Jester Book 1: Abduction

Ch 18 Part 1: A Quiet Morning

The week that followed that staggering reveal was lackluster. Nothing of intrigue arose from the bowels of Starr Park's hidden horrors. The poster for the two newest disappearances had been plastered up on every light pole and shop window in town. Any tact that was housed within the blatant misinformation had faltered. The fliers with Chester's face blatantly labeled him as the primary suspect in all reprehensible events that transpired behind the Starr gates. Worse than that was the updated images. Somehow they had discovered his disguise and updated his wanted posters to match.

Chester's frustration only grew. Even with his signature cap and bells missing, his face was the second most recognizable in the park. He chalked that up to Pam's robots gathering data in their previous clash. She must have relayed this information to Starr Park's execs. Which also meant that Starr Park trusted Pam. He had no chance of changing their minds without concrete evidence. During the week, he couldn't get through Pam's walls. Any information he tried to gain was during the few times she was out and about.

He'd follow her to different stores during the day. Shopping at Piper's Bakery or buying new parts with Belle and Sam at a local utility store. She was never alone. Whether it was Nani, Jessie, or occasionally Jacky she always had someone at her side. It wounded him to watch Pam casually interact with the Brawlers. Completely unaware of the sinister actions she committed in the dark.

His plan was always to confront her during the night. He didn't know what he'd say even if he came in contact but he had to do something, say something, learn... something. However, Pam was careful and calculated in everything she did. He was always left patrolling the roofs at night alone. No new kidnappings occurred since Crow's disappearance. The masses were starting to feel the effects of all the missing Brawlers.

With only a single member of each trio going missing, many believed that this was just standard layoffs. Others formed conspiracies. Internet personalities took to the web with their theories and speculations. If only they knew how right they were.

The Brawlers, however, were crumbling. On occasion, he would sleep out in a room inside the Snowtel. His time in the shadows translated efficiently into silent entries. He'd pay Mr. P back for this inconvenience when all this was solved but for now, he needed a proper bed to sleep in. Sometimes, while crawling between the floors, he would hear Mr. P at the front desk. His usual fiery attitude seemed less interested. Like he was missing some calming addition to the wild dynamic he'd grown to love.

Then there was The Gem Mines. They'd effectively shut down since losing Mike. It just wasn't the same blowing up gems without Mike to up the ante. Bull's food had fallen in flavor. His usual late-night regulars (Mortis, Frank, and Emz) hadn't been seen in weeks. It made the neon lights feel a bit dimmer without the trio's hijinks.

Then one night, Chester sat off on a faraway billboard with a set of stolen binoculars. Starr Shop brand Stu-noculars. To better see his outrageous stunts from the cheap seats. Amber was doing one of her scheduled performances when the unthinkable happened. Her flaming locks drooped like water. She stopped mid-show to sulk behind the stage. An act that got her a stiff lecturing from the higher-ups and a wave of hate mail from former fans. It was this shock that finally awakened the residents.

Starr Park was losing its shine.

On this terribly bland morning, Chester sat under a makeshift awning. Constructed personally by him in the Retropolis district using dirty sheets and some clothesline wires. His chair was an old paint can and his bed was a dinghy springbox mattress. Retropolis was the one place that Starr Security didn't bother with patrolling. Bull's underworld ran the place and kept the peace. It was a lawfully lawless land.

With a bit of time before his midday nap, Chester thought about his situation. On the run in his home. Unsure of why he was in this position. Why did Pam target him? He thought back to all the time they spent together. He thought of her as a surrogate mother. Now he was just her scapegoat. Then there was Jessie. The poor girl, blissfully unaware of her mother's harsh truth.

His thoughts shifted from betrayal to detective work. The kidnappings had halted. This marked the longest time since a Brawler went missing. Does that mean she's finished? Has she gotten everything she needed? What was it she needed? Their powers? Their personalities? Gray mentioned something about Chester being the reason behind this mess. How could Chester be at fault here?

Chester banged his fists against his temples. How wasn't he at fault? He could have stopped all of this. If only he'd protected Mandy and Gray. If they weren't taken, he'd have more to go on than just hearsay. People who could back his alibi. Why did he run away? The moment he escaped any defense he had ran with him. If only he had stopped himself from breaking out. When Pam took her next target he couldn't have been linked to it. He could have fought back.

Just thinking about that night made him remember Mandy. Mandy. Poor Mandy. She's always so headstrong and confident. That thing he saw last week. That wasn't Mandy. It was a soulless husk of her colorful self. Some cyborg that bastardized life itself to survive. She'd never take orders from someone else. She barely took orders from herself. Yet that accuracy, range, build, and scent. He could smell that sweet and sugary syrup from half a mile away. It was her. Down to the tiniest details he knew it was her. Still, it couldn't be her.

Chester's silent sonnet was finally halted after slipping off his paint can seat. Flat on his back and head in the clouds he made an almost sobering realization. It had been nearly a week now since the last kidnapping. A week of silence. Maybe it was finally over. Maybe the nightmare was ending. All he had to do now, was deal with the aftermath. What an aftermath it was.

His eyes rolled in the direction of the junkyard. He wondered what Jessie was doing right now. Maybe she was doing homework. Or tinkering away through the middle of the day. A smile peaked the ends of his cheeks as he thought about his gift to her. Her innocent little smile as she accepted the mission. How giddy she looked as she skipped away with his hat. He still needed to get that back from her.

His tired yawns motioned him toward his mattress. It'd been a week since they last talked. Maybe he could track her down. Tomorrow. One more night of patrols, then he'll find her.