Chapter 6 A Series of Fortunate Events
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After reviewing her new stats Judith asked, 'What's with all the Karma?'

[User's setting up a system for child protection has improved the lives of many children, the slight improvements in the police and firefighter systems have saved more lives, in fact more Karma will continue to accrue throughout users in-habitation of this dimension.]

'Good to know, now onto crushing the stupidly setup remnants of V.F.D., while continuing the derailment of the story.'

  Throughout her time in this universe Judith had noticed that a lot of what V.F.D. had done in this world hadn't been very beneficial to anyone except itself. When the schism occurred it had allowed her to start acting more openly because they had lost a good deal of their influence in the world, so would not be able to keep track of her changing things. Now that the storyline had begun she could start dismantling the remaining parts of the organization with the assistance of the protagonists.

  Once they were woke up from their rest, she explained to them the history of V.F.D. Judge Judith said to the Baudelaires, "This is going to be a long explanation so I'm going to explain what I've been able to learn of this organization once done I'll explain your parents connection to all this. The V.F.D., or Volunteer Fire Department, is a secret claiming to be a noble organization, once whole and has been divided by a schism between the followers of the organization's original principles, and those who follow principles completely opposed to the original V.F.D. These supposed principles are to extinguish fires - both literally and figuratively. Now there are currently 2 sides one that stays true to fighting those fires and one that starts the fires. Your parents were recruited into V.F.D and were on the side that fought fires, I'll show you all the documentation that I've compiled for V.F.D. and the materials I was able to salvage from your home."

  The Baudelaires sat stunned at all the information I had given them. Klaus then asked, "If you know so much why didn't you prevent the fire that killed our parents?" Violet jumped in as well and asked, "Are you part of V.F.D." Judith replied, "I did what I could by improving how the fire department responds to fires and have better equipment. Also I can't be everywhere at once, at the time I was working on gaining information that would allow me to capture the more violent members of V.F.D. I'm not a member of V.F.D. While I like their noble sounding purpose, I abhorred their methods of recruitment and inefficient methods to improve the world." The Baudelaires were surprised at Judith's response and exclaimed , "What are you talking about?"

  Judith replied, "Their method of recruitment is kidnapping and indoctrination. No truly noble organization would use that method. In fact in my investigation I found out that not only was your parents part of the organization, but that they had been recruited using this method. They had escaped the influence of V.F.D. when they started raising a family in the city. I believe that when the schism occurred they realized that V.F.D. was not where they wanted you children to end up." Violet, Klaus, and Sunny were both sad and glad that they had such amazing parents that had been so good and had tried to raise them in freedom. Judith Strauss then spoke, "I want to give you time to grieve, but as you know Mr. Poe seems to be hellbent on following the will and sending you to anyone remotely related to your parents, so I expect he'll be arriving everyday to try to take you away. I'm working on the process to remove his authority to do this, but I expect interference from V.F.D.'s bad elements."

  As if like magic they heard a knocking at the door interrupting what the Baudelaires were about to ask. Judith, "Alright children we're about to meet Mr. Poe again. In all fairness you should have a say in where you live, so I want to ask you something. Do you children want to live with me, or let Mr. Poe take you to whomever he has found that is somehow related to you? I'll let you children discuss among yourselves while I greet Mr. Poe.Also whenever anyone else is here I go by Judge Strauss, otherwise you can call me Judith." Getting up she went to the door to receive Mr. Poe, who had begun to knock harder.

  Judge Strauss opened the door to see Mr. Poe with a briefcase, whose contents she guessed were legal in nature. "Hello Mr. Poe I see you are eager to take the Baudelaires to their next relative. Come on in so we can discuss this further. Would you like some refreshments while we discuss this important matter?" Coughing Mr. Poe replies, "Ahem no thank you I would like to take the children to their next relative as stated in the will that their parents left them. The person is Dr. Montgomery Montgomery, who lives on Lousy Lane he is the Baudelaire's late father's cousin's wife's brother." Judge Strauss snorted in response, "So close in blood-ties how did you find him so quickly?" Mr. Poe replied, "I have been given a list of relatives and alternative guardians to go through one by one to take the Baudelaires to in keeping with the will's stipulation of having them live with a relative." Now she saw that V.F.D. must have the same list it explained why Count Olaf must have been not only able to track down the children, but often beating them to the location they were being taken to.

  Judge Strauss sighed, "Mr. Poe did you not read the new laws that are in place for the protection of children? If not have I multiple copies for you to peruse while we discuss with the children their options. If not that I will be forced in accordance of these new laws to relieve you of your duties of enacting the will's requirements." Handing him another copy of said laws she then called the children into the room. As the Baudelaires came in Judge Strauss informed the children of what Mr. Poe wanted to do and asked their opinion. Before they could respond Mr. Poe interrupted, "Cough..Cough, Ahem, Judge Strauss, the decision of where to place these orphans is up to us adults, for we know more and are mature enough to make the correct choices that they would fail to do. As the person with the duty to fulfill the requirements of the will. It is my Duty to follow it and make certain these poor children are placed in the appropriate location."

  Judge Strauss turned to the children and said, "And what say you children do you want this man who put you into the clutches of Count Olaf to decide where you go? Or will you make your own choice on the matter? I know this is sudden and that you are in a tight spot, but know this I will support any decisions you make and endeavor to protect you however I can."  The children looked at each other and nodded, Violet then said, "We choose to stay with Judge Strauss and would like Mr. Poe to go away and never come back." Judge Strauss turned to Mr. Poe and said, "There you have it, they've made their choice, I'm relieving you of your duty and will be taking control of the Baudelaire's family fortune from you and your company. Before you go I'll be having that list of relatives and possible guardians from you."

  Mr. Poe was so shocked at the turn of events that he handed over the suitcase he'd been carrying before he could come to his senses. "Thank You now goodbye." Leading Mr. Poe out of the door she whispered to him, "If any money is missing from the children's inheritance I will make certain to get it back from you and your company, so if I were you young man I'd make certain every penny is there. Otherwise who knows what the consequences would be?" Before he could respond Judge Strauss shut the door, locked it and went to the children to begin the next step of her plan, which was to give them some more information to digest, give them a bit of space and time to grieve in a safer location, and finally start the process of ridding the world of V.F.D. corrupted influence.

[Ding having removed a main character from the storyline user has unlocked the bodies innate trait Jurisprudence it increases the learning speed of rules and laws by 5%. Turning into Perk so User will have it in following Dimensions.]

  Chucking at this little gift Judith entered the room the children were in and said, "I thank you children for deciding to take a chance on me I will now reveal what else I know of V.F.D. once we finish packing and move to a safer location. I don't believe we are safe here after all someone started that fire that killed your parents. Also on the way to the safe-house I believe we should stop by and check on this distant relative of yours and make certain he is safe." The children were stunned at the revelation and began to pack what essentials they could from the house grabbing the paperwork and books indicated by Judith since they hadn't had much time to collect anything from their home when taken to Count Olaf they had very few personal items. Once everything was packed, they set off to meet Dr. Montgomery Montgomery, who lives on Lousy Lane.

  On the way Judith went into more details about V.F.D. and what affects they have had on history. She also explained that as much as she knew about the organization she didn't know everything, but figured that with the list that Mr. Poe had been going off of possible guardians of the children that more secrets would be revealed. The children expressed surprise at the revelation that the supposed incompetent Mr. Poe's list was a clue for V.F.D. Judith's response was, "Didn't you find it odd how easily Count Olaf was able to get his hands on you? I believe the bad apples of V.F.D. supplied that list to Mr. Poe and were planning on using it as a way to keep track of you children. I imagine once we show up at Dr. Montgomery's place we will see either Count Olaf or someone else who is part of V.F.D." She the explained how you could identify members by the eye tattooed on the ankle which was shaped in a way to spell out the organizations initials.

  In shock the Baudelaires exclaimed, "Wait that the same symbol that was all over Count Olaf's house and on his ankle. Does this mean he's part of V.F.D. as well." Judith replied, "Maybe, like I said I don't know everything about V.F.D. just what I've been telling you, I haven't even looked at all the paperwork I salvaged from your home. I wanted you children to look first since it's your parents legacy as well. It's why I want your assistance with this endeavor. First though let's at least check on your relative and get you to the safe-house so you can have a chance to breath and grieve. You children need to have time to process these emotions, it's not healthy otherwise. When my parents died last year, even though they had a long life, and I had so much time with them, it was devastating. It took me a while to recover, I still cry sometime, But now I think of the good times we shared more often."

  They finished the trip in silence, a somber mood was held by all, as they pulled in they beheld Lousy Lane in all it's lack of beauty. Klaus pulled out the guidebook and read the description, "The lane runs through sickly gray fields with a handful of scraggly trees produce apples so sour that one only has to look at them to feel ill, and runs across The Grim River, said to be 9/10 mud, containing extremely unnerving fish." At the Sunny booed and Violet frowned saying, "While an apt description of the location, why would Dr. Montgomery live here?" Judith replied, "There are many reasons people live in any location, be it good, bad, or just plain weird. It's not our place to judge a person by their location, but to judge a person by their deeds and words. What a person does and says reflects greatly on their character. Take Mr. Poe he says some fine things, but what he actually did was quite telling as to his character. Let us meet this relative and then move on."

  They get out of the vehicle and make their way to the house to meet Dr. Montgomery who turned out to be a short, chubby man with a round red face, who greeted them warmly and invited them to stay for a bit. He then gave them a tour of his home telling them to please refer to him as Monty, most especially his Reptile Room where his research and snakes are held. The children are fascinated by the many snakes in the Reptile Room, a giant hall in which Monty's reptile collection is stored. They meet The Incredibly Deadly Viper, which Monty has only recently discovered. The snake's name is a misnomer since it is harmless; Monty intends to use it to play a practical joke on the Herpetologist Society in revenge for them ridiculing his name, Montgomery Montgomery. He then began to feed his guests an impromptu dinner and for dessert they had coconut cream cake while Sunny had a carrot.  Monty tells the children that he will be going on an expedition to Peru, once his new assistant, Stephano, arrives. Saying that his old assistant, Gustav, had suddenly and unexpectedly resigned. Judith takes a glance at the Baudelaires and sees that they have realized that something suspicious is going on.

  Violet got up and asked Monty if they could stay and help him prepare for his trip to Peru. Monty replies warmly and begins to assign the children tasks they could help him with. Violet is given the job of inventing traps for new snakes found in Peru, Klaus is told to read books on snakes to help advise Uncle Monty and Sunny's job is to bite ropes into usable pieces during this she also befriends the Incredibly Deadly Viper. Judge Strauss tells the children and Monty that she will be completing the documentation for their move and will assist each of them when she is available. In private she informs the Baudelaires that she will be confirming that their fortune has been secured from misuse by V.F.D. and prepare an appropriate surprise for Stephano. They spend the next few days enjoying themselves in the company of Monty and his reptiles.

  When Stephano arrives, it was very clear to the Baudelaires and Judge Strauss that he is Count Olaf in disguise. While Monty welcomes Stephano, Judge Strauss was out at the time leaving the children alone with the disguised Olaf and oblivious Monty. They try to warn Monty, but Stephano foils these attempts using very simple verbal tricks of distraction and interrupting them rather rudely. Monty proves rather dense at this, because of his lack of familiarity of Count Olaf and his belief that everyone is good. As they start setting up for dinner is when the police burst in and apprehend Count Olaf for the murder of Gustav and many other crimes he has committed. This time he doesn't escape and is quickly sent to jail, to be sentenced then imprisoned. Monty is shocked at the revelation that the children were correct and apologized for doubting them

  Judge Strauss shows up after Count Olaf was taken away asking Monty what has occurred, he went into detail about what happened. He then expressed sadness that without any assistance he wouldn't be able to continue his expedition to Peru. Judge Strauss then reveals that she had felt doubts to Monty going on expedition with only one assistant and had contacted a reputable guide organization in Peru that would be more than willing to assist Monty with his trip there. Monty was overjoyed with the news and immediately, with assistance from the Baudelaires finished packing his research equipment and taking the Incredibly Deadly Viper with him. Waving goodbye the children and Judith get back in their vehicle and head to the safe-house. Once there they unload all the books, paperwork, and gifts that Monty had given them. Seeing as they were exhausted Judith announced that it was time for bed.

[For saving Monty from his fate you are given a copy of the knowledge of Monty's lifetime of study of Herpetology generating the skill Herpetology G and +5 in Karma]

Grinning at her success, she then quickly frowned realizing that she apparently had not succeeded in removing Count Olaf from the board. Going to bed she thinks 'Status'

User 01010111

Race: Eukaryomorphic Human (Human with many animal and insect, and some plant traits)

Age 60 Level 39 (exp 9100/39000)

Condition: Normal

Stats

Strength 38H

Dexterity 56H

Constitution 70H

Intelligence 55H>56H

Wisdom 55H

Charisma 20H

Skills

Acting H, Basic Languages D, Body Language E, Camouflage F, Car Mechanics H, Cleaning G, Cold Resistance F, Cooking G, Digging F, Dive E, Driving G, Enhanced Hearing D, Enhanced Smell D, Enhanced Swimming D, Enhanced Touch F,  Enhanced Vision E, Fist Fighting F, Heat Resistance G, Night Vision H, Maintenance G, Mathematics G, Marine Martial Arts H, Medicine H  Parallel Thinking G+, Shooting H, Surgery H, Volleyball G, New Skills (Herpetology G)

Perks

Entomorph: (Fall Armyworm), Fungalmorph: (Mushroom), Jurisprudence Plantamorph: (Elm, Evergreen) Pupa, Stoic, Uncommon Physical Growth, Zoomorph: (Anchovy, Bass, Blue Wildebeest, Camel, Carp, Chicken, Crow, Cow, Crab, Deer, Eel, Goat, Goose, Hare, Horse, Impala, Kangaroo, Llama, Lobster, Mackerel, Mole, Mouse, Mussel, Octopus, Oyster, Pig, Pigeon, Possom, Prawn, Rabbit, Raccoon, Rat, Reindeer, Salmon, Sardine, Seagull, Sheep, Shrimp, Squid, Trout, Tuna, Turkey, Vole, Zebra), World Compass

Corpse Absorption Progress

Ant (.07814), Aphid (.00203), Bedbug (.00072), Bee (.00502), Centipede (.00009), Cockroach (.00694), Dandelion (.00026), Earwigs (.00081), Flea (.00043), Fly (.11801), Ivy (.068), Jellyfish (.00011), Lice (.00052), Mosquito (.07871), Moth (.00161), Pill Bug (.00184), Slug (.000496), Spider (.00053), Wasp (.03207), Worm (.00061)

Abilities:Tutorial Pocket. Sealed (Diagnose H, Flight H>G, Ink Squirt)

Achievements: Family Man, For The Family!, Globetrotter, Survivor

Karma: 152 Total Positive

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