Adam explains what he wants Billy and then dashes outside trying to get behind Squidward without being seen. Billy exits the other side of the building and approaches Squidward from a perpendicular direction to Adam. Squiddy is moving fast and will quickly be into the open streets where all hell will break loose if aberrants are sighted.

Meanwhile Gregory searches Robert and his pack and is unable to locate the gun. He searches the bedroom and the hiding hole thoroughly and still cannot find the weapon. Gregory needs to move to the front of the house and away from any possible line of sight to his construct if he wants to search the sitting room where they were earlier. He peers out the window and sees Adam and Billy moving toward the construct in a pincer type move which would be very effective against just about any enemy.

****

Back at the doctor’s Buzz is rifling through the doctor’s desk in another room looking for an appointment book or a journal. After a short search he finds the doctor’s appointment book. Nothing looks out of the ordinary, various appointments over the past few days with local folk for a variety of maladies.

Courier heads outside to get some fresh air before returning shortly to help Raider get a batter look at the nails used to fix the skin to the ceiling. Raider determines that the nails are not new, probably something torn out of an old structure or found in ruins somewhere. They weren’t made in Newborough but since there is no “city-standard” nail that hardly means anything.

Doug sends to Raider and Buzz,

*The Doc would be in a good position to know if a baseline were really a dormed down nova. So... either Doc has known for a while and Squiddy figured we'd come asking, or maybe he tripped over something recently.*

*Buzz, any of the recent names on that journal match the names on your list?*

Doug moves to look over the last week's worth of names to see if he recognizes any of them as being on his list.

Where is it? Gregory quickly thought to himself. Must be in other place.

Knowing that he would be unable to maintain the construct without line of sight, and that if it was captured, his ruse would be discovered, Gregory decided that he would cease maintaining it. He had the mock Squiddy 'vanish' as if it teleported away. Meanwhile he searched the sitting room for the weapon, while listening for the others' return. If they return, while he's searching for the weapon, he will play innocent; telling them that he thought he heard someone inside, while they went after the 'intruder'.

Gregory really didn't want to play games with his friends. In fact, it made him feel bad. He wan't sure now if he was doing the right thing, and began to wonder if he was putting his friends and associates in more danger.

Whether he finds the weapon or not, Gregory will return to the hidden room where Robert was unconscious. If he finds it, he will keep it hidden on his person. If not, he will quietly sit with Robert. If Squiddy was able to see Gregory's 'betrayal' of his friends, there might still be a chance that he can insert himself into their adversary's organization.

"Frank West? Well he couldn't have done it. He's a good guy, gave me a pie last year. Maybe he saw somehing though. Wanna ask him?

Doug says,

"I don't figure we have a choice, nor do I figure you and I are much help here. Let's leave Raider to look at this and go ask him."

*You good with that Raider?*

Adam is runnign hard charging toward Squidward when suddenly *POP!* he vanaishes much like he had before. Adam grinds to a halt an releases a stream of choice words and phrases as Billy catches up.

"Where did bad man go?" asks Billy.

"Looks like he got what he came for and left, this guy is as slimy and hard to pin down as a real squid ..." Adam is frustrated and heads back into Raider's place with Billy in tow, luckily nobody seems to have seen Billy. It occurs to Adam that just having to explain Billy's prescence may have been more difficult than dealing with Squiddy himself.

Back inside Gregory is still looking unsucessfully for the gun when Adam and Billy come in through the back door. Frustration at not catching Squidworth shows on Adam's face and Gregory is barely able to contain his own frustration at not finding the weapon.

****

Back at the doctor's place Buzz and Courier excuse themselves from Raider and head to talk to Frank West. After a ten minute walk (or a two minute flight) they arrive at Frank's and knock on the door. Frank answers looking out the door crack at first but opening it all the way once he sees Buzz. "Buzz, a pleasure as always. What can I do for you today?"

"Hi Frank." said Buzz, his face is usually grumpy face no different now in the face of tragedy. "How's that toe a' yours Frank? You see the doc and get it fixed?" Buzz tries to casually take a look at either of Frank's feet, checking for bandages or anything.

Raider continues looking around and trying to put the pieces together, but it is all so frustrating and so damned senseless. He talks to himself as he works. "The doc had to know something. Had to have seen something that would have been incriminating to someone. I still don't think squiddy is from here, but maybe he is from around here close to town." Suddenly he stoops down to look at a mark on the floor only to dismiss it a moment later as being too worn to be recent.

Frank looks at Buzz with a quizzical look before looking down at his foot for a moment, "Stupid doctor, told me it wasn't ready to be fixed and that I should come back next week." Frank shakes his head, "I went and saw Doc Cottle instead and he fixed me up though... Say why do you ask?"

Doug lets Buzz take the lead here but he looks Frank over carefully. Could this be him?

Buzz sets his chin, the way he typically delivers bad news (he's had to do a lot of it in his lifetime) and puts a friendly hand on his shoulder. "Well Frank, I hate to tell you, but the Doc is dead. He got killed maybe just after you saw him. You were the last one on his appointment book. And...we gotta know, you see anyone else in his office at the time? Was he working on anyone else? Anything strange goin' on?"

"Sorry to put you into this, we just need to get a few answers."

Frank looks shocked, "Doc Cottle is dead? No wait you must mean Doc Brown. When did it happen? How did it happen? He seemed fine this morning when I saw him, though he did rush out after Ralphie came saying you were having another siezure... I gotta sit down, come on in ..." with that Frank hobbles over to a couch and drops into it, putting his foot up.

Doug pauses and sends to Raider,

*Hey Raider, we're at Frank's place and he says he saw Doc Brown this morning.*

Doug asks,

"Wait, were you actually inside Doc Brown's place?"

Gregory is frustrated. He can't find what he is looking for, and the other's have returned. Someone must have already taken it, or Squidward already took it. Just imagining that Squidward took the weapon was almost unbearable. Especially if it happened while he was supposed to be guarding Robert.

Looking down at the unconscious form of Robert, Gregory started to think about his friend. Would his friend have betrayed him, even if it was for a good cause. No...Dog would never betray me...he loyal to me. But...he got hurt to protects me..leave me alone...friend even know when needing to leave friend. The emotions were too much for him to handle. He quietly began to sob.

What are a few more tears, in a face already filled with tears.

Raider sends back, "Ask him if he went inside or just talked to the Doc at the door. If he did go in did he go all the way in here where the body is? I wonder if Squidward is a shapechanger. Perhaps he only thought he talked to the Doc." He thinks a moment then adds, "Speaking of that, get Buzz to make a list of anyone in town that can shapechange or alter their appearance, or telepathically manipulate someones memories."

Frank looks at Courier like he's a dull child, "Of course I was actually at the Doc's place, how else could he look at my foot? I went to his office and ... suprise suprise, he was there for appointments!" Franks shakes his head, he's clearly a cranky sour old man, much like Buzz.

*****

Raider has done all he can at the doctor's house and arranges with the constables to have the body brought ot the morgue so that an autopsy can be done. With little more information than before Raider heads out and tries to decide if he should go back home or try and catch up with Buzz and Courier.

*****

Adam walks back into the house, grabs a glass of cool water and flops down on Raider's couch. He relays to Gregorgy that Squidward got away, again. Billy meanwhile goes to check on Robert but finds that he is still asleep in the bedroom.

Doug rotates the link to everyone in turn, reviewing the situation and saying,

*Frank saw the Doc at his place this morning, Raider says he was killed two days ago. Just from the smell of that place.. the smell was overwhelming, Frank would have noticed. I think Raider is wrong and Doc was alive this morning.*

*I don't think we're looking at a shapeshifter. Temporal Manipulation of some sort?*

Doug asks,

"Frank... did you see anyone else while you were there?"

Frank replies, "Sure there were a couple of other at his office earlier everybody went home once he got called out though ..."

"Called out? Was he going out on an emergency, a house call? This might be it Frank, can you remember?"

*A list of shapechangers? Yeah gimme a few seconds.*

Raider considers going back to the shop to check on Robert, but figures he is in good hands and heads to catch up with Courier and Buzz. *Either of you two able to detect lies? It could also be a matter of his memories being tampered with too. Given what was done to the doc that would have had to be some serious time manipulation. Besides, we already know Squiddy has mental powers."

Doug sends back,

*Not me... although maybe we should think about bringing a real telepath into this.*

*Nah, ain't no one can shapechange so good as that. We're all neighors here, we saw someone acting like somebody we'd spot it.*

"So Frank, he got called out. You know by who? He say anything?"

"Yeah Buzz, it was Ralphie, he said you were having another attack. The doc, he dropped everything and headed out with Ralphie, told the rest of of us to go home or see one of the other doctors." Frank looks at the two men, "He was looking me over at that point said it wasn't ready to come out. I figured maybe he was just distracted so I went to Doc Cottle's to get this damn thing fixed. That was the last I seen him. "

Frank wipes a hand over his face, he's clearly a bit shaken up.

Doug sends,

*Did anyone see the stuff Squidward took after Doc visited?*

Raider responds, "He left a fake in place of the real thing. Looked pretty real too. He took the black box and the originals of the transcript I believe. I don't know of anything else missing."

Doug sends,

*So basically... no. No one saw that the stuff was real after the Doc left. So we had a shapeshifter and not an invisible type.* (This last statement borders on being a question).

*So...wait a minute. He's been dead more than a day, but we saw him here when he came to check me out. So when he came to check me out, that's when he stole it. Sonuvabitch! Check the garage for clues, we need to backtrack and see where he left, maybe able to follow him that way.*

Doug isn't very happy about this development. He'd really been hoping that Doc's death wasn't connected to Squidward for the obvious reason that he now voices,

*...Doc's death was excessive. If I'd been Squidward I'd have just killed and replaced him. Heck, maybe I wouldn’t have bothered to kill him. Replacing him doesn’t explain the HOW of how he died, unless the guy who did it just enjoyed it.*

Doug doesn’t add that these are the sort of people who are holding KB.

*OK, back to the shop.*

Courier, Buzz, and Raider all head back to the shop. Buzz and Courier arrive quickly enough as Frank's place was closer than Doc Brown's. Raider makes arrangements for the body to be autopsied by a doctor with some forensic knowledge and then returns to the shop. There they find Gregory and Adam in the living room. Billy is alseep on the floor next to the bed Robert was laid in. Evening has started to fall and everything is quiet. Outside the evening chill of autum is beginning to set in as the sun sets, golden orange, behind distant clouds.

When the others arrive, Gregory smiles at them. "What you find?" he asks them.

"Squiddie came by, but Adam and Billy chased him off." he says in an innocent voice. "I happy he not attack, I have small pistol to defend me and Robby. I scared and look for the thingy on Robby, but I not find it."

Gregory gives them a frightened look, meant to convince them that he really was scared.

Doug says,

"Squidward has, or is, a shapeshifter. Doc's been dead for days, someone skinned him alive. The Doc that came by to 'help' Buzz probably took our stuff."

Doug nods to the back room with Robert,

"I think he's the key to this. We need to know what his deal is. And Raider has the hopper, we figured he'd be hardest to take it from, that'd be what he was looking for".

"Speaking of which, Raider, maybe you should try to zap him again?"

Adam frowns, and thinks it over. "So, basically, we have a shapeshifter, who is or works for Squiddie, loose in the city. Since Squiddie can teleport, let me rephrase that to I hope he's still in the city. How do we detect a nova who doesn't have to look like one? Because if he's still here, that sounds like our best - or maybe only - chance to find them." He glances at the smarter folks in the room.

Once everyone gets back to the shop Raider will gather everyone together and approach Robert. He will check him out and then wake him if he doesn't come to during the examination. He will think to Courier 'Have everyone keep an eye on him just in case he is looking like my long lost brother by nova means instead of naturally.'

"Robert, I'm called Raider, you are among friends, Billy is here with us as well. We need to ask you some questions. We have an enemy in common. We don't know his real name but we call him Squidy because one of his arms is a mass of tentacles. At least we think he naturally has that arm. He may be a shape changer. Anyway, he has kidnapped a friend of ours and he set us up to attack each other in the forest. We are sorry about that by the way. We thought you were him. Can you tell us anything about Squidy? Or how you may have come to be his enemy?"

Raider and the others and head up to the second floor where the bedrooms are. You look in on Robert to find the man lying awake, his eyes are open and he is looking about the room confusion and pain intermingle in his eyes. He looks over as the door squeaks open and his eye widen, “What is this? Where am I?”



Robert looks at you all confused, and then sees Billy peering between Buzz and Courier. "Billy? Is that you? What the hell if going on here? And who are you people? The last thing I remember we were in the forest tryin' to get that stinking bastard...

"Wait did you say that this guy had one arm all made up of tentacles? Was it his left arm? ... sonuvabitch ... That ... that bastard has been playing me all along ..."

Doug nods and says,

"He's been playing all of us, he seems good at it. I think he had two sets of problems, you and us. He tried to get his problems to solve each other. Smart guy. Should have worked too, except Raider here managed to keep you alive."

"So... why does Squiddy want you dead?"

It's clear that Robert is still in bad shape, he is barely lifting his head off the pillow and his gaze is unfocused. Clearly he recognized Billy simply by virture of Billy's unique physical form.



Robert raises a hand and rubs at his eyes then squint as Courier gestures to Raider, "Wish I had my glasses ..." he mutters as he squints at Raider. Suddenly a look of shock crosses his face, most likely he has now realized the striking resembalance between himself and Raider. "Jor?!? ..." he says before his eyes roll up into his head and he passes out again.

Upon pronoucement of his real name Raider drops hard into the chair behind him. This guy really is related to him! After he gets over the shock, he will step forward again and attempt another healing on Robert. "Guys, I think maybe this guy really is my brother or cousin. No one has called me Jor since before my eruption."

Raider forces himself to stand and moves to the side of the bed. Placing his hands on Robert's chest he extends his quantum awareness into Robert's body. A faint white glow spreads over his hands and quickly turns to green as Raider pours energy into Robert's burns forcing cells to divide and tissue to regenerate. The green quickly develops sickly black splotches and tendrils and Raider gets an unnatural sense before the power fades, something is killing Robert. Slowly and surely he is dying and from what Raider can tell there is little that he can do, even now, that will help the man avoid the death sentance handed down to him.

Raider shudders, feeling sick and queasy after encountering whatever it was that is killing Robert and moves to sit down again. Billy moves to Robert's side and picks up his hand in his tentacles. Robert wakes once more, he seems more alert though he clearly is having trouble seeing, apparently being nearsighted without his glasses. "Billy? Billy are you ok are these people treating you ok?"

"Yes, nice people help Billy, not Rob-bert saved you with glowy hands, made you wake up."

"Good, that's good. Billy do you remember the bad man?" Billy nods and Robert continues, "Billy you need to help these people fight the bad man while I'm sick OK?" Billy nods again. "OK good, now why don't you go and play I need to talk to these people." Billy nods happily and bounds out of the room.

Robert closes his eyes for a moment clearly still tired and weakened, "Lemme guess, James has been toying with you? Playing with you to get whatever it is he wants from you? You said he has a freind of yours? Don't expect to get them back easily he's smart far smarter than you puts on, and that IS saying something. Why don't you tell me what has happened and maybe we can figure out what is going on."

Having now heard Robert speak for more than just a few words you all notice he has a slieght accent which you cannot place but all feel like you have heard before.

Doug says,

"It'd be easiest and quickest to talk mentally. With your permission, and only with your permission, I can set up a quantum telephone. It lets you talk mentally, but it doesn't allow probing and either of us could shut it down whenever we wanted to."

"It's pretty darn useful, I've set one up with everyone in the room other than Billy."

Robert turns his head ot face Courier, "You'll pardon my reluctance but I've had some bad experiences with telepathy, Billy has too, as I'm guessing you found out. Better safe than screwed and frankly it's not like good old fashioned words don't work just fine."

Robert licks his lips and rubs at his face again, "Got any water or coffee?"