Track 02 - Since We Last Checked In

Displo's.

A restaurant in a rather mixed area of town. It gave off the outward appearance of a high-end restaurant and bar. Inside, however a mishmash of various styles, some sports themed, some art-themed, some high-class, some middle-class.

One critic had described the place a wayward clash, unsure exactly what it was going for. Displo, its caretaker and namesake never cared much for reviews. The restaurant, besides his project, served a much deeper purpose.

The whole place was actually a front for IRIS, a paranormal-suppression organization, itself moonlighting as a tech company. Secrets all the way down. Originally thought of as a way to train new employees it eventually became a safe area for IRIS agents and a cool place for employees to gather after hours.

And despite that, the restaurant, held another secret, one only a few in IRIS were even aware of. The restaurant served as the base camp of the Carnival, a group of thieves, 'security experts' and 'ruffians' who had so far 'attacked' IRIS and its rival company The Greater Good.

And the leader of the Carnival, a shadowy figure, a former cop by the name of (Y/N) was...you.

For you and the "Carnival" it provided a place to plot and scheme, acting as the breeding ground for the event that would change the city forever.

You were officially a security guard for the restaurant, lounging about at your desk by the entrance, reading a book, or browsing your phone. Wasting time as customers went in and out. Once in a while you were expected to fix something technical or deal with some unruly customers. An unshakeable aura followed you, the one where people figured you were a cop in a different life.

You had a helmet though it remained on the desk, not worn. Displo had given it you, a futuristic helmet that could display a number of facts about the environment and see behind you. At first you wore it a lot, loving its sensors and info.

At least, you did until S found out he could port into it and directly beam Mobius news to your eyes. Since then you wore it sparingly.

Staring out into space, your mind drifts recounting everything that had happened since that one fateful night you were nearly killed.

There were a few reasons you even worked here. One was money, but the real reason was for revenge. The past few weeks were spent building up a crew capable of taking down the largest faction in Newgrounds City, "The Family." Known by a few names from Dearest Clan to Meanest Dynasty they were always just known as The Family. And almost every member of the crew had a history with them, mostly negative, you included.

After all, they were the main reason you were off the force, and the main reason you found yourself agreeing with a lot of the anti-cop sentiment out there.

Through the weeks of trials and tribulations you had formed a group, nicknamed The Carnival.

It consisted of several members. Yourself, a goat-headed man called Tabi, a strange humanoid named Agoti, an alien who had no voice named Nikku, a robotic butler secret agent named Displo, an anthropomorphic apple pie called Pomona, an eldritch being obsessed with Sonic of Mobius just named S, a hyperactive cat-boy named Kapi and a monster found in a factory named Huggy Wuggy. Quite a gaggle of characters.

The Carnival hadn't been too active as of late. The last operation, Earthquake had completely changed the strategies of both IRIS and its main competitor TGG. It drew too many eyes on the Carnival as well as TGG's underpinnings.

The last thing discussed in the meeting was the existence of Whitmore, Kapi's old friend. Displo checked IRIS' records but found nothing. You checked the police database, finding a missing persons report for him. He had a bomb for a head. The case had a note it was handled by TGG. Displo asked Updike who at first denied Whitmore existed then stated that Whitmore was deceased and to not ask any more questions about it.

Displo ignored him and obtained the case file anyways. Unfortunately nothing could be done as it was classified with the highest protection TGG even had. The case was sealed and only with the approval of one of the trio could it be unlocked. Displo said he'd revisit it when the partnership was finalized, that he may be able to get access then.

You informed Kapi who refused to accept Updike's explanation, stating he'd get S to find him. He found it incredibly suspicious.

In the final meeting everyone determined the Carnival be placed on hiatus for a bit. There didn't seem to be much rush nor opposition to it anyways. After all, everyone seemed to be really busy the next two weeks.

IRIS, the Carnival's financier and benefactor had no disagreement to a hiatus, the company going through a lot of change as of late.

It was planting season on Pomona's farm. Her school was on a short break so that all the kids could help their parents and guardians with their homesteads. This also meant she needed Huggy 24/7. After all, he had become the 'dog' on their farm. With his busy schedule you hadn't seen him much. However, today Amelia, Pomona's mother informed you he would be back in your care tonight.

Huggy had been accepting of the hiatus, though he didn't even fully understand the Carnival's goal anyways. There was a brief stint where he had to be taken to a veterinarian, having some sort of digestion issue. You would have preferred to take him to an IRIS or even a TGG doctor but between all the new relations they were booked. Too busy sharing information. You and Pomona just played it coolly and took him to a regular vet. He remarked that Huggy was the strangest dog he'd ever seen.

It was found out that he had just been eating too well as of late. It made sense when they explained it to you. He had been living in that factory, subsisting of scraps and insects for however long. To be given steaks, heritage vegetables and home-grown food gave him a bit of a shock. All he needed was more water and to take some pills.

S still remained hyper-focused on Mobius. It was all he spoke about. And just as always you couldn't retain any of it. In short, apparently the whole planet was a mess. Some doctor had managed to plunge the world into a civil war. "Kingdoms are falling left and right! Nations overthrown!" S had dramatically put it. You didn't pay much attention but it had him on the edge of his seat, constantly watching several different streams about the state of Mobius. The only thing that stuck out was that he repeated many times that "it's not Eggman! It's some hotshot platypus doctor!" He had said that line more times than you could count.

You hadn't seen Nikku much and she had taken Tabi's spot as the most distant member. She always just kept to herself. You could tell she was lost, not wanting to be there, or constantly thinking of something. It didn't help there was much she couldn't remember, the amnesiac drug still evident in her system. All you knew for sure was that Displo had become her caretaker, and even under the new partnership, she remained an IRIS employee. You felt bad, herself stuck in a place she didn't want to be, but her voice power was simply too important to lose. She still used Tess' voice, much to her annoyance.

You did learn during the hiatus that S had begun hanging out more with Nikku. You weren't sure if it was because they were both from space or because she always listened to what S had to say about Mobius. The last the time you saw her she looked just a little bit happier.

Displo had originally proposed the hiatus, finding himself constantly swamped with new paperwork and a budding TGG-IRIS partnership. For some reason Updike really liked him, having Displo inadvertently become the unofficial ambassador of IRIS. He didn't mind of course, but it did take a lot of time away from the restaurant and the group. It also meant that Updike had become a regular customer at the restaurant, giving off his insanely foreboding aura. The other two of the TGG trio showed up occasionally, both threatening in their own ways.

Displo confided in you privately that Updike had his suspicions of the Carnival that the group had formed for some deeper purpose. It explained the random questions he would sometimes ask you about your past. Either way, he advised the members to steer clear of him and The Greater Good in general. You didn't trust him and even if he did like Displo something about him constantly gave you a bad feeling.

Agoti was in the middle of some big album release and was spending all his time recording. You presume Tabi was there too, having mentioned something that morning about it. Agoti had practically forced Tabi back out of 'retirement' and required his help behind the boards.

As for Kapi, you weren't sure. There was something going with him but it escaped the mind. It had something to do with his favourite arcade but you couldn't recall. S and Nikku joined him apparently, once in a while.

The main goal of The Carnival was still the same. That by fate or fortune, you and the rest would take down the Family. Take everything they got and perform the biggest heist in Newgrounds History.

You lean back. Reflecting on it, there hadn't been much else going on. The Carnival had taken over your life. Between that and the security guard job life was simple.

Well, there was one new thing. One of your neighbours moved out.

You barely knew them, occasionally saying hello. After the attack however, they wouldn't bother you at all, figuring you were into some mafia-related stuff. They had moved out and just as quickly as they left a new neighbour moved in. Appeared to be a full-on human, middle-aged with a full set of hair and thick busy supervillain moustache. Your first impression was that he was strange. Either that or someone ripped out of the 50s.

He was at the very least more social, often saying hello when he spotted you. Your guess of him being an eccentric only skyrocketed when, in the week of moving in had turned the simple house into a complex mansion, floors having been tacked on, a wooden rail spanning and weaving around the whole of it. Once in a while you spotted a cart moving across it.

It was a sight to see. And a sore one at that. The house was not only the largest one on the block but the busiest at that. You swore you even saw one of those rooms dripping, as if a pool had been built into it.

He identified himself as Theo. A single father whose son apparently did not live with him currently, though you weren't sure.

He gave off a strange vibe, that he was constantly hiding something, acting as if you were an interrogator. At first you thought it was because he suspected you a cop. However, after hearing him hassle another neighbour it became abundantly clear he was an extremely paranoid individual.

While you had considered checking the police database you ultimately didn't care. Theo kept to himself. And he was friendly at least. Unlike some of the other neighbours he didn't the least bit mind or care about Tabi or Huggy's occasional presence.

You did question him about the 'Family', much to Tabi's dismay. He denied knowing anything about them, remarking he had never been to this city before he moved in.

He also had some claims about kids sneaking into his house but checking your home surveillance saw nothing. You did offer him access if he wanted to press charges or anything. It was a gesture he greatly appreciated.

You caught him once looking at your cameras, taking some notes down. Surprisingly, when you confronted him he explained he wanted a system like it too, that his previous one had been foiled. You offered to help it up which he thanked and promised to follow-up.

He texted you earlier asking if it possible to do the set up today, that he was going to the store to get a good system. You responded that it shouldn't be a problem and to just come to your door after you finish work.

He said he was a freelance engineer, though wouldn't specify exactly what kind. You figured it was mechanical or architectural judging by his house. He reminded you of some army vets you knew back on the force. Seemed to carry a lot of trauma. He was a bit like Tabi, in a strange way. The distance and solemnity. At least with Theo he appeared to put on an 'eccentric visage'.

Tabi had been doing good as well. He had changed even more since that night. While he may have displayed weakness that one time he was back, as strong as ever. He seemed more protective than ever, willing to challenge any who he thought threatened you. It was a new Tabi, much more forceful and dominant. Different from the distant one you knew and confused one from before.

And it was good. A deeper relationship was forming.

Thinking of Tabi, you wonder how he's doing.

...

"Again." Tabi said.

"Really? What was wrong with that take?" Agoti complained.

"You slurred the last few words. Doesn't sound right."

"Argh. Alright. Let's do it in a bit. Gonna rest."

It had been a particularly busy morning for Agoti. He'd already spent the past few hours recording nonstop. Lots needed to get done for the new album. Even managed to get Tabi on the boards, back as his producer. He'd also forgotten how much of a perfectionist Tabi was.

In the recording studio, Agoti was wiped his face off with a cloth. He had been putting his all into it, working up a sweat. His hoodie had been tossed aside revealing a simple white undershirt and normal skin, itself slightly damp, a result from the vocal workout.

Appearing stained through his chest was some black tissue which appeared almost like a parasite. It jutted from his chest slightly, poking from the shirt. It was part of his heart, and the main thing aside his head and hands that differentiated him from humans. While he preferred to keep it hidden, in Tabi's presence he didn't care.

As Agoti stepped out of the recording booth he asked Tabi. "So how's it feel to be back on the boards?"

Tabi was hunched over a large mixing table, covered in various knobs and sliders. Agoti knew what barely any of them meant, but Tabi knew each knob and exactly what to do with it.

"Good. I'm not giving up though. This is just a break. I will have-"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. We're gonna kill all of them." Agoti said sarcastically. Even despite the hiatus Tabi kept reminding himself and anyone listened about his goal. It was as if he and the rest of the team would forget the minute he stopped uttering it.

Agoti had wished he stopped making so many threats. After all, they never knew who was listening. He joked once about Pomona being more secretive than him, having not uttered a single peep about Earthquake to anyone.

Or so he thought.

"And then you shoulda seen it. I shot the big Russian guy with a fireball. He looked pissed! Then I quickly grabbed one of the people running and teleported out. It was so cool!" Pomona said gleefully.

She sat at a lunch table in the cafeteria, several students surrounding her as they ate. They all listened attentively with wide eyes.

The trip had become legendary in her school. All the kids had been making up stories about what happened and discussion hadn't died down. Not to mention, they all saw the news and how 'cool' it all was.

Across the table from her sat Static, the self-proclaimed nephew of Displo. He wore his same trench coat and large black hat. He listened too.

Some of the kids had seen her get into an argument with her mom that day. They argued something and then Pomona teleported out, her mother did as well.

"I would've told you sooner but Mom said I couldn't. Was all secret. I'm practically a spy now!"

"No way.", "That can't be true.", and "You're lying." were some of the things to come out of the kid's mouths.

"Aw c'mon. I'm telling the truth. Static, your uncle was there. He must'a told you right?"

"W-well. He did say there was some big event. That, uh you were there."

"Whoa!", "No way!", "So you can do magic!?" were some of the things the kids were now saying. "Can you do some now? Oh, turn him into a frog." They questioned Pomona relentlessly. Static just shrugged. She had brought it on herself. He was happy the attention was off him and on her. He couldn't handle all the questions about his 'rich uncle'.

And thus the group was doing good. There were no complaints, life was easy.

Of course, things are never as they seem, and in the sense of a break the members did not notice their work had not gone unnoticed.

It was the hiatus that lured everyone into a false sense of security. Although, as you'd come to realize earlier you couldn't a seen a scenario in which you had been prepared.

The next chapter will be called Two Robots At Dusk.