The Princess and The Nurse: A Skullgirls Story.

Chapter 15. Strike up the band.

Sunday

Time: 1:27am

Location: New Meridian

3rd person POV:

Crime never rests... Especially the Medici. This was the thought of a detective, armed with peculiar weaponry but forever stuck with the injuries caused by corruption. This was the thought of Ben Birdland... Big Band. He walked through the busy heart of the grand city, many were roaming about the streets heading to nightclubs, casinos, and open late restaurants. Nobody really knows that most of the places they go to are run by the Medici Family, though it's possible a good majority of them simply try to say anything about it. Big Band is always looking for trouble and troublemakers, as long as it makes a difference then it's enough for him to keep pressing on. Tonight however, he was looking for a different kind of trouble maker...

He stopped at a nearby bar that was playing some midnight jazz, music to his ears. He walked over to the bartender and ordered a drink, then he got to questioning. "Excuse me good sir, I'm looking for a little girl, short with orange hair. She's wearing a top hat and a dress and might've been accompanied by a few other cartoony people who call her boss." The bartender adjusts her glasses and lets out a sigh. "Peacock? Yeah I've seen her, you just missed her after she nearly trashed the damn place." "Great, so where did she go? I got a tip saying that someone else was looking to get to her and I'm trying to make sure that doesn't happen."

"Well the security cameras outta show something." The bartender puts down the dirty cup she was cleaning and went into the back. Suddenly, two tall yet pale looking gals approached Big Band. "Well aren't you just the tallest mountain in this fine place?" The first gal asked. Her hair was blue and she had a small cut on her lip, her eyes a crimson red color. Her friend has a pearly white hairpin, one of her arms looked to be mechanical and her face was covered by a fan she was using.
"Nothing, just looking for a little someone. Not something you should be concerned about, Val." Big Band replied to the blue hair lady. Yes it was true, the woman was in fact Valentine in disguise, but unfortunately, no one can fool New Meridians best detective...probably. He hasn't noticed who the other lady might be but he doesn't really think it matters.

"Well what gave it away, the blue hair or the pale skin?" Val said leaning against the bar smiling. "Actually, your right eye is always covered by something. Then there's your distinct red eye and cut lip." Just then, the bartender came back with printed photos of Peacock, the youngest of the ASG soldiers and the most chaotic of them. "Here ya go big guy, looks like she was headed to some late night cartoon screening over in downtown." The bartender said going back to cleaning the dirty glasses. "You and your friend are welcome to join, even if you plan to chop me up into bits or cut me open." Big Band took the photos and began to walk out the door. Valentine whispered something to the other woman and nodded. "I'll be coming along then, I could use a little walk."

They wandered the streets for a little bit, looking for whatever clue to track Peacock. "So, I heard about you and the princess. Must've been quite a shock to just about everyone in the kingdom and in the city." Big Band said, attempting to make small talk. "Yeah, we had a small history together before all that but...it just didn't work out up until now. But now I don't really have to worry about anything anymore. I'm living how I want to but of course there's always something in my life that's trying to bring me down... say how did you feel about the uh, "shocking" news?" Big Band looked up at the sky, eventually he came up with an honest answer. "The two of you always had this kind of...tension between you both. In my eyes it was only a matter of time before one of you confessed for the other." " Huh... well you aren't wrong about that."

After half an hour of searching, they found Peacock's speed wagon crashed into a street light. And then they spotted her coming out of a store with Annie: Girl of the Stars merchandise, following alongside her was her posse of cartoony looking characters.