[Mr. Game & Watch]

The holes that substituted for the crocodile’s ears perked at the assassin’s first comment, despite having a layer of music and headphones muffing them. It caused him to stroke the underside of his jaw, in the same sense that one would do to their chin if they had a more humanistic face. “Heh, I don’t exactly have detective written all over me” the street looking lime crocodile answered. “My guess is your doing a bit of an investigation of your own.”

It was difficult to get a grasp around the Shy Guy’s motives. First off, he obviously knew something about the case and that he was assigned to it. Such information wasn’t hard to come by, but that would mean that either he went through the trouble of gaining this information or someone sent him here. Either way, he wanted to be cooperative or seem like it. Vector didn’t take this too far into account, but all possibilities were open considering that the stout figure was one of the suspects or wanted to appear as one of them and having a suspect be completely cooperative with someone of their opposing side was rare.

“Alright, I’ll bite. This sword you have here, how much worth do you have for it? I mean, you do specialize in swords don’t you? In comparison to, say, my sword which would you say is more valuable? Would you be willing to trade?” He began to quiz whilst still keeping his boot tightly atop the two blades.

[Coolshaymin]

Asassain Guy looked down at the swords under the reptilian's foot, choosing not to answer his statement of whether he was looking into this. "The other sword is a piece of junk. It may look nice, but the gems mixing in with the Shytanium metal vastly lowers its effectiveness. While not a big deal to most, experts know that Shytanium gets is more effective the more of it is put into a weapon. However the gems lower the effectiveness of the weapon. On the other hand, my weapon is made from Yoshitanium, a light metal, but extremely durable. It's sharpness is also fine tuned. With that and the fact the sword has sentimental value to me, I would rather have mine. Besides, Shytanium is only good with those that can use heavier weapons anyway since the more of it the more strength. But the real reason you asked me was not for sword advice, was it Mr. Detective? You wanted to get me to tell you what mine was made of. Am I correct?" The Asassain asked after his explanation.

[Mr. Game & Watch]

The crocodile leant a tiny smirk to the oriental looking Shy Guy. “Close, but not quite. I was more so wondering if you had a personal connection to this blade, which I suspected you would. Being an assassin who wears a rice hat, I can tell that you favour style and tradition over efficiency and tactics. Also noted by the fact that you chose to repeat the same technique when testing me instead of attacking me in a different variety of ways. An assassin like you would never use a different weapon when put on an assignment because of the value this one holds and every kill it succeeds adds even more value to it for you. A kill without it would seem meaningless or like a betrayal of it. Am I correct?” the saurian returned, choosing to repeat his last sentence with emphasis.

“That alone already answers most of my questions, but since I have you here, I could wager a few more” Vector continued as he let off the pressure of his boot, allowing the freedom of both swords. The more he spoke with the hit for hire the more he felt he wasn’t the culprit. It just didn’t fit right. “The shop keep told me that only those in higher ranks would wield Yoshitanium, how rare is it to actually come across a blade made with such a metal?” Vector felt he should take the shop keeper’s words with a grain of salt considering that the assassin says that his blade is made from Shytanium even though he had stated it was Yoshitanium. Luckily he didn’t actually pay for it, which now adds that shady dealer to his list of people Team Chaotix needed to shut down.

[Coolshaymin]

The face Asassain Guy gave to Vector's retort could not be seen because of his mask... Which is a problem with all Shy Guys. "That would be correct, Mr. Detective. Looks like you were as clever as I thought you would be," The asassain complimented. "Well, shy guys and yoshis alike were once able to visit and use the Yoshitanium as they pleased. It had many uses for its durability and light weight... However, now is a different story. Ever since Captain Guy took over the Shy Guy Kingdom, he took control of the Yoshitanium deposits by force and he only lets a select few Shy Guys go anywhere near it. These normally being his most loyal and trusted followers. There has been few that have snuck in but most have not lived long afterwards. After coming here Captain Guy had the rest taken and keeps it locked up. So yes, you can say it is a rare find. If there is Yoshitanium anywhere else, it would be hard to find and hard to use without a great supply I'd imagine. So the shop keep was indeed truthful in that it is hard to get a hold of. However, he was wrong in that only those high in rank would have it," Asassain Guy said. His tone notably became more aggressive as he talked about Captain Guy. He did not make a move for his sword though. He was confident that Vector could not break it, and would not even if he would. He had something he needed to do without risking any real hostility.

[Mr. Game & Watch]

“So, that means you’ve managed to infiltrate Captain Guy’s secret stash before, eh? I’m gonna take a guess that he won’t take so kindly to someone like me knocking on his door and demanding to have a word with him. My gut tells me you’re not a big fan of him either. How big of an establishment would you guess this guy has? If it’s big, then I might be in need of your services.” the crocodile spoke as he slowly grabbed both their swords and gently tossed the assassin’s bade back to him.

Vector stroked the underside of his jaw as he sheathed his sword, though never breaking eye contact with Assassin guy. “I have no quarrel with you and neither you me, I just need to get that guy talking at any cost. What you do with him afterwards is no issue with me, that way we both get something out of it. Not to say that you’ll be getting out of this without pay. Whataya say?” the lime lizard offered whilst lending out his gloved hand.

[Coolshaymin]

Asassain Guy caught his blade when tossed to him by the Crocodile and sheathed it... or held it at his side since he did not have a sheath. "Captain Guy has an underground lair in the Life Sphere. His kingdom has made underground tunnels under the city to keep his group to himself for now. I know the entrance however I can only aide you from the shadows. If Captain Guy was aware of my presence then the whole shy guy armada will strike. However I feel I should aide you if things go south. I will stay hidden with my advanced techniques I did not use on you since I was merely testing you. As for sneaking into his supply... no... This blade is my father's," Asassain Guy added turning his body slightly towards the blade. "The latest password is Long Live the Captain, you will need to say that to the shy guy parallel to this merchant's stand. I will watch you from the shadows and guide you should you need it," He finishes as he vanishes after flashing black for a second. A click could then be heard at the entrance showing the door was unlocked/

[Mr. Game & Watch]

The crocodile snapped his fingers when the Shyguy corrected him on how he acquired the blade. It grinded his gears sometimes when he got a prediction wrong, but it was a minor thing. That didn’t stop it from annoying him though. Either way, the assassin was on his side now, so that would make this infiltration effort much less difficult, but it didn’t make it easy. He didn’t know anything about their base and he knew next to nothing about this Captain Guy, besides the fact that he is arrogant enough to make his passwords as praises toward himself. All in all, it was probably not the best code word for access to his underground lair, though that was an argument for another day.

The exit hatch popped open once more, allowing the crocodile to see the light of day once more, after putting away his night vision goggles of course. With the funky fresh beats still pumping into his ears he began to ponder of his next movement. He didn’t have much time to sit and think of an elaborate plan, the court would require him back at some point. When a good question, but odds were it would not be a significant strand of time, hopefully his partner would also realise this. Although, having Hades not appear for court would be a good notch in their favour. The only way it could get better than that was if he was on the opposing side. It wasn’t that Vector had no faith in him, but he didn’t have a lot in stock and considering that he was basically the devil and all around annoyance to most in the Life Sphere, it did not bode well for their public image.

Anyways, Vector hatched a bit of a scheme to hide his true intentions around Captain Guy, it wasn’t the greatest and it would be slightly on the nose, but a reaction would be all he needed from the man. That being said though, he would be better off if he had some better supplies. He was not packed to the brim with equipment like certain others, but if he needed to escape he could probably handle that.

The reptile arose from behind the merchant’s stand, immediately noticing the other Shy Guy that the assassin was talking about. All in all, it would be very fortunate if he didn’t notice anything that had taken place at the stand. Perhaps he was distracted for the time being, so it was worth a shot. He approached the Shy Guy in a rather casual walk cycle, exchanging the password when he got in close. “Long Live the Captain.”

[Coolshaymin]

The Shy Guy guarding the entrance was talking into a radio. "No, I lost him sir. It seems the dropped shurikens were a false trail... You do not have to call me an idiot, sir... Yes sir... I'll keep an eye out sir... Hold on, sir, we have a visitor. Password?" The shy Guy asked. "... How did a Kremling get the password...? Does not matter I guess. Go on," The Shy Guy said stepping aside.

The Shy Guy hideout was big with lots of gemstones embedded into the wall. It seemed to go on forever with long hallways and lots of turns. Off the cieling dropped 2 Zeus Guys in front of Vector.



"What is your buisness here, Mr. Kremling!"

"Yes, we can not let one of the gangs roam our halls."

"So speak your purpose here!" The two commanded.

[Mr. Game & Watch]

The crocodile entered the hidden den of the Shy Guy army easily, though he was somewhat intimidated by the large appearance of their establishment. The first thing he was greeted with were long and plentiful hallways, he had no clue where to begin and frankly he wasn’t sure if he should ask anyone. The fact that he would stick out like a sore thumb around here was bad enough as it was, in fact the more he ventured through this quest he felt that Espio would be far more suitable for this task, well besides the defence attorney part of course. Ninjas and base infiltration were not Vector’s strong suit, but so long as he had his wits about him he could at least manage.

The tune of the situation soon switched as the duo karate clad beings made their appearance. Along with the doorman, they too had an insistence of him being a Kremling. It wasn’t the first time he was associated with them, in fact some Kremlings even mistake him for one of their brethren, although since they already made the mistake he might as well run with it. Even if someone figures out he’s a Kremling, that doesn’t necessarily mean he can’t work for K Rool.

His soundtrack switched to something a bit more energetic as he took a more confident stance and slapped on his poker face. “Yes, my apologizes. I guess King K Rool should have notified you ahead of time, but the boss is a busy man, since you know he had his roof blown off and some pesky weeds to take care of. You see, K Rool would like to open a certain trade negotiation between your association and our own. Of course, I would need to speak with your leader in order to make my case. So, if you would please” he ended slyly as he pointed to the duo with his hand.

[Coolshaymin]

ObROZ98rp_1d20-2

The Zeus Guys glared at the Crocodile for a bit as they took his claim into consideration. They were close to taking it as a lie and plan of ambush but they were not too sure. Honestly they were not sure whether to count it as not true either. The Kremlings did look pretty bad in the wars. After a few moments of intense staring they looked to each other and came up with a conclusion. "We will check with boss if he wants to negotiate."

"I will stay here and keep an eye on you," with that one threw a smoke bomb and vanished while the other one remained, staring at Vector intensely.

After a few moments the other one returned with a blindfold, "Captain Guy has agreed to see you. HOWEVER, you must wear this blindfold to keep our layout a secret."

"You no wear blindfold, you no see boss," The other added.

"Understood?" The Zeus Guy finished handing the blindfold towards Vector.
1d20-2

[Mr. Game & Watch]

Vector was rather confident that the duo would easily fall for his lie. Even if they didn’t believe it wholeheartedly, there was little risk for them if he wasn’t telling the truth. With the state that the Kremlings were at, any sort of attack and attempt at making more enemies would be a higher risk than reward, even if it was a smaller organization like Captain Guy’s. They didn’t leave before throwing smoke in his face though, which he felt was unnecessary, though being on the receiving end for it would probably cause such an impression.

After Vector had shooed away the smoke in the air by way of fanning, the other tiny figure returned with a blindfold. Naturally it only made sense, whether or not K Rool was actually looking for an alliance, it would be best that he didn’t see the inner workings of their operations. “Crystal clear” the crocodile stated as he placed the blindfold over his eyes. It was at this point that he was the most happy about being split up from Hades, he couldn’t imagine where this interaction would’ve went if that loose cannon was around. Sure, he would have more back up if things went south, but Hades wasn’t exactly a team player.

“Alright, lead the way. I’d also advise you be quick about it, K Rool isn’t going to be waiting all day for me to report back in.” he replied nonchalantly in addition to allowing himself to be guided by the Zeus Guys.

[Coolshaymin]

"Yes, of course, Mr. Kremling. We would not want your boss to get angry. He needs to save his anger for losing the Gang Wars," One of the Zeus Guys joked as he held onto Vector's arm to lead him. These guys mostly kept to themselves but they seemed to know some of what is occurring outside their tunnels.

After a while of walking, the other Zeus Guy took off the blindfold to show a gem filled throne room with a Shy Guy with a Pirate's Hat with a Shy Guy Mask and Cross Bones on it. He also had a peg leg and a hook with a cutlass strapped to his waist. "Zeus Guys, you are dismissed," The karate shy guys bowed before running off. "My minions may not be too bright but I am not as dumb. You are no Kremling despite being Crocodilian. You look more like one of that Hedgehog's friends than a Kremling. So tell me what your REAL reason for being here is and who you REALLY are," the Pirate Shy Guy commanded.

[Mr. Game & Watch]

As Vector was being led through the cavern, he stumbled upon a new realization, if he would at any point need to escape this place he would become lost very quickly. In that case, the blind fold was instilling more than just one advantage for the Shy Guy’s over himself. He was just hoping that it would never actually come to that.

His escorts eventually took off his eye restraints, revealing the room that just screamed tyrannical dictator and unsurprisingly contained one too. The mask wearing creature was dressed in some sort of pirate-like garb, but much to his dismay he didn’t speak like one. Such a shame. He did reveal the fact that he was better at deducing one crocodilian race from another, which put a hole in Vector's cover story. That didn’t stop him from working for the Kremling King though and he could still twist the story in his favour, but he had already identified him as one of Sonic’s friends, so it would seem that he was familiar with his face. That being said, he still had a web he could work with.

“Huh, well I guess I should have expected a brain from someone with a company such as yourself. Alright, you caught me. You’re right, I’m not a Kremling, I’m Vector the Crocodile, head detective of the Chaotix. K Rool hired me and wanted me to be as inconspicuous as possible in our chat, but it seems you’ve already seen right through my rouse. In that case, I’ll come clean to you. K Rool’s not exactly interested in an alliance, he just wanted some information. You see, as we all know already, K Rool’s organization is far behind in the Gang Wars. No shocker there. He wanted an advantage, and he’d heard the news behind the death of a certain Yoshi. Word on the street is there’s some kind of poison that can bypass the whole trophy business and kill you outright. Some people say your organization is in production of this stuff, K Rool wants to know. He’s still one of the biggest smugglers in the Life Sphere, so I’m willing to bet he’ll pay just about anything for a bit of it. He’d probably be willing to sell things like a store going out of business. That is, if you do have any.”

[Coolshaymin]

Captain Guy stares at Vector intensely by the reptilian's words. He considered the words of the crocodile, or rather, their credibility. His words seemed to be pretty valid and there were no clear holes he could poke. Rumor says he and an ally had a hand in the destruction of a Kremling facility, but Captain Guy had no evidence or clear understanding of the matter. If the anthromorphic crocodile was lying, there was no clear place to call him out, so it's best to play along for now.

"You say K. Rool hired some mercenaries to ask for a buisness transaction? In his stituation I can see why he would try to go to that length. As for the Yoshi, I did not realize he was even dead if you must know," Captain Guy stated, though at these words, the amulet in Vector's shoe glew and his vision went black except for Captain Guy as 4 locks with chains appeared around him. "As for killing potions, I am afraid those are a complete mystery. And even if I did know about it, I do not know if I can trust giving out such a dangerous item in Life Sphere limits."

[Mr. Game & Watch]

Vector returned a neutral face to the Shy Guy, not entirely sure how to match his opposite’s complexion since it was hidden behind that mask. From the way he spoke it seemed to be that his current expression would suffice to continue to fool him, but he knew well enough that his guise wasn’t going to be viable forever.

As the leader of the underground operation continued to speak, the detective began to deduct his words bit by bit, though his flow of speech was slowly being interrupted by the change in scenery. The crocodile’s eyes drifted about as everything was fading to black. He attempted to keep his focus on the suspect, but his curiosity began to get the better of him. The Shy Guy didn’t seem fazed at all by the turn of events, which either meant that he was in charge of what was going on or Vector was the only one able to notice it. As the stumpy figure was being dressed in chains though, that’s when Vector deducted that it was something wrong with him. Even if this was some sort of trick that the leader was playing on the detective, he would have at least gave a minor reaction to being tied up.

Since the room still seemed to be going by with the same flow as though nothing had happened, Vector decided it was best to stay still, even though he wanted to explore and figure out what was going on. Acting suspicious at this point wasn’t going to get him by the masked man(?) easily, so he had to keep his cool. Thanks to the dark backdrop though, he was able to notice the glow of the amulet he had gotten from Toshi before going out on this excursion. He said there was some mystic mumbo jumbo about being able to see one’s ‘deepest secrets’. Vector wasn’t one to believe in magical trickery so easily, but it was happening before his very eyes, so he couldn’t quite confess as a skeptic.

Despite the fact that the Shy Guy appeared to be tied down, Vector attempted to continue his conversation with him, though was a bit lost for words. It wasn’t a feeling he had often. “Acting as a business transaction, he would’ve sent over some official Kremlings under his control later to seal the deal if you had the poison. Whether or not you do doesn’t concern me, I get my paycheck either way. I’d recommend getting some of it though, K Rool has access to things I didn’t even know we had on Li.”