Log:Phoenix Fire, Scene 2

Phoenix Fire 2007/01/25 	 Cliff Worth Eel Fuzzt Lorelei The Maid Shoro Xing-Liu 2

Shoro walks up to Eel.."Whats going on?"

Eel is standing on the beach on the edge of where the surf runs up on the pebbly soil. Water rolls off of his wetsuit/costume like he's just come out of the surf. A small group of people have gathered on the beach as well. The object of attraction seems to be a human body that's washed up.

Shoro frowns.."Oh..speaks for itself.." he looks over the body.."Have we called the authorities?"

Xing-Liu stays well back, high above, stopped once she realized what was meant.

Eel nods to Shoro. "Hey, man." He nods his head over his shoulder, indicating the corpse. "Meat wagon is on the way. I haven't touched the body... sometimes they get... kind of delicate... when they've been in the water for a while."

Eel is standing on the beach on the edge of where the surf runs up on the pebbly soil. Water rolls off of his wetsuit/costume like he's just come out of the surf. A small group of people have gathered on the beach as well. The object of attraction seems to be a human body that's washed up.

Shoro nods.."Yeah.."...he looks at the body and sees if he can find ID on it...he's contaminating the crime scene..yes he knows this..

Watching the scene from a distance, a high observation point is Xing-Liu, having heard a word she wasn't familiar with over comms and doubts she will ever forget its meaning.

The body is stripped of all clothing and identification. It was a woman, possibly as young and her teen, and of Asian descent. At glance, there's a brutal looking bludgeoning wound on the back of her head.

Shoro tries to gently turn the girl over to see her face..a teen, it might have been a student at the highschool.."Someone bring a towel.." he says.

Shoro says, "Eel..did you find her on the beach?..or did you bring her in?"

Fuzzt is curious about this gathering of humans and moves closer to investigate the cause, unwittingly imitating a Martian War Machine by extending three long tentacles as stilt like legs to gain height for a vantage point.

Eel looks towards the Boardwalk, waiting for the coroner's van. "I thought she was drowning at first. Imagine my surprise, huh? I figure she was dumped... the curents would have carried the body this way from the shipping lanes.

Shoro barely notices Fuzzt, but nods to Eel.."Yeah..." he hates seeing bodies..especially those of younger ages, he's seen worse, but it never gets better.

Shoro is mentally relieved to know he doesn't know this one.."Eel..can you tell by her body how long she's been in the water?"

Eel shakes his head. "Hard to tell. Barricade could figure it out."

Eel says, "My guess'd be a week. Maybe a bit longer than that."

Shoro looks at Eel.."Barricades not here.." he sighs.."Looks like one for the cops..no clues." he pulls his PDA and pulls up missing persons meeting the description of the girl.

Shoro frowns.."Thats a long time..got to be a missing persons..unless she was being smuggled in or something...or on the streets.."

Fuzzt steps over the crowd in approaching the inner group of humans to ask, "The unmoving human is hurt? Can I help in anyway?"

Shoro looks over.."Fuzzt wasn't it?..the Human is no longer alive..." he says bluntly..despite everything he hates bodies..and another young girl..inside something triggers, and an anger builds from the smouldering remains of his past.

Eel waves his hands as he steps between Fuzzt and the body. "She's dead. We're waiting for the police to show up."

Shoro looks back at his PDA and frowns..he looks back at the girl, trying to discern from her bloated face if this is a match.."Eel, take a look at this.." he hands the PDA over.."It looks like we might have a match."

It's like Fuzzt deflates, shrinking in on itself and looking saggy all of a sudden. "I grief with you."

Shoro turns the body over..looking for a telltale birthmark..as noted on the missing persons list.

Shoro looks for the mark and doesn't find it..another mental bit of relief.."Nevermind man..its not her." he sighs. "What are your thoughts Eel.." he leaves the body face down even the dead should be given some modesty. He looks up and nods to Xing..understanding her feelings. "Fuzzt..it is not grief..its frustration.."

Fuzzt says, "I grief. Life is so precious. I grief it is lost."

Shoro nods.."This is true, but all life is transient.." he sighs...

Eel shrugs. "Dunno. A week or two is a lot of shipping traffic. Maybe we'll catch a break adn the police will turn up a hit on the fingerprints or DNA."

Eel shrugs. "Been a while since I've been that lucky with a case."

Shoro nods, "Yeah..one can only hope..still parents have been having their kids printed and DNA scanned for a long time now, hasn't it been standard for the last 20 years? or so?"

Eel says, "Sure, in this country."

Shoro nods.."I guess we just have to wait and see then?"

The Maid has arrived.

Eel is standing on the beach on the edge of where the surf runs up on the pebbly soil. Water rolls off of his wetsuit/costume like he's just come out of the surf. A small group of people have gathered on the beach as well. The object of attraction seems to be a human body that's washed up.

Above, and a bit far off, Xing-Liu watches the proceedings, not wanting to get near to the "floater" that was mentioned.

Shoro squats near the body investigating it..

Shoro stands.."Eel..I'm at an impasse..the body is so old..and I'm no firensics specialist.."

Eel smirks over at Shoro. "C'mon man. I've scene your rolodex -- you don't have any doctors in there?"

The Maid can be seen as a sillouette, flying in the distance, doing her patrol, trying to search for the whereabouts of Baron Victor von Morningstien or Enemy Ace. She can be seen approaching the beach area, coming more into view, seemingly drawn by the whatever has gotten the crowd's attention.

Shoro thinks.."Just one..but she's a mental doctor.."

Shoro says, "I mean..I know the coroner, but she's going there anyway right?"

Eel smirks. "Why do you need the number of a shrink..." Eel frowns regretting the words as soon as he says them.

Shoro says, "Wait..Von Morganstein as well, but..hes.." he frowns beneath his mask.."unavailable.""

The Maid slows to a hover, some distance above the crowd. She looks down for a bit, probably trying to determine if the commotion relates to Morningstien.

Shoro looks up at the new comer..wierd..flying maid..thats like a flying nun isn't it?..ah well..

Shoro turns to Eel and points up.."Whos that?"

Eel shrugs. "Damned if I know."

Eel says, "She looks young. It's hard to keep track of these kid supers."

Shoro nods.."true.." he says.."She's probably not a doctor either.." he sighs..

Eventually a man and a woman dressed in suits arrive, stepping out of an American model car. As they walk down to the beach, they continue their conversation. "20 points. In one half, I tell you, my boy's got a wicked jump shot. Must be the genes," the man says.

Shoro stands next to Eel..both next to a dead body.

The woman in the suit says, "You'd better hope so -- trying ot put three kids through college on a cop's salary? Better hope he gets that scholarship."

Shoro steps back from the body..and nods, "Officers."

The man and the woman both wear their badges clipped to their belts. The female detective crouches down and starts to examine the corpse. The male detective starts to ask questions. "Who was the person who found the corpse?"

Eel says, "That'd be me."

Lorelei walks down the beach talking to Cliff as he gently steers her away from areas of probably danger. "So, are you going to do it, or not?" asks Cliff.

Lorelei pauses as she notes the scene (from which Cliff was aleady steering her away).

The Maid descends to a hover, just inches off the sand, so that she is carefully keeping sand and water from touching her long dress, apron, or mini boots. She curtseys. "Pardon me, but may I inquire as to what happened here?"

Lorelei casts Cliff a look to see if he's aware of any immediate danger before heading over toward the group.

The body is a naked human female, apparently of Asian descent, bloated and discoloured from lying in the water, presumably.

The Maid looks over at the body. "How dreadful..." she says softly. She removes the long white apron that covers her dress, and tries to use it to cover up unfortunate female corpse.

Shoro puts a hand on the Maid's arm.."Miss..the police are here now..better to leave the corpse alone." he nods to the police.

Lorelei says, "What's going on - oh."

Lorelei catches sight of the body and looks sharply away.

The cop who's examining the corpse looks up at The Maid, then over to her partener. "Graham. Crowd control...?" she sounds rather annoyed.

Shoro nods to Lorelei.."Yes..long time Lorelei.." he says to her..matter of factly over compensating for his own feelings over this.

Shoro steps back allowing the officer to do her work,

The Maid looks over at Shoro. "Please sir... allow this poor lady a little dignity," referring to the corpse.

Lorelei nods to Shoro, though no longer in the mood for pleasantries.

[To The Maid] Lorelei says, "If it's a crime scene, they can't disturb anything!"

Graham, the male detective, starts shooing the heroes and the onlookers back away from the scene. "Hey, give my partner some room to do her job."

Shoro shakes his head to the Maid, "I agree with you Miss, but she is not simply dead, she's a victim, and we need to give the police both their space and their ability to work with the corpse."

Lorelei backs off a few steps, and Cliff stands between her and the body. "Are you ok?" he asks.

Shoro sighs.."Eel..I've got some work to do..I'll keep my eye on this one though..."

Eel nods. "Got it."

The Maid gives Shoro and Graham a somewhat cold glare, as if she were disgusted at their not wanting to give the dead some dignity. She sighs, and slowly concedes, hovering a little bit away from the body, her apron still in her hands.

Shoro turns to the maid, seeing her look, "Listen Miss, not all things in this life are flowers and butterflies, sometimes there's no room for dignity, I can promise that whoever bludgened this girl gave her no dignity. Whoever stripped her down and threw her in the water gave her no dignity. The best thing we can do for this girl is avenge her and find the scum who did this to her."

Graham's partner begins to work, thinking aloud as she does a cursory examination. "Victim is female, Asian.... I'm guessing in her teens." She shifts the body as necessary with confident moves, clearly used to dealing with corpses.

Additional police officers show up and set up a proper perimeter around the body.

Lorelei looks round Cliff at the body at that description, and a doubtless silly fear comes over her.

Magma has partially HIDDEN-disconnected.

Shoro looks at Lore, and says.."What is it Lorelei?"

Lorelei says, "Probably nothing...."

The Maid shakes her head. "Please forgive any impertinence on my part sir..." she says to Shoro, "... but there is always room for dignity. How we treat the.... dearly departed... is as important as how to treat the living. Honor is what separates us from those who do such dreadful acts."

"Probably cause of death," the detective continues. "... blunt trauma to base of the skull. Hmm. Looks like defense wounds on the forearms, hands..."

Shoro raises an eyebrow..something that can be seen behind the mask he wears.."What is it Lore?" he looks at the Maid.."Again Miss..I don't disagree with you."

Shoro frowns..and says to himself, "So she saw her attacker..it wasn't a single attack..it wasn't instant." an underlying anger builds in his voice.

Fuzzt asks Shoro, "Human child bearer killed by predator. Not accident?"

Shoro nods to Fuzzt.."Yes..more than likely a Human Predator.." he says to Fuzzt. The quiet anger still in his voice.

Fuzzt says, "Fuzzt help hunt predator."

Shoro smiles "thank you Fuzzt.." he says as if endearing a child. "What can you do to help?"

Lorelei says, "I'll help too - if there's anything I can do."

Shoro nods to Lore.."Lore..what's your concern?"

Fuzzt says, "Fuzzt sad. Fuzzt not hunter on own world. Not know track or predator ways. You find predator and Fuzzt HURT!"

The two detective continue to work the murder scene...

Lorelei says, "Well - dead bodies usually concern me......"

The Maid sighs, and begins to fly off, almost as if this incident no longer concerned her.

Lorelei gives the Maid a puzzled look as she withdraws.

The Maid thinks to herself..oO(Not my problem... I am not some hero... just need to find Master Morningstien... Do not get involved in business that does not relate to you...) as she flies up and away

Shoro nods to Fuzzt."I'll keep you in the loop Fuzzt."

Shoro nods, "Lorelei..Its no one I know..if that helps allay any concerns.." he says to her.."that was my first concern as well."

Lorelei nods. "I don't know her either."

Shoro nods.."Be well Lorelei, I'll let you know if I find anything out..I have a bad feeling."

Lorelei says, "Anything specific?"

Shoro nods.."smuggling..human smuggling from Asia.."

Shoro says, "Depends on what they found out about the body.."

Lorelei says, "Oh.... that hadn't even occurred to me....."

Shoro nods, "If they can't ID the body, its probably from a foreign nation..the age..is just right as sick as that sounds."

Shoro says, "Human auction.."

Lorelei frowns grimly. "Well. That puts me off that charity event idea...."

Shoro shakes his head, "completely different, that's a charity, this is the human slave market I am talking about."

Lorelei says, "I know. It's just - well, if I participate in that I'll be thinking about this now."

Lorelei says, "Cliff will probably thank you. He's been trying to put me off the idea, anyway."

Lorelei says, "Oh, have you met Cliff?"

Shoro shakes his head.."Not formally.." he looks at Cliff.."Body Guard eh?..she' pretty capable you know?"

Cliff smiles at the corners of his mouth. "So I've seen."

Lorelei says, "The agency insisted. But actually, Cliff's come in handy a couple of times. He's really good at spotting trouble."

Shoro nods.."Still..you're probably a hired gun, so I guess you're just protecting an asset?"

Shoro nods to Lore.."I see. Cliff, as long as you're keeping this pretty lady safe, I guess that's all that matters."

Cliff nods. "I do my best."

Lorelei says, "He's already taken a shot for me, poor thing. I think it hurt him more than it would have hurt me."

Cliff says, "You really shouldn't say things like that. Not good for my rep."

Shoro nods.."That's what he's paid to do isn't Cliff?"

Shoro seems to know people like Cliff, "You're paid very well to keep people like Lorelei from harm. Even if that means dying in the process right?"

Cliff says, "Well, that's part of it. Generally I try to make sure thigns don't come to that in the first place. Though being a superhero's bodyguard makes that tricky. But yes, if I have to die for her, I will."

Shoro seems to smile in his eyes.."That makes you good." he smiles. "Lore..I have work that needs to get done. Be well. I'll keep you informed of what I find."

Lorelei nods. "Thanks. I don't know what use I can be on this, but I'll try to help."