Do you think there is a difference between success and victory? I do.

In my eyes, victory is something more strictly defined. Winning a game or getting first place in a competition, that’s a victory.

A success can be more loosely defined. Maybe you lost at the family game night, but it’s still a success because you had fun with your family. Unless you're in one of those highly competitive and confrontational families. That could make it a very unsuccessful bonding experience.

The same goes for sports and other competitions. Maybe you didn’t win, but you still collected valuable experiences and hopefully had fun.

Sometimes a success doesn’t even feel like a victory. Imagine a detective successfully solving a murder case, only to find out that the killer had actually been abused by the victim for years, and this was a desperate attempt at grasping freedom. The investigator might even regret getting the killer arrested under these circumstances.

Naturally, that is quite ironic, as you’d think that success or victory is always the motivation behind what anyone does. But you might be surprised to hear that that’s not true.

For this, we need to look at the antonym, failure. Depending on the person, they’re either motivated by the need for victory and success or the fear of failure. You might say that these are two sides of the same coin, but I believe that these two sentiments are very different and clearly reflect on the person in question.

Either way, holding onto these sentiments too strongly will inevitably lead to pain and suffering. As it did in the case I want to talk about in this chapter.

Case #73: Cursed Champions

Saturday, November 2, 7:00 pm: Entrance, 999 Fortune Shack

Amy and Mika stood amidst a sea of bright lights. They were outside the 999 Fortune Shack, a cheaper alternative to the 777 Fortune Palace, one of Las Vegas’ most popular casinos.

Amy looked down at her phone while Mika stared through the open door into the chamber of noises, lights, gambling, and alcohol.

“Well, according to his tracker, Xavier should be here,” Amy said. She and Mika had wanted to go look around the city in the afternoon, but both Xavier and Alice apparently didn’t feel like it.

Xavier had gone off on his own, even before lunch, while Alice stuck around for a little longer. She’d eaten lunch with the others, although it was quite awkward, as neither she nor Mika spoke to each other. After this, Alice had done Amy a quick favor, but as soon as Amy and Mika were headed to the train station for a quick task, she’d taken the opportunity to abandon the group, having disappeared into a nearby bar. Since then, she’d been working her way from one bar or casino to the next, each one more run-down than the last.

“I’ll go check on him,” Amy said, looking over at Mika. They seemed a bit jittery and were nervously blinking, staring at the many people and the blinking lights. It was probably not helped by the fact that they’d been on a bender of their own, as they’ve been drinking one energy drink after another since around lunch time. Their day had basically consisted of sugar- and caffeine-induced highs, followed by exhaustion, which they countered with more energy drinks, continuing the predictable cycle.

“You can wait out here if it’s too much for you to handle. I don’t want you to get overstimulated.”

“Okay, Lupin and I will wait over there by the palm tree.”

“Good, I’ll be right back.”

Mika nodded and ran over to the palm tree, which was placed on a raised platform surrounded by a short, colorfully painted brick wall. As if to show off their sugar rush, they started running laps around the tree, balancing on the brick wall.

Lupin seemed to barely notice the shaking, lying comfortably in Mika’s hood.

Amy stepped inside the rundown casino. It was one of those places people went to after losing almost all their money, hoping to turn their last few bucks into a fortune. Thus, despite already having many patrons, the number of guests would likely grow at least threefold, as the evening turned to night.

Amy walked past a row of slot machines, most of which were off-brand versions of the machines found in the bigger casinos. Instead of Lapin Blanc, it had the White Rabbit, while others had the Mermaid’s Pearls, this place had the Siren’s Fortune, and replacing the Winged Tomcat was the Husky MagiCat.

As Amy continued further into the casino, she passed by a row of poker tables, which was when she heard a familiar voice.

“Dude, fucking speed up! I don’t want to wait all evening!”

Amy turned around, checking where Alice’s voice was coming from.

“Hit me, I’m feeling lucky.”

Alice was in the middle of a Blackjack game. The dealer flipped the next card, a 10 of hearts, much to Alice’s annoyance.

“Fuck off!” she yelled, slapping her hand on the table, next to her 5 of Spades and 7 of hearts. She grabbed her drink and walked away.

“Alice?” Amy asked, standing in her way.

“What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing. You haven’t answered any of our calls, and when Mika and I went to look for you in the hotel, you weren’t there.”

“I wanted to have some fun,” Alice said, clearly a few drinks in.

“Doesn’t look like you are.”
“Bah, I just need some more chips to turn my luck around. I’ve read every chapter of Kaiji. I know how this works.”

“So does your luck return before or after you’re put into slave labor?” Amy said, referencing the plot of the gambling-centric manga.

“That won’t happen.”

“Good, I guess. Anyway, Mika and I wanted to ask you if you wanted to come with us. We wanted to go eat something and hit up an arcade. We found a less busy one that won’t overwhelm Mika.”

Alice turned her back on Amy. “I don’t think Mika wants to see me right now.”

“I doubt that. Are you sure it’s not the other way around?”

“Shut up.”

“What’s going on between the two of you? You haven’t spoken with each other all day.”

“Just leave me alone. Have fun in the arcade without me, can’t be that hard.”

“So what, you’re just gonna stay here and get hammered?”

“Maybe. It’s always been a goal of mine to reenact Hangover 1. Who knows what will happen?”

“I don’t think we should have watched that film when we were kids. Clearly, it’s had a bad influence on you.”

“Look who’s finally critical of her parents. Have you finally grown a spine?”

“I see we’re back to this again. I enjoyed you much more when you weren’t acting like an asshole.”

“If I’m such an asshole, then go have fun somewhere else. Clearly, I’m just ruining your mood.”

“Fine. Just make sure not to steal any tigers.”

“I won’t. Probably.”

“Good. By the way, have you seen Xavier? His tracker says he’s somewhere here.”

“Last I saw him, he was flirting with some football players at the bar.”

“Really?” Amy asked, surprised.

“I don’t know. I didn’t stick around for that long. I don’t even know their team.”

Alice walked away to get more chips and a new drink. Amy headed over to the bar, where Xavier was talking to a group of three guys around his age.

“Hey, Xavier,” Amy said, sitting down on the empty seat to his right.

“Oh, hey! What are you doing here?”

“Who’s that?” one of the guys asked.

“This is Amy, my best friend and colleague.”

“Hi Amy, I’m Nathan,” the guy next to Xavier said. “That over there is Gabriel.” He pointed to the tallest of the three. “And this is Valentin, our star goalkeeper.” The muscular guy next to Nathan Shearer seemed flustered.

“Star goalkeeper is a lot. I’m not even on the starting lineup. I’m just the replacement.”

“Doesn’t make you any less talented,” Mr. Shearer said.

Amy turned back to Xavier. “We were looking for you. You haven’t returned any of our calls.”

“Oh shit, sorry about that. I keep getting spammed by messages from different reporters wanting to interview us after what happened yesterday. I had to turn it off to get some peace.”

“I guess it’s good my contacts aren’t on our business card yet.”

“Oh, yeah, thanks for reminding me. I promise I’ll get around to printing that new batch soon,” Xavier said.

“No worries, I don’t put much priority on that. But maybe it’s time to make a website for the agency?” Amy suggested.

“Good idea, after what happened at the Eagle’s Nest, we definitely have the eyes of the public on us.”

“Seems like you guys did something really impressive,” Valentin Donati said.

“So you haven’t heard? I’m surprised,” Amy said. Seems like it’s the only thing the news cares about today.”

“Yeah, we don’t have much contact with the outside. We’re normally only allowed to leave for away games,” Gabriel Honda said.

“I heard you’re football players.”

“Soccer!” Mr. Shearer corrected her.

“Sorry. I grew up using the British name, so that’s what I’m most used to. Not like soccer is such a big thing here in the US.”

“How can you say that? Soccer dominates the world. It’s the most popular sport in every country,” Mr. Donati said.

“That’s a bit much. But I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“I’m not really upset, I’m just confused.”

“What team are you playing for, anyway?”

“Nike’s Acolytes. We’re the rising star of Nevada, being ranked second after the Jackpot Strikers,” Mr. Honda said.

“Impressive. I assume Nike, like the goddess, not the shoe brand, right?” Xavier asked, taking a sip from his drink.

“Of course.”

“You said you’re only allowed outside for games, right? Outside what? And why are you here?”

“Outside the training compound. That’s where we undergo our elite-level training,” Mr. Donati said.

“And to answer your other question. We snuck out because today is his big day,” Mr. Honda said, pointing to Mr. Shearer.

“His birthday?” Amy asked.

“No. Today, it’s his turn to take on Nike’s challenge. He’s the first of us who gets to do that. We only transferred to the team two months ago,” Mr. Donati said.

“What’s that?” Amy asked.

“It’s a test of skill that is held in the middle of the night. No one really knows the details, because the ones who have already finished it keep it a secret,” Mr. Shearer said.

“If you fail, you get kicked out. But there are rumors that Nike will even kill you for disappointing her,” Mr. Honda said in a spooky voice.

“Should you really be out here drinking in that case?” Xavier asked.

“A bit of liquid courage has never hurt anyone. And I’m confident that I’ve got this in the bag,” Mr. Shearer said.

Only now did Amy notice Xavier’s drink. “Speaking of, is that alcohol, Xavier?”

“Oh, yes, I just needed a drink after these stressful days.”

“But didn’t you want to stay away from alcohol?”

“It’s an exception. I promise I won’t overdo it.”

Amy sighed. “If you say so. Just promise me, you won’t overdo it.”

Xavier nodded and showed a thumbs-up.

“Okay. Say, Mika and I wanted to go eat something and play some games at an arcade, do you want to come with us?”

“Sorry, I’m not in the mood right now. Maybe we can do that tomorrow, before we have to head to the airport.”

Amy nodded and walked away, worried about her friends. She didn’t want to leave Mika unattended any longer, as the 999 Fortune Shack wasn’t in the best part of the city.

“Did you not find him?” Mika asked as they noticed Amy leaving the casino.

“He’s in there, as is Alice. But neither of them wants to join us.”

“Why?”

Amy was unsure how to answer. She didn’t want to bring up the two’s problems, but was also worried Mika would think it had something to do with them.

“They’re busy with other things. Alice is playing games, and Xavier is talking to some football players.”

“Oh,” Mika said, genuinely sounding concerned.

“What?”

“He’d better stay away from those athletes, or we’ll get pulled into a sports case.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Do you really think that his talking to some football players will inevitably lead to a case?”

“There are just certain things that are a setup for a case. If you’ve read that many mystery stories, you know what signs you have to watch out for,” Mika explained.

“Like with Death in Final Destinations?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t seen that.”

“It’s definitely going on our watch list then. But why would you be worried about another case? I thought you loved solving cases.”

“I do, just not sports cases. They’re the scourge of every mysteriophile.”

“A what?”

“Mysteriophile. It’s a subgroup of bibliophiles, specifically dedicated to mystery stories. It also applies to cinephiles with an interest in mystery stories.”

“I don’t think that’s an actual word.”

“Doesn’t matter. The point is, sports cases are awful. They’re even worse than the overdone memory loss plot device.”

“What’s so bad about sports cases?”

Mika stared at Amy as if she’d said something forbidden. “I’ll tell you. They either set their stakes too low, like some mild cases of vandalism, which is boring to read about, or they set them too high, turning them into some massive conspiracy plot. And don’t get me started on the worst subgroup, soccer cases. It feels like every tenth story of The Three Investigators or The Clever Foxes is one of them. Somehow, every one of these cases just needs to take a break from the actual mystery to focus on a soccer game, and believe me, mysteriophiles are not interested in reading pages worth of game commentary. And don’t get me started on the way these cases always feel the need to hype up soccer as if it were god’s gift. It honestly feels very cult-like. Oh, and bonus points if the case ends with the main character kicking a ball at the fleeing villain to stop them.”

“Okay, I see you have some strong feelings about this. So let’s avoid getting pulled into a sports case.”

Mika nodded. The two went to get some pizza before heading to the arcade.

Sunday, November 3, 6:00 am: ???, ???

Xavier slowly opened his eyes and let out an exhausted groan. His head was aching, and everything around him was seemingly spinning.

He heard a knocking that was drilling into his head.

He started looking around the unfamiliar room. It was a barren chamber, surrounded by cement walls. There wasn’t much more than the messy bed he was in and a small nightstand with a bin placed under it.

Xavier got up and left the bed. He was only wearing his underwear. His clothes were tossed in a corner of the room.

Xavier nearly tripped over a bottle lying next to the bed. He could feel the cold floor under his bare feet. It was strangely wet, as if covered in morning dew.

“Nathan, open up!” someone outside the room yelled while knocking on the door.

Xavier had just put on his shirt and turned around. His vision was still a bit blurry, but as it started to get better, he froze. In shock, he stared at the red stains on the wall. Some of the red splatters had even landed on the steel door. Following the mess downwards, he noticed someone lying on the ground. It was Mr. Shearer. Xavier slowly got closer to get a better look.

“Dude, we’re coming in, so you better be dressed!”

The door swung open, and two people looked inside. Mr. Honda and Mr. Donati. They stared at the corpse at their feet and at Xavier, standing nearby.

Mr. Donati let out a loud scream.

“Did you kill him?!” Mr. Honda asked, taking a step back.

“No, I just found him like this!” Xavier said, looking down at the corpse.

“Who else could it have been? It must have been you.”

“Gabriel, go get the coach. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

Mr. Honda nodded and ran off. Mr. Donati closed the door behind him. He blocked the only path out and kept a close eye on Xavier.

“Why did you do this?”

“I didn’t!” Xavier answered. “I don’t even know how I got here.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Didn’t you and Nathan hook up?”

“What?!” Xavier couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He sounded more shocked about this than about the discovery of the corpse. “I would never do that!”

“That sounded different yesterday.”

Xavier sat down on the bed, uncomfortable with what he’d just heard.

“But if I’m being honest, you really don’t strike me as a killer.”

“Because I’m not!”

“But I don’t see how anyone else could have done it.”

“Why?” Xavier asked.

“The doors to the dorms are connected by a timer. They lock at 11 pm and unlock at 6 am. I’m sure it’s the same for the private chamber here. Gabriel and I came here as fast as possible, so we would have seen someone leave the room.”

“And I would have noticed them. I don’t get how a murder could take place next to me, without me noticing.”

“See, that’s why I can’t imagine someone else having done it,” Mr. Donati said, less in an accusatory tone and more as if he was hoping for Xavier to disprove his theory.”
Xavier bent down to investigate the corpse. The face was covered in blood, and the forehead was caved in.

“Looks like his head was smashed into the wall repeatedly. Judging from the stains, it must have happened right here.”

“That’s so brutal!”

“I know.” Xavier looked at the rest of the body. “Seems like the fatal wound is not the only mark on his body. He’s bruised in multiple spots, mainly the arms and legs. He also has scratch marks on his arms, neck, and face.”

In that moment, the door opened behind Mr. Donati.

“There, that’s him,” Mr. Honda said, pointing at Xavier.

Next to Mr. Honda were three new faces. Two young men, around the same age as the other players. The third one was a man in his late 40s. He was wearing what could only be described as a mix between a tracksuit and a drill sergeant's uniform. Around his neck hung a chain with a whistle and multiple dog tags. He stared in surprise at the corpse.

“What are we meant to do, Coach Bayhan?” Mr. Donati asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? We need to call the police!” the tall, tanned man next to the coach said. He was already wearing his soccer gear, including a captain’s armband.

“Why would we need to call the cops? Isn’t it obvious that Nike killed him?” the shorter guy said, in a dismissive and slightly mocking tone. He was wearing a loose T-shirt and an open jacket. Some of his messy, dark hair was visible under his hood.

“Do not joke about that, Caleb!” the captain said, visibly upset. “This is not what it looks like when Nike punishes you.”

“What, you seriously believe in that fairytale? Does our great Captain Vanguard also believe Santa brings him gifts and that storks deliver babies?” Caleb Cazador said in the same mocking tone as before.

“Shut up, Caleb! We don’t need your sarcasm right now!” Mr. Honda said.

“Yeah, you’re lucky you haven’t been called up for the test,” Mr. Donati added.

“And I never will. Why would I? None of you let me play on the field.”

“We’re just looking out for you,” Mr. Vanguard said.

“Yeah, I can do without your condescending assistance. But with all this mess, I’m sure morning training is canceled, so I’ll go take a shower before all the hot water is used up.”

“It’s great to see how much you care about your teammates,” Mr. Donati said, upset.

Mr. Cazador flipped him off while walking away.

“Coach, why have you not said anything?” Mr. Honda asked.

“I was just thinking about what we should do.”

“Like I said, we should call the police. This is a clear-cut murder,” Mr. Vanguard said.

“Yes, I agree with you on the murder. But we can’t simply call the police. I’ll have to talk it out with my adviser first.”

“Why?” Mr. Donati asked.

“Is this how I trained you? You should never question your coach!”

“I’m sorry. I was just confused.”

“Yes, well, that doesn’t surprise me. Of course, you players haven’t thought about the bigger picture. If news of this murder gets out to the press, we could get swarmed by paparazzi. Not only would that harm our reputation, but it might also get in the way of our training.”

“So, what should we do?” Mr. Honda asked.

“Bring him to the equipment locker and keep an eye on him. I’ll get in contact with my advisor and discuss what to do.”

“Should I stay here and keep an eye on the crime scene? Just in case,” Mr. Donati suggested.

“Yes, that sounds good.”

“I’ll go tell the team. I’m sure they’re wondering what happened,” Mr. Vanguard said.

The coach nodded and walked away with Mr. Honda and Xavier.

Xavier stayed quiet. He was thinking about what to do, seeing how desperately trying to convince them of his innocence without any evidence would amount to nothing.

Sunday, November 3, 6:10 am: ???, ???

Alice felt like her head was about to explode. She was lying on the cold floor of a room she’d never seen before.

Exhausted, she sat up. Looking around, she realized that she was in a communal shower.

“Fuck, how did I get here?”

Alice looked down. Her shirt had a large vomit stain on it. Some of it had also gotten on the floor.

Alice placed her hands on the floor to help her stand up. She stared at her hands. They were covered in blood.

“Well, this is new,” she said, trying to stay calm.

She tossed her shirt aside and walked over to one of the showers. She turned the heat up all the way and let the water shower down on her back, which was covered in burn marks. Steam rose up as the water hit her skin, but she didn’t even flinch.

She furiously started rubbing her hands against each other, trying to wash off the blood.

“You know that won’t work,” a man’s voice said. Alice was startled, but she didn’t turn around.

“What do you want? Is it not enough to torment me in my sleep?”

“You can wash your hands all you want, you’ll never get the blood off.”

“Shut up!” Alice started rubbing more aggressively.

“Man, this is a depressing sight.”

“Just leave me alone. You’re not even real.”

“Is that so? Does it even matter?”

Alice stayed quiet, trying to ignore the voice.

“I wanted to catch up with you. How’s life? How’s Mika?

“Don’t talk about them.”

“Why? I thought you were such a tight pair of siblings. Oh, wait, I forgot that you fucked it up.”

“I just wanted to protect them.”

“And how’s that going for you?”

Alice didn’t answer.

“I mean, this is impressive. You fucked up being a younger and an older sister. I feel like you should get a prize for that.”

“Look who’s talking.”

“Ouch, are you really implying that I’m worse? Have some respect for the dead.”
Water and blood were dripping from Alice’s hands, leaving a red trail leading to the nearest drain.

“I’m surprised you’ve made it this far. I mean, who are you fooling with that tough girl act?”

“Just leave me alone.”

The voice seemed to ignore what she was saying. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s hilarious seeing you try this hard to seem collected, while in truth you’re just a mess. A wandering corpse, trying to hold onto any reason not to end it all.”

“I have friends now.”

“You call that friendship? They merely tolerate you, and you know it. You can’t treat your friends with any respect, and don’t get me started on how you treat Mika like they're a little baby. Let’s be real, they’re all looking forward to the day you disappear from their lives. Going back to where you belong.”

“You’re coming off as really desperate. We’ve already been through so much. If they hated me, they would have already dropped me.”

“Ah, yes, the cases you’ve been solving. Is that your attempt at cleaning your conscience?” The voice got more aggressive. “Just because you solve murders doesn’t undo the one you committed!”

“I’m not a murderer!” Alice shot around. She was aware that she wouldn’t see the person she was talking to, but to her surprise, there was someone else.

“Wow, now this is something you don’t see every day,” Mr. Cazador said. He was standing in the entrance, holding a towel and shampoo.

“Who are you?!”

“I could ask you the same thing. Oh, and who’s the person you were talking to?” he asked in a calm, probing tone.

“Leave me alone, you prick.”

“That’s rude. You should thank me for not calling security on you. I mean, you’re more than suspicious.”

“Security? Where are we anyway?”

“What’s going on today? Are we hosting some amnesiac anonymous gathering? You’re in the training compound of Nike’s Acolytes.”

“This better not be some cult shit.”

“Depends on your definition.”

“Great. Can you just show me the exit?”

“Oh, I don’t think so. See, there was a murder tonight, and you are a suspect.”

“Listen, just let me go. I’m an investigator, not a murderer.”

“An investigator?” Mr. Cazador seemed intrigued.

Alice checked her pockets and pulled out a soggy business card. “Here. Is that convincing enough for you?”

Mr. Cazador looked at the card. “Well, you being an investigator doesn’t mean you can’t kill anyone. But let me make you an offer. You help me investigate this murder, and I’ll let you leave afterward.”

“I could also just beat you up.”

“Unlikely. You can barely stay on your feet right now. So, do we have a deal?” Mr. Cazador held out his hand with a smirk.

Annoyed, Alice shook it in agreement.

Sunday, November 3, 6:25 am: Rental Car, Desert

“Amy, wake up!” Mika yelled nervously.

Amy slowly opened her eyes. She was leaning against the window on the driver’s side of a rental car.

“What, did something happen?”

“Of course, something happened. I can’t find Alice or Lupin.”

“Are you sure Alice didn’t just leave to take a leak?”

Mika shook their head profusely. “No, I already waited for over ten minutes since I woke up, and she hasn’t returned. And why would she take Lupin with her?”
“Fair enough.” Amy stepped out of the car and looked around. She had to put on her sunglasses to protect her eyes from the sand grains flying in the wind. “Seems like there aren’t any footprints in the sand. She must have left a while ago for the wind to get rid of all the tracks.”

“Do you think she went in there?” Mika asked, pointing to a place in the distance. It looked reminiscent of a military base with multiple ominous, bunker-like buildings, surrounded by a large fence, topped off with curled razor wire.

“I’m not even sure if she could get in there.”

“Alice can get in anywhere. That’s her gimmick as an investigator.”

“You certainly speak highly of your sister.”

Mika seemed taken aback by that comment and looked down at the ground to avoid eye contact.

“Still, she didn’t even have her equipment with her, and the place seems well protected. Either way, the best way to find out is to call her.”

Amy pulled out her phone and did as she said. She got an immediate reply in the form of Alice’s ringtone going off inside the car.

Mika climbed inside to look for it.

Just as Amy was about to hang up, the call was accepted. “Hello?” Amy said, confused.

“I found the phone,” Mika replied over the phone.

“Seems like wherever she went, she didn’t take her phone, so this is a dead end,” Amy said, continuing to talk into the phone.

“So, should we check out the facility?”

“Well, either she’s there, or she walked off into the desert. Considering how drunk she was, that doesn’t sound too unlikely.”

“What?!” Mika asked, scared.

“Sorry, that was in poor taste. You’re right. Let’s just check out the facility before we come to any conclusions.”

Amy ended the phone call and got back into the car. She started the engine and drove towards the buildings in the distance. Mika looked out the window, hoping for some sort of clue, but instead, they were greeted by the uncomfortable sight of dried-out plants, cracks in the road, a half-buried bone, and the remains of a snake that must have been torn in half by a wild animal. To be exact, it was a gopher snake, a common sight in these parts, and not venomous in the slightest. They do like to impersonate rattlesnakes, though. What can I say, when I see an animal I recognize, I like to share my knowledge about it.

The car had been parked in the sand overnight and managed to get on the road with no problems. Not having to drive through the sand made it a lot easier to drive, despite the cracks and sinkholes.

“This road has definitely seen better days,” Amy said, focusing on the asphalt in front of her.

“At least there is a road. I’d take driving on a cracked road over the hour we spent driving through the sand yesterday,” Mika answered.

“Absolutely. Maybe they are in the process of rebuilding the road. Otherwise, I can’t explain why the road would be cut off like this, starting in the middle of nowhere.”

“I don’t like all this mysterious stuff,” Mika said.

“Didn’t think I’d ever hear you say that,” Amy noted, smiling. “Don’t tell me you’re still afraid of this turning into a football case?”

“Of course I am. We’re approaching a strange soccer training facility. Did you know that one of the many soccer stories of the Three Investigators’ German exclusive continuation was about something like this? Some mysterious soccer facility.”

“Is it just me, or are your references getting more obscure every time we hang out?”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No, just an observation. I also seem to have an eye for niche references. No one ever recognizes my Halloween costumes. Well, besides Alice. In high school, I dressed up as Swarm, Red Jack, Motherface, and Mr. Bloom, and no one knew who they were. I don’t even think they’re that obscure. And last year, I went to a Halloween party dressed as Necroko, and despite all my friends being massive nerds, none of them recognized her. To be fair, she actually is very obscure and had her debut that year, so I’m not that surprised.”

“I know Red Jack.”

Amy looked at them in surprise. “How so? Neither Doom Patrol nor Teen Titans is a mystery story.”

“I started reading Doom Patrol because it was labeled as Detective Comics and Alice mentioned liking it a lot.”

Amy chuckled. “I guess that label can be misleading. But I’m not surprised that Alice told you about Doom Patrol. She loves those comics. You should have seen her when I told her that there was a TV show based on them.”

“Wait, did you make the costumes yourself? You didn’t know Alice back then, right?”

“No, I can’t sew to save my life. Gina helped me. She plays the drums in Ralph’s band and is part of our D&D group.”

“I know who she is. Alice took me to one of their practice sessions.”

“Did you like the music?”

Mika nodded.

“Really? I would have thought Irukandji Sting’s music would be a bit much for you, with how loud and hectic it is.”

“They turned down the volume for me.”

“That makes sense. No way Alice or Ralph would risk overwhelming you like that.”

“But I don’t get why they picked that name.”

“Irukandji Sting?”

“Yes. Isn’t that a tiny jellyfish? I’d expect a metal band to brand themselves around a strong, wild animal, not a tiny bag of water.”

“Clearly, Ralph hasn’t told you one of his scary stories. He won’t bore you with ghost stories. He only cares about proven things. You want body horror, he tells you about how the babies of the star-fingered toad grow in its back, and rip holes in its skin to break free when they’re born. Or how about brinicles, aka the Finger of Death. It’s an underwater icicle that shock freezes everything around it, once it reaches the ground. He has a ton of those stories. The Irukandji is one of his favorites, though.”

Amy stopped the car at the entrance gate. There was a small building next to it. Through the window, a guard looked at them, confused. He left the building and walked over to Amy’s window. Before he even gestured to roll down the window, Amy was already on it.

“Who are you and what business do you have here?”

“We were wondering if you saw a woman enter this facility? She looks kinda like me. A bit slimmer, shorter hair, and has a scar on her left cheek.”

“No, I haven’t, and I doubt she’s here.”

“Are you sure the night shift didn’t let her in?”

“There was no night shift this night. So, no.”

“I see. I assume you won’t let us in to check, right?”

“Exactly.”

While they were talking, another car approached the gate, stopping behind the rental car.

“Can I ask you to move your car? You are blocking the way for our guests.”

“Yes, no worries. I apologize for the inconvenience. We’ll leave right away.”

As Amy turned around the car, Mika looked at her in confusion, but Amy just winked at them.

Mika looked out the window, seeing into the other car, as they passed by each other. There were two people inside the vehicle. A man dressed in formal attire, and a woman, dressed in a flamboyant outfit, that appeared as though it had been pulled straight out of a time capsule from a few decades ago. To Mika’s surprise, the man in the driver’s seat seemed familiar.

Apparently, they weren’t the only one noticing this. The two occupants of the other car stared over to them, as if they’d recognize Mika, and maybe Amy as well.

“Is something the matter?” Amy asked as they were driving away.

“Did you see that man?”

“I only got a quick glance. Why, do you know him?”

“I think. I could be wrong, but I think I’ve seen him before?”

“Really? Where?”

“At the Eagle’s Nest.”

Amy nearly hit the brakes in surprise. “What?!”

“I think he was there when we got there. He left without saying anything.”

Amy was unsure what to say. “If that’s true, that could mean he was in on the whole deadly escape room scheme.”

“But why did he leave before anything happened?”

“No clue. Maybe we’ll find out, once we make our way in there.”

“Wait, but they wouldn’t let us in,” Mika pointed out.

“True. But I have a plan. The football players mentioned they have a way of sneaking in and out. We’ll just have to find it.”

“Any idea where it could be?”

“Nope. How about you try calling Xavier while I drive the car out of sight? He should know where it is.”

Mika got out their phone, but no matter how long they waited, Xavier wouldn’t pick up.

“I guess we’ll have to find the entrance ourselves,” Amy said.

Sunday, November 3, 6:30 am: Hallway U1, Training Facility

Alice pulled uncomfortably on the hoodie she was wearing. It was noticeably too small. She’d pulled up the hood to avoid attracting any unwanted attention that an unfamiliar face might bring.

“Is this really the largest top you have?”

“Yes. You should be thankful. At least you don’t have to walk around in wet clothes, or a shirt covered in vomit.”

Alice sighed. “So, where are we headed first?”

“The cafeteria. I want to interview some witnesses.”

“Shouldn’t we first check out the crime scene?”

“No need. I got a quick look at it, and for my investigation, it won’t be that important.”

“Sounds like you got this covered. Why do you need me?”

Mr. Cazador smiled. “You’ll know soon enough. This investigation is about more than a simple murder.”

“Fine, be mysterious about it. Can you at least give me a quick breakdown of the case?”

“Sure. The victim was staying in a private room last night for a special test. This morning, he was found dead in said room. His head was likely smashed against the wall with enough force to break the skull. With him was a stranger, who is currently the main suspect. I heard some of the other players mention that Nathan, the victim, picked up some guy while they were out, drinking. I assume that’s him.”

“Why wouldn’t that guy just leave after he killed him?”

“Simple. The doors are locked by a timer.”

“But you don’t think this suspect is the killer?”

“Frankly, I have no idea. But this murder is only one of many mysteries behind this team, and they all seem connected.”

“I see. So you need my help figuring out the rest of these mysteries?”

“Seems like you pick up fast. That’s promising.”

“Who’s the first witness? It doesn’t sound like anyone saw what happened.”

“Not directly. I want to interview someone who completed the test the victim was taking last night. I had the captain in mind.”

“Fine by me.” Alice made a pained expression.

“Something the matter?”

“No, I just have a terrible headache. And for some reason, all of this talk about a football team makes me think of something, but I can’t seem to grasp the memory.”

“Considering how you’re clearly hungover, that doesn’t surprise me.”

“Thanks for the empathy.”

Mr. Cazador opened the door, and the two entered the cafeteria. Most of the team was gathered here. The air seemed tense, and everyone looked sad.

Mr. Cazador walked up to Mr. Vanguard. “Hello. Do you have time for some questions?”

Mr. Vanguard looked up at Alice, who tried to stay unnoticed. “Who’s that?”

“She’s helping me investigate the murder of Nathan.”

“Fuck off, Caleb. We don’t need your shit right now!” one of the players yelled.

Mr. Cazador simply ignored him. “I was hoping you could tell me about Nike’s test.”

“What, so you can cheat when it’s your turn?” the player next to Mr. Vanguard asked angrily.

“As if she’d ever get to that point,” another player said.

Mr. Cazador simply flipped him off.

“Please, can we all agree to treat each other with some basic respect? Especially during a time like this?” Mr. Vanguard said, looking directly at the man getting flipped off by Mr. Cazador.

Mr. Vanguard turned back to Mr. Cazador and Alice. “Regarding your question. No, I can’t. I already told you, this murder has nothing to do with the test. I’ve seen the corpses of those who failed. They don’t look like this. They all passed away in their sleep.”

“Still. Should the victim have undergone the test, we’d have a better chance of understanding what happened last night, if we knew more details about it,” Alice said.

“Don’t you two get it? No one wants your stupid questions. Unlike you, we are mourning the death of our friend. But what did I expect from a heartless witch like you, Caleb?” One of the nearby players said.

“Getting creative with the insults, are we? Well, could you do me a favor and shut your mouth? I’m sure the captain can talk for himself.”

Before any of the other players could respond, Mr. Vanguard gave them a stern look, a clear sign to stay quiet. “Listen, Caleb. I understand that you want to get to the bottom of this, but please, stop prying into the matter. Nike won’t be happy with your questions.”

“You don’t seriously believe in Nike, do you? She’s a fairytale, based on Greek mythology, made up by the coach to scare us into training harder.”

“She’s more than that. I’ve seen her with my own eyes. As has everyone who participated in the test.”

Some of the other players nodded.

“It was probably just someone wearing a costume.”

“Even if that’s true. Her power is very real. You’re new here, so you haven’t had to witness the many corpses who failed the test. They all died in their sleep, the same night as the test.”

“And you don’t want to look into that? You don’t want to find out who killed your friends?”

“It’s best not to mess with that.”

“Fine, if you don’t want to tell me, I guess we’ll have to solve it ourselves. After all, it’s nothing new that I have to do all the thinking for the entire team.”

Mr. Cazador walked off, followed by Alice.

Sunday, November 3, 6:40 am: Storage Room, Training Facility

Xavier let out an annoyed sigh. His hands were tied to a spare goal post, one of many pieces of equipment, filling up the room.

Opposite him was Mr. Honda, sitting on a metal trolley filled with soccer balls. He was keeping a close eye on Xavier.

“Can I ask you a question?” Xavier asked.

“I guess,” Mr. Honda answered, suspicious of him.

“Why are you in charge of guarding me? Don’t you have security around here? I mean, I saw the insane fence outside. Clearly, safety is a priority around here.”

“I don’t really know. But if the coach wants me to do it, then I do it.”

“So if he tells you to jump off a bridge, you would do it?”

“You sound like the most cliche parent ever.”

“That’s like my biggest fear,” Xavier said, only partially joking.

“But you know, I do think it’s weird,” Mr. Honda said. “Maybe he doesn’t trust them?”

“How so?” Xavier said, getting very curious.

“Well, about a month ago, all the guards were replaced. All at once. And the new guards seem much less involved. Their only priority is keeping people away from the training facility. Not to mention how staff numbers have been reduced to half of what they used to be. Might even be just a third.”

“Considering I’m somehow here, they clearly suck at keeping people out.”

“Well, the emergency exit is a blind spot for the guards. That’s why we use it to get in and out.”

“So, could you explain how I ended up here? Clearly, you know more than I do.”

“Are you serious? You’re still insisting on not knowing anything?”

“I’m telling you. I have a total blackout. My memories are missing starting around the time when I left the hotel.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“What?! Okay, you know what? Hear me out. There is no harm in telling me, should I already know it, right?”
“I guess that makes sense. Fine, I’ll tell you what I know.”

“Thank you.”

 Mr. Honda started giving a recap of the events that I documented previously, including how Amy came to talk to him.

“Anyway, you and Nathan seemed to hit it off, as the evening continued, and as we had to leave around 10 pm, he suggested sneaking you in to give you a quick tour of the place. As a favor from one athlete to another is how he explained it. He offered to let you stay in the private chamber with him overnight. Considering how much you two were flirting, I think I don’t have to explain what the intention there was.”

“Shut your mouth!”

“What?”

Xavier stared at him angrily. “I wouldn’t do that. I’m in a committed relationship. You really think I would cheat on my boyfriend with some random dude I met a few hours ago? Let alone follow him into some weird bunker.”

“Don’t get angry at me, I’m just telling you what I observed. Never heard of Don’t Shoot the Messenger?”

“Well, clearly there is something wrong with your observation.”

“I mean, I can’t say for sure what you did in there, but it certainly looked like that. But that’s all I saw. After the quick tour, which we kept a secret by the way, you two retreated into the private chamber. Next time I saw you two, well, I assume you know that part.”
“Wait, now it makes sense!”

“What makes sense?”

“You described something I would never do. I felt dizzy when I woke up, and I remember nothing from last night. Clearly, I was drunk.”

“I don’t think you were. I wouldn’t have agreed to sneak you in here if I noticed you were drunk. Especially not if I assumed something sexual was gonna happen.”

“Well, either I was drunk, or someone drugged me. Either way, I couldn’t have given consent to anything that happened last night.”

“Like I told you. I wouldn’t have allowed the others to bring you here under such circumstances. Also, is this your biggest worry right now? You’re being accused of murder, and you’re barely even defending yourself.”

“Both things you’re accusing me of are completely absurd, but at least with the sexual part, I can see how I might have been coerced into it, using some substances.”

Mr. Honda was trying to think of something to say as voices could be heard from outside.

“Ah, Gatsby, Nemo, I’m so glad you could make it. I’m sorry for the inconvenience,” Coach Bayhan said, seemingly right outside the storage room.

“We were on our way here already,” a man said, speaking in a tone that at first sounded formal and collected, but there was a certain venomous undertone mixed in.

“This early? I didn’t think you business types were up at a time like this.”

“The early bird catches the worm, that’s how the saying goes, isn’t it? Well, we recently lost quite a big bird, so we’ll have to make up for it,” a woman said in a noticeably southern accent. Her singsong tone sounded slightly off, as if she were chewing a piece of gum or had a cigarette in her mouth.

“Yes, I’ve heard. Truly tragic,” the coach answered.

“Not really. Frankly, it was quite foolish to trust that glorified chimp with anything,” the man, referred to as Gatsby, said. “But the Pied Piper thought it would be a great way of getting on his good side.”

“Can’t blame him. Not only is Scrooge literally an enrichment for our company, but he is also close with Pinocchio, guaranteeing us further support from the top,” the chipper woman said.

“I assume with Pinocchio you mean…” the coach didn’t continue. Likely finishing his sentence with a gesture, befitting the sketchy way he was talking.

“Yes, haven’t I mentioned this before?” Gatsby asked.

“You certainly have mentioned him, but I believe last time you mentioned him under the title King Arthur.”

“Yes, so I did. King Arthur is the title he picked, but the title given to him by the Pied Piper is Pinocchio. We simply call him King Arthur to stroke his oh so fragile ego.”

“I see. Thank you very much for clearing up the misunderstanding, Mr. Gatsby.”

“Please, Gatsby is enough. It sounds stupid enough as is.”

“What, you don’t like your codename?” the woman asked, seemingly to tease him.

“All of these codenames are horrendous. I truly do not understand the Piper’s absurd sense of theatrics.”

“You should be more appreciative. Gatsby certainly is one of the better codenames. You know how many people seem to think my codename refers to the Pixar character?”

“I’m not surprised. We have many members whose knowledge does not go past an animated movie for children. These hooligans have most likely never even held a book in their hands, so I don’t expect them to know Captain Nemo.”

Nemo chuckled. “You’re absolutely right.”

“There is no need to state the obvious.”

“How about we continue this conversation in my office?” the coach suggested.

The voices continued to get quieter as they distanced themselves from the door.

“That was strange,” Mr. Honda said.

“Seriously, that’s it? Are you not a little more suspicious of your coach after hearing this conversation?”

“I’m sure there is some logical explanation.”

“You’re a hopeless case.”

Xavier’s phone started ringing.

“Could I please answer the phone? My friends might be looking for me.”

“Sorry, no can do. I’d have to check in with the coach first.”

“Seriously? What harm could a simple call do?”

“I don’t know, but I won’t risk messing things up.”

Xavier tried to wriggle his phone out of his pocket to at least see who was calling him, but he had to give up.

Sunday, November 3, 6:45 am: Hallway U1, Training Facility

“What was all that about?” Alice asked, trying to keep up with the angry Mr. Cazador.

“What?”

“All the fighting.”

“They hate me, and I hate them, simple as that.”

“I can see that, but why do you stay with them? Doesn’t sound like a very nice environment.”

“What’s with all the questions about my personal life? I don’t ask you what’s up with those scars, or the burn marks, or why you were talking to yourself about how you’re not a murderer, while washing blood off your hands.”

Alice stayed quiet for a second. “I guess you’re right. People who live in glass houses, or whatever. I really shouldn’t expect you to tell me anything. We met like half an hour ago.”

“Right.”

The two continued walking down the long hallway, approaching the stairs further down the way. All the while, there was an awkward silence between them.

“It’s really simple,” Caleb began. “I love soccer and want to make it big one day, so I just have to take every opportunity I can get. Being part of Nike’s Acolytes is an insane opportunity that I couldn’t pass up on. But they haven’t let me play even once. Even during training, I’m mostly relegated to warming the bench. You know, when was the last time I stood on the field during an actual game?”

“Before you joined this team?” Alice guessed.

“I wish. It was during my freshman year when I was on the girls’ team at my high school.”

“Yikes.”

“You can say that again.”

“But how did you make it this far? Why were you recruited by a team that won’t use you?”

“I quickly made a name for myself as a great strategist. You can probably guess what that means. Every team that shows any interest in me just wants me to watch the game from the sidelines and come up with a plan to win.”

“Do you not like being the strategist?”

“I do. But I don’t want to be reduced to that. I want to play too, with teammates that genuinely like and respect me.”

“That makes sense.”

“Anyway, how about we get back to the investigation?” Mr. Cazador asked. The two had climbed the stairs and were standing next to a door.

“Probably for the best.”

They stepped outside. The two were blinded by the bright light and took a while to get used to it.

“So this is your field?” Alice asked. “Is it turf?”

“No, it’s actual grass. Probably takes insane amounts of water to keep it up. But I’m glad. I wouldn’t want a terf anywhere near me.”

Alice nodded. It took her a few seconds to pick up on the pun. “Oh, I see what you did there. Really clever,” she rolled her eyes, but couldn’t hide a slight smirk.

“Should I give you a quick run-down of the layout?”

“Sounds good.”

“Good. We’ve just left the main building. On the first floor are a gym, the guards’ living quarters, and some other rooms. U1 is mainly used for the cafeteria, the communal dorms, and showers. There’s some other stuff too, but nothing special. U2 has some storage closets and the private chamber for whoever is taking the test. Lastly, there is U3, which is an underground field, complete with its own dressing rooms and an equipment storage.”

“Seems like you got quite the operation running here.”

“Of course. What would you expect from the team that is ranked 13^th in the USA?”

“Frankly, I’ve never even heard of your team, so my expectations weren’t high.”

“Unbelievable.” Mr. Cazador shook his head. “Anyway. Over there, that windowless, oversized cinder block is Nike’s hall. That’s where the test is held. Before you ask, no, I’ve never been in there. Over by the entrance is a two-story building. The first floor is the equipment storage, and on the second floor are the offices of the coach and the manager.”

“I take it those two are the bosses around here if their offices have their own buildings.”

“Yes. However, we haven’t seen the manager for a month. Apparently, he’s on vacation.”

“Judging from your tone, you don’t believe that,” Alice pointed out.

“No, I don’t. But so far I haven’t been able to prove anything.”

“What’s that building next to the office?” Alice asked, pointing to a building made of glass.

“That’s the greenhouse. A passion project of our coach. We should definitely check it out at some point.”

“Isn’t it a bit risky to build a glasshouse next to a football field?”

“It is. I’ve lost track of how many times one of the windows was broken, even just in the two months I’ve been here.”

“Wait, so the glass isn’t even reinforced?”

“Nope. A good kick and those windows are gone.”

“Great.”

“How about we go over to the greenhouse right away?”

“Fine by me.”

The two walked across the field. Alice could feel the sun beating down on her head.

“Jesus, how do you train in this heat? I mean, who's dumb enough to play professional soccer in a desert? Well, besides FIFA?”

“The coach says that the enhanced difficulty makes the training more effective. If we can play here, we can play even better in a normal environment.”

“If you haven’t had a heatstroke or anything of the sort.”

“Survival of the fittest,” Mr. Cazador said, somewhat jokingly. “You ever seen Whiplash? That’s basically how we train here. Same philosophy and all.”

“Didn’t know drumming was a big part of football.”

Mr. Cazador seemed confused. “What do you mean, drumming?”

“That’s what the movie’s about,” Alice answered, just as confused as Mr. Cazador.

“No, it isn’t. It’s one of the most successful soccer movies in the world. The coach makes us watch it like every two weeks.”

“Whatever you say.”

They continued walking towards the greenhouse.

Sunday, November 3, 6:45 am: Emergency Exit, Near Training Facility

“Do you think it’s unlocked?” Mika asked while the two were walking towards a lone entrance, a little outside the training facility. It looked like it led underground. A jeep was parked next to it, covered in an old tarp.

“I’ll give it a go.” Amy reached out for the handle to press it down. She stopped for a second, noticing the red stains on it.

“Is that blood?” Mika asked, taking a closer look.

“Either that or paint. To be fair, both seem out of place here.”

Mika tapped on the handle. “Seems like it’s dried.”

“can’t say it makes the place any more inviting. How about we head inside to look for the others?”

Mika nodded and opened the door. It wasn’t locked, and despite being an emergency door, there didn’t seem to be anything special about it.

Behind the door was a staircase leading down into the dark. Mika took a step forward, which caused the lights to flicker and turn on.

Amy closed the door and looked back. A small box was attached to the door, just below the handle.

“Seems like the players have messed with this to sneak out.”

“What’s that?” Mika asked, looking at the brightly colored box.

“Normally, this would activate an alarm if someone were to open the door. It looks broken, though.”

“I guess it would be a problem if the alarm went off when they tried to sneak out.”

They started descending the stairs. There was a gap in the middle of the staircase. Amy tried not to look down while Mika leaned over the railing.

“It goes down pretty far.”

“Just be careful,” Amy said.

They made it to U1, where a long hallway led in the direction of the facility. It was clear that the main building stretched out beyond the fence underground.

“Did Xavier mention anything when you called him?” Mika asked.

“I think he said something about a private bedroom. But no idea where that is.”

“Should we ask someone?” Mika suggested.

“Not sure if that’s…” Amy couldn’t finish her response. There were voices coming from a floor below, and Mika followed them, hoping for some assistance.

Reluctantly, Amy followed them.

U2 was much less extensive. One of the doors stood open, and the voices seemed to come from inside that room.

Mika stepped inside, only to be surprised by a grizzly sight. Two young men were standing next to a bloody corpse with a caved-in skull.

“Who are you?” Mr. Donati asked, surprised.

“Mika, could you please not just run off in a place like this?” Amy entered the room. She noticed Mr. Donati right away, recognizing him from the evening before.

“Wait, what are you doing here?” he asked, recognizing her as well.

“I’m looking for Xavier.” Only now did Amy notice the corpse. She nearly jumped, but a strange feeling overcame her. It was a weird sense of familiarity. Not with the victim, although she did recognize him, despite the condition he was in. It was rather a familiarity with the situation of discovering a corpse.

This is something everyone who investigates deaths gets to at some point. For Xavier, it was Case #12: The Bottomless Top Hat, and for Natsu, it was Case #30: Between Fortune and Sharks.

It can feel very wrong, as if you lost all empathy for the poor soul before you. But believe me, this change is normal and doesn’t mean you lost any of your respect or humanity. It only means you’ve gotten used to the sight.

Interestingly, this is also something serial killers experience, although for them, it does go hand in hand with a loss of empathy and humanity. This is why it gets easier for them to take a life, the more they’ve done it. Like with anything else, repetition makes you better at it.

This, in turn, can be applied to homicide investigations. Losing this discomfort around corpses helps you keep a clear head, which is something every investigator needs.

But I seem to get off track, so let’s get back to the case.

“What happened here?” Amy asked.

“We don’t know for sure, but currently everything points to Xavier being the culprit,” Mr. Donati said.

“What are you talking about?! Xavier wouldn’t kill anyone!” Mika said.

“I know how this must sound, but sadly, there isn’t really any room for doubt.”

Amy looked at Mr. Vanguard. “And who are you?”

The group introduced themselves to each other before Mr. Vanguard and Mr. Donati gave a rundown of the facts.

“A locked room mystery,” Mika pointed out, almost sounding celebratory.

“Well, not entirely,” Amy corrected their description. “The way I see it, the murder could have taken place in the time frame when the door was unlocked for Nathan to leave the room.”

“Yes, but depending on whether he attended the test, this time frame could be rather short,” Mr. Vanguard said. “I myself have taken the test, and the door locked shortly after I returned to my room.”

“So the murderer would have had to wait for him in there, kill Nathan after the test, and leave the room before the doors locked, all while Xavier was in the same room.”

“You see, why I can’t imagine anyone but Xavier doing it?” Mr. Donati asked.

Amy thought about it and decided it would be for the best not to give an honest answer.

“Riccardo, could you explain to us more about this test? It would likely help us understand the situation better,” Amy suggested, looking at Mr. Vanguard.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t. Even if I wanted to, I could barely recount the specifics. That night is covered in a haze of sorts. But it would likely not even help with the case.”

Amy was about to ask why, but realized that there was likely no point in asking.

“Can we please investigate the crime scene?” Mika asked, nervously fidgeting.

“Not sure what you’re expecting to find. There isn’t much in the room,” Mr. Vanguard said.

“You never know. Maybe we can find a secret entrance or fingerprints left behind by the killer. Or maybe you missed a dying message by the victim.”

“Sure, maybe there’s a number smeared in blood, which actually spells out the killer’s name.”

Mika looked at Amy with a surprised and insulted look. “That’s my thing. You can’t just make references to mystery stories without asking me.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll make sure to apologize 11037 times after this case.”

Mika chuckled and started looking around the crime scene.

“Just be careful, the floor is slippery,” Mr. Donati said, just in time for Mika to slip and fall.

“Are you okay?” Mr. Vanguard helped them back up.

“Yes, I’m fine. But why is the floor wet?”

“No idea. If I remember correctly, it was like that after my test, too. Maybe a byproduct of Nike’s appearance.”

“Amy, can I have your notepad and a pen?” Mika asked.

“Sure. Are you taking notes this time?” she asked while handing them the things.

“No, I’m keeping track of something else,” Mika noted down two tallies.

“What do those stand for?”

“I’m trying to prove a point,” Mika said in a serious tone.

“Don’t tell me this has anything to do with your obsessive dislike of sports cases,” Amy said, rolling her eyes and turning her attention to the corpse.

“It does. I’m noting down how cliché this is. I got two points for sheer absurdity. A secret military-like base and cultish behavior clearly fall under that category.”

“And the murder isn’t absurd?”

“No, that’s just a normal case. For these special things, there needs to be a good reason. For example, involving cultish elements like this is welcome in a case focused on a cult. But they are out of place if they're just added as an element on the side.”

“If you say so. How about you help me search the room, instead of ranting about the case?”

“Okay. Anything notable about the corpse?” Mika asked, crouching down next to Amy.

“Besides the obvious, there are signs of a struggle. The scratch marks and bruises look like they were caused in a fight with his attacker. And if you look closely, you can see that there are traces of blood and skin under his nails, so he must have fought back.”

“Then that means that the attacker has scratch marks on their skin!” Mika realized.

“Seems like it.”

“I don’t remember Xavier having scratch marks, but they could have been under his shirt,” Mr. Donati said.

“Then we should check it out later,” Amy said. “This could prove his innocence.”

“Does anyone know the code of Nathan’s phone?” Mika asked. They were sitting by a small pile of clothes, next to the nightstand.

“Give me that for a second. We can just use his fingerprint. But I don’t think there’s anything important on here.” Mr. Donati walked over to the corpse. Hesitant, he lifted his dead friend’s hand up to unlock the phone.

“Is there anything else in his pockets?” Amy asked while Mr. Donati was looking through the victim’s phone.

Mika searched the pockets of both the jeans and the shorts, pulling out a few items. “Some bubblegum, a key, a wallet, and whatever these are.”

Mika tossed everything on the ground. Amy looked at the objects Mika wasn’t able to identify. “Do you not know what these are?” Amy asked, picking up the condoms that were all still in their packaging. “Actually, I shouldn’t be surprised. Not like you had sex ed in the cult.”

Mika was ignoring her. They were busy investigating the trash can and the nightstand. The can was perfectly clean and empty. What was of more interest was the nightstand. It was a simple build, likely made from thin wood. It was fixed in place, touching the back wall of the room. It had one drawer, but no matter how hard Mika tried, it wouldn’t open.

“Does it have a lock?” Mr. Donati asked, looking up from the phone.

“No, but it won’t move. It’s like the drawer is screwed shut. There’s a small gap, but I can’t make anything out on the inside.”

“I couldn’t get it open either, when I stayed here,” Mr. Vanguard said.

“Let’s come back to it after we get some tools,” Amy suggested. “It’s weird that there is such a useless drawer. Why would someone go through the effort of permanently closing it?”

Amy walked around the bed, looking for anything suspicious. The bed was made for one person, but two people could fit, if they squeezed together a little. The frame was made of metal, and in the four corners were round bedposts that reached all the way to the ceiling. Like the nightstand, it was fixed in place.

Mika had also turned their attention to this last uninvestigated piece of furniture. They were lying flat on the ground, next to the nightstand, searching under the bed.

“Amy, there’s a bottle over on your side.”

Amy picked it up and looked inside. There were only a few drops of liquid left.

As she looked over to the others, she noticed Mr. Vanguard acting suspiciously at the sight of the bottle.

“Do you recognize this?”

“I can’t tell you about it. It’s part of the test ritual.”

“Got it.” Amy rolled her eyes.

“You’re acting like a magician right now,” Mika said, annoyed.

“What?” the other three said simultaneously.

“It’s always the same when a case involves a magician. They refuse to tell you anything just to make the investigation harder. They always just say, a magician doesn’t reveal their tricks, but in the end, the tricks get revealed anyway, if they’re related to the case. It just takes longer.”

“I don’t think that’s the case in real life,” Amy said.

Personally, I have to disagree with her assessment here. Just from the cases that the D&M Detective Agency has solved, I can tell you that magicians do, in fact, love to get in the way of the investigation with this exact reasoning.

“Are you done with your investigation?” Mr. Donati asked. “Because if so, I could lead you to Xavier, and we can check if he has any scratch marks,” Mr. Donati suggested.

They nodded and followed him and Mr. Vanguard outside.

Sunday, November 3, 6:50 am: Storage Room, Training Facility

Mr. Honda was staring at his phone, seemingly contemplating something.

“What are you thinking about?”

“If I should call my parents. All this stress is making me miss them even more than normal.”

“A normal response to losing a close friend,” Xavier said calmly. “Why aren’t you doing it? Is it too early for them to be up?”

“What? Oh, no, that’s not it. Both of them are morning people. No, I can’t call them because Coach won’t allow it.”

“You’re not allowed to call home? That’s super sketchy.”

“It is kinda weird. Our contact with the outside was already limited before, but for a month now, he’s forbidden us from getting in contact with anyone on the outside. He said it was to enhance the general pressure to improve the results of our training.”

“Like I said, extremely suspicious.”

Mr. Honda nodded but still refused to call his parents. While he put away his phone, the two heard something from the back of the room. The sound was muffled, but still recognizable as coughing and wrenching.

“Where’s that coming from?” Mr. Honda asked.

“I’d go look, but as you can see, I’m currently unable to.” Xavier gestured to the rope, holding him in place.

Mr. Honda stared into the back of the room, seeing nothing suspicious.

“Are you going to check what’s back there?” Xavier asked.

“What if it’s a wild animal? It could be dangerous.”

“Then untie me, and I’ll check for you. Or is it better to risk getting attacked by some wild animal, hiding in the shadows?”

Mr. Honda thought about it, finally deciding to untie Xavier. Together, the two walked to where the sound was coming from.

“That’s Coach’s equipment locker. He keeps things like the first aid kit, whistles, stopwatches, and such things in there,” Mr. Honda explained.

The locker was unlocked as Xavier reached for it and opened it up. The contents were exactly as Mr. Honda had described, although one thing seemed off. The space on the inside seemed too small compared to the outside.

“Sounds like the coughing is coming from behind it.” Mr. Honda tried looking for something between the locker and the wall.

Xavier had another theory. He reached into the locker and pushed against the back. A faint clicking was followed by the back wall swinging forward. Behind it was a thin space.

“Wow, Coach has a secret compartment in his locker?!”

Xavier pulled out one of the objects, stuffed inside. All of them were made of mostly red or green fabric. He handed it to Mr. Honda and continued searching the compartment.

He flinched. The coughing and wrenching had started again, and something small was moving under the fabric.

Slowly, Xavier pulled aside what looked like a kind of mask. Relieved, Xavier recognized the small creature, hiding among the pieces of fabric. “Lupin!”

The small monkey looked up, searching for the origin of the voice. He looked slightly past Xavier.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” Xavier held out his hand to reach for Lupin. The small monkey sniffed it, recognizing Xavier.

It took Xavier a bit to make out something strange about Lupin’s appearance. It was difficult to make out because of Lupin’s red, leathery skin, but parts of his body were covered in dried bloodstains.

“How did this get on you?” Before Xavier could investigate any further, he noticed some other sounds. Only now could he make them out, standing closer to the vent from which they were coming.

The vent must have been connected to the offices above, as the voices belonged to the coach, Gatsby, and Nemo.

Mr. Honda was about to say something, but Xavier gave him a sign to stay quiet.

He understood, and the two listened closely.

“I get that this is complicated, but how long do I have to wait? The players are getting restless, and some of them have grown a bit nosy,” the coach said.

“Are you saying you can’t fulfill your part of the deal?” Nemo asked.

“What?! No, that’s not what I’m saying. It’s just, it’s been a month. You know how hard it is to ensure no one breaks the rules?”

“Our people are working as fast as they can, but this is a new and difficult process, especially with the subjects not knowing about it. I sure hope this does not pose too great a challenge for you,” Gatsby said in his usual, frighteningly calm tone.

“No, I’m absolutely equipped to fulfill the task. I was just hoping to get a better understanding of the scope of this operation. That’s all.”

“Taking care of the Primaries and replacing them with the Secondaries is, like you said, complicated,” Nemo said.

“Do you have a plan to explain the differences? They will definitely ask questions,” Coach Bayhan said.

“Well, we’ll just have to convince them that there were some large changes to the system while they were cooped up in here. In that regard, the longer the process takes, the more convincing it will be. And I’m sure your little theater tricks will help convince them,” Gatsby said. “And should they keep asking questions, simply remind them that they would be nothing without this team. Isn’t that your usual strategy?”

The three paused.

“Man, how can you stand this heat every day?” Nemo asked.

“I have an AC connected to most rooms.”

The group remained silent for an awkward moment.

“Well? Do we have to spell it out to you?” Gatsby asked, showing more anger in his tone.

“I’m sorry?”

“Crank the AC up! I think we were very clear about that,” Nemo elaborated.

“Oh, yes, of course.”

To Xavier’s chagrin, the rattling and blowing of the AC made it impossible to hear the already quiet voices.

But what he’d heard was certainly suspicious enough that even Mr. Honda had picked up on it, judging from the look he gave Xavier.

Sunday, November 3, 6:55 am: Greenhouse, Training Facility

“Oh god, it’s so humid in here!” Alice said, exhausted, after stepping inside the glass building.

“What were you expecting? Most of these plants exclusively grow in tropical climates, and there are only two open windows to let in fresh air.” Mr. Cazador pointed up at two openings in the roof.

“As if the desert itself wasn’t bad enough, you drag me into a plant sauna. What did you even want to check?”

“I don’t know. I just know that this place is part of the test.” Mr. Cazador continued walking further inside.

“How come? I thought the test was over in the locked bunker.”

“If I knew how it related to the test, I wouldn’t have to find out.”

“But how do you know the greenhouse is related?”

“Here, take a look at this,” Mr. Cazador said, ignoring her question.

They were standing in front of two glass statues, both resembling each other in motive. They both looked like the same demonic creature, one raising its arms in celebration while the other stared angrily, spreading its wings as if it were preparing to lunge forward. Both mouths were wide open, revealing their sharp teeth.

“Now tell me, what am I looking at?”

“It’s the likeness of Nike. Well, this team’s version, not the goddess from actual Greek mythology.”

“Listen, I’ve been labeled a devil before, and even I am unnerved by these things. You’re telling me you people pray to that thing?”

“I wouldn’t go as far as to say that we pray to it, but there are certainly players who believe that this deity is watching over us.”

“Great, I just love cults so much.” Alice looked closer at the sculptures. “Why does this one have a gem inside, and the other one doesn’t?” She pointed to a large, red gem in the stomach of the angry statue.

“Weird, that isn’t normally there. Do you think you can get it out?”

Alice took a quick look at the mouth of the angry statue. Apparently, you could reach into the stomach through it. Alice could even make out that the statue was filled with a transparent liquid, likely water. “Are you serious? I’m not reaching into a cult’s creepy statue. You could call the opening the literal gate to heaven, and I still wouldn’t shove any part of my body in there.”

“What, are you afraid of some water?”

“Do it yourself if you’re so brave. All I’m saying is that this looks like some Indiana Jones trap.”

“I don’t think we’ll have to worry about any giant boulders in here.”

“Yeah, but what if this isn’t water, but instead some kind of acid? Or, if it is water, there are like a billion ways it could harm us. My best friend is a marine biologist, and he keeps telling me about all those terrible things living underwater. But if you want to shake hands with flesh-eating bacteria or the sort, be my guest.”

“Fine, we can come back with some protection later. Honestly, now I’m a bit worried about it too.”

“Anything else you want to check out in here?” Alice asked while walking over to some plants that were supported by poles and wires. She removed one of the wires and started bending it, while waiting for an answer.

“I think we can wait with that till we get back for round two. Should we go look for protection?”

“Actually, I had a different idea. How about we take a look at the test chamber?”

“You mean you can pick the lock?”

“If anyone can, then it’s me.”

“You’re certainly confident. Let’s see if that’s warranted.”

The two walked over to the mysterious hall next door. While Mr. Cazador was on the lookout for any guards, Alice unlocked the door surprisingly fast, considering what tools she was using.

The two snuck in and quickly closed the door behind them. The lights turned on, seemingly being triggered by movement.

“What the hell is this?!” Alice said, staring at the strange parkour that was laid out in front of them. Some of the hurdles seemed to border on torture devices, and multiple of the obstacles seemed to be designed just to hit the player in the legs or shoulders.

“And I thought I was strange for playing football in the middle of the woods, running through thorns and tripping over roots, but this is another level.”

“You do seem to have a thing for self-harm,” Mr. Cazador said, referencing her burn marks.

“Sorry, I don’t think that came across the way I meant it.”

Alice sighed and turned her back to him, starting to investigate the machines and obstacles.

“Don’t worry about it. Not like I can get upset if you’re saying the truth.”

It became awkwardly quiet in the room while the two investigated the parkour.

“I don’t even know why I do it,” Alice said after a while.

Mr. Cazador looked at her in surprise.

“Well, actually, that’s a lie. I do know why I’m doing it. But I also know, just how stupid the reason is, so saying I don’t know simply sounds better.”

“I’m not sure your reason for self-harm should just be labeled as stupid. I’d treat it with more care than that,” Mr. Cazador said, seeming more genuine than he usually was.

“I guess I can tell you about it. After all, you did tell me your whole backstory, so I guess I should return the favor. Plus, I will likely never see you again, so I don’t care if you’ve seen my true pathetic face.”

Mr. Cazador didn’t know how to answer.

“Truth is, I used to be way worse off than I am now. I got kicked out of the house, went to prison, was homeless, and had my reputation destroyed by false rumors. But now all of that is in the past. I have friends who care about me, a great job, and a home. But still, all the shitty feelings from my past won’t leave. I’d even say that the better I’m doing, the worse the emotional pain gets. And it drives me insane.”

“The emotional pain?”

“Yes! It doesn’t make sense to me how it can hurt this badly if I’m not physically injured. So I guess in some fucked up way, hurting myself is a way to rationalize the pain.”

“You know, I had a friend who went through something similar. Well, she never explained her feelings in such detail, but hearing you say this, I think I understand why she did the things she did,” Mr. Cazador said, looking sad.

“Guess I’m not the only one who’s too stubborn to get help. Send her my regards from one idiot to another.”

“I-I don’t think I can do that.”

“Why?” Alice turned around, her face turning from confused to panicked as she realized after a few seconds.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have… I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. That happened over two years ago.” Mr. Cazador paused. “I know, this probably sounds cheap, coming from a stranger, but promise me that you’ll get help before you do something like that.”

Alice nodded. The two continued investigating the hall, not finding anything new besides an altar, which had probably been used to display a small object that was now missing.

Sunday, November 3, 7:10 am: Storage Room, Training Facility

“Do you still doubt your coach is up to something?” Xavier asked while the AC was blowing and rattling in the background.

“No, there is definitely something strange going on. But it doesn’t mean he’s behind the murder. There are many other people here who are just as suspicious as he is, if not more.”

“Like who? Before, it seemed like I was the only suspect you had.”

“I’m not saying they are specifically suspects in the murder, but they are suspicious in general. The new guards for one, or maybe Caleb.”

“The guards I get, but why Caleb? If I remember correctly, he was the player who complained about never being allowed on the field, right? Are you saying he might have killed a player to open up a spot for himself?”

“It’s possible, especially if you keep in mind how much he despises the other players. And there’s something else.”

“What?”

“Last night, he wasn’t in our dorm. I noticed it when I got up to go to the toilet. Since the locks are on a timer, he must have been outside the dorm the entire night.”

“That is indeed suspicious. I’ll definitely look into this lead.”

“What do you mean, look into the lead?”

“I had assumed, after all this, you would allow me to investigate the case.”

Mr. Honda nervously scrunched the fabric he was holding, considering the possibility.

“What even is that weird outfit you’re holding? It looks like something a demonic luchador would wear,” Xavier said.

“Looks like Nike,” Mr. Honda said, looking at the scary mask. “Do you think the coach used this to trick someone?”

“Certainly seems possible.”

Mr. Honda’s look turned serious as he came to a decision. “Okay, let’s investigate this case together.”

Xavier followed him to the exit. The sun was blindingly bright, and it took Xavier a while to get used to it. Before he could even see properly, he heard a familiar voice, not far from him.

“Xavier!” Mika yelled, running up to him.

He could barely keep his eyes open, still trying to get used to the bright light. “What are you doing here?” Xavier asked, now noticing Amy as well. She was walking over to him, together with Mr. Donati and Mr. Vanguard.

Mika grabbed Lupin, happy to be reunited with him. “Hey, I’m so happy you’re okay.”

The small monkey looked past them and started coughing again, much to Mika’s concern.

“We were looking for you,” Amy said, hugging Xavier, relieved.

“How did you know I was here?”

“You told us yesterday,” Amy answered, confused about his question.

“What? Did I?”

“Yes, do you not remember?”

“Apparently, his memories from last evening and night are gone,” Mr. Honda said.

“I guess I should catch you up in that case. In the evening, we returned to the casino you and Alice were at. She was beyond drunk, and you had disappeared. We tried calling you, but you didn’t pick up, so we followed your tracker. As we got here, you finally picked up, explaining that you were spending the night with one of the players. I felt a bit uncomfortable, so I decided we should stay nearby, should you need help. The place doesn’t look trustworthy, after all. And I’ve heard many stories about one-night stands going south really fast.”

“Hold on, let’s make one thing clear, I would not hook up with anyone besides Natsu. If I said anything of the sort, then it was because I was drunk or drugged.”

“You weren’t drunk. After hearing her mention your attempt at sobriety, I kept a close eye on what you were drinking. I used to struggle with my alcohol consumption, too, so be assured I would not let you get drunk. You had one mojito and a shot of whiskey. Certainly not enough to get hammered,” Mr. Donati said.

“I have to agree, you sounded perfectly sober on the phone. But if it calms you down, I don’t think you hooked up with the victim. He had these on him, and there was not a single used one at the crime scene.” Amy showed the packaged condoms.

Xavier was unsure what to think about this. Before he could come to a conclusion, he heard another familiar voice.

“What are all of you doing here?” Alice asked. She and Mr. Cazador had just left the test hall and had noticed the gathering.

“You know them? That guy is the suspect I told you about,” Mr. Cazador said.

“What?! He could never kill anyone. He’s too much of a wimp.”

“Always happy to see you, Alice,” Xavier said.

The three groups proceeded to catch each other up on their findings. After they were done, Mr. Honda was staring at Alice.

“What are you looking at?” she asked, annoyed.

“I think he’s noticed it too,” Mr. Donati said.

“Noticed what?” Amy asked.

“She’s the killer!” Mr. Honda said, pointing at Alice.

“I’m sorry, what?!” Alice asked.

“Come on, isn’t it obvious?” Mr. Donati asked. “She drunkenly wandered in here through the emergency exit, together with the monkey. She must have somehow ended up in the private chamber and gotten into a fight with Nathan. She smashed his head against the wall, which is when all that blood got on her hands and on the monkey. She left the room before it locked and went to the showers to clean her hands, but before she could do that, she passed out from all the alcohol. The monkey ran away and somehow ended up in the storage room.”

“That’s absurd,” Xavier said.

“I mean, we can check if she has any scars from her fight with Nathan,” Mr. Vanguard suggested.

Both Alice and Mr. Cazador seemed panicked at the thought of investigating Alice’s skin for scars.

“Are you seriously suggesting Alice should strip before us, just to disprove some absurd theory?” Mr. Cazador asked.

“Is it really all that absurd?” Mr. Honda asked. “Who was it that saw her rambling about murder? Maybe she was arguing with her guilty subconsciousness.”

“Hold on, you’ve clearly missed something,” Amy said. “When we got here, the outside handle of the exit door had blood on it, likely from someone with blood-covered hands. That means her hands would have already been stained with blood before she got inside the facility.”

“Then where did the blood come from?” Mr. Vanguard asked.

No one seemed to be able to answer this. No one but Mika. They started nervously fidgeting with their fingers. You could practically see them putting the clues together in their head.

“I got it!”

The others stared at them, waiting for an explanation.

“The blood wasn’t human blood. It wasn’t even that of a warm-blooded creature at all. It was the blood of a snake.”

“A snake?” Xavier asked, confused.

“Yes, outside the facility, near where we parked the car last night, was a dead snake. I first thought a wild animal had ripped off its head, but I think Alice did it.”

Even Alice was surprised by the suggestion.

“You’re saying she ripped off the head of a wild snake?” Mr. Donati asked.

“If you don’t believe me, you can check for yourself. The corpse should still be there?”

“Why would she do that, though? Wouldn’t any sane person stay away from a wild, most likely venomous, snake?” Mr. Honda asked.

“To defend someone. My theory goes as follows. At night, Alice wakes up and notices Lupin leaving the car. She follows him and sees that he’s getting attacked by a snake. Before it can hurt my friend, Alice grabs it and kills it, splattering blood on herself and Lupin. To wash the blood off, she carries Lupin to the facility. Like you said, she passes out in the shower room, and Lupin wanders off, ending up in the secret compartment, when the costume is being put back.”

“Who would be that insane?!” Mr. Honda asked.

“Alice would,” Amy answered, without hesitation.

“Even without the liquid courage flowing through her veins, she would have done it,” Xavier added.

Alice just shrugged, unable to confirm or deny the theory.

“Wow, if that’s true, then you’re on a roll. If I had a nickel for every time you risked your life to save Lupin in the last few days, I’d have two nickels,” Xavier said.

“Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice,” Alice finished his reference before he could. “Since when do you know memes?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“But if it wasn’t Alice, then we’re back where we started,” Mr. Honda pointed out.

“Not entirely,” Mr. Cazador mentioned. “Think about the end of what Mika said. They pointed out something very important. Lupin somehow ended up in the secret compartment, meaning it must have been opened at some point last night. That means the costume was used, which likely connects to Nike’s test.”
“That makes sense,” Amy said, nodding along.

“How about it, Captain, are you finally going to tell us what we want to know?” Mr. Cazador said in a taunting voice.

“The answer is still no. I am not allowed to share the secrets with anyone who hasn’t proven themselves worthy.”

“I’ve had it up to here with you Kool-Aid drinkers and your stupid secrets!” Alice said furiously.

“This is worse than dealing with magicians,” Xavier said.

“Wait, what?” Amy asked.

“Magicians. They’re the worst nightmare of every investigator. Always going on about how a magician never reveals his tricks. I had to deal with these idiots on multiple occasions. Case #12, Case #25, hell, even Case #33 had one of them.”

Amy looked over to Mika, who had an uncharacteristically smug expression on their face.

“Hold on, you said you can’t share the secrets with anyone who hasn’t proven themselves worthy, right?” Mr. Cazador asked, seemingly building up to something.

“Yes, that is correct,” the captain replied.

“So, if you have proven yourself worthy, wouldn’t someone who beats you in a match also be worthy?”

“I guess that checks out, if we play the rules somewhat loosely.”

“Well, then, I challenge you to a match, you against me,” Mr. Cazador said.

While keeping eye contact with Amy, Mika marked down another tally in the notebook, still with the same smug expression.

“I admire your enthusiasm, but soccer is a team sport. A one-on-one match doesn’t seem like a good way of proving your skills.”

“Stop trying to make up excuses. How about you take those two, and I take two of the investigators, and we play a three v. three. Whoever scores the first goal wins.”

“Sure, if you so desperately want to put yourself at a disadvantage. I’m sure there’s some spare equipment they can use. And to make it a little fairer, let’s face off on the underground field. Then your teammates won’t have to fight with the heat.”

“Fine by me.”

The group made their way downstairs, preparing for a quick match.

They hadn’t noticed that someone had been watching them from the office window above them.

Sunday, November 3, 7:40 am: Underground Stadium, Training Facility

Amy and Alice stepped out onto the field, dressed in soccer gear.

Just like the field above, this one used actual grass. The bright lights on the ceiling must be able to simulate sunlight.

“So, you two have played before, right?” Mr. Cazador asked.

“We weren’t in a football team or anything, but we do know our way around a ball,” Amy answered.

“I guess that will have to do. Do you have any specialties, any preferred position?”

“Nope. I just have a strong kick, that’s all,” Alice said.

“I’m more one for technique. Dribbling and such,” Amy said, bouncing a soccer ball on her knee.

Mr. Cazador was thinking hard, coming up with a strategy, trying to account for all possibilities.

“Hey, Alice, do you know what I’m thinking could win us the game?” Amy asked.

Alice shook her head.

“How about we use our connection to unleash a combined hissatsu technique?”

“What, like twin boost?”

“I was thinking more along the lines of Wyvern Blizzard. You know, since I’m the cool one and you’re the one with anger issues.”

“Shut up. Also, get your facts straight. Wyvern Blizzard was created by Atsuya, not Shirou, so clearly both players have anger issues.”

Xavier, Mika, and Mr. Cazador looked at the two, not understanding a single word.

“What is a hissatsu technique?” Xavier asked.

“They’re special techniques from a game series we like. Alice just calls them hissatsu techniques because she’s a weeb.”

“You said it first!” Alice yelled in protest. “I don’t know how I feel about you growing a spine. I seem to be catching quite a few insults.” Alice seemed more amused than angry.

“How about we focus on normal soccer for now?” Mr. Cazador asked. “Okay, listen up. In a three-on-three, we don’t have any set positions. The person furthest in the back counts as the keeper. Our opponents are Riccardo, a midfielder, Gabriel, a defender, and Valentin, a keeper. All three of them are great players, and Riccardo will absolutely put his trust in his team members. Considering their more defensive lineup, he’ll likely stay in the front, expecting them to defend successfully and pass the ball to him, so he can finish it off.”

“I’m gonna go over to the bleachers, sounds like this is gonna take a while,” Mika said.

“I’ll come with you.” Xavier followed them to the side of the field. He had chosen to sit the match out as he, despite being a skilled athlete, had little experience with soccer.

“So, what’s our strategy?” Amy asked.

“I’m hoping for an immediate success, as I don’t think you’ll be able to keep up with them if they get control over the ball. Amy and I will do the kick-off. Alice, you stay far in the back, so you can lure them further away from their goal. Wait for the right moment and kick the ball as far as you can. The two of us will pass the ball between us, and hopefully score a goal.”

“Sounds doable,” Alice said. “You better not mess this up.”

The two teams got into position, and it began just as planned. Mr. Cazador passed the ball to Alice, who waited for Mr. Vanguard to get close before she kicked the ball to Amy.

Alice was shocked at Mr. Vanguards surprisingly skilled jump. She’d kicked the ball in a high arc, but despite that, he almost reached it. He frankly jumped much higher than I’d expect a human to be able to, even if they’re a professional athlete.

Thankfully, it was still not enough to reach the ball, and so it flew past him. Despite that, Mr. Vanguard didn’t seem to have any intention of going back.

Amy caught the ball, but right away, appearing seemingly out of nowhere, Mr. Honda stood in front of her.

Caught up in the game, Amy decided not to pass the ball but to try to outmaneuver the defender. She pulled the ball back and, with a skilled flick of the heel, she catapulted the ball over herself and Mr. Honda. He was caught off guard by the skilled move, having seemingly underestimated Amy. Internally, she was already celebrating getting one over on him, but then, in a flash, he managed to get a hold of the ball and run past her.

Mr. Cazador, having apparently already expected this to happen, dashed after Mr. Honda, at a speed that, just like Mr. Vanguard’s jumping ability, seemed beyond the average athlete.

With a well-timed slide tackle, Mr. Cazador got the ball back. Quickly, he kicked it to Amy, who was still close to the goal. She prepared to receive the ball, but right as she took a step back, Mr. Donati jumped past her, raising his right foot high in the air.

Mr. Cazador observed what was happening with a calculating look. Mr. Donati hit the ball with an expertly pulled off volley, sending it back towards Mr. Vanguard.

Seemingly predicting where the ball was headed, Mr. Cazador had leapt to the side, managing to intercept the kick.

The ball hit him in the shoulder, flinging him backwards in an absurd show of force. Before Mr. Cazador could get a hold of the ball, Mr. Honda had already kicked it over to Mr. Vanguard.

Knowing what would come next, Alice ran back to her own goal, realizing that she would likely not have a chance of stealing the ball from the captain.

Alice prepared to catch the ball, but at that moment, she glanced over to the bleachers. Xavier and Mika seemed uninterested in the game. They were both looking at Lupin. The worried look on Mika’s face gave Alice a sinking feeling in her stomach.

She was pulled out of her thoughts as something flew past her, landing in the net behind her. A gust of wind followed the ball, signifying that it was probably for the best that she hadn’t tried getting in the way of the powerful kick.

She turned around to see the ball drop to the floor, realizing she’d just lost her team the game.

Everyone walked over to the goal. To Alice’s surprise, not only were her teammates, Mika, and Xavier, sad about this. The other team seemed unhappy as well, as feelings of regret marked their faces.

“I’m sorry, I was distracted.”

“No need to apologize. You two did your best, playing against actual professionals,” Mr. Cazador said.

“I guess that means we won’t get the necessary information,” Amy said, breathing heavily from the match. She was still baffled at seeing how inhuman the skills of the four players seemed.

“Maybe I can make an exception,” Mr. Vanguard said, seemingly ashamed. “I’m sure Nike could accept that, considering we’re trying to solve a murder. Plus, you did pretty well. You were at a massive disadvantage after all.”

“Yeah, I have to admit, I was surprised by a hobby player pulling out such a move in the middle of an actual game,” Mr. Honda said, looking at Amy.

“Well, it would have been useful if you had seen reason before all of this, but I guess better late than never,” Alice said.

“Run us through these test proceedings,” Xavier said.

“Okay, but keep in mind. I mostly remember the instructions I was given beforehand. The actual events of that night are a bit blurry. So, when I took the test, I was instructed to stay in the room and get some sleep before I would be called,” Mr. Vanguard started explaining. “I was woken up by a loud voice. In the room with me was Nike. She told me to leave the room and go to the test hall. Then she just disappeared.”

“Disappeared?” Amy asked. “You mean the person in the costume left?”

“I don’t think it was a costume. Nike just dissolved.”

“What?!” Mr. Honda asked.

“I was just as surprised, but that part I still remember pretty clearly. My memories get less coherent from there. Anyway, I went to the hall, where Nike was waiting for me. She seemed a bit different, so maybe that was actually someone in a costume, operating on her demand. I successfully beat all the tests, I can’t remember the specifics though, and then I was instructed to take this thing and bring it to the greenhouse. What was it again? It was something red and hard.”

“A red gem?” Mr. Cazador asked.

“Yes, that could be it. So I brought the gem to the greenhouse. There are two glass statues there, filled with water. I had to place it in the happy one. I remember that clearly, because I was told beforehand that the happy one is for winners and the angry one is for losers. I remember that I had to reach in pretty far. I couldn’t just drop it. I think there might have been a specific spot I had to put the gem. Maybe something like a groove, where the gem fits into perfectly. I then had to get back into the room. There was a bottle on the nightstand that I was told to drink from after the test. I went to bed and fell asleep.”

“Wait, you’re sure about the statue thing?” Alice asked.

“Yes, why?”

“We saw the gem, but it was in the angry statue,” Mr. Cazador explained.

“So, that would mean he failed the test,” Mr. Vanguard realized.

“It also means that he took the test, meaning he would have been killed after it,” Xavier pointed out.

“If only we had access to the security footage. Then we could see if someone entered and left the room,” Mr. Donati said.

“Yeah, but I already asked the guards. They won’t show it,” Mr. Vanguard said.

“I could help you with that.”

The group turned around, noticing Nemo, who’d been listening to them. She walked closer, slowly clapping. The scent of freshly baked blueberry pie followed her with every step.

Alice and Amy seemed to recognize her, but couldn’t exactly remember who she was, each having only interacted with her for one short conversation.

“I have to say that game was really fun to watch.”

“Who are you?” Xavier asked, suspicious of her. He’d recognized the voice from before.

The woman took the lollipop out of her mouth and gestured wildly with it. “You can call me Nemo. It just so happens that I have a good connection to the guards. I could get you access to the security footage, if that’s all you want.”

“You would do that?” Mika asked.

“Ah, hold on. Nothing in this world is free.”

“Here we go,” Alice said, rolling her eyes.

“Oh, don’t be like that. I just have a simple favor to ask of you.” She looked at Amy and Alice, finally focusing on Alice. “You’re Alice, right?”

“Why, what do you want?”

“I’d just want 10 or 20 minutes of your time. I’d love to have a quick, private conversation.”

Alice seemed confused. “Why?”

“I’ll tell you, once we’re in private. So, how about it? Not like you can get the footage any other way, as I’ll simply instruct the guards to delete it.”

“What?!” Xavier let out, confused.

“Fine, but no funny business,” Alice said.

“Wonderful. How about we go into another room? Oh, and no eavesdropping,” she said with an uncomfortably friendly smile.

Alice followed her to one of the locker rooms, unsure of what to expect.

“Should we be worried?” Amy asked.

“Alice is tough, so she could probably defend herself. Still, let’s stay nearby, just in case,” Xavier said. “I’m more worried about who this woman is and what she wants.”

“I’ve never seen her before. No idea what she’s doing here,” Mr. Cazador said.

“I’ve seen her,” Mika said. “She was in the same car as the guy from two days ago.”

“What guy?” Xavier asked.

Mika proceeded to explain what they had noticed.

Sunday, November 3, 7:55 am: Locker Room 2b, Training Facility

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Alice asked.

Nemo closed the door and walked up to Alice. “Fascinating.” She grabbed Alice’s jaw, arms, and hands, inspecting all of them closely. Mumbling phrases of interest.

“Hey, who said you could get handsy with me?!” Alice asked, taking a step back.

“I’m sorry, I just wanted to see if everything is in its proper place?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know, it has been tricky to track you down. Although that’s not saying much, most of the other misfires are dead or broken.”

“Misfires?”

“Oh, it’s good to see you’re showing interest in my work. That will make it much more fun for me.”

“You’re not making any sense.”

“On the contrary, you’re just not seeing the sense, Subject Delta.”

“Subject Delta? Is that supposed to be me?”

“Of course.” Nemo pulled a cosmetic bag from her purse, pulling out what looked like a lipstick. She continued searching the bag for something else. “Has a nice ring to it, don’t it?” She pulled something small out and attached it to the lipstick-like device. “I have to be honest, I stole it from some of our scientists. I just like the naming scheme and didn’t wanna let it go to waste.”

She grabbed Alice’s left hand and pressed the device on the back of it.

“Ow!” Alice pulled back her hand. Staring at the burn mark, left behind. It resembled a lower-case Delta.

“What the fuck was that for?!”

“I like to mark the living subjects.”

“I’m fucking leaving, you freak.” Alice walked towards the door, but Nemo grabbed her hand, holding her back.

Alice turned around to punch her in the face, but with ease, Nemo dodged the attack and took Alice in a chokehold.

“Simple-minded punches can’t beat good old military training,” Nemo said, tauntingly.

“Let me go!”

“Stop screaming. I’m not finished talking to you.”

Alice tried to get free, but had no chance.

“Listen, you will stop acting like a stupid child, and listen to me. You’ll also promise me that you will never tell anyone about this conversation, understood?”

“And what if I don’t?”

“Ah, they always ask that, but are never happy with the answer. That kid out there, holding onto Subject #39b, their name is Mika, right? If I’m not mistaken, they live with their adoptive grandparents in Stony Shores. Would you like to find out what the Red Eye can do to such a sweet family?”

Alice froze.

“Ah, I knew that would shut you up. So you do know about the Red Eye. Just as my research had shown.”

Alice stopped struggling and sat down on one of the benches.

“So, where were we? Ah, yes, I wanted to tell you about how you got here.”

Alice stared at her in surprise.

“I’m sure I don’t have to explain that you’re from a different timeline. I trust you’ve figured that much out. We were the ones who got you here, hon. But truth be told, we didn’t mean to. You were quite an early result of our experiments. You’re one of the few who came before we received Substance Rho, a vital part of the machine.”

Alice had to think for a moment. She was certain she’d heard Rho before, but she just wasn’t sure where exactly.

“You got lucky. Subject Beta, Gamma, and Zeta all got mangled. And who knows where Subject Alpha ended up?”

“I don’t get it. Those are all Greek letters, but Lupin got modern numbers and letters.”

“Yes, that’s because he was intentional. The Greek letters are reserved for mistakes and misfires. Subject Alpha, for example, was not planned for and became a spur-of-the-moment decision by one of our operatives. What can I say, Pincher has an itchy trigger finger. Anyway, most of the others simply didn’t go as planned. I’m not a scientist, but I know some of the science used for our machine, the Extra-Spatial Subatomic Displacer. Or Swappy, as I like to call it. Would you indulge me?”

“Not like I can say no.”

“Perfect. See, we mostly use a stationary version of Swappy, but that complicates the aiming process. Swappy fires a laser in one straight line. You know how lasers work, I’m sure. To redirect it, we had to bounce the laser off of something in the sky, but using what we had at our disposal proved challenging. Most of the objects were not made for this sort of technology, so they broke or reflected the laser incorrectly.”

“Wait, with those objects, do you mean satellites? Is that why so many were destroyed?” Alice asked.

“Wow, you’re good. I can see why you work as an investigator. Yes, we just had to use the satellites that were already orbiting the Earth. But that often ended not as intended. In your case, we actually wanted to pull a bank transporter over, which was driving between Lawreyville and Coleson. But now that we have Substance Rho and thanks to our space boy, Scrooge, we have full control over the technology.”

“Let me guess, Scrooge is Richard Scent, and you have him send up your specially made satellites, right?”

“Another great deduction. I’m happy you are one of the few that are still around. Most of the other mistakes are gone. Subject Zeta was killed in a car pile-up, Subject Kappa sank into the ocean, because the machine wasn’t powerful enough to bring over the island it was on, Subject Omicron was murdered by another version of herself, and so on. During my research, I started believing you lot are cursed or something.”

“So, your job is to track down the misfires?”

“Among other things. I also sometimes tag along with Gatsby to check in on our cooperators.”

“Wait, but this means you know what’s going on in the other timelines, right? How else would you have known there was a bank transporter driving along this specific route?”

“Well observed. And can I just say how happy I am that you’re asking questions? It really feels like we’re good chums, just having a normal conversation.”

“Except good chums normally don’t threaten others into those conversations.”

“Sometimes it just takes a little encouragement. But to get back to my explanation, there are multiple levels to this. Now that our technology has progressed further, we are sending our people, mostly disposable foot soldiers, into other timelines to scout the situation. But back before that, we had to guess. Well, we could basically measure how different a timeline was from ours, so we could use our knowledge of our timeline’s events to predict those of the other. In case of the bank transporter, some of our people intercepted the transporter, and further along the road, we hoped to pull over the alternate truck.”

“I assume you had to intercept the truck so that you wouldn’t just have the two trucks switch places, which would have achieved nothing.”

“Indeed, sweety. But, as you can guess, it did not go as planned, and instead we ended up with you, our happy little accident.” Nemy pinched Alice’s cheek.

“Stop it!”

“Or what? Are you gonna punch me? Oh, or are you gonna go back on ur deal? We both know you are at my mercy. As long as Mika is alive, you are basically a pet I get to toy with.”

Alice glared at her, but tried to compose herself. “Why are you telling me all of this? I can’t see how you’re getting anything out of this.”

“Call it an experiment. I wanted to see how you reacted to this information. And I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”

Alice didn’t know what to say.

“But, I had a special interest in you. One of my colleagues, Helsing, kept talking about you, so I wanted to see what you were all about. Oh, he also made me promise to keep you a secret from the higher-ups. I still owed him a favor, so remember to thank him when you see him next time. Not many are brave enough to keep secrets from the Pied Piper.”

“The Pied Piper?”

“Yes, the head of the Red Eye. Don’t expect me to tell you anything about him, though, silly. The man loves to stay an enigma.”

Nemo looked around. “I think that’s it. It was nice talking to you. And remember, snitches get their little siblings killed.” Nemo waved and walked out.

Sunday, November 3, 8:00 am: Underground Stadium, Training Facility

The group was sitting on the bleachers, waiting for Alice and Nemo to return. Mika sat away from the others, patting Lupin with a sad look on their face.

Xavier and Amy looked over to them.

“Hey, can I talk to you?” Xavier asked?

“About what?”

“It’s about Mika. I’m concerned about them.”

“They have been acting strange lately. They seem more moody, and they’ve barely talked to Alice.”

“Yeah, about that. I think it has to do with Lupin.”

“You mean his worsening health?” Amy asked.

“So you noticed too?”

“Hard to miss that coughing and wrenching.”
“I don’t think that’s all. I think he’s going blind. He constantly looks slightly past Mika or me, and he needs to sniff our scent to recognize us.”

Amy nodded in understanding. “But, what does that have to do with Alice?”

“Well, when we were locked in the Eagle’s Nest, Mika told me that they knew Lupin was going to die and that Alice lied to them about it. I think Alice might have known and kept it a secret.”

“Obviously,” Amy said.

“What do you mean?”

“I just meant that I know why she would keep something like that a secret. Let’s be real, Alice desperately tries to create a perfect life for Mika, keeping them from anything that could make them sad. And Alice knows how bad it feels to lose such a dear pet.”

“Did she tell you that?”

“Did you forget that we had the same childhood? I know that she lost her pet, because I did too.”

“I see.” Xavier hesitated. “Do you think you could have a talk with Mika later? I’m not good with… that stuff, so you can probably help them better than I ever could.”

“You got it.” Amy got up and walked over to Mika, giving Lupin a friendly pat on his head.

Xavier noticed that Mika wasn’t the only one sitting away from the group.

Mr. Cazador was sitting at the end of the bleachers, nearest to the locker rooms. He was intently paying attention, waiting for any sign from inside, possibly hoping he could hear anything without getting close.

Looking at him, Xavier remembered something that had stood out to him when they were all exchanging information.

He decided to confront Mr. Cazador about it, but before he had a chance, and before Amy could talk to Mika, the locker room door opened and Nemo stepped out. Following a few steps behind was Alice, trying her best to look calm and collected.

“So, how about we get you that footage?” Nemo said.

The group walked up to them, hoping to learn more.

“What did you talk about?” Mr. Honda asked.

Alice looked up, her eyes landing on Mika. “Nothing important,” she said.

“Now, I told you not to eavesdrop, so what makes you think you can just ask her about our private conversation?” Nemo asked, with an unnervingly chipper tone.

“I’ll head up to the security office. You just come by when you’ve got time.” Nemo quickly took off, leaving the group behind.

“What did she tell you?” Mr. Cazador asked quietly after waiting for her to leave.

“I told you, it’s nothing important.” Alice sounded angry, and she was holding her hands together, covering the newly made burn mark.

“I think we should go take a look at the camera footage. I doubt that the conversation had anything to do with the case,” Xavier said, realizing it would be pointless to probe into the matter.

“He’s right, we can’t get hung up on this. For all we know, it could be nothing more than an attempt at distracting us,” Amy added, reading Alice’s more than obvious body language.

“Fine by me. Let me show you the way to the security room,” Mr. Vanguard said.

The group followed him through the hallways and up the stairs.

Xavier made an effort to subtly fall back, getting out of earshot together with Mr. Cazador, who was walking a little behind the others.

“Hey, I had a question about your report,” Xavier said, trying not to be heard by the others.

“Go on,” Mr. Cazador said, carefully evaluating Xavier’s intentions.

“You spoke about how the gem had to be put in the statue, as part of the test, right? That’s why you headed directly to the greenhouse.”

“Yes, is something wrong with that? Riccardo confirmed it, didn’t he?”

“That’s not the problem. I’m curious, how did you know about that part of the test?”

Mr. Cazador seemed to get nervous. “I mean, it was really just a logical deduction, after seeing the gem in the statue. After all, it wasn’t there before the test.”

“I get that, but this is the first test that was held since you joined the team. So you would have seen this gem for the first time this morning. Then why did you lead Alice to the greenhouse? Wouldn’t it have made more sense to head to the test hall?”

“I was aware of the statues, just not their purpose, so I simply guessed they were related. As for why I didn’t go to the test hall, that’s very simple. It was locked. How should I have known the drunken stranger I had met this morning was skilled at picking locks?”

“Then where were you last night?”

Mr. Cazador flinched, surprised by Xavier’s question. “What do you mean? I was asleep in my bed. Where else would I have been?”

“That’s what I’m asking. I only know that you were not in your dorm room, as reported by Gabriel.”

“Fine, I got locked out by the timer. I took a quick shower and came back too late.”

“Bullshit. You were outside the building during the test. That’s when you saw Nathan head to the greenhouse. Am I right?”

Mr. Cazador hesitated, thinking about what to say. “Before I answer your question, can I ask you what your current theory is?”

“About what you did last night? I don’t have a definitive theory, but I can’t ignore how suspicious this makes you look.”

“I see. Can’t say I blame you. Well, if you must know, I was out there, doing my own investigation.”

“What were you investigating?”

“The strange things that are going on here. They started about a month ago. All the security was switched out, from one day to the next. The rules became stricter, even forbidding us from calling our family and friends. And then this strange man started showing up, from time to time. I think he calls himself Gatsby.”

“The one who’s currently here in the facility, right?”

“Yes. I noticed his car outside, near the exit. Anyway, obviously, I was sketched out by these sudden changes, so I looked into them. I spied on the new guards, kept an eye on the coach and Gatsby, but most importantly, I called my parents.”

“How is that more integral to your investigation than the rest?”

“Very simple. When I called them, they were confused. They asked if this was a prank call, so I explained to them again who I was and where I was calling from. But they simply laughed at me, saying that their son is sitting at the dinner table with them. Then they hung up.”

Xavier realized right away what this was implying. A part of the conversation he’d overheard played back in his head. Two words in particular. Primaries and Secondaries.

“But that’s not all. I snuck out of the facility. When I went to the city, things seemed off. Where normally would be soccer stadiums, advertisements, and merch stores, were nothing soccer-related. Further, no one seemed to know about our team or any other famous ones. Not even the Jackpot Strikers, which are Las Vegas’ pride and joy. It’s like a world revolving around soccer, basically forgot about the sport.”

Xavier could see the dots connecting before his eyes, making it obvious that the mystery Mr. Cazador was trying to solve was a much more familiar one than it might have seemed at first.

“Xavier, can you make sense of this?” Mr. Cazador asked, noticing how Xavier had sunk into thought.

“I’ll have to think about it some more. But it certainly sounds strange,” Xavier replied, avoiding any further discussion of the topic.

“So, here we are,” Mr. Vanguard said, stopping in front of the security office. He knocked and walked in, followed by the others.

“Welcome!” Nemo said in her uncomfortably cheery voice. “I’ve prepared everything. Would you like to watch the recording?”

The group nodded and huddled around one of the screens. It showed the surveillance footage outside the private bedroom. Nemo let it play in fast forward, slowing down once something happened.

Shortly before the timer would lock the doors, Xavier and Mr. Shearer entered the room, seemingly in a good mood.

Xavier felt uncomfortable seeing this event play out, which he had no recollection of.

Nothing happened for a while. Around midnight, the door opened again, and Mr. Shearer, wearing his soccer gear, left the room. He was visibly nervous.

“That must have been when he left for the test,” Mr. Donati said.

“Let’s see if someone sneaks in while he’s gone,” Alice said.

The group was hoping desperately for such a mysterious person to appear, but they never did.

Mr. Shearer later returned, looking sad. The next people seen on the footage were Mr. Donati and Mr. Honda, wanting to check on their friend in the morning.

“This can’t be, someone must have snuck in and out,” Mr. Honda said.

“What if the video was edited?” Amy suggested, looking at Nemo.

“Sorry to disappoint, but I already verified the footage’s authenticity. It is 100% real.”

“And why should we trust you?” Xavier asked.

“Well, you’ll just have to. Besides, I have a burning passion for honesty,” Nemo said, making sure to emphasize the word burning. “Wouldn’t you agree, Alice?” She smiled at Alice with a painful amount of glee.

“If you say so,” she answered dismissively, with an angry undertone. Her grip tightened around her left hand, worsening the pain coming from the burn mark.

The group stepped out of the room, all looking disappointed by the result.

“So, should we consider this footage to be real?” Mr. Honda asked, looking at Xavier.

“For now, I think we should,” Xavier said to the surprise of all.

“You do know that doing so would implicate you, right?” Mr. Vanguard asked.

“We should try thinking about other possibilities in this scenario,” Xavier said. “How could he have been killed, without anyone entering the room?”

“It’s impossible. His head was bashed against a wall. You can’t do that remotely. And you were the only one who was in the room with him,” Mr. Donati said.

“And like we’ve said before, you would have woken up during all of this, meaning you would have been a witness,” Mr. Vanguard added.

“If I may,” Amy said to get everyone’s attention. “There is another possibility that I’ve been considering. It might sound absurd, but just hear me out.”

“Go ahead,” Alice said.

“Well, we’ve assumed that the scratches and the skin and blood under Nathan’s fingernails were a sign of a fight between him and his attacker. But they could have also been self-inflicted. And that doesn’t just go for those injuries.”

“That’s outlandish!” Mr. Cazador said, realizing where Amy was going with this. “You seriously want to argue that he committed suicide?”

“It’s certainly possible for him to do it by hitting his head against a wall over and over again. Why do you think padded rooms are a thing?” Alice said, coming to Amy’s assistance.

“But why choose such a brutal method?” Mr. Cazador asked. “And before you try to argue that there were no better options in the room, let me say this. He wasn’t forced to go back into the room after he failed the challenge. He could have done it any other way by just staying outside the room.”

“And wouldn’t he have left some sort of message?” Mr. Donati asked. There was no letter in the room, and nothing on his phone.”

“Considering how this likely was a spur-of-the-moment decision he made, overcome with despair, he might not have thought about any of that,” Xavier tried to argue.

“Let me just clarify one thing. You are saying that because he failed the test, he killed himself?” Mr. Honda asked.

“That seems most likely,” Xavier said.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Mr. Donati said. “Sure, he would have lost his spot on the team, but he had other offers lined up. He could have joined a multitude of other teams, ranked only slightly lower than us.”

“But wasn’t he going to die?” Alice asked. “That’s what you’ve been saying. Everyone who fails the test dies in their sleep the same night.”

“So what, you’re going to argue that he wanted to go out on his own terms? I personally would prefer dying peacefully in my sleep, over bashing my own head in,” Mr. Donati said.

“Not even mentioning that Nathan didn’t believe in that stuff,” Mr. Honda said.

“What do you mean?” Xavier asked.

“It’s very common for the new recruits to not take Nike seriously,” Mr. Vanguard said. “That’s why they sneak out or break the rules in general. They don’t fear Nike’s punishment.”

“You do have a point. Considering he brought Xavier here, he clearly didn’t take it all that seriously,” Mr. Honda said.

“So, that means the suicide theory is another dead end?” Mika asked.

“I’m not saying this lightly, but there is simply no other possibility. Xavier’s the killer,” Mr. Donati said.

“Wait! Can we at least get one more chance to search the crime scene?” Amy asked.

“What would be the point of that?” Mr. Cazador asked.

“Maybe there is a secret entrance?” Alice suggested.

“Don’t you think that would have already been discovered? Not like there are many ways to hide that entrance,” Mr. Vanguard pointed out.

“I think if they have a good reason to further investigate the crime scene, they should get to do so,” Mr. Honda said.

“Fine. But they need to have an actual reason. Not just some theoretical secret entrances,” Mr. Vanguard accepted.

“There is something that hasn’t been explained yet,” Amy said. “Think back to Riccardo’s retelling. We have no idea how Nike appeared and disappeared.”

“Okay, I guess that’s a solid enough reason,” Mr. Honda said, secretly hoping desperately that Xavier was not the killer.

Sunday, November 3, 8:30 am: Private Bedroom, Training Facility

The eerie sight hadn’t changed since they last set eyes on it. Alice was the only one who hadn’t seen the crime scene, but she wasn’t taken aback, as it looked the way she’d imagined, based on the description of the others.

“What are we looking for?” Mr. Honda asked.

“Anything suspicious, but especially something that could explain how Nike could have appeared in the locked room,” Amy said.

“I’ll check the walls. Maybe we were right, and there is simply a secret entrance,” Alice said. She walked to one of the walls, being careful not to slip on the wet floor.

“I don’t think there is a secret entrance,” Xavier said.

“Are you serious?! We’re trying to save your ass here.”

“I’m just saying. The description Riccardo gave us sounded more like some sort of ghost illusion than an actual costumed person.”

“Ghost illusion?” Mr. Donati asked.

Mika was seemingly struck with an idea. They walked over to the bed and started knocking on different parts of the frame. Seemingly unaware, they repeatedly murmured the phrase “dox rox nox ex rex box“ as if it were part of some searching ritual. With each word, they knocked on a slightly different spot, making sure to cover every inch.

The group simply ignored them and continued their discussion.

“You’re telling us someone created the illusion of a ghost in here?” Mr. Vanguard asked.

“Yes. There have been many stage tricks to portray ghosts. Pepper’s ghost, for example, is used quite often even to this day in haunted house attractions,” Xavier explained.

“With all due respect, Xavier. I’ve played Ace Attorney, and from what I remember, that trick uses massive sheets of glass and only works from very specific angles,” Alice said.

“That was just an example. There are other methods, too.”

“Like the Green Ghost,” Mika said, still knocking on the bed frame.

“I’ve never heard of that one,” Xavier said, watching them continue their search.

“Here it is!” Mika said triumphantly. They pointed to a part of one of the bedposts.

Xavier stepped closer to inspect it. Mika was right that there was something odd. A part of the post was thicker and looked as if an additional sheet of metal had been wrapped around it, like some sort of sleeve.

“This one is hollow. Do you think you can open it?”

“Sure can.” Xavier grabbed onto it and tried pulling it down, but something was holding it in place.

“Let me do this.” Alice grabbed onto it, and with all her might, she pulled the sleeve down. A quiet cracking sound was followed by the sound of metal rubbing against metal as Alice pulled it all the way down, while slipping and falling on the ground.

“God dammit, why is this floor so slippery?!”

“I was right!” Mika cheered triumphantly. In the spot that was covered by the metal sleeve before, there was now an opening that revealed a small lens. “It’s a mini projector.”

“Wait, but that can’t be right!” Mr. Vanguard said. “I would have been able to see through the illusion if it were just a simple projection on the wall.”

“You’re right!” Amy realized while helping Alice up from the moist floor. “It wasn’t just that. See all the water residue on the ground and furniture? Think about it, what could have left that?”

The soccer players seemed clueless.

“Why didn’t I realize this before?!” Xavier said, smacking himself against the forehead. “Projections are sometimes used in combination with fog or smoke to create a more three-dimensional look. And certain fog machines leave behind a wet residue.”

“Not just that. Consider the circumstances. The illusion would only ever be seen by a single person who just woke up,” Amy pointed out.

A loud crashing sound got everyone’s attention. They turned around to see Alice standing next to the broken nightstand. Inside it were pieces of technology that, by closer examination, appeared to have been a fog machine and a speaker, before Alice had broken them.

“Could you maybe be a bit more careful with the evidence?” Xavier asked.

“At least I got it open.”

“I can’t believe it. I seriously fell for such an obvious trick?!” Mr. Vanguard said.

“Wait, but how does that explain the murder? The illusion could hardly have been the murderer,” Mr. Donati pointed out.

“But it tells us about the modus operandi of the one who set this all up.”

“Wow, listen to Sherlock and his big fancy words. Any way you can put this in words normal people understand?” Alice asked.

“Modus operandi refers to the style, methods, and habits of a specific criminal,” Mika explained.

“Thank you. They are absolutely right. Considering that this test has been used to kill before, think about the other people who failed it. We can think of the entire test as the killer’s method. And what do all these things have in common?” Xavier asked.

“They were all prepared beforehand, can be reused, and can be operated remotely,” Amy said. “Even the metal cover had some sort of opening mechanism that Alice broke.”
“Wait, so you’re saying that the coach is behind this?!” Mr. Honda asked.

“Have you forgotten that all the people who died from the test died the same way?” Mr. Vanguard asked. “If you want to talk about modus ope-whatever, you can’t ignore that Nathan does not fit the pattern.”

“Maybe something went wrong during the process,” Xavier suggested.

“But the coach was asleep when it happened,” Mr. Cazador said.

“What?!” Mr. Donati exclaimed. “How do you know that?”

“I guess I can tell you now. I was investigating the coach. Last night, I snuck into his room while he wasn’t there. From his window, I saw Nathan leave the test hall, head to the greenhouse, and back to his room after that. I wanted to go see what he’d done in the greenhouse, but at that moment, a costumed figure left the test hall. I watched as they entered the storage room below me. Not long after, the coach left the storage room without the costume. He walked back to his room right away, so I had no choice but to hide. I stayed in there the entire night, too afraid to leave, because of the creaky floorboards.”

“So he didn’t do anything after the test?” Amy asked.

“Nope. And that’s why I couldn’t go investigate the glass statues.”

Mika chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” Amy asked.

“Oh, nothing. I just think the statues are funny.”

“Why?” Xavier asked.

“They are transparent statues with water hidden inside them. They’re like a reverse invisible dog.”

“Is that some kind of yoga pose?” Alice asked.

“No. I’ve been re-listening to the old Three Investigators audio plays. One of my favorite ones is The Mystery of the Invisible Dog. In that one, a transparent statue is hidden inside water, basically making it invisible. So it’s funny that this statue is the reverse version of that.”

“Good to see you’re having fun,” Amy said.

Alice seemed lost in thought. “Something transparent hidden in water? No, it couldn’t be!” she murmured to herself, something dawning on her.

“Did you realize something?” Xavier asked.

“We have to go back to the statues! I might have just solved the case!”

The group followed her, curious except for Xavier and Amy.

He had gestured to her that they should stay behind to discuss something.

“What did you want to talk about?”

“I’d like to run a theory by you.”

“About the murder?”

“No, not directly.” Xavier proceeded to give her a quick summary of what Mr. Cazador had told him.

“Do you see where I’m going with this?”

“Yes, but I don’t like it.”

“But you do agree that it seems like this entire facility and the people in it are from another timeline.”

“That would explain some confusing things. With that in mind, it even makes sense why the road leading here is cut off in the middle of nowhere.”

“Exactly. And the Primaries and Secondaries they referred to, those must be the terms they use to differentiate between different versions of the same person,” Xavier said.

“Meaning in their words, I am a Primary and Alice is a Secondary.”

“Yes. Which does concern me, considering they were talking about replacing the Primaries.”

“But why are they doing all of this?”

“It’s probably just one of many schemes. Maybe they intended to get an unbeatable soccer team under their belt. Remember, they are from a timeline where soccer is extremely important, so they likely undergo much harder training than any of our teams.”

“They certainly are very strong. Playing against them felt like we were going up against players that were not human.”

“Maybe not that extreme, but their training certainly puts them above most other professional teams.”

“An unknown team appearing out of nowhere, only to then destroy their opponents, sounds like you could make some good money betting on them. Not even mentioning how much they could be offered for the players,” Amy said.

“The Red Eye definitely has wild ideas for making money.”

“So, what should we do? Tell them? Call the police?”

“I’ll contact Toby. He’s in talks with the FBI.”

“Yes, that’s probably for the best.”

“Yup. Naturally, the FBI will take care of things as they see fit. Whether we like it or not.”

The two headed to the greenhouse, trying to catch up with the others.

Sunday, November 3, 8:50 am: Greenhouse, Training Facility

“Ah, there you are,” Alice said, as Xavier and Amy entered the greenhouse. The others had been waiting for them next to the glass statues.

“So, why did you bring us here?” Mr. Vanguard asked.

“I wanted to confirm my theory. Amy, do you still have the condoms on you?”

“Sure, but why?” Amy tossed the package of contraceptives over to Alice.

“Thank you. Now, I would like to circle back to an earlier theory we had. The possibility of Nathan himself being the one who smashed his head in.”

“We’ve already talked about that. It doesn’t make any sense,” Mr. Donati said, upset.

“Yes, we’ve established that this was in no way a better way of dying than peacefully passing away in his sleep,” Mr. Vanguard added.

“Yes, and I totally agree. But what if the alternative wasn’t peacefully dying in his sleep? What if he was in agony, after being poisoned?”

“What, how was he poisoned?” Mr. Honda asked.

While the group was breaking their heads over this, Alice unpacked one of the condoms, blowing it up like a balloon and deflating it right away, leaving it stretched out.

“Wait, of course! The bottle must have had poison in it!” Mr. Donati said.

“How about you finish thinking it through before you spit out your theories?” Mr. Cazador said.

“Why? It sounds pretty logical. The players are instructed to drink from the bottle only after finishing the test,” Mr. Honda said.

“Yes, but that goes for every player,” Mr. Vanguard said.

“The bottle was prepared before the coach even knew the result of the test, so he couldn’t have poisoned it, or every player taking the test would have died,” Xavier explained.

Alice was busy combining the condom with the wires she’d found in the greenhouse.

“Maybe the coach gave the successful players an antidote after the test?” Mika suggested.

“Sorry to disappoint, but the only thing I drank after my test was a few sips of the drink in the bottle,” Mr. Vanguard said.

“Then how was he poisoned?” Mr. Honda asked.

“Calm down, I’ll explain right away.” Alice was still working on her strange DIY project. “How about I give you some backstory while I finish this. I have a friend who’s a marine biologist. And whenever we hang out, he can’t help but go on about strange animal facts. But it seems like for once, his lectures have paid off.”

“Where are you going with this?” Amy asked.

“You’ll see. Amy, can you tell me the name of his band?”

“Sure, it’s Irukandji Sting. Why?”

“Yes, Irukandji, like the jellyfish. They might seem like a weird choice for a band that mostly plays metal music. They are tiny and not very scary-looking. In fact, they are so small and transparent that they are basically invisible underwater. But why tell you all then, when I can just show you?”

Alice held up the thing she’d assembled. It looked like a makeshift ladle or a strange fishing net.

Alice lowered it carefully inside the angry statue, making sure not to touch the water herself.

“You know, when we said we would come back with some protection, that wasn’t what I had in mind,” Mr. Cazador said.

“How about you make yourself useful and get one of those lily pads?” Alice suggested while fishing around the statue’s insides.

Mr. Cazador laid it out on a small table in the center of the greenhouse.

“Careful, everyone, step aside,” Alice said while walking over to the table. She was holding the condom away from her body, uncharacteristically careful. At first, it might have seemed that she was afraid of spilling, but upon closer inspection, it became clear that thin, string-like objects were hanging from the unusual container.

She emptied the condom into the lily pad. The water spread right away, but ultimately stayed contained by the raised edges of the plant. With the water spread thin, some tiny shapes became visible. Two jellyfish, smaller than an inch, became visible. Their tentacles glided like long strings through the water.

“May I introduce you to the Irukandji? Please don’t touch, or you’ll be fucked.”

“How did you know they were in there?” Xavier asked, staring at the jellyfish.

“Simple. The only thing different between the people who fail the test and those who succeed is the statue they place the gem into. And that got me thinking about how someone might get killed by reaching in there. Poison seemed the most logical, which made me consider what attributes this poison, or rather venom, must possess for this plan to work out. How about I run you through the attributes of the Irukandji’s venom?”

“Let’s hear it,” Amy said.

“Well, first of all, you don’t feel that you’ve been stung, at first. Meaning a player who reaches in here would just go on, without knowing something’s wrong, all the while a terrible neurotoxin is spreading through his body. After a while, you are overcome with a horrible pain, which is said to be so awful that people would prefer ending their lives over suffering through it. Sound familiar? And for the grand finale, if not treated properly, for example, because you are locked inside an underground bunker, the venom will kill you.”

“Wait, but there is a flaw in your logic,” Mr. Vanguard said.

“There is?” Mika asked.

“Yeah, the jellyfish are right there. How could that theory be wrong?” Mr. Honda asked.

“Think about it. Why would Nathan be the only one who was visibly in pain?”

“That’s because he didn’t drink from the bottle,” Alice said.

“What?” Mr. Donati asked.

“Well, why do you think the bottle has specific rules to it? The coach put some strong roofies in it. The bottle’s contents aren’t deadly, but for the ones who’d been stung, it meant they’d be knocked out, while the poison kills them,” Alice explained.

“But wouldn’t he have drunk it too?” Amy asked. “I mean, we even saw the empty bottle.”

“Yes, but we didn’t see who it was who drank from it. Xavier, let me confirm something with you. Getting drugged can mess with your memory, right?”

Xavier nodded, understanding where she was going.

“I think that should answer it. Xavier was actually the one who drank from the bottle, leaving Nathan wide awake, while the venom was killing him.”

“So that means, the coach was behind every death, including this one?” Mr. Donati asked, disturbed.

“Yes, he was,” Alice said.

“We have to call the police!” Mr. Cazador said, getting out his phone.

“Wait, I’m on it. I have contacts that will take care of this. Until then, we should refrain from confronting him or his guests. We can’t afford the situation escalating, as the staff is likely on their side.”

The group agreed and split up. The soccer players went back to their teammates, Xavier searched for a quiet corner to call Inspector Wilson, Alice stayed in the greenhouse, carefully putting back the jellyfish and keeping an eye on them, so that the evidence could not be destroyed, and Amy and Mika headed outside, sitting down in the shade.

Sunday, November 3, 9:15 am: Outside Storage Room, Training Facility

Amy and Mika had been sitting in the shade for a while. Amy was fidgeting with a soccer ball while watching as Mika carefully fed Lupin his bottle. Like the day before, Lupin was refusing to eat.

“Mika, did you want to talk about Lupin?”

“What?! Talk about what?” Mika asked, as always, doing a terrible job of lying.

“You don’t have to hide it. I know that Lupin isn’t doing well.”

As if to confirm her statement, Lupin started coughing and spitting out the little food he’d eaten.

“Can’t we do something? I don’t want him to die.”

“Probably not. If anything, we could only delay his death for some time. But it is inevitable.”

“Then we should do that. Even if it’s just a few weeks,” Mika said with tears in their eyes.

“Do you really want that?” Amy asked calmly.

“Of course!”

“Look at him. Do you think he’s happy like this?”

Mika looked down at the little monkey. He was shaking and retching.

“When I was younger, I had a dog. A tiny pomeranian. My brother had named him Ray Pawmer. He was my best friend, but one day, he got sick. At first, we thought he had a simple cold, but it got worse every day. He had barely any energy, he threw up every day, and he started going blind. My parents told us we’d have to put him down. I was begging them, but they didn’t listen to me. And then, one day, we were at the vet to put him down. I wanted to stay with him till the last minute, so I did. I was crying as the vet got to work, but I noticed that the way he was looking at me had changed. For weeks, he’d been in agony, but in that moment, he seemed calm. I realized that keeping him alive for any longer would only mean he’d have to be in pain for longer. He wasn’t getting anything out of that time I was begging for.”

“So, you’re saying we should put Lupin down?” Mika asked, concerned.

“I think so. But if you want, we can call Ralph and ask what he’d recommend.”

Mika nodded slowly, thinking about it.

Xavier and Alice were standing at the entrance of the greenhouse, watching the two.

“So, you told her to have a talk with Mika?”

“I thought that would be for the best. Don’t you think so?”

“No, I agree.”

The two stood in silence for a while.

“Why did you jump off the train?” Xavier asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you knew Lupin was gonna die soon. Why risk your life then?”

“I don’t know. I just kinda jumped. I didn’t really think about it.” Alice paused for a bit. “I think I just wanted to give Mika a chance to say goodbye.”

Xavier nodded in silence. He didn’t have to say a single word to communicate how much he respected Alice’s actions.

Alice headed back inside the greenhouse to stand guard by the statues.

In the distance, the soccer team was leaving the main building, heading in their direction. They all gathered outside the storage room.

“Xavier, we…” Mr. Vanguard started, but he paused as he noticed the coach and his two guests leaving the building.

“Oh, what are all of you doing here?” Coach Bayhan asked.

“Just talking, that’s all,” Mr. Cazador answered.

“Yes, well, I’ll be leaving for a bit. I was invited to a meeting with some executives of the US Soccer League.”

“Could you maybe stay for a bit longer?” Mr. Donati asked.

“Why would I do that? I’m in a bit of a hurry, actually.”

“Are you trying to flee, after your last murder didn’t go as planned?” Mr. Cazador asked.

The coach and his guests were startled by the accusation.

“Murder, what would make you say that?” the coach asked nervously, as the players closed in on him.

He quickly grabbed his radio and yelled for the guards to show up, but no one answered.

“We’ve already taken care of them,” Mr. Vanguard said, before giving his team a sign. The 20 players ran forward, grabbing the coach. Gatsby wanted to pull a gun, but before he could do so, 5 of the players had already shoved him to the ground. Mr. Donati made sure to take his gun away.

“Everybody, back off!” Nemo yelled. The group took a step back, staring at her. She’d grabbed Mika and was holding a gun to their head.

“Good, now let go of my colleagues and then back away slowly. And you, drop that gun.”

The group did as she demanded. Mr. Donati tossed the gun aside, and everyone stepped further away.

Amy kept a close eye on the trio as they backed up to the car. Unnoticed, she readied the ball for a kick.

“Hey, don’t even think about it!” Gatsby yelled, noticing what she was doing.

“Get that ball out of here, or the kid will suffer!” the coach yelled.

Amy did as she was told. After quickly looking around, she bounced the ball up and kicked it backwards. In a long arc, the ball flew towards the greenhouse, falling right through one of the open windows.

While the ball was still in the air, Nemo had reached the car. She turned her head while opening the door. “Looks like your little revolu…” She was stopped by the sound of shattering glass. As she turned back around, she could, for a second, see the ball flying towards her. The ball hit her right in the face. Instantly, she let go of Mika as she was smashed backwards against the car door. As she fell to the ground, Mika reacted quickly, grabbing her gun and running to the others.

The players didn’t have to think long before they realized their opportunity, quickly capturing all three criminals.

“Are you okay, Mika?” Xavier asked.

Mika nodded, still shaken by what had just happened.

Amy noticed the notebook and pen that Mika had dropped. She picked it up and wrote down another tally.

“I think you got the jackpot,” Amy said jokingly, trying to cheer Mika up.

While they were talking, Alice stepped outside the greenhouse, which now had a ball-sized hole in its glass wall. She walked up to Nemo, who was being held by some of the players, and kicked her in the shin.

“No one threatens my little sibling!” she said, overtaken by anger.

Instead of seeming in pain, Nemo simply laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“Oh, I’m just happy. I was worried you wouldn’t live up to Helsing’s praise, but it seems he was right. I’m looking forward to our next meeting, Subject Delta.”

Alice angrily walked to the others who’d watched this go down. They had only heard parts of the conversation.

“Alice, we did it!” Amy said triumphantly.

“Did what? Arrest the bad guys?”

“No, not that. We pulled off our own hissatsu technique.”

“Seriously, that’s what’s on your mind right now?”

“Yes! What should we call it? How about Spark Finn? You know, combining Inazuma and Shark.”

Alice smirked. “What a stupid name,” she said. She didn’t seem interested in making an effort to protest against it.

Xavier walked over to Mr. Vanguard, Mr. Cazador, Mr. Honda, and Mr. Donati.

“So, you went behind my back and took care of the staff yourself?”

“We thought it to be the smartest move,” Mr. Vanguard said.

“We simply captured one by one. There are only 15 members of staff here, so we made quick work of them,” Mr. Cazador explained.

Xavier looked at them, unsure if he should tell them what he knew about their situation. But he decided to wait for the FBI to avoid making the situation worse for the players.

A while later, the police showed up, accompanied by two FBI agents. The officers arrested the three criminals, while the agents stayed behind to discuss the situation with Xavier and the team members. At that point, Amy, Alice, Mika, and Lupin had already left.

“I’ll give you a moment to process all this information,” one of the agents said. Both of them walked aside to discuss the situation together and to make a phone call.

“So, witness protection it is, I guess,” Xavier said.

“I still can’t believe any of this,” Mr. Honda said.

“It sounds more like something from a science fiction story, not real life,” Mr. Donati said.

“Believe me, we’re working hard to find a way for you and all the others in your situation to return to your homes,” Xavier said.

“So you really think there’s a way?” Mr. Cazador asked, sounding unconvinced.

“I mean, there has to be,” Mr. Honda said.

“But even if there’s a way, there’s no guarantee we will get to use it,” Mr. Donati said.

“Please, you have to remain hopeful,” Xavier said.

“He’s right. The worst thing we could do is lose hope,” Mr. Vanguard said. “They are all working their asses off to get us back, so we should believe in them. So, let’s look forward and plan for a brighter future.”

“A brighter future?” Mr. Honda repeated.

“Nike’s Acolytes is in the past. We’ll return home as a new team. Stronger, and with a restored love for the game we’ve dedicated our lives to. And we’ll make it without the coach, without this facility, and without Nike.”

“You certainly sound passionate about this idea. I would have expected you to have lost your interest in soccer, now that you know that it is the reason your friends are dead,” Mr. Cazador said.

“Soccer didn’t kill them. The coach did. And turning our backs on the sport would be like turning our backs on our friends.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing how your team will do,” Mr. Cazador said.

“Are you saying you won’t play with us? That would be a great loss.”

“What are you talking about?” one of the players asked.

“Caleb is one of our most talented players. He’s the best strategist we could have asked for, and we absolutely slept on his playing skills.”

“You flatter me, but I doubt you truly mean that.”

“I absolutely do. Back when you challenged us to a three v. three, you weren’t planning on winning, right?”

Mr. Cazador stayed quiet.

“You knew Amy and Alice had no way of keeping up with us, yet you still played us.”

“It was pretty obvious that you wanted to help us solve the murder, but you needed a last push to get you to spill the beans. Winning or losing, it didn’t matter to you as long as I put up a good fight,” Mr. Cazador said. “I’d already won once you agreed to the challenge.”

“See, it’s that calculated mind that we need for the team, not on the bench, but as a player in the starting lineup.”

“Are you serious? There’s no way that bitch can keep up with the rest of us. And let’s be honest, she’ll absolutely destroy the team spirit with how she acts,” one of the other players said.

Mr. Vanguard looked at him angrily, slowly stepping forward towards him.

“You’re right, team spirit is essential to a functioning team, which is why I will no longer stand for anyone who does not respect his fellow players. The coach may have encouraged a toxic environment to put pressure on us, but that is over. So, either you start treating Caleb with respect, or you can look for a new team.”

The player seemed caught off guard. He quietly stepped back.

“Good. Now, let’s stick together and prepare for our eventual return home.” Mr. Vanguard wanted to turn around and head over to the FBI agents, but Xavier stopped him.

“Here, take this.” He handed him his business card. “Feel free to call us whenever you want to. I know the FBI can be very secretive about their progress, so I’ll make sure to update you on everything we find out.”

“Thanks.” Mr. Vanguard put the card in his pocket and walked away.

“I promise we won’t lose hope in you,” Mr. Donati said to Xavier, following Mr. Vanguard.

“Please stay safe,” Mr. Honda said.

“We will.”

The entire team got into motion. The last person to stay with Xavier was Mr. Cazador.

“Are you not going with them?” Xavier asked.

“Oh, of course I am. Pretty sure the FBI won’t give me another option. But I wanted to ask a favor of you.”

“Sure, what is it?”

“Could you tell Alice that I believe in her. As long as we don’t give up our hope, she shouldn’t either.”

“Why don’t you tell her yourself? Her number is on the card.”

“Then I’ll make sure to let her know.” Mr. Cazador said goodbye and walked over to the others.

Monday, November 4, 1:20 am: Airplane, Above Iowa

It was quiet inside the cabin. Most people were either asleep or were keeping to themselves, reading a book or looking at their screens.

Xavier was still awake. He sat next to the window, occasionally taking a peek outside to see the glowing dots of towns passing by under them.

He was staring at the object in his hand. It was the piece of amber Natsu had inherited from Mr. Cabrera.

Usually, Xavier kept it in a special pocket inside his backpack, but for the flight, he’d taken it out. Xavier was not allowed to take the backpack on the plane, not even inside the cargo hold, due to multiple dangerous objects that he kept inside it. The backpack and the Crimebuster were both sent back separately.

Xavier and Alice were both not very happy about it, but it couldn’t be helped. Xavier made sure that at least the amber would stay with him the entire time.

Next to him was Mika, who was deep asleep. In their lap was a book labeled The Mystery of the Yellow Room. Mika had started reading it when the plane took off, but they’d only gotten a few pages in, which was unusually slow for them. They kept reading the same sentences over and over again, seemingly unable to focus. Their thoughts were with Lupin, who was in the cargo hold, all by himself. After a while of trying to read the book, they’d drifted off to sleep.

Amy, who was right next to them, was also fast asleep. However, she’d been like that for the entire flight. It had taken her a lot of courage to get on the plane. To help ease her fears, she’d taken some sleeping pills.

On the other side of the aisle was an empty seat. Some rubber ducks, all with their own unique design, were placed on the table in front of it. Alice had bought them in Las Vegas as souvenirs.

She’d been reading Death by Antihero, a book by Aerolotl, one of the authors currently responsible for the Clever Foxes series. Alice had hoped to learn more about one of Mika’s favorite writers, but the book quickly proved to be amateurish and sloppy.

To be fair, while Mika was a fan of the author, that only counted for their works of The Clever Foxes. Mika had no interest in any of the other books written by the author.

Bored out of her mind, Alice had started lining up the rubber ducks, rearranging them over and over again, before leaving her seat.

Alice stepped out of the toilet. As she was about to walk down the aisle, she received a call from an unknown number.

Despite her better judgment, she picked it up, curious who might call her this late.

“Hello. Did you miss me, Subject Delta?”

Alice recognized the hauntingly joyful voice right away. She stepped back into the toilet stall, locking the door behind her.

“How are you calling me? Aren’t you supposed to be on your way to prison?”

“Yes, but I didn’t feel like it. That is simply no place for a lady of my status.”

“But how?”

“Did you really think I wasn’t prepared? I’d already expected you guys to solve the case, so I made sure to contact some of my friends. They followed the FBI’s transporter and got me out.”

Alice started to grow more concerned the more she talked to Nemo.

“Listen, I’ll do whatever you want, just don’t hurt Mika or…”

Nemo started laughing. “Oh, why so nervous? I have no intent to harm anyone who doesn’t deserve it. Well, as long as you don’t make me.”

“So, you don’t want anything from me?”

“I didn’t say that. For one, I want you to stay quiet about what we discussed.”

“Sure, no problem.”

“Good girl. Now, I also want you to keep me updated on all that you learn about the Red Eye.”

Alice hesitated. She looked down at the delta symbol, burnt into her skin.

“Yes, I can do that.”

“Very good. Then we’ll stay in contact. Oh, and make sure to always be available. I don’t like it when my phone calls don’t get answered.”

“Anything to keep the others safe.”

“That’s right. And I do promise you, they are safe. The Red Eye doesn’t even know about you or Subject #39b. They don’t even know about your agency’s repeated involvement in foiling our plans. And as long as you’re a good girl, it will stay that way.”

“Wait, they don’t know a…” Alice stopped. Nemo had hung up, leaving Alice to herself, contemplating the situation she was in.

Tuesday, November 5, 3:40 pm: Veterinary Clinic Purrfect Health, Coleson

Mika, Xavier, Amy, and Ralph were gathered around Lupin, who was lying on a table.

Due to the recent events, Mika had been excused from school for the entire week. They were planning to return to the Bandas the next day, but till then they were staying at the agency.

After a conversation with Ralph, Mika had agreed to put Lupin down, although they had seemingly come to terms with the idea even before that.

Lupin had already received a first injection, containing a sedative, so he was lying there, nearly asleep.

Mika was holding his paw, trying to keep their tears down.

“Hey, Mika, do you want to stay here while it’s done? You don’t have to. I can assure you, Dr. Brown will be very careful with Lupin,” Ralph gestured to the vet. She was a friend of Ralph’s mother, and he’d asked her for an appointment.

“No, I want to be with him until the end.”

“Would you prefer it if we left?” Amy asked, realizing it would be easier for Mika to let out their emotions if there were fewer people around.

Mika nodded. “But can…” They stopped, unsure if they should ask their question. “Never mind.”

Amy realized right away what Mika had intended to ask. She turned to the vet. “Hey, could you give us a minute? We have to quickly take care of something.”

Dr. Brown nodded, checking her equipment.

Amy left the room, followed by Xavier and Ralph. She walked straight to the waiting area, where Alice was sitting.

“Are you comfortable?” Amy asked sarcastically.

“Shouldn’t you be in there with Mika?” Alice asked, looking sad.

“You’re one to talk. Why did you not come with us?”

“I don’t think Mika would want me there.”

“What are you talking about?” Xavier asked.

“I’m a terrible sister, and I would only make the situation worse with my presence.”

“Oh, buhu,” Amy said angrily.

Alice looked up at her, confused.

“You’re such a stubborn idiot! You are so afraid of messing up that you’d rather pretend like you already did. Mika wants you in there, but they're afraid to ask you.”

Alice looked down at the floor, unsure of what to say.

“You promised them a perfect life, right? Then fucking be there for them! Is it that hard? Your little sibling is going through so much right now, and as their older sister, you better be there for them!”

Xavier and Ralph agreed, but couldn’t think of what to add. They simply nodded.

“I guess I can go see if they are okay with me being in there with them.” Alice stood up and walked over to the other room, visibly uncertain.

She knocked and stepped in.

Mika looked at her in surprise.

“I’m not sure if you want me here, but if you do, I’ll be there for you,” Alice said nervously.

Mika’s eyes lit up as they saw Alice. They pulled her closer and clung to her.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to say here,” Alice said awkwardly.

“It… It’s okay when… if you’re just here. Can you… Can you just hug me?” Mika asked, tears rolling down their face.

Alice wrapped her arm around Mika and stayed quiet as Mika said their goodbyes to Lupin.

She tried to stay calm and appear strong for Mika, but Alice was also in pain, seeing the small monkey go.

After Lupin had taken his last breath, they stayed for a little longer before stepping outside the room.

As soon as they’d left the room, Mika started to get nervous, all of a sudden.

“Why is it so loud out here? Alice, make the noise stop!” Mika started shaking and nervously looking around the mostly quiet room.

“What’s going on?” Amy asked.

“They’re overwhelmed with their emotions, so they are misperceiving their environment. Natsu had that too sometimes,” Xavier said, quickly walking over to Mika.

“Mika, take my headphones, maybe some music will calm you down,” Ralph said, pulling his over-ear headphones from his bag.

While Mika grabbed the headphones, Alice bowed down to be on eye level with them. “How about I take you somewhere quiet?”

Mika nodded while putting on the headphones.

“Ralph, could you drive us to the woods?”

“Sure, if you tell me where?”

“I can give you directions. There’s a spot I like to go to when I need to calm down. I had offered to bring them there when they first visited Ashbypond, but we never got around to it.”

Ralph agreed, and they drove off.

Monday, November 5, 6:15 pm: Alice’s Sanctuary, Ashbypond Woods

Alice had led Mika to a small clearing. In the center was a large, moss-covered rock.

Mika was still wearing the headphones, while Alice gestured to them. She helped them climb on the large rock.

The two had remained sitting there until it became dark. The stars were visible above them.

“It’s nice here,” Mika said, taking off the headphones. These were the first words either of them had said in hours.

“I’m happy you like it. You’re the first person I’ve taken here.”

Mika cuddled closer to Alice, yawning. “Thank you, Big Sis.”

Alice could feel her heart beating faster. The two remained quiet, looking up at the night sky. Alice noticed Mika falling asleep and made sure they were comfortable. They stayed there for the entire night.

And like that, another case ends. Now, I won’t talk your ear off. I’m sure you all are aware that we are nearing the end of this story. Only two more cases to go. It leaves me with a sad feeling, like I’m saying goodbye when I finish the story. I know it’s not the last time I will see the investigators, but still.

But let’s not get lost in grief over what has yet to happen. I’m looking forward to seeing you again in Chapter 12. And I can already tell you that Amy and Alice will have to confront unpleasant memories.