case led him to the dodgy Roger Thornberry, who was drinking in the bar with Johnny English and Nat Cook. After declaring Thornberry a lover of French poetry, Watson earned the help of his fellow Britons in shaking the miscreant down, where he discovered his next clue: the Crow's Nest.

While Watson pondered his information, Wheatie was still crying over the last game of War of the Ring, which he had lost via a Free People's Military Victory. He then went to the courthouse, where he was saddled with the trial of Eastside Mario while his boss Miss Vayl got the more important case of Devastator. His opponent, the excitable Anwar, absolutely schooled him with a case mainly involving the Constitution and how everything Wheatie did violated his client's human rights. Wheatie's boring case didn't stand a chance and 4 of the 12 jurors sided with Anwar in spite of the fact Mario had been caught on video tape performing his crimes.

Following Anwar's near-victory, Wheatie went upstairs and got kidnapped by the Scarecrow who was here to bust out Devastator, which he easily did. Things certainly weren't getting any better for Wheatie.

Fortunately for him, Watson was on the case. Having discovered that the police had (of course) done absolutely nothing to catch the Scarecrow, he arrived at the courthouse at the same time as Neji and Jackie were arriving on their first date together. The trail quickly led them to Arkham Asylum where a police raid was staged. The Asylum workers let out a host of crazies, including the dangerous Amazon and the Soviet cable-guy Antanov, but they proved no match for the unlikely alliance of Watson and the Anthropologist.

In the basement, the Scarecrow was busy interrogating Wheatie and reminding him of his humiliating Free People's Military loss. Naturally, Wheatie cracked like a wet towel and told the Scarecrow the description of the informant who had led them to the dockside warehouse. As Scarecrow left, Wheatie and Vayl were saved by the Midnight Gaidin, who claimed he would take care of Moriarty's soon-to-be departing cargo ships but then didn't. Watson was not surprised.

Wheatie arrived just in time for the battle against the Scarecrow and Boyd Brennan, Devastator's corrupt lawyer. Jackie and Neji were crippled by the Scarecrow's neurotoxins and Wheatie was crippled by his earlier Free People's Military loss to Watson, but a hail of fire from Watson and the Anthropologist again proved the deciding factor.

Running to the docks, the group saw Moriarty about to depart on his boat with a mysterious but no doubt sinister shipment of cargo. Neji heroically did nothing, Vayl heroically took out Scarecrow (who came back on a horse) with her tazer, Wheatie heroically bailed out of the fight and the only ACTUAL heroic character Watson made a running dive for the water to try and stop the boat. But his arch nemesis (Moriarty, not Wheatie) was waiting for just this chance and sent a devilish blade of energy spinning through the air, almost cutting the brave Crime Doctor (who had apparently overstated the level of his hitpoints) in half and sending him toppling lifelessly into the river. But at least he had died to the only man capable of defeating him.

How will the city fare now that the last obstacle in Moriarty's path is out of the way? And will Watson's new character be able to fill the gap? (once you meet him, you might find this to be unlikely...) Tune in next week to COPs to find out.

Note: Special thanks to the former Dr. John Watson for writing this summary.

Anwar
Race: Lorician
Affiliation: Defense Attorney
Anwar is a defense lawyer who, like Nicholas Chesterly, comes from a rich background of debate. While admittedly short on legal experience, Anwar believes his rhetorical skills and his knowledge of the constitution are more than enough to win any case. In fact, Anwar is often so confident that he promises to school his opponents, even when such appears extremely unlikely. This does not speak well for Anwar's observational skills, but pointing this out to him would only cause him to claim that you're violating human rights. Which are fundamental. Like most of those who came through the debating program, Anwar is most often seen in a professional black suit, though his dark hair and teenstache are usually ungroomed.

Judge Hiram Mightor
Race: Dortalian
Affiliation: Judge
Judge Hiram Mightor was only recently admitted to the bench, and some would argue that his qualifications are still in question. As one of the least experienced justices in the Cormus system, Mightor is often charged with officiating over more basic, simple cases where the trial is expected to be fairly trivial. Recent events have demonstrated that even Cormus' judiciary is not beyond the reach of crime, and as such some have even claimed that Mightor was brought onboard not for any legal knowledge, but because all alternative candidates were too intimidated to apply. Mightor is not so easily frightened; he's a giant of a man and his judge's robes do little to conceal his bulging muscles. Mightor also wears a spiked helmet underneath his white judge's wig, and carries a war club instead of a traditional gavel.

Judge Arthur Vandelais
Race: Deksiilan
Affiliation: Judge
A veteran of the legal system, Judge Art Vandelais has seen it all before, and it shows in his world-weary eyes. His hair is short and white, and his judge's robes hang loosely about his spare frame. His face is lined, both due to age and metaphorical scars from intense legal proceedings. There is speculation that Art Vandelais once harbored ambitions of becoming an architect, though his dreams were never realised. Instead, he has presided over several of the more important trials to hit the Cormus courts, and is always diligent to see that due process is followed.

Boyd Brennan Esq.
Race: Deksiilan
Affiliation: Corrupt Defense Attorney
Boyd Brenna Esq. is a successful corporate lawyer with a reputation for taking on any case that comes with a sufficiently large pile of cash. Furthermore, Brennan has been investigated several times in the past for becoming too close with his clients. Brennan's successful response to these charges has been to argue that he's only looking out for the best interests of his clients, and any financial interest that accrues to him is merely coincidental. As an experienced lawyer, Brennan always appears ready to head right into court. This includes usually wearing an expensive gray suit, a red power tie and carrying a styrofoam cup of Starbucks brew. Otherwise, Boyd can be described as a portly gentleman, with balding brown hair and a walrus mustache. When pushed into combat, he is known to exercise his right to bear arms through the use of a Shmitzer, and to plea bargain in an attempt to lessen any damage against him.

The Amazon
Race: Chalchakian
Affiliation: Arkham Asylum
Regarded by many as one of the most dangerous inmates interred at Arkham, the Amazon is a bounty hunter from Chalchak who fights with a pair of deadly spiked boomerangs. She is also mentally unstable, according to Dr. Falstav, which formed the basis for her transfer to Arkham asylum. The Amazon was on trial for several cases of assault when Falstav submitted his expert testimony. Even while locked in the institution, the Amazon maintains her wild appearance, complete with long brown hair adorned with feathers, a weird metal helmet and rustic clothing. Before entering into combat, the Amazon prefers to scout out the area such that she can plan her deadly boomerang attacks to best effect.