Todd Wants Key's Face

Sam: *he snuggles into her, trying to warm her up*

meanwhile

Todd: Harry... don't turn into one of those grumpy old men... don't be like that, Harry... enjoy life while you still HAVE it, okay? <:/

Harry: ... Alright, Todd... *he finds himself staring at Todd's eyes* ... I forgot what you looked like when you had eyes...

Todd: Well, it's me, just with blue eyes and not-blue skin. <:P

Harry: ... I've been remembering before... back in college... have you been helping me remember?

Todd: ... Maybe a little...

Harry: *suddenly hugs him tightly, sobbing*

Todd: Oh... Harry... D:>

Sarah: *snuggles back, trying to get closer to his warmth. she puts an arm over him, pulling him closer*

Sam: *continues snuggling against her, happy to be with her*

meanwhile

Harry: *keeps sobbing, still hugging Todd tightly* ... you weren't supposed to die before me... I never wanted to see them bury you...!

Todd: Harry, I'm sorry this happened, but you just need to move ON...

Harry: *sniffling* I know... I know...

Sarah: *nuzzles him, equally happy*

Sam: *he kisses her*

meanwhile

Todd: You be good... okay Harry?

Harry: I-I will...

Todd: I know. <:) *he disappears*

Harry: No...! NO, please - please come back! Don't leave me...! D8>

Sarah: *kisses him back, moving her hand to the back of his head and combing through his hair with her fingers*

Sam: *keeps snuggling against Sarah, nuzzling her, kissing her, then eventually falls asleep*

meanwhile

Harry: *he wakes up suddenly from his dream, not even realizing he was already crying before breaking down into heavy sobs*

Sarah: *does the same, nuzzling into his neck before falling asleep, finally feeling warm*

meanwhile

Claire: *is awoken by her husband's sobs* Harry? Harry, what's wrong? D:>

Harry: *at first, all he can say is incoherent blubbering as he sobbed, shaking. Then, finally, he turns to Claire, eyes red and puffy from all his tears and speaks* H-he c-c-came b-b-back... t-t-talked t-to me... th-then he left me again...!

Claire: *doesn't need to ask to know who he's talking about--he must have been dreaming* Oh, Harry... *pulls him into a hug* I'm so sorry... what did he say to you? <:(

Harry: H-he said t-t-to stop being a pessimist, a-and t-t-to be happy b-because Sam's w-with Sarah now... a-a-and also th-that I'd b-be joining him s-soon...

Claire: *The last part makes her EXTREMELY worried* ...d-did he say HOW soon...? D:>

Harry: N-no... all he s-said was "soon"... I-I-I think he was t-trying to reassure me...

Claire: *isn't reassured in the least. she rubs his back comfortingly* Well... it must not be that soon, then...

Harry: *he sniffles, pulling Claire into a hug* No... you're probably right...

Claire: *she HOPES she's right...* Do you think you can go back to sleep, Harry? It's still very late...

Harry: *he wipes a few tears from his eyes* Y-yeah... I think I can... *he lies back down and tries going back to sleep*

Claire: *lays down with him, and puts an arm over him, hugging him close* ...

up

Sam: *still shaking* Y-yeah... yeah, I know... I-I think your dad saved me...

Sarah: *her expression changes into one of confusion* ...my... dad? he was... he was HERE? like, you SAW him??

Sam: *he shakes his head* No... but something cold shook me awake. And SOMETHING must have been throwing pillows at you, because it wasn't ME...

Sarah: *cracks a smile* ...I'm glad he's still around, then... thanks, dad...

Presence: *holds Sarah's hand, rubbing the back of it with his thumb, then disappears*

Sam: *he smiles a little as well, but only a little, and only for a short amount of time* ... Blood Puppet was trying to scare us... if he wanted to kill me, he would have done so on his own...

Sarah: *nods in agreement, and stands up* Note to self: Don't get kidnapped. *holds her hand out to him to help him up*

Sam: *he uses her hand to help himself up, then pulls Sarah into a tight hug* You know how I said Blood Puppet was trying to scare us? Well, it worked...

Sarah: ! *hugs him back just as tightly, feeling a bit guilty* I'm sorry... I'll try harder next time...

Sam: There won't be a next time! Y-You... you just can't come along - and THIS is why...!

Sarah: *looks at him, determined* If you go alone, you won't stand a chance! I'm sorry, but I'm not going to sit around here, watching the news and hoping you're not dead in an alley somewhere. D:<

Sam: *he doesn't yell. He speaks to Sarah quietly, a sadness and seriousness is his eyes* ... Not again... please... don't do this to me again...

Sarah: *her determination falters* ...I can't let you get hurt...

Sam: ... And I can't let YOU get hurt... Sarah... I love you... and if you get hurt because of MY job... MY duty... *he sighs, looking away from her* ...

Sarah: Sam... *puts her hand on his cheek and turns head to face her* If I get hurt, it's my responsibility... I love you, Sam, and that's why I want to come with you. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you because I wasn't there to help...

Sam: *he just looks at her for the longest time. That was the first time he's ever heard her tell him she loved him. He smiles faintly, then hugs Sarah again, this time more tightly* ... Okay... *quieter* ... Okay...

Sarah: *hugs him just as tightly, and responds just as quietly* Thank you...

Sam: ... Just don't... don't scare me like that again... PLEASE...

Sarah: *nods* I won't... *stands there for a moment, just hugging him, then speaks again* ...we should go back to sleep...

Sam: ... Yeah... we should... *he moves with her over to Sarah's room, not in the mood to go sleep on the couch again*

meanwhile, in Harry's dream

Todd: *walks over to Harry, who is sitting on a bench in his dream. Todd is human* Hey, Harry...

Harry: *isn't surprised to see Todd there, and only answers back dully* ... Hi, Todd...

Todd: *sits on the bench next to him* Why so down, man? <:/

Harry: Where to start? You're dead, your murderer got away with what he did, and I'm getting older and older, and more forgetful and crazy each day...

Todd: ... Harry... you're such a pessimist, you know? <:)

Harry: *sighs*

Todd: *puts an arm around him and pulls him into a hug* We'll be together again soon, Harry... I promise...

Harry: S-soon...?

Todd: *he gives Harry a very sad smile* ... soon... but that's a positive way of looking at it... and you know what else is positive? Your kid's finally got a girlfriend: Sarah. He's found LOVE, Harry... like YOU did...

Harry: *he smiles slightly at this*

Todd: Ahah... see... THERE'S a smile... <:)

Sarah: *gets into bed, and pulls the covers almost all the way up to her neck--it was freezing*

up

*later, at midnight*

Sam: *fast asleep, a small smile on his face. he is completely comfortable where he is*

Sarah: *wakes up, Blood Puppet's command ringing clear in her head--she must kill Sam. she gets up and goes into the kitchen, grabs a sharp chef's knife, and comes back out to where Sam was laying, unaware. she approaches him with the knife, arm drawn back, ready to stab him in the chest*

*suddenly a pillow flies off the couch and smacks Sarah in the face*

A Presence: *shakes Sam awake with its cold hands*

Sam: *wakes up with a yelp*

Sarah: !!?? *throws the pillow aside, and stabs down at Sam, her expression completely blank*

Sam: D8 !!! *rolls out of the way, then gets off the couch, backing away from Sarah* S-S-Sarah...! I-I thin you're... u-uh... sleep-stabbing. D8

Sarah: *doesn't respond, only stares at him blankly--she approaches him with the knife held tightly in her hand* ...

Sam: S-Sarah, don't...! D8>

Another Pillow: *flies off the couch and smacks Sarah in the head*

Sam: Th-the frack...?? DB>

Sarah: *throws that one aside as well, and decides not to waste any more time--she runs at Sam, her arm drawn back, ready to kill him*

Sam: *he catches her arm with his hand, desperately trying to keep that knife away from him* Sarah! Sarah, PLEASE! STOP!! D8>

Presence: *tugs on Sarah's shoulders from behind*

Sarah: ?? *looks confused for a moment when she is suddenly pulled back--she turns around to find the source, but sees no one*

Sam: *tries taking the knife out of her hand while she's distracted* D8>

Sarah: !! *tightly hangs on to the knife, trying to wrestle it back* ...

Sam: *He is unable to pull the knife out of her grip* Gnngh...! Come on, just let go! D8>

Sarah: ... *suddenly lets go of the knife*

Sam: *is unprepared for her sudden letting go of the knife, and he falls over backwards, hitting his head against the wall behind him, and dropping the knife to the floor* OW!! DX

Sarah: *quickly reclaims the knife, and straddles him, effectively pinning him to the floor. she tries to stab him again, that blank look still on her face*

Sam: *he barely stops her in time from stabbing him in the chest, the tip of the blade just inches away from his flesh, shaking as he shook, trying to keep the knife away from him... he couldn't help but wonder, asking the question out loud -* D-did... did Blood Puppet do this to you...?

Sarah: *when she hears the trigger word, she stops, and seems to regain awareness* ...what-- *sees their situation, and her eyes widen. She scrambles off Sam and drops the knife, appalled by her own behavior* W-WHY WAS I DOING THAT?? D8>

Sam: *he scoots up into a sitting position, shaking from the fear and adrenaline coursing through him* O-Oh god, Blood Puppet DID do that to you... S-Sarah, you just... you went after me with a knife... y-you were trying to kill me... D8>

Sarah: *covers her mouth with both hands, completely appalled* Oh my god, Sam, I'm so sorry!! I didn't mean to, I swear...! D8>

up

Sam: *he clears his throat* So are you feeling okay, Ms. Huntings? About... uh... you know...

Key: ... *nods* Yeah, I'm fine now... I've been doing a bit of thinking, and um... I figured I didn't need to dwell on that anymore. *gives them a sad smile* Todd wouldn't want me to, anyway.

Sarah: <:)

Sam: I'm really happy to hear that, Ms. Huntings. <:)

Wind: *blows through the area, brushing against Key's face and swirling around Sarah's shoulders*

Key: *takes a deep breath, and smiles* I'm rather happy myself, Sam.

Sarah: *also smiles* I think it's time we head home...

Key: *puts a hand on her shoulder* Make sure you visit, okay?

Sarah: *nods* I'll do my best. :)

Sam: *smiles at this, then looks over to Sarah* Alright, let's go. *he walks over to his motorcycle, getting back on it*

Sarah: *briefly hugs Key, then lets go* Bye mom! :) *runs to catch up with Sam, and gets on the motorcycle with him*

Key: ! *hadn't expected the hug--she waves at them as they leave* :)

Sam: *he drives off with Sarah, back to her apartment, then waits for her to open the door*

Sarah: *pulls the out her keys, relieved that she still HAS them, and lets them both into the apartment. after she closes and locks the door, she collapses into the couch* WELL, that was FUN... NOT.

Sam: You're telling me - I got zero sleep last night trying to find and rescue you... I think I'm ready to collapse. D;>

Sarah: I'm sorry... Well, come and collapse over here if you have to... XP

Sam: *he does so, falling down onto the couch, right next to Sarah. He rests his head on the top of the couch and spreads out his long legs, sighing in relief*

Sarah: *laughs a little* Yeah, you're allowed to relax now, I'm here in one piece. :P *leans over and nuzzles him* I'm glad you worried about me, by the way. Makes me feel safer already. <:)

Sam: *he nuzzles her back* Oh boy, making me worry makes you feel safer... I hope you don't start throwing yourself into danger on purpose now...

Sarah: *puts an arm over him, resting her head on his shoulder* Naah, I'm not that crazy...

Sam: ... But you're still plenty crazy. :P *he leans his head over and kisses Sarah's forehead*

Sarah: *grins at this* Good point. *leans up and kisses Sam on the cheek*

Sam: Mm... don't mind me if I fall asleep on you... I'm just seriously tired... didn't even bother brushing my hair a little this morning or eating breakfast. I was fully intent on saving you, and nothing else.

Sarah: It's okay, I understand. I appreciate it. <:) *using one hand, she turns his head to face her, and kisses him* You deserve some sleep, you've earned it.

Sam: *he kisses her back, smiling at her slightly* ... Thank you... *he lets his eyes droop closed, and quickly falls asleep*

Sarah: <:) ... *carefully pulls away, trying not to disturb him, and puts a cushion behind his head so he's more comfortable. she then goes into the kitchen, starving, and randomly grabs something out of the fridge and eats it. satisfied, she sits back down on the couch next to Sam, and dozes off next to him, more tired than she actually felt*

up

Sam: I-I thought he killed you...!! D-did you escape?? D8>

Sarah: No, he... He let me go... D:>

Sam: Th-that lunatic LET YOU GO?? D8 *he's shocked and surprised - that doesn't sound at all like Blood Puppet*

Sarah: I know, I didn't believe it either! He had me strapped down in some room somewhere, then he blindfolded me, led me out to where we were searching that one night, and just let me go. D:>

Sam: Wh-why the hell would he do something like that? He KIDNAPPED you! He HAD you, and he didn't even do anything to you?? DID he do anything to you?? D8>

Sarah: No... I mean... I don't know, I can't really remember... everything's really fuzzy right now... DX All I know is he had me one moment, and was letting me go the next. How long have I been gone??

Sam: O-Only a day... what do you mean you can't remember? Do you remember him injecting you with anything? Think hard, Sarah... this is IMPORTANT. D8

Sarah: I don't remember any injections... Um... *closes her eyes and tries to remember* I um... Okay, I remember him putting this screen in front of my face.... it had a swirl thing on it, or something... like, a black and white swirl... and these headphones... that made noise... er... that's... about it... he asked me some weird question, but I don't even remember what it was... but he said that if I answered it wrong, he would kill me... Heheh... guess I answered correctly...

Sam: ... That sick freak... w-well, you... I guess yeah, you answered correctly... uh... c-come on, let's go to your apartment. No. No, first your mom's house. She needs to know that you're okay. D:> Come on - *he runs over to his motorcycle, which was parked close by*

Sarah: *waits until he gets on the motorcycle and hops on behind him, hanging on tightly* How worried is she? D:>

Sam: WORRIED. That's how worried. *he drives off, to Key's house, then runs up to the front door and knocks on it frantically*

Key: *almost instantly answers the door, already expecting him* Did you find her?? D8>

Sarah: Mom? D:>

Key: SARAH! *grabs her and pulls her into a hug* Oh my GOD, I was so worried!! Sam told me what happened--I feared the worst!! *lets go of her, but keeps her hands on her shoulders* I didn't need to lose you too... D:>

Sarah: I'm sorry, Mom... I'm fine though, see?

Key: ... *hugs her again* I'm so glad you're alright...

Sarah: *hugs her back* Same here, mom...

Sam: *he stands behind Sarah, smiling, happy to have her back after such a thorough scare with her kidnapping*

Key: *eventually lets go of Sarah, and looks at Sam* Thank you for finding her...

Sarah: ^^;

Sam: I couldn't find her. Her kidnapper let her go. <:/

Key: ...Really? That... *looks at Sarah* He just let you go?

Sarah: Yeah... I know, it's pretty crazy... <:/

Key: ...Then why bother kidnapping you in the first place!? D:>

Sarah: ...To scare you guys, I guess... it's the only reason I can think of... <:/

Sam: It's... yeah... he's just insane. This is getting ridiculous. I NEED to take him down - I NEED to find him and KILL HIM.

Key: ... *nods* It'd make the city a whole lot safer. And from the sound of it, I don't think prison would be enough to keep this man confined. :/

Sarah: It wouldn't be. *looks at Sam--she KNOWS he probably won't want to let her go with him again, but she can't let him face this freak alone* ...

up

Blood Puppet: Haha... alright... it was a nice try, though... *he pulls the mouth piece back up on his mask, the mask seemingly clicking when he does so* ... Does Sam Gatzsky have any weaknesses... or is he really as tough as he wants me to think?

Sarah: *tries to think again--she knew a few things* His father... Harry... and... and me...

Blood Puppet: Hahaha... how careless of him to bring you to me... but his FATHER... the previous Lieutenant? I'll be sure to put this information to good use. Thank you VERY much, Sarah.

Sarah: You're welcome...

Blood Puppet: *laughs at this* What a pleasant answer. Hmm... but I think that's it for tonight... go to sleep, now...

Sarah: Mkay... *her eyes droop closed, and she quickly fades into unconsciousness*

Blood Puppet: *watches her sleep for the entire night. He turns off the television and pushes it away from her face*

THE NEXT MORNING

Blood Puppet: *waits patiently for Sarah to wake up*

Sarah: *wakes up, rather drowsy, feeling like she just had the weirdest dream--when it suddenly hits her that it wasn't a dream at all. Now suddenly alert, she struggles against her restraints, looking around for her captor* D8

Blood Puppet: Good morning, Sarah... *he suddenly blindfolds her, then releases her from her restraints* Time for you to go home. I had a lovely time last night. You're great company, you know.

Sarah: *does her best to remain calm* I do my best to avoid being rude...

Blood Puppet: As do I - it seems we share something in common. *he forces her up and walks her out, the blindfold there so that she wouldn't be able to remember where he had taken her*

Sarah: *goes where he leads her--she didn't need to provoke him by fighting back*

Blood Puppet: *eventually, he leads her back to the front of the shoe factory, where he had kidnapped her. He takes off her blindfold* There... you're free to go. Tell the Lieutenant I said hello. I'm sure he's extremely worried about you.

meanwhile

Sam: *frantically looking for Sarah back home, having ordered all the soldiers to patrol the streets - he's a mess*

Sarah: *doesn't say anything to him. She simply backs away from him, then turns and runs down the street, back into the main part of town, looking for Sam--she knew he and her mother would be worried sick*

Sam: *he doesn't notice Sarah when she finally arrives in the city, and cries out her name, hoping that perhaps... PERHAPS... she may hear him and somehow come back... he is working on no sleep, having been unable to until he finally finds Sarah and rescues her*

Sarah: !! *hears him down the street, and follows the sound until she spots him* SAM! *runs into him from behind, practically tackling as she hugs him*

Sam: *is nearly knocked over by Sarah's sheer force, and he stumbles a bit, her being still attached. He looks over his shoulder at her, surprise showing even through his exhaustion. He then turns around, hugging her back TIGHTLY, practically SOBBING out her name* S-SARAH...!! SARAH...!!

Sarah: *hugs him, rubbing his back reassuringly* I'm here, it's okay... I'm fine...

up

Blood Puppet: *he quietly, carefully approaches Sarah, slipping the headphones off of her head* Eheh... heh... can you hear me, madam?

Sarah: *nods, still staring blankly at the spiral* ...

Blood Puppet: I need you to do me a favor, please. Can you do me a favor?

Sarah: *nods again* ...

Blood Puppet: At midnight tomorrow night, you are to kill Sam Gatzsky... you are to stop when he says "Blood Puppet"...

Sarah: *nods for the third time* ...

Blood Puppet: *grinning in amusement* Can you tell me where the spiral begins, and where it ends?

Sarah: *something in her mind seems to attach a brief twinge of panic to his question, like she knew something bad was going to happen if she didn't answer right... but she couldn't recall what, and she didn't know how to answer him--so she only shook her head slightly*

Blood Puppet: That's alright, Sarah... can you tell me where Sam Gatzsky's parents live?

Sarah: *her brow furrows as she tries to recall the address, but she soon remembers* 643 Rose Drive...

Blood Puppet: Good, Sarah, you're doing so well... how are you feeling? *he takes his gloved hand slides his index finger up her arm, to her shoulder*

Sarah: *shivers a bit, subconsciously registering the action as "threatening"* ...I'm fine...

Blood Puppet: *he chuckles, studying her hands, her fingers with his eyes* ... That's good... *then he pulls open a small opening in his mask, revealing his mouth which still smiled at Sarah. He pushes himself closer to her face, his breath smelling of rotting human flesh and blood... then he kisses her*

Sarah: *knows that the action should be enjoyable, but it was so very OFF--she tries to pull away, but being strapped down to the chair, this is impossible*

Blood Puppet: ... Maybe you'd enjoy the taste of flesh like I do... maybe when you kill Sam I can come over and cook him for you... heheheh...

Sarah: Mnhh... *isn't very keen on the idea--she doesn't eat people, thank you very much... especially not Sam, nuh-uh*

Blood Puppet: *he moves out of her way a bit so she had a clearer view of the moving swirl on the tv* You sure you don't want to try him a bit...? I don't mean to push or anything, but I can assure you, my dear woman, that human is a delicious meat... it goes well with a side of broccoli...

Sarah: *shakes her head slightly, her movements slowing a bit due to the reappearance of the swirl. she was quite sure she wouldn't want to eat a human*

up

Sam: ... I dunno... it's hard to see too well...

Blood Puppet: *his laughter fills the large building*

Sam: !! *becomes highly alert, ready for anything*

Sarah: !! *being completely weaponless, she backpedals closer to the doorway, where it would be easier to escape* ...

*suddenly, something odd-smelling fills there air*

Sam: Oh g - he released some kind of gas! Don't breath... don't breath it... it... *he collapses, unconscious*

Sarah: !!? *holds her breath and tries to drag Sam out of the building as quickly as she can*

Sam: *unconscious*

Blood Puppet: *casually walks out with her* Hello, madam - fate seems to have wished for us to cross paths again...

Sarah: !! *grabs a gun out of Sam's coat and points it at Blood Puppet* I won't let you kill him. D:<

Blood Puppet: I laugh at bullets, my dear woman. But here's a deal I will strike with you... if you come with me, I promise I won't hurt him.

Sam: *unconscious*

Sarah: *keeps the gun pointed at him, despite his words* ...How do I know you'll hold up your end of the deal...?

Blood Puppet: ... *suddenly rips the gun out of her hand and smacks her in the head with the butt of his sword*

Sam: *unconscious*

Sarah: !!! *is knocked unconscious, and falls to the ground with a dull 'thump'*

Blood Puppet: *leaving Sam, he takes Sarah and travels to his real hideout - a dilapidated dentist's office completely outside of the city. There, he straps her to the dentist's chair and brings a movable tv screen close to her face - this was his plan all along. He turns it on, and and endless black and white swirl appears on the screen. He nudges her until she wakes up*

Sarah: *groans, her head still hurting where he hit her. she she tries to rub the spot, she is surprised to find she can't move her arm, and jolts into awareness, looking around, and freezing when she comes face-to-face with Blood Puppet* !!

Blood Puppet: *waves his fingers at her* Hellooo... good to see you again... since you didn't seem like you wanted to come with me, I decided to kidnap you instead - dreadfully sorry about that. I'm also giving you a challenge - that's why you're all tied up. It's like a little minigame to our LARGER game... now... I'm going to give you the entire night to answer this question... see that swirly thing there? You're going to tell me by tomorrow morning where that swirl BEGINS... and where it ENDS... understand? And if you don't get the question right, I'll kill you. PAINFULLY. So you might as well study it carefully...

Sarah: *glances at the screen, then back at Blood Puppet--he was kidding, right? he kidnapped her to have her stare at a SPIRAL? But she had to, or she's DEAD... but what the hell does he even MEAN...??* ...

Blood Puppet: Oh! I almost forgot - *he takes out an expensive-looking pair of headphones - something that will block out all other noise - attached to an old iPod* This is to help you concentrate... *he slips the headphones over her head. It played nothing but white noise. He then backs away from her. He doesn't need sleep, so he sits in a chair behind Sarah, out of her sight, watching her*

Sarah: *is starting to get an idea of what he's trying to do--she shakes her head violently, trying to get the headphones off, but they stay firmly in place. she glances at the spiral (where the spiral begins...? what does that mean...?) she ends up looking at the spiral for longer than she intended, and she becomes almost entranced by it (where does it end...?)*

Blood Puppet: *he watches her, a devious smile hidden under his mask. He doesn't move, watching her, waiting. He could wait for as long as he had to*

Sarah: *after a long while, she's staring blankly at the spiral, the combination of that and the white noise eventually sending her into a deep trance* ...

up

Sam: *leads Sarah into his office, shutting the door behind them*

Office: *is fairly large, but cluttered with papers, and what seemed to be an extension of Sam's web of criminals and associates strung together with the usual red string. Oh his desk, a picture of himself and his parents stood in a frame, all of them being much younger. Another picture stood beside it of Sarah*

Sam: *walks over to his desk, able to immediately find the right papers without a second glance, collecting them in his hands, walking around the room, mumbling under his breath*

Sarah: *tries not to glance around (that'd be rather nosy), but she notices the pictures on his desk and smiles* So, how much information do you have?

Sam: Ehh... not sure yet... *he thumbs through the papers, stopping when something horrible catches his eye* ... he's gone after one of the patrol groups... he didn't kill anyone, but he injured one of the sergeants... ohh no no no... this isn't good...

Sarah: That's not good at ALL... any motive, hints to where he might be hiding? D:>

Sam: Jeez... got a few more reports on some attacks he's pulled... he hasn't killed anyone, and he keeps mentioning my name, so it's obvious that he wants my head on a platter. Possibly literally. No locations, but a mugger of some kind caught a glimpse of Blood Puppet entering some building before the mugger was arrested. I guess we gotta go to the local jail.

Sarah: Ooookay. We going there right now? Or are you doing some more digging around? .__.;

Sam: "Entering a building" sounds suspicious for Blood Puppet, considering what we already know about him. I say we go ahead and talk to this mugger. >:/ *he walks out, checking behind him to make sure Sarah was following*

Sarah: *stays close behind him, not wanting to get lost. she hoped this "mugger" would give up the information easily...*

*they eventually get to the jail, in which they are immediately led to the mugger who had spotted Blood Puppet*

Sam: *knocks on the bars* Hey! We need to talk to you!

Mugger: *is a hunter X-WD with a vest and dirty jeans* What the hell does the Lieutenant of the freaking MILITARY want with me? >:/

Sam: We want answers. Before you were arrested, you caught a glimpse of a masked man in a red trenchcoat enter a building of some sort. Can you describe to us where you were arrested and which building you saw this man enter?

Mugger: Do I look like I have a photographic memory to you? >:(

Sam: Wrong answer. *suddenly reaches through the bars and takes the mugger by his shoulders, slamming his head against the bars*

Mugger: !!!??? AAGH!!

Sarah: *jumps a bit at this, but remains silent, mentally begging the guy to just TALK...*

Mugger: A-are y-you e-even al-lowed to d-do that...?? D;>

Sam: Believe it or not, I have a license to kill. Now tell me which building that man entered.

Mugger: Nngh... *he rubs his head, which was cut and bleeding from Sam's assault* I-it was an old building... a-an OLD building something... I think i-it said "Thomson Shoes" on a big sign on the side o-of it... n-near some old train tracks...

Sarah: ... I think I know what building he's talking about. D:

Sam: Right. Good thing you're with me, then. *to the mugger* Have a nice day. *he leads Sarah out of the jail and gets on the motorcycle with her* Alright. Now we gotta check this place out. Where is it?

Sarah: It's down on the east end of town... just take a left on the next street and keep going, I think... if you hit the train tracks, you've gone too far.

Sam: Alright. *he drives off in that direction, eventually stopping at the old building the mugger had described. The place seemed like it would fall in on itself at any moment* ... here we are... you ready?

Sarah: Yep... *hops off the motorcycle* Ready as I'll ever be.

Sam: Alright... here we go. *he walks with her to the building, entering it and hit with pure darkness and a wave of dust, causing him to cause roughly*

Sarah: *ventures a few steps into the building, still visible due to the light from outside* ...wonder if there's a light switch in here...

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Todd: Sshh... sshh... it's alright... you can keep going without me - I KNOW you can... just sshh... *he rubs her back, continues combing her hair, hugging her, kissing her cheek as she cried, cried, and cried some more*

Key: *cries until she can't cry anymore. she's EXHAUSTED, both physically and mentally, and it shows. sniffling, she looks at Todd, staring into his eyes for the first time in her life. It almost felt like she was only just meeting him, but at the same time, it was so familiar she didn't question it* ...

Todd: ... Key... You need to do me a favor, okay? It's really important.

Key: *still staring* Anything, Todd...

Todd: ... I've been watching Sarah... and I KNOW her and Sam have become... well... close. I'd really like to see them happy together, Key... could you make sure nothing screws that up? Be there for them? Please? <:/

Key: *smiles at him* I'll do this to the best of my ability.

Todd: Thank you... now that I'm dead, I've come to realize how important it is for her to grow up... she's no kid anymore... and now... now all I want is for that to happen... *he smiles at her, his blue eyes twinkling a bit* I love you, Key... *he places his hands on the sides of her face, and pulls her close to him again in order to kiss her before he fades away*

Key: *is left staring at the spot her beloved was just standing in, the image of his blue eyes forever in her mind. She smiles sadly, her eyes welling up with tears once again* I love you too...

The Next Morning...

Sam: *wakes up early like he said he would, quickly getting dressed into his trenchcoat and whatnot*

Sarah: *wakes up when Sam does, and gets ready as well, putting on her usual hoodie and jeans just in case any running was required* So, what exactly are you planning on doing?

Sam: We're gonna go to the outpost to check if any information on Blood Puppet's whereabouts has been found. Then we'll go search for him if there's enough, and interrogate people if there isn't.

Sarah: And by interrogate, you mean shoot them in the foot so they talk. :/

Sam: That's only for the stubborn ones, Sarah. <:/ If you don't like it, you don't have to come along.

Sarah: Oh, no no, I'm still coming. :P

Sam: *raises a brow at her* Um... okay. :/ *he shrugs, then puts his hat on*

Sarah: *leaves the room and grabs the apartment keys, waiting for Sam by the door*

Sam: *walks out with Sarah, hopping on his motorcycle, her sitting behind him, and driving to the military outpost*

AT THE OUTPOST

Sam: *parks and gets off the bike* Alright, follow me to my office - people leave notes for me there. :/ *takes her hand and walks in with Sarah in tow*

Soldiers: *eye Sarah curiously*

Sarah: *follows him in, trying not to feel awkward under all those curious looks* <_<

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