Across the rooftops, a figure dashes through the darkness. A dapper fighter with his bowler hat on tight and his cane deep within his clutch. His gaudy stride was accentuated by a bouncing galloping at the peak of his run. Black and white stripes continuously covered the streets of Starr Park even when the sun had given up.

The dried-up slides of the Roaring Rapids were stained with the purifying chlorine. Gray suspected that searching at the waterpark would be a good starting point for his investigation. The poster's claimed that Dynamike had left on a journey with Penny. An obvious cover-up. So why did Penny and her pirates leave at the same time as Dynamike's disappearance? And did they have something to do with Poco and Emz. Either way, Mortis's request was clear. Find Emz. He didn't want to deal with the aftermath that comes with crossing the ruler of the undead.

He played with the idea that this threat came from outside but the ability to discreetly appear and remove the Brawlers without a trace brought up doubts. It's only sensible to assume that the threat was inside the park. But was this threat a known Brawler? Was it an outsider that had infiltrated the walls? Or was it the park themselves? It would explain the cover-ups.

While rushing through the water park he kept his eyes on the ground. The Rapids at night was basically a graveyard, save for the Underground Mortuary. So if anyone was hiding a secret operation it would be just under the waves.

As he continued to leap from roof to roof he noticed a figure jumping around as well. Something smaller, like a tall child, and with a wide wingspan. He knew who it was, it wasn't his first assumption, but he certainly wasn't the last.

Gray jumped through one of his dimensional doors and reappeared just a few feet before his target. A sudden appearance that startled the man as he rolled to a halt. He quickly recovered and fixed his leather jacket across his shoulders.

Gray tapped his cane twice to properly announce himself. A sign that showed he meant no harm. The pursued relaxed a bit and stood in the moonlight. His black feathered skull was now visible. The rays of light glistened off his large, scarred beak. He had to turn his head at an angle to get a good look at the detective.

His broad profile nearly cast a shadow over the mime, "Gray."

Gray let his hooked cane dangle on his arm. He showed his right hand. Then let Crow peek down his sleeve.

Nothing.

Gray shifted his hands and showed off the left.

Again nothing.

Then with the rolling swirl of his left wrist, he made a notepad appear from thin air. A sharp jab with his right produced a pen. Crow watched as he scribbled something down. It took less than a second to transcribe before Gray ripped the page away from its spirals. He pushed his hand out to the side, allowing the paper to fall with the grace of a feather. Wistfully drifting back and forth in the wind until it reached the ground.

Then with the tap of his cane, a hole appeared. The paper drifted into the tiny chasm and reappeared at Crow's feet. He picked it up carefully and inspected its message. A large and carefully drawn question mark was all it showed. Like the clipart from a stock photo gallery.

Crow dropped the paper, "Same as you. Trying to find out where they went."

Gray was full of expressions. It came with the lack of a voice. But his face didn't give Crow much to work with. Was it the lack of light or the thick fog resting just below their chins? Crow kept a careful eye on Gray's fingertips. He knew the power this mute possessed.

A white hand slowly rose and pointed off into the distance. The other showed an open palm in Crow's direction. A gesture that meant the utmost trust coming from him. He then pointed his own finger at his chest then pointed deeper into the park. Crow followed these actions without a word. The two nodded to each other before departing. One leaping off into the sky, the other disappearing into the void.

Gray rushed to the furthest end of Starr Park's expansive terrain. Dynamike was last scene outside of the Gem Mines while Poco and Emz were reported missing just at the entrance of the Wild West. While Crow did some digging near the front of the park he inspected the back. As he got closer to the mines the entertainment gave way to more residential buildings. A choice that while originally odd statistically proved to be effective. In the Starr Reports it was found that Starr Park workers living within five miles of their assignment reported 24% less stress and were 10% more productive on the job. Gray didn't believe these reports but the free housing for those registered as Brawlers couldn't be beat.

Just before the developmental districts: The Junkyard, Gem Mines, and Snowtel. There was a long strip of homes for housing the Brawlers and those lucky patrons who could afford the rent. Even at the dawn of midnight, people were walking around under the lamp lights.

From his perch high above the sidewalks, he could see everything. Men and women strolling together in the dark. Couples sharing intimate touches under the hood of the night. And the occasional ne'er-do-well activities that were destined to transpire under the covers. A standard portfolio for Starr Park after hours. There was one oddity, however. A man with thin hair, a scalp shimmering like silver, and a complexion of white gold. It wasn't his appearance that alerted him, but rather the way he systematically shifted from one door to the other. All the while flashing a badge as if he was a member of Starr Security. Gray took careful note of each member of the Starr Park faculty. You couldn't be too careful when fighting underworld corruption. So he was certain they had no albinos on hire.

Though he knew not Adam's name, origin, or ambition, Gray's interest was piqued. He kept to the shadows above and followed close behind. The potential officer never made it past the front door. The conversations were outside of his perception but Gray could tell he was looking for information. Is it possible that this man was also researching the disappearances? He stopped outside a two-story complex and saw a blonde woman walk out. A fellow Brawler in a sea blue dress with white fringe along the bottom. Even at midnight, she's dressed to impress. The sassy southern belle disregarded Adam's request and slammed the door in his face. Guess he was interrupting teatime.

Gray continued to follow along as the inspector made his rounds. He was heading in the same direction as Gray so it was both convenient and profitable. His next stop was right outside Pam's Junkyard. A location that housed all the scrap metal created by the hundreds of brawls every day. Veritable mountains of discarded scrap smother the grass-less grounds. Even now junk bots were skulking about the walled-off yards.

The detective pressed a button on the front gate signaling his arrival. Gray was on the outside looking in. He knew that Pam had shut down operations hours ago. Nobody gets in or out of the junkyard after ten o'clock.

The mime was about to go back to searching when he noticed something odd. The new detective was walking past the front gate. Taking unmonitored steps closer and closer to the processing plant. Nani, Pam's personal nanny robot, was not walking beside him. He was allowed to enter the junkyard in the middle of the night unencumbered.

The oddities didn't stop there. Next came another new face. Rosa. The boxing botanist walked out the front door of the processing plant and beckoned for him to come closer. The two held a short unheard conversation before she let Adam inside. Then she walked away as if it was completely natural. Dropping little green leaves from her massive afro all the while.

Gray was left astonished. He came looking for evidence of Emz's kidnappers, but he might have found something much more interesting. A fellow investigator who has access to something he's struggled to attain.

A connection to Pam.