The Detective and the Gladiator
Three weeks. THREE WEEKS on this God forsaken case and he had nothing. James sat down on his chair and began to spin around. He normally did this to help himself think. Looking away from a problem and coming back gives one clarity, he found. However, it seriously annoyed his familiar as the mechanical knight glowered at him. James stopped and put his hands up in a motion of defeat. He put his hand on his face and blew a raspberry before looking up to the fan of their detective agency. He held up the case file.
“Okay, let’s go over this one more time. Over the last few months a person known as ‘Infinite’ has been taking people with familiars and , for a lack of a better word, Famliarjacking them and causing them to go berserk and requiring sealing. We all know, sealing is the same as repressing a personality causing even more damage. And we know that Infinite wears a mask. Anything I missed?” James asked sardonically. “You missed me putting the fear of God in most of the criminals you got the info from. “ X stated. The mechanical knight then grinned, his pointy metallic teeth reflected in the sun.
X  began to pick from his teeth absentmindedly. James could only shake his head. He took off his glasses and rubbed his temples. He looked at the round frames for a minute. How did he, a private investigator, end up with such a weird familiar?  Before James could continue the thought , he heard a frantic knocking at the door. X summoned his gigantic glave and held it out. James unclipped his pistol. He opened the door a crack to find a boy with a Golem familiar. Normally, this familiar should be covered in lush green grass with flowers sprinkled over it. Instead, it was gray, the grass was falling off and it looked tired. It was leaning on his summoner for support.  James quickly unlocked the door and motioned the boy and his familiar inside. “Thank you mister.” The boy croaked. James sat the boy down while X begrudgingly used a healing spell on the Golem.
“What's your name kid?” James asked, using his best fatherly tone. “I’m Sam. Please save him.” Sam said. Tears began to well in the young boys eyes. “ Hey, hey, it’s okay.X is helping Golem right now.” James said, trying to give the boy more confidence than he actually had. The Boy managed to just give him a frown. “Uh, let me take you out for ice cream. Okay.” “HEY I” James froze the familiar to get him to shut up. James took the boy out out the office and walked down the street with him. “So Sam, where are you parents. You seem a little young to just be walking around on your own.” James asked. “My parents are on a business trip. My babysitter is supposed to take care of me, but she was late, so I wanted to walk home with Golem. Uh, don’t tell my parents, please? “ Sam said.
James smiled. “No worries, that wouldn’t be the ...worst thing I had to hide.” James involuntarily shivered, thinking of the wrecking ball incident. “So, you’re a detective, right?” Sam asked. “Yup, I built this agency with my own hands. It took me a while but I did it. “ Sam just looked down, as if he was still worried about something. “You know that bad guy with a mask on tv. The one the news reporters keep talking about?” Sam asked. James nodded, mentally preparing himself for what was coming. “He was the one who hurt Golem. “ Sam said.
A few minutes later, James was back the the Agency jumping around and making happy noises. X stared at his companion and facepalmed. “How the hell did I end up with an idiot.” X grumbled. “Hey, Idiot, what the fuss. Did FFVII come out?” X said sarcastically. “No even better!” James said. “Okay, you know the kid with the injured familiar. Well….drumroll please!” James pounded on the table like a drum before stopping. “ HE GAVE US A LEAD!” James declared. X facepalmed, again.  “Is that it?” X sighed again. “You need a girlfriend.” “ I have you.” “You need help.” “I have video games.” X rolled his eyes. “Let’s go then. I’m in the mood to bust some heads.” James let out a little shrieked. “You promised you wouldn’t do that anymore!” James yelled, running after him.
James caught up with X and slowed down to a regular pace. “So, what’s the plan? “ X asked, his tone conveying his annoyance. “ Okay, so I’ve noticed that Infinite has a pattern right?” James produced a map and laid it on the sidewalk. He took out a marker. “Okay so his first attack was here, and a week later the next attack was here. Then here, here , here and here.”  X raised an eyebrow. “It makes no sense. No pattern or common area.” “That’s what I thought as well until the latest attack which was here.  And when you connect all the dots…” James used the maker to create…”An infinity sign.” X murmured. “Exactly. Somewhere near the center, is Infinite’s home base.” James said, eyes gleaming with joy. “ I can see why you were so happy now. Let’s bust some heads!” He  yelled. “NONONONONONONONO!” James said reigning his Familiar.
“Seriously!? Now what?!” X yelled. “We need to be covert about this X. This is our first lead in a while. If we go in guns ablazing, we could lose him for another three weeks, or even longer. I know you of all people wouldn’t want that, right?” X looked at his partner coldly but relented. “Fine. What do we do, oh wise and powerfully James?” X asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. James released his familiar and took out his gun. He then shot X in the shoulder and winched in pain. X faltered before rising up, showing his full height to his master. “Explain before I smash you.” X growled. “You play the role of a injured familiar, while I sneak in and gather intel. When Infinite appears, yell loud in pain or something. That’ll be the sign for us to skedaddle. With the evidence and the police backup, Infinite will be done for!” James said, pumping his fist up. X shook his head.
“Your plan’s are too complicated.” X said, sighing. James shrugged before walking away into a conveniently placed dark alley. X shook his head again before limping and groaning. At first it was quiet so no one would notice him. After a few minutes of the charade, X began to grow annoyed and groaned louder. Finally, another corrupted familiar walked towards him. “What has happened to you brother?” X had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing. “My...master shot and abandoned me” X said biting his lips. “ Come, I shall take you to my master.” the Familiar stated, taking the mechanical knight with him. James sneaked behind them, trying to channel his inner Batman. He followed the two and watched as the other familiar open a sewer grate to take X down into the sewer. Mentally counting the seconds, James rushed in and opened the grate slowly. He then jumped down. He immediately noticed that the sewer smelled better than usually. “Must be a Honeybird.” James muttered. He walked slowly forward, wincing when he stepped on a newspaper and waiting a few second before continuing.
James heard X’s fake groan and followed the sound through the sewer. He stopped and hid behind a rock. A small bird familiar popped around the area, searching for something. James held his breath, daring not to breathe. The bird then flew away, satisfied that no one was there. James turned from the rock and gasped. In the middle was a group of corrupted familiars. All of them were chanting. X pretend to be respectful but was biting his knuckles at this point, barely able to keep himself together. James quickly reigned X and could tell that the familiar was grateful about this. James quietly tip-toed around them, before seeing something. A familiar? No. James had unreigned X and saw that the Familiar was just as horrified.
Infinite had the shape of a human and that was it. His body was covered in jet black fur. His hands were claws, covered by red gentleman’s gloves. He wore fancy shoes for a reception of some kind, but it was twisted. A white masked covered his eyes. Infinite landed and took off his mask, revealing a human-like face. However, he had teeth like a carnivore and pointy ears.His left eye was scarred, to add to his fear factor. He radiated with a oppressive aura. The corrupted familiars cheered as they were bathed in the light that radiated from him. X grunted in pain while James rubbed his temples, a throbbing headache coming out of nowhere. He tried to inch forward but involuntarily gasped and fell on the floor, the oppressive aura bearing down on him. He tried to get up but failed, getting a nosebleed for his efforts. X collapsed, trying to use his arms to keep him up to no avail. The corrupted familiars laughed. Infinite performed a slicing motion in the air, causing every familiar to immediately stop laughing. Infinite floated down and looked down on James.
“So, you’re the detective that’s been chasing me. I must say, I’m impressed. First in your class in the academy, mastery in controlling familiars and having an unknown attributed familiar. You are quite the wild card, ‘my friend’.” Infinite said. His voice had a playful feel like a principal looking at the file of a misbehaving student, and the harshness of one. Infinite kicked James into a wall before teleporting and catching him by the neck. “Wha..the..hell are you?” James said, through the pain. “I am the perfect being. The imagination of a human with the limitless power of a familiar.” Infinte said before blasting  a charging X back. “So...you're human?” James said, reaching for his pistol. “Why yes. Yes I was.” Infinte said.”Please, send Sam and his Golem my condolences, if you're mentally capable of doing that after this.” 
He then put his hand on James and began to familarjack him. The process was excruciating, like his mind was being ripped apart. X began to fizz, like a transmission was being disrupted. James tried to call out to him to no avail. X tried to scream but the fizzing was making that impossible. James felt a rage inside of him. This wasn’t right. I can’t no...I won’t be used by an asshole like you. James growled and X stopped fizzing. Stopped moving for that matter. Mechanical wings came out from X’s back and he charged at Infinite, causing him to drop James. James grabbed his pistol and shot Infinite in the chest a few times. Infinite stared at the detective, enraged. Before he could enact his revenge, X summoned his glaive and stabbed Infinite in the chest. The familiar gasped in pain until he fell limp. X painted and returned to his normal, but smaller form. James hugged the familiar and stroked him, like a father with his child. X would have normally backed away, but at this moment, he need comfort.
Officers would later swarm the area, guns held high. They lowered them, to see James and X together, with a handcuffed Infinite. The police chief scratched his head. “What the hell happened here?” The chief asked. “ We found the source of the familarjacking.” X said, full of confidence. Infinte was immediately seized and placed in a containment unit. The Human-familiar laughed. “Enjoy your victory now detective, for it will not last.” Infinte said. The Detective and the Gladiator looked at each other for a minute before opening Infinite's unit and giving him a punch in the face.