After Duke and Wheeler made a stellar arrest of the ice cream truck bandits, the lieutenant noticed they were in front of the fire station. However, the location wasn't what got Duke to pause in his tracks. I was that, he felt the feeling of something, like he could sense someone else had the gene or something. He sensed Wheeler, but also someone else. 

"Hey, Chief, uh, do you feel that?" 

"Feel Wha-" Wheeler started as he stood next to Duke and immediately felt the presence. "Yo! Are ya talking about that tingling feeling, since I'm feeling it too!" He whisper shouted, getting a nod from Duke. "Bro, I think we can sense the gene. Though IDK who else could have it, it's coming from the fire station."

They couldn't just barge in, it would make them look suspicious to the fire brigade. The officers went in to act natural like they were just coming in to visit their friends. "Sounds like Freya's having an office party with the rest of her crew, Do you think it's for Pride month coming up? She always puts on a big display every year, just last year she made an actual rainbow with the hose sprays." 

"Heh, she's even got the lesbian pride flag on her old uniform. Everyone in the city tried to one-up the fire department every year, not once has anyone made a bigger display of the LGBT community than her!" The police chief remarked. "Here she comes right now. Just be cool about it." 

On the second floor, away from all the action was the mute fireman, Buster Lloyd. He cocked his head as he noticed the officers enter, he felt a familiar sense when they came. He took a glance at the marking on his hand, it seemed to be gleaming a soft blue. 

"Oh hey there, Duke and Wheeler? Slow day lately?" 

"'Sup Freya, Dukinator here just turned 26!"

"Oh, happy birthday Duke. Y'know, Buster also turned 26 this year, what a coincidence." She commented. "He is? That is quite the coinicidink." Wheeler stated. "Yeah, he must have had big plans since he emailed me on his birthday to take the day off." She stated. She wasn't aware of the gene, but she also wasn't going to question him taking time off. 

Duke listened as Wheeler and Freya talked, picking up on the fact that Buster would have to take the day off on his 26th birthday. "Hey, can we speak with him? To Buster, I mean." Duke asked. Freya looked at Duke, a bit confused about why. "Uh, sure, if you need to. But I don't think he committed any crimes." She stated as she lead them to him.   

Once they got there, Freya left the room to give them privacy. The three looked at each other for a bit before Buster started to sign at them. "Hello, officers, is there something you need?" He signed to them.

"Well um, you weren't the only one taking some time off this year." That was all Duke could say, he didn't know for sure if the mute man had the same gene too. Even if his own cloud marking became a bright blue around him. Taking a deep breath, Duke took off his gloves and held out his palm. 

Buster's eyes widened, he had no idea the best policeman on the force was going through the same situation. He then took off his own glove to show off his own marking. "Looks like my gut feeling was right." Wheeler remarked. "Duke here swelled up just this morning, I got him through it. Something like that happened on your day off?" 

Buster nodded, he needed to keep himself balanced on his belly until he calmed down enough to deflate. He was unsure why they would want to know, he got worried they could be rounding up people who have the gene. "Hey, Bus, we ain't gonna do any harm to ya." The chief assured him. "Duke just wanted to know if more than just us have the puffy gene thing." 

"Yeah, everyone who does has it has that cloud marking on the palm. I just hope whoever else has it wasn't chased out of the city... or worse..." Duke mumbled. 

Buster stepped forward, patting his shoulder. He then remembered. "If you could somehow sense my gene, I could help find others. I had a weird feeling around Harl when he visited yesterday, is it something like that?" He signed.

"Yeah bro, if that feeling was tingling. Anyway thanks for the heads up, we'll see our way out." Wheeler smiled at the firefighter as he skated out of there, with Duke following after him. Wheeler said his farewell to Freya before they left the station though since they couldn't just bolt out of there, that would be suspicious. Once they left the fire station, the two officers went to the junkyard.   

Harl was there, of course, since that's where his workshop is. Loud clanking and banging was heard, most likely from Harl working on a project. Duke and Wheeler could feel the same tingling sensation as when they were in front of the fire station. Before they even entered the junkyard, Harl turned to them, either sensing them from the gene or just... Something else his handyman body could do.   

"Hey Chief Wheeler, Hey Duke, What can I help you with?" The chubby handyman asked as he approached them. "Well, broski, we gotta ask you something. In privet if ya don't mind." 

"Alright, if that'll help you in some way. Let's go into my workshop, it's the most privet place here."

The inside was a mess, as usual, the floor was covered in scattered tools and a couple of empty bottles of Powerade. Harl knew he should probably have a full meal at least twice a day, but he's been so busy helping everyone in the city he didn't have much time to eat. "Oh! I should probably offer you something since you're my guests, um, you guys like Powerade?" 

"No thanks, Harl. We aren't really going to stay for long, the chief and I were just doing an investigation of sorts. As long as you don't mind answering some personal questions." Duke informed the chubby man. "You're not in any trouble, it's just something I was curious about." 

Harl cocked his head, what was there to investigate about him? He had nothing to hide, right? That is if one didn't notice he always wore a glove on one hand whenever he was out in public. "Wait, is this about my gene?" The handyman realized. "I've had it for three years now." 

"... Well that was quick, heh. That's all we wanted to know." Wheeler chuckled. "Duke here realized he had it today. He wants to know if others in the city could have it too, to convince the mayor so we don't have to hide being able to inflate." 

"The mayor? Oh no!" Harl squeaked. 

"What is it? Is he alright?" 

"I just remembered, Fendrich is running and he's ahead in the polls!"

"... Bro how? He's so unlikable! That douchecanoe is probs using fake votes." Wheeler stated, finding it utter bogus that Fendrich was able to run for mayor, let alone be in the lead with voters. "I mean, that does seem like something he would do, but we don't have any proof of that. Though I find it odd, since why would he have the lead?" 

"In my opinion, it's shocking, since the current mayor, who is rerunning, is such a nice guy." Harl stated. "Well, if Fendrich isn't faking his votes, what is his smear campaign against Mayor Fleck?" The chief asked.   

"Well, the usual things, He's autistic, he's in the LGBTQ+, but... There's something else that is a bit odd compared to other things." The handyman started. "Something about his medical history or something. Not sure why he wants that public though." He continued. Wheeler started putting things together in his mind.   

"Dude... Wait do you think... Nah it can't be right?" The skater asked. Duke also thought about it. The possibility that the mayor had this gene. "Harl, how old are-" 

"The mayor is currently 57 and R.E. Fendrich is 62." The handyman answered, assuming that Duke was going to ask about their ages. "I see, so both the mayor and Fendrich were most likely alive during the height of this gene's existence. Which means, likely Fendrich wants access to the Mayor's files to see if he has the gene to use it against him." Duke stated.

"That does sound possible, and considering how obsessed he is about proving he's the rightful owner of the city he'd subject anyone who has the gene to something worse than witchcraft accusations." Harl had been interested in learning the history of his condition ever since he awoke in his inflated state. All he managed to find were a couple of history books about important points in the city's lifetime (including the witchcraft trials against the inflated individuals) and books on how genetics are passed down. 

Those who inherited the gene never got an official name for it, only ever being referred to as Blimpmen. "In 1972 there was an attempt by scientists to somehow remove the gene from human DNA, unethically I might add." Harl read off his history book. "Hmm, there's no mention if anyone outside of the city has ever carried it, but a lot of these names listed are of Italian origin. I think Dr.s Wexler and Ravenhurst might have some more books on this sort of stuff. Tomorrow morning I'll go visit them and try to get more information." 

"Right, I think we better go see the mayor about this. Just what is Fendrich up to now?" Duke didn't utter that last part out loud, he had a hunch he already knew. It was no secret just how bigoted that billionaire could be, even towards his own henchmen. "I wouldn't be surprised if one of his own ancestors orchestrated the experimentation of all these people." 

"Bruh, what does he even gain? Aside from trying to one-up Sinclair as usual. City Hall ain't far, time to pay Fleck a visit. Then we try and get everyone back on his side!" Wheeler assured him. "Catch ya on the flip side, Harl." 

The handyman smiled as he watched them go, softly bloating the moment he was alone. He always found self-inflating to be quite relaxing. "Tippy likes it too, he told me I could be his teddy bear every night."

Meanwhile, the cops went directly to city hall and weren't allowed in. His secretary, Carol Yea, wasn't going to let them in. "Sorry, but You don't have an appointment with the Mayor." She stated.  

"What? I thought he was chill with walk-ins." Wheeler stated.   

"I'm sorry Chief Wheeler, but due to the current political climate and the public wanting his personal information, Mayor Fleck isn't comfortable with people coming unannounced. Even if it is the police."   

Duke just knew that the mayor had the gene now. Not only from the fact he was feeling the tingle again, but because of the way Carol was acting. She was acting rather secretive about the mayor's situation. As if she knew about his gene and was trying to help him keep it a secret. It was a far fetched idea, but an idea that the lieutenant believed in. 

"Well, alright. But we're hoping he will be willing to speak soon, we wish him only the best in this coming election. He's sure to be reelected as long as everyone remembers all he's done for this city in the years he was in office." Duke remarked. "I guess we'll see you later, Ms. Yea." 

She looked down as the pair left. "I can only hope, as long as they don't see the mayor as a freak." She thought.