Chapter Text
There's a kid in a laboratory, sixteen of them to be more precise. But this isn't just a working place, because between the computers and chemicals there are rooms and a playground for them to be comfortable. The troll taking care of them makes sure they are as much safe as a purple troll without experience can assure. Why did a young teenager decided to take care of a bunch of kids ? The reason they barely understand themselves.
The name of this purple blood troll is Anddna Hooess, and right now they have a big problem; they lost their Aparification Gun, and without it there's no getting food.
June, one of the kids, believes something else is going on however. She thinks someone took the gun for their own purposes, an object that can make appear anything is too tempting for anyone; except herself, of course, she is a girl of justice. She decides to investigate the alibi of her fifteen housemates, starting for the order their caretaker made for them.
She goes to see Rose, she rarely gets out of her room and as expected, she is reading.
- Hello there, Rose, what are you reading ? - she already started the interrogation.
- A compilation of Earth's stories called fairy tales.
- Are there... many fairies in them ?
- Not really, I do not know why they are called like that. They are quite gruesome actually.
- Why you do not watch the movies ? They are nicer. - June asks worried about her friend.
- I do not really like watching movies. - she answers with a wince. - Maybe I will watch it to compare them once I finish them. But something tells me that is not why you came to talk to me.
- That is true, what were you doing when the gun was stolen ?
- I was still reading, but I know you are a good detective, so I will show you proof. - she pointed at the tablet she was using to read. - Here is a marker I did at that hour, and anyone that passed by can tell you I did not exited my room.
- As expected, you are clean. - June tipped her hat. - I did not suspected of you anyways, you are the nicest person I know.
- Thank you, I do not try hard. - she said with a little laugh.
She goes to find Dave next, he is a mysterious person and is hard to know what he does. The fact that he was in the infirmary was not a good start.
- Dave, what happened to you ? - she asked him worried.
- The idiot broke his leg trying to do a flip on his hoverboard. - explained Tavros, even though he was very young, he learned to perform medicine.
- I'm fine... Auch ! - complained the wounded kid when his amateur doctor moved his leg wrong. Okey, he was practicing medicine and was still not an expert.
- Well, I am sorry to ask, but you know, it is my job. - said June passing her hand through the back of her neck awkward. - What were you doing when the gun was stolen ?
- He was lying on the floor hurt, that is how I found him. - answered the bronze troll bandaging better the leg.
- So we both are the alibi of the other... - added his patient.
- Not going to lie, I had my doubts about you but this all seems pretty clear to me. - said the amateur detective.
- Why did you had doubts on me ?! - complained the other human.
- You are all the time outside alone, no one knows what you do...
- I skate on my hoverboard !
- That is all ?
- Yes ! Don't go judging someone without reasons !
- She is... a detective, that is her job. - corrected him Tavros.
- It's not a job, she's just playing pretend !
- There is no pretending about this case I am following. - were her last words to them before leaving to her next suspect.
The next person was honestly, a weird one; she could have stolen it just because she was bored. For this one she had to walk quite much, she was on the caves to the east of the laboratory, and she wasn't alone either.
- Jade, Nepeta, what are you two up to ? - June asked as a type of greeting.
- Just having fun ! - answered Nepeta covered in dirt and with a shovel on hand.
- Why, are you accusing us of something ? - said Jade, holding a pickaxe but also dirty as the other.
- Now that you mention it, an aparification gun has disappeared, and it is too convenient you two were not close.
- We been digging all day, ma'am. - admitted the other human resting both hands over the pickaxe using it as a cane.
- You can check the holes we did ! - said the olive troll pointing proudly at them.
- Well, there sure are a lot more holes than last time I saw but you are not clean yet... literally.
- When you find out the culprit you better apologize for suspecting us ! - screamed Jade while June got away.
Now, next suspect... She just has to take her out of the list. It is impossible that they did it anyways, but a detective has to be fair with their questioning.
- Aradia, what were you doing when the gun was stolen ?
- A gun has been stolen ? - she asked with an oblivious smile, sitting in the dark garden with an open sky inside the laboratory.
- THE gun, the only gun there is here, the aparification gun.
- That is terrible ! I think... We can not get another one ?
- No, we can not ! Answer the question I made you !
- What was it again ?
- WHAT... WERE YOU DOING... WHEN THE GUN WAS STOLEN ???
- Oh, I guess I was writing a poem for this pretty flower that just grew on the ground out of nowhere. Is it not beautiful ?
- I guess... I do not know nothing about flowers...
- You must need "evidence", right ? - she picked something up from the floor next to herself. - Why you do not check my poetry diary ?
- Ummm... yeah, no thanks, I believe you.
Next stop was on a dark room with just the light of a screen to be able to see, if Rose barely came out of her room, this troll did not at all except for eating.
- Um... Sollux ? Can I bother you a moment ?
- You already do zo, go ahead.
- What were you doing when the gun was stolen ?
- Take a wild guezz.
- Do you have any proof you stayed in your room ?
- Of courze I do, I replayed the whole game of Zelda and it took me two dayz.
- Which one ?
- Majora'z mazk.
- Uff... Yeah, you been here for long... Well, I better leave you, I think I am starting to get blind.
- I didn't... yet.
Next one on the list, already half way through; June did not wanted to sound judgmental, but the higher you go on the hemospectrum the more troublesome. However, she could not think of this girl stealing something, she had other ways of making people uncomfortable.
Unexpectedly, she heard sounds of screams and hits coming from her room; she kicked the door, not because she needed to, and found Karaka and Kanaya fighting. They had scratches and bruises, bleeding bright red and jade green respectively.
- What the heck happened ?! - screamed June crossing her arms.
- Please help me ! - Karaka pointed at the other troll. - This maniac attacked me !
- You attacked me back so don't act so innocent ! - said the jade blood. - You said it was okay !
- Stop this nonsense, I do not understand a thing you are saying !
- Kanaya tried to drink my blood !
- But you told me I could !
- Yeah but I changed my mind then !
- You could have told me instead of hitting me !
- Okay, I was going to ask what were you doing but I get an idea. - said finally June pressing her forehead in frustration. - And I can tell it is not fake because you two would not harm yourselves on purpose.
Karaka and Kanaya hissed at each other and tried to start a fight again but the detective got in the middle.
- You two get away from each other and go to the infirmary ! - she ordered them. - And I better not see you fighting again or you will get in detention !
June followed with the sight until she made sure they were on the infirmary and then proceeded with her surveying. Next was the clear suspect, if teal bloods were made to serve the law, she was born to be the exception to the rule.
- Oh hello there. - said Terezi as soon as she stepped in, she was drinking tea with the host of the room.
- Who is it ? - asked Gamzee turning his head with curiosity.
- It is me, June. - she announced. - I am guessing you two were togheter all afternoon.
- Correct, detective. - said the teal blood with a big sharp smile. - Is the questioning because of the stealing of the gun ?
- You already know about it ? - she asked distrustful.
- Mister Anddna came first to make sure I didn't had it. - answered the other girl.
- But we been playing hide and seek all afternoon ! - explained the purple blood shaking his arms happy.
- Then I guess you have an alibi... surprising from you, Pyrope. - said June bitterly, the girl had bothered her investigations many times.
- Why you think bad of me, detective ? - she raised her arms to her sides and shaked her head. - Don't I deserve the benefit of doubt as everyone ?
- We will see...
For the next suspect, she had quite the trouble reaching her, because she was locked on her room. She asked for Anddna who was very busy searching for the gun to open the door, and they did while trying to hide the fact they forgot she was still locked. Vriska jumped out of her room and did a bow to June.
- Thank you ! - she said. - I been there a whole hour, a room is no place for a pirate !
- So, I am taking you out of the suspect list but I still want to know, why were you in detention ?
- I just did what's on my nature to do ! - the blue blood troll crossed her arms and waved her head.
- Sailing the oceans... ?
- Stealing, of course ! Not a gun, but something of more value !
- You are the most suspicious so far and yet the one with the best alibi; what did you stole ?
- Well... I don't know, but I'm sure it was priceless.
- How you do not know what you stole ?
- I TRIED to steal a box that the wanderer writer brought from his travel, but got catched and I swear if Anddna didn't found me he would have pierced me with his sword !
- You have to be more careful Vriska, you do not want to end all wounded like your ancestor.
- Where's the fun in being careful ?
June left her, knowing it was a lost cause to worry about a pirate; they are meant to get wounded sooner or later. Next she found the suspect outside of another's suspect room, standing like a guard.
- Equius, what are you doing ? - she asked tipping her hat in confusion.
- There is a ship close to the laboratory. - he asked, impossible to tell where he was looking by his shades.
- I see, you are guarding him...
- I promise I will not try to get in again ! - a kid screamed from inside the room.
- Good thing I caught you, if the older trolls did you would probably be dead. - said the indigo troll irritated.
- No one would kill a violet blood !
- You can be... quite annoying.
- Apologize, you filth !
- Okay, so can you two verify that the other stayed here during the stealing of the gun.
- What gun got stolen ?
- The only gun in the whole place, of course. - answered Equius. - Yes, I can say for sure that he did not exited the room.
- What about you, how can I know you did not went away ? - inquired the detective.
- I watched him the whole time through the camera hoping for him to go away but he did not even went to the bathroom. - said the violet blood troll.
- I will stay here until the ship leaves. - announced his temporary captor.
- Those are some good alibis if I ever heard some. - decided June. - Carry on, I guess, and I am sorry for you.
- Do not go, convince him of letting me go !
But she did not even tried because once Equius gets something on his head he is impossible to persuade, and also, Eridan is very annoying. The last suspect on the list, impossible to tell her moves, was a big fan of the stories of their ancestors and could have stole it to make some weird life changing plan.
- I did not stole the gun. - she said as soon as the human stepped on her room while she readed a huge black book.
- I guess Anddna already came asking... - June felt a little offended Feferi had not stopped reading while they talked. - How can I know you did not stole it ? I can not just believe your words.
- You are a detective, right ? Deduce the reason I would not had stolen it.
She looked around the room awkward at her detective skills being questioned and found out the clear answer.
- You already have an aparification gun !
- Yes, I was the one trusted to keep the emergency one in case this happened. - she finally lookeed deeply into the human's eyes. - But now you have a culprit to catch, you do not ?
June left and thought about all the alibis, because there was information only she knew that was not revealed during the interrogation. It was such a clear mistake that seemed made on purpose...
- You did it ! - she entered the room where the culprit was holding the gun. - Give it back !
- Well done, detective. - said Terezi with her sharp smile. - How did you found out ?
- I am not stupid ! - she putted her hands on her hips. - Gamzee is blind since what you did to him, so if you got away while being with him he would not have been able to tell !
- Yes, that little prank costed me my success now.
- Why did you stole it ?! - she took it from her hands.
- No reason yet, I didn't had time to plan what to do with it.
- You are going to detention !
- At least it kept you entertained for a while, right ?
June gave back the gun to the worried Anddna. Terezi had the worst ways of calling her attention.