Chester stewed in his confusion with a nervous chill. He'd truly gained nothing on this adventure. Nothing besides a bit of reprieve and air conditioning to relax his taxed mind. Even then the A/C wasn't working. It felt oddly cool inside the room. A fact that would have alarmed him if it wasn't for the lack of breath visible in front of him. He turned back to the window ready to make his exit. He noticed it was wide open letting in a cool breeze. Chester was mildly confused since he specifically remembered shutting the window when he entered.

Then came a triplet of daggers lodging themselves into the floorboard beneath him. Chester stepped back and froze solid. A sickening voice crackled up from the darkness, "What are you doing..." The inky form of a feathered beast entered the light. His steps were silent despite stepping onto the carpet of papers. His leather jacket and chains were inaudible under his subtle stride. He still housed another set of daggers in his fist as he finished his dreary question, "...kidnapper?"

"Crow?" Chester finally managed to move again. He matched Crow's careful steps as they paced a circle in the admittedly tiny room. With each step, there was a jingling of bells and the crunching of paper. "I know this looks bad. But you have to understand."

Crow didn't bother with providing an audible response. His hands reached for more blades in preparation for what was soon to come. Chester, unwilling to compete against the assassin tried to further plead his case. "I don't know why, or by who, but I'm being framed." Chester pointed to the board behind Crow's head. "Just look at Gray's notes. I'm clearly being tricked. Someone is using me."

While Crow's head was turned to look at the board Chester's mood sulked a bit. Under the cover of a distraction he reached his hands up to his cap's bells, "I just don't know who... or-" Before he could finish the sentence he threw an explosive ball at the preoccupied assassin. The ball came inches from Crow's cheek before he smoothly shifted his neck to dodge. He then sent another dagger at the clown who squealed when his leg was secured to the desk behind him. The bird had aimed for a bit of loose cloth just below his crotch.

Chester's face got five shades paler, "Aah... why did I do that..." When he managed to get the blade away from his groin Crow had suddenly appeared before him. The bird's pupils stared through his own like a hawk picking out a mouse from meters above. Chester's voice went up several octaves, "I'm sorry! But I really am innocent!"

Crow looked back over his shoulder with a steely gaze. He dropped a heavy sigh out of his chipped beak. "I know." Crow's voice could mimic others. So he'd often make it sound deep and imposing when he was trying to intimidate someone. Now his voice returned to the shrill screech of an actual raven.

"You do?"

Crow pocketed his knives. He rubbed the scruff on his neck, "Gray and I have been investigating this for a while." Crow fully turned his back to the jester. A sign of trust far stronger than words. Seeing this gesture made something inside of Chester relax. Muscles and tendons that were previously clenched released like a football lineman bathing in a sauna.

While Chester dropped to the floor with an exhausted gasp, Crow searched the board for a picture of Emz. He ripped it off saying, "Ever since Emz's disappearance, Bibi's been worried." Crow flicked his wrist sending the picture flying. It masterfully cruised on the low breeze until it landed at Chester's feet. It was a picture of the electro-zombie posing with three other girls. The Salty Penny, Cool Cat Bibi, and The Rocket Janet.

Crow turned back to him with his hands in his pockets. "She's distraught. Her friends' safety is at risk."

Chester picked up the giddy image. He hissed out, "They took Mandy too."

"We know." The usage of we alarmed Chester. He asked for Crow to elaborate. "A report went out to the Starrs. You're being blamed for the disappearance of the missing brawlers."

Chester sat down in a chair across from Gray's desk. "Then I'm too late." If only he had sought out allies before Starr Park made the false claim. He might not have to live on the run. This sobering fact left a heavy fog in the dim room. His usually humorous demeanor would not return for nights.

Crow cut through the mood with a follow-up question, "They?"

"Wha?"

"You said 'They'. 'They took Mandy'. Who's they?"

Just when he thought his smile was gone he managed to laugh, "Gah-ha. You wouldn't believe me."

Crow laid back against the wall, "Spit it out."

Another heavy huff preceded his reveal, "When Gray came to ask about my connection to the kidnappings, we were attacked by the missing brawlers."

Crow stood still for a second. Then he nodded his head and admitted, "That is hard to believe."

"I told you!" Chester groaned as he tried to push back the approaching migraine with his palms. This was more than he could handle alone. Being hunted by Starr Security, hated by the Brawlers, and alone. So, so, alone. He never realized how much he loved company till he lost it.

Crow noticed he was losing Chester so he tried to bring him back. "We don't have time to sulk." Hearing Crow say we made Chester's stomach stabilize. He looked up hoping to show Crow his thanks with his eyes but the bird was looking back at the board. "My guess is Mandy and Gray won't be the last. We have to find out who's next."

Chester shook his head, "No that can't be right." He smushed his cheeks inward, "Gray told us that they were taking Brawler's to copy Jack in the Box."

"Jack in the Box?" Crow looked around the clown, "You mean that?" Chester presented the object with a bit of apprehension. Just bringing it into the forefront shifted the tone once more. Now there was a nervous air, like a bomb had been activated. "Why would anyone want to copy that thing," Crow questioned.

"Maybe they just adore my stunning personality." Chester always relied on comedy when he felt overwhelmed.

Crow didn't like his lack of tact, "Cut the jokes." Chester just nodded along before placing the cube away. Chester continued his point by explaining how all of the missing brawlers are connected to the box. Crow still didn't believe it. He had one bigger issue with that theory, "Why did they take Gray?"

Chester hadn't even considered that problem. Gray's powers revolve around imaginary bullets, dimensional travel, and general skullduggery. While Chester enjoyed the occasional trick it didn't seem appropriate to take Gray for his powers. Not if you wanted to create The Jack in the Box. "Maybe it's because he was getting close to the truth?"

Crow nodded along, "That's possible. Probably right." Crow's eyes landed on the images of Colette chasing after Chester, "But I get the feeling they'll want something more."

Crow began studying the kidnappings and patterns. There had to be a hint. Something Gray had found during his investigation. Chester joined him trying to study what Gray had seen. Gray's notes reminded him of his own clue. The one he found inside the candy store during his last visit. Crow picked it up asking, "What is this?"

"I found it inside the Candy Shop. I think it's from-"

"Gray. I can tell. It's his handwriting."

Chester looked over the shorter birdman's shoulder, "What do you think it means."

Crow flipped it around then returned to the front when he saw nothing of merit. "Well, there's only two possibilities. One: The next person is going to be a female. Or two."

Chester's gasped, "The kidnapper is a woman." The two looked at each other with a terrifying realization. "That's NOTHING!" Chester stormed off deeper into the room's bleak corners. "Do you know how many women are in this park?"

Crow clicked his beak open and close, "What if we only consider the Brawlers?"

Chester folded his arms in defiance, "I guess. But who would kidnap the other Brawlers?!"

Crow looked back to the board with an uneven stare. "No, it can't be that. He doesn't have any leads on here to possible kidnappers. So it must be the next victim."

Chester perked up a bit. "He did predict that they would come after Mandy next."

"If only he knew he was also on their list." Crow looked back at the symbol, "But a woman is so little to go on."

Chester added his opinion, "Remember what he said, 'Brawlers with powers similar to the box'-" Chester presented the cube once more. Its rosey red smile was almost taunting them, "Maybe there's a part of the box they still need."

Crow considered this possibility, but he tapped a note on the board that listed all the powers of the box and the brawlers most likely connected to them. All the powers had already been accounted for. Chester cursed under his breath and returned the device to his belt. Meanwhile, Crow took a second to further analyze the note. His avian eyes unlocked sight beyond sight. In the corner of the scrap was a small black dot.

He called Chester over to take a look at the paper. Chester dismissed this detail as just being a random spec of dust. Crow looked further beyond. He could see the fine scribbling of rushed pen lines as they spun frantically in circles. This was no mistake. It was another one of Gray's cryptid hints. A small dot in the corner of the image. A tiny almost forgettable addition. So small. So...

"Little."

Chester leaned forward, "I'm sorry?"

"It's little." Crow's eyes shot back to the board. "A little female."

Chester started to understand, "A girl."

Crow lit up a bit, "This note isn't warning us who the kidnapper is."

"It's a hint on who's next!"

Chester jumped for joy causing an annoying song of bells and buckles to fill the room. Crow just gave a small smile until a realization hit him. This wasn't the time to celebrate. They had to start narrowing it down.

He looked around the floor for a piece of paper. Not something hard to find in the room's current state. He grabbed a pen from the desk and barked, "Chester, help me build a list." Chester quickly ran over, "We need to think of all the Brawlers that are young females."

Chester quickly asked, "Do you really think they'll attack a child next?"

Crow sighed, "Honestly, I hope we're wrong." He shook away this doubt, "Focus. First name that comes to mind is Nita."

"Oh, then there's Meg. But maybe she'll be safe with Max and Surge." Chester paced a bit and added, "Oh, and Jessie."

"With Pam's super security, she'll be fine long as she's close to home." Crow bit the end of his pen, "Bibi."

"Bibi?"

"Bibi's young enough."

Chester was a bit skeptical, "Is she though?" His face resembled a child inhaling a dog's sneaky fart.

The glare he got back was twice as sharp as his daggers, "She's on the list." Chester quickly resigned from the protest after that. Crow added in, "Bonnie."

"I forgot about her. But do we add Janet then?"

"I wouldn't call her young..."

Chester mumbled, "Mmmh but Bibi is?"

"...but Gray is old enough that he might think she is."

"Add her to the list." The two stumbled about for a bit thinking of any other young female brawlers. Chester half-heartedly added, "Colette?"

Crow pondered that notion, "To be honest."

"Anyone who kidnaps Colette would return her in an hour." They decided to keep that as a soft pick rather than hard evidence.

Their list continued to grow with names such as Pirate Princess Penny, Maise (the theater's living duct tape), and even a very loose pick of Rosa's assistant, Bea. With that Crow presented the finished list. Ten names leading to potentially solving this mystery once and for all. Chester and Crow were elated to have made progress toward saving Starr Park. Well, Chester was elated. Crow just simmered with a stoic smile.

This elation was quickly replaced by paranoia as they heard footsteps rapidly approaching. Chester panicked until he saw Crow already waiting on the fire exit outside. Chester jumped out the window and tried to follow along. Crow jumped meters into the sky and landed on the adjacent rooftop with ease. He looked back down motioning for Chester to follow along.

"Oh yeah let me just sprout wings and fly real quick," he sarcastically responded. Chester got a running start and leaped to the next fire escape. He groaned as he got to his feet, "I'm so hashtag over this."

When he met Crow atop the roof the two began to flee into the night. Tomorrow they would begin their patrols.