Venturing: On Effectives

At the later part of the midnight hour, we shift our attention through the opening of the doors. Glancing into the large empty room that stands before us while Zander and Kyro walked right in, curiosity written into their faces as their footsteps echoed upon our ears. Natty frowned, yet her wings shuffled. Her face and eyes stared directly towards Kyro's back. But her attention seems to be on that safe at the center of the room. Standing idle above the pillow case that was below it. The streets we walked on were empty as darkness now covered most of the street and sidewalks. It stretched far into the horizon, preventing us from being able to see there. Not that it matters anyway however.

As I smiled towards Zander whom turned his head over to me and met my eyes once, I stretched my wings, Natty and Ozkun took the signal and walked forth after them. I followed behind until the doors shut behind us. The lights from the ceiling flicked on. Illuminating the room with their glorious lights. As It allowed us to see our surroundings, we only took interest upon the open safe at the center of the room. We all gathered around it and stepped forth closer to it. Natty and I leaned forth, glancing upon the interior of the safe. Staring at the small empty space inside where a spinning top spiral spins at the dead center. A tilt of my head allowed Natty to carefully stretched her claw forth; grabbing onto the spinning top upon its rod. Forcing the top to stopped immediately as we heard something like loud sounds erupted upon the silence floor.

It jolted Zander and Kyro. Ozkun drew her pistol while turning rapidly around; her face darkened with scowls as she wondered where that sound was coming from. Me and Natty turned our attention towards the source of that sound. Spotting what seems to be an expensive television set that had now exposed itself to us from the wall it cling into. Gray static was formed upon the surface; moving but remaining still. I motioned Natty whom draws forth towards the television. We stretched our claws towards the edges of the television set. Gripping it tightly as we hoisted it down upon the hard flooring below us. Despite our tight grips, Natty let slip her claw and allowed the television to fall upon its side. Cracking the screen however as a loud bang echoed through the silence. Zander Kyro and Ozkun flinched upon hearing it but remained still while their eyes remained upon the television.

“You alright?" I asked Natty who nodded her head silently and a smile was form upon her face. She rose her head meeting my eyes, flapped her wings which Kyro stepped forth to her side. The three of us grabbed onto the sides of the television, picking it up from the hard grounds and held it there as the remaining dragons stared at it for a moment. Then, Zander walked up towards us. Kneeled in front of the television before throwing his claw upon the screen and resulted in more cracks and shards that now fall out. But despite the blood thinly leaking from his wounds, he pulled out what seems to be a white mirror. “A mirror?" Kyro questioned, turned his attention towards it and Zander who frowned and tilted his head to one side. “This is not what I had expected from a television." “It is however." I started while the black dragon glance at me suddenly. Widened eyes were upon his face as his and I met for a moment, only a smile drifted before I rose my claw pointing towards the ceiling above me. “Zander, set the mirror to the former spot of where that spinning top lay." “Alright." Zander nodded, doing as he was told.

Letting go of the mirror as he laid it above the opened safe box, it shined a reflection towards the ceiling above us. Revealing black and white stripes that now hang from the ceiling, blown by the fan that was off towards the side. We all rose our heads towards the ceiling; though we had mixed responses towards our discovery. Yet before I could speak, Ozkun's head brightened suddenly as she pulled several random ribbons from the ceiling above us and gathered them all into one pile. She dropped them all upon the grounds which hovered a bit and spread out with little distance from one another. I stared towards Ozkun suddenly before ordering the others to do the same. Soon shortly after, we had gathered every ribbon from the ceiling and litter it upon the spread grounds below us. Some of those ribbons caught onto the others and tangled themselves. Others remained where they were.

With the pause of silence hovering over our shoulders and heads, sparked a conversation between Zander Kyro and Natty as they each asked the other a question and one of the two tried to answer it all. Me and Ozkun ignored them and lowered ourselves upon the grounds, grabbing our gathered pile of ribbons before turning them over. There written from top to bottom. It was set between zero and nine. No doubles or negative numbers however. We stared at the ribbons in silence; listening to the sudden argument that came between the three dragons. But it shortly paused when Natty turned towards me and Ozkun, walked forth towards us and asked. We turned over to the pink dragoness, exposing the white numbers written upon the ribbons. “That is going to take forever to find." She concluded, staring down onto the white numbers with a frown. “Indeed." I say, “There has to be an easier way to find this code." “More importantly," Zander huffed adding to the conversation with crossed arms over his shoulders, gazing away from the rest of us. “Where does these codes go into?"

“I thought into the safe?" Ozkun suggested. Yet Zander shook his head, “That is impossible. The safe at the center of the room is already opened. What was inside was just a spinning top that is link to the television that we had already broke." “Could the television find something useful?" Kyro questioned, turning his attention towards me and the television that was right behind me. I just shrugged, saying nothing. “Worth a shot, I guess." I said as Kyro walked towards my line turned our attention towards the broken television screen in front of us and waited. Yet the screen only show grayness and sparkles about. Nothing else was interesting upon it however which was worst news for us. For about a moment came a sudden sigh from me as I shook my head, “Nothing. Just a grayscale and such." “Is there something attach to the television that we could use? Like a camera or something?" “Was there a camera at the front of the store? Pointing inward through the glass doors?" Suggested Ozkun while me and Kyro turned towards him suddenly, Natty shook her head. “The owner had already taken it. Saw it through our patrol during the evening hours." “Dang."

So we were stuck at step one it seems. A long drawn breath escaped my lips while my wings folded behind me. Silence fell overtop our heads with no one saying, suggesting or commenting anything to start the conversation. For we were all too preoccupied upon our heads at the case we were thrown by Yang thanks to the efforts from the previous case that was somehow connected to this one for some strange reason. As I remained quiet for the time being, my head pulsed with the heatness that gradually came through and I exhaled quietly which caught the attention of others while Kyro quietly spoke but loud enough to be able to be heard by the others, “Lets just deal with the third clue." “What is it then?" I heard Ozkun asked, shifting her eyes towards the red dragon who pointing back towards the safe again. At the center where the spinning top used to be, behind it was a big red button. White words were written onto it however. Detailing 'Power'. “Should we press it?" Ozkun asked, walking back in front of the safe and reached with her arm forth inward. Suddenly pressing the button as a click echoed through the silence.

The walls suddenly vibrated. The grounds cracked into two. The table, safe and the television fell upon its side. The results of such an earthquake was just minimal however. As we gathered back upon our feet, we shifted our attention towards the surroundings of the room. Having already noticed that everything was fallen upon the grounds. Shattered into pieces was the television, the safe and table remained in one piece however. Yet something caught my eye. I was not sure what it was however. For as I draw forth towards the safe and table, I spotted a white substance in between the two said objects. I motioned the others with my tail, drawing them forth towards me as their heads hang glancing upon whatever it was I was looking at. “That is new." Zander spoke as he crouched and dig through his police jacket for a brown stick and jar. Pulling a sample from the whiteness before us, he set it inside the jar and lid it with his palm while he nudged Kyro who handed him a lid. “What is it?" “Not sure." Spoke the two dragons on my side as I reached out towards it with my claw. It was smack away by Natty who shook her head at me.

Zander left the scene as the remain of us stared around the area for a while. Noticing that the paint from the walls were peeled off leaving behind an expose pale background behind it. The paint was white, same with the substance that we had saw between the two objects and I pondered if they were the same thing. With my thoughts circling around my head for some time, my ears perk upon listening towards Kyro who was together with Natty at the time, pointing forth towards an opening through the walls. Leading straight down into the pitch darkness below them as Ozkun nodded at them with silence. A faded footsteps left our ears while I remained staring downward at the substance below us. Thus clenching my claws, I growled suddenly. “None of this makes any sense. The stripes, the safe, the walls peeling off, everything." “Indeed." Responded Ozkun whom eyes rose up towards me with a sorrow look, “What does any of these clues have anything to do with the case we have right now. What does it have with the previous case too however." “Nothing-" I say before being interrupted by Kyro and Natty whose footsteps were rapid and running up until they found themselves back upon safe grounds. With the pink dragoness suddenly slamming the door behind herself as a thud escaped behind them, the duo of dragons breathed an exhaled sigh before meeting the eyes of myself and Ozkun whom we turned towards them suddenly. Eyes widened in surprise upon seeing them.

Shortly afterwards, Zander came back as he landed up the front of the store. He walked inward through the entrance behind him. But was surprise upon seeing the married pair breathing heavily. He turned towards me and Ozkun who rose our shoulders high before it sank down. A pause erupted between the three grounds before I growled at Kyro and Natty questioning, “Alright. What happened down there?" “There was whiteness everywhere. Seeping from the cracks of the grounds and walls, witness was everywhere." “Witness?" Ozkun asked, “Apparently these are called 'seed'. However, they are not our species however." I turned to Zander who added more, “Apparently, according to Yang. These are canine's." “Then which canine? Foxes? Wolves?" I questioned him as he flinched but said nothing for a moment before quietly speaking, “Foxes" “Why a sticky fox seed glued in between the safe and table? Including the walls and whatever did Kyro and Natty saw in the basement below." Ozkun asked out loud despite the quietness following after her. For no one answered her

An exhale breath escaped my throat as my eyes closed and opened suddenly. My mind returned to the clues that we had found. The ribbons, spinning top, power button, whatever was inside the basement and the white painted walls. 'Seems like someone had an orgy here somehow.' My first thought popped and turned towards the safe at the center of the room, 'Then they probably took whatever was inside the safe with them but forgot to close the safe. One of the written number codes should be from those ribbons however.' I turned away from the safe, towards the piles of ribbons that were scattered and spread across the grounds. “Guys, do you think that the foxes had escaped with the object that was kept inside the safe? Used the ribbons as clues about what the clues were?" “Then what about the white substance?" Questioned Ozkun, fixing his eyes towards me as Zander pipped up and raised his claw “Fox seed." “That does explain the smell coming from the room's walls." Started Natty as Kyro quietly nodded his head. “Those that need a fresh air come outside then." I ordered whereas everyone but me and Zander left the room.

I turned towards Zander and he frowned at me. Neither of us said anything; nor we spill whatever was inside our minds. For as our attention was towards one another, I gazed away at him and fixed upon the opened safe. Dropping my voice down into a whisper and questioned towards the black dragon in mind, he turned his eyes towards me and exhaled. Kneeing to a crouch position, he went to grabbed a few ribbons from the grounds. Hoisted himself into the air as he went through each and every one of them while muttering to himself about something. I stared at him suddenly before avert my eyes towards the safe before me. Walking to it, I extended my claw towards the front of the safe. Grabbed onto the dial that was in front of me and turned it around. I had noticed that it never turned. It remained in place as I felt tightness upon it which had surprised me suddenly. I raised my other claw, pushed upon the safe surface and allowed it to click. On this time, Zander pipped up upon the silence. “I got it. 5839." “That is the code?" I questioned the dragon who nodded his head, a warm smile escaped his lips while I acknowledged it and him. Setting the numbers by turning the dail.

Sure enough, the safe opened once again. I nodded at him. Zander grinned suddenly as the fireworks erupted upon his excitement body. Before I turned back towards the opened safe again, we heard the door opened again. Coming from the outside was the rest of my unit; Kyro, Natty, Ozkun whom all spread themselves out into the floor. “Seems like we got the safe to opened." Kyro commented, fixing his attention towards the opened safe as me and Zander nodded after him. The red dragon smiled but remained silent while his eyes fix upon the white walls that Natty was staring at. With the couple having an engagement of conversations, Zander stepped close towards me and the safe explaining how he got the numbers. “... The biggest hint was the store name." “The store name?" I questioned him, Zander nodded with a smile. “ 'Rising Column “ “What does that have-" I asked him, but Kyro's loud voice interrupted me as every head turned towards the red dragon.

“The button causes this earthquake to happen which launched something in the basement that now seeps into the walls and ceiling above us. They are trying to make this into a bloody scene. Yet without any bodies about." “Something in the basement?" Said Ozkun with a tilt of his head while the red dragon turned towards her and nodded, a plaster of smile from his face. “Yeah! We saw at the basement a foiler and a burner adjacent to one another. A large substance was inside the burner however. But it never burned or caught into flames which was weird. It was not fox's seed however." Kyro explained, “Seed like ours would melt away rather easily. These do not. They are more like sulfur or something along that line." “The chemical substance." I realized as Zander blinked a bit surprise, “But why sulfur?" “Cause!" Kyro grinned widely, “It would not melt away inside the burner. But rather create that smell that we had initially thought was seed which was not." “Then who have created it?"

A question like that fell upon the deaf ears. For the silence came again with Kyro remained quiet, his eyes lowered towards the grounds below him. Me, Ozkun and Zander waited. But nothing. I exhaled a breath and shook my head, “Foxes maybe the first culprit. Unless there is something else otherwise, we will have to stick with them however." An wave of nods came in response, even Kyro and Natty agreed with me. Both having no objectives to the latter which have indeed surprise me much. But never minding it now we all spread out again upon the room; shifting our eyes towards the walls, grounds and that table at the center. But no evidence came. Not even a thin fur hair from a fox or wolf which surprised me much. For after about seconds of searching, we had gathered again. I scratched my head. “Nothing." “Same." Came the agreement from the others as the silence gap upon our breaths. I exhaled again and spoke, “We should head on back. See what Yang has to say about the record video that she had acquired." “Did Zander mentioned that?" Kyro questioned me, I shook my head. “No." I answered him, “Just a hunch if she did however." “Then  I guess we will head out then." Natty remarked with a nod as everyone else nodded in agreement.

We all spill out from the store behind us. Spread our wings upon the sunrise dawn and flew into the cold morning air that washed over us. The chatters, conversations and arguments were now filling our ears from below as dragons prepared for their daily morning routine. I exhaled another breathe, my mind pondering about the store, the clues we acquired, and the lack of evidence found inside the store. As I wondered where the two culprits were and what they had stolen from the safebox, I cleared my mind. Realizing that I was on my way towards a stressful morning and a pounding headache that would not lift up. I only chuckle faintly which earned some glances towards me. I waved it off as we soon closed in onto the station that was in front of us. For as we landed, we started walking inward. Yang met us inside the station, awaiting for our return. In her claw was the black dvd  that I had anticipated; I only smiled before hugging her while Ozkun and Zander looked on with surprise. Kyro and Natty nodded their herds after I turned towards them, holding up the black dvd.

“Now we should be able to see what exactly happened and who was there." I say, giving the dvd a wave. “We should get popcorn." Started Zander, though none of the others were joking however. With eyes staring down onto the black dragon, I shook my head and turned away towards Yang who nudged her head towards the nearby door. We all pile ourselves inside, allowing the darkness to loom over our heads. I sat upon the chair; scooted forth to draw forth towards the keyboard. Then type something in. The wall in front of us turned. Revealing a huge television in front of us; it was blank with gray coloring. Yet at the corner of the screen lies a small square box. White words were upon it; though everyone ignored it as I waved towards Kyro whom took the dvd from my claw. Set it inside the rectanglar box below the television and the keyboard, setting back afterwards.

We heard the low humming blew into our ears as our eyes rose towards the television screen which now changed from gray to static. It was like that for a few seconds before it turned again to gray. A large square close towards the edges of the television screen now stands before us. A small red blinking circle replace the small square box. Above the circle were the words “01/31/23". Our attention was drawn towards the center of the screen where the store floor now stands before our eyes. For the first few seconds, it had seemed that nothing had happened however. Save for a few dragons walking at the outside of the store. Come an hour before midnight, we spotted two canines walking through the center of the store. Grabbed onto the black and white ribbons above them, puching out the code at the safe in the center of the room. While the safe was opened and one of the canines reached in to grab whatever was inside, the other darted across the room. Heeding towards the door opposite of the entrance and entered in.

Then for the next few seconds; blinking dark gray and white lights (red and white lights) started flashing. The two canines flinched upon hearing it and started running out the door. But not without the treasure that they had take with them. It was an envelope; a logo of a deer with no eyes was imprinted upon it. On the other paw of the canine was a coin. Its surface was that same imprintation of a deer. We looked at one another curious and intrigued by the logo and shape, though worried and concerned about why the canines needed such a thing? For when the video ended was the only time that Kyro drew the dvd out before fixing his attention towards the rest of us. Only I broke the silence, but I realized that it was just my speculation however about the clues and evidence that we were handed with.

“Regardless…" We heard Yang's voice from the door as our eyes shift towards her. She leaned against the side of the door; eyes up front towards us with a small fainted smile. As she continued, she walked to us and handed an note. “You guys are requested to head towards the basement of the station. We got a crisis down there that needed solving." “Alright." I responded with an od at her as she smiled back before turning tail and walked away. For once she was gone, I exhaled a breath and turned towards the others. “Lets find out what they had wanted." “Perhaps it had something to do with that logo that we saw." Speculated Kyro with a thought as Natty nudged him with a growl shaking her head “I doubt it."