Scene: City Streets - Early Afternoon
The sun hung high in the sky as Derek, Charles, Suzy, and the Kid regrouped at the city's bustling marketplace, their self-proclaimed "investigation" of the mysterious Auguitius Bord in full swing. Armed with nothing more than wild theories and a growing sense of impending doom, the team huddled together.
Derek: (serious, lowering his voice) "Alright, here's the deal. We need to track her before she does something… you know… ominous."
Charles: (crossing his arms, skeptical) "Like what, Derek? What do you think she's going to do?"
Suzy: (wide-eyed, voice trembling with poorly disguised fear) "Maybe she'll… summon a dragon… or cast a spell to turn us all into frogs!"
Kid: (eyes widening in excitement) "A frog?! That'd be awesome! Do you think we'll still be able to talk if we're frogs?"
Charles looked at the Kid like he had lost his mind, but Derek nodded thoughtfully, deep in his delusions.
Derek: (nodding slowly) "It's worse than frogs, my friends. Much worse. Maybe a chicken or a fish."
He took a deep breath and placed his hand on his shoulder, the spot where Auguitius had touched him.
Derek: (dramatically) "She touched me here. We need a dog to smell the scent—her scent—and track her down before it's too late."
Charles: (raising an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced) "A dog? What kind of dog are we talking about?"
Before Derek could respond, the Kid's eyes lit up as he had just discovered the greatest secret in the world.
Kid: (bouncing excitedly) "I know the perfect dog! Ruby!"
Derek paused, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.
Derek: "Ruby? Who's Ruby? Is she a girl? Is she shorty or busty? Hey, let's go ?"
Charles:(annoyed and angry) " We are not talking about a girl. We are talking about a dog who helps us to find that intruder, so please cooperate with ussss."
Derek:(smiles proudly) " Fine Red Carpet."
The Kid puffed out his chest, proud as could be.
Kid: "Ruby's my dog! She's a legendary tracker! She can smell anything! Even a frog!"
Suzy: (shaking her head) "Oh, come on, Derek. Any dog can track with the right training, right? Besides, we don't have any better options."
Derek rubbed his chin, imagining some massive, muscular, super-scent-hound with fangs the size of daggers. A true beast of a dog, built for battle and tracking criminals like Auguitius. He nodded to himself, satisfied.
Derek: (seriously) "Alright, lead the way, kid. Let's see this Ruby."
Scene: Kid's House - The Big Reveal
The team arrived at the Kid's house, which was massive like a villa, looking like a house of someone rich man. Derek's expectations remained sky-high as they approached the front door. The Kid disappeared inside for a moment, returning with a proud smile—and a tiny, fluffy white dog that looked more like a walking cotton ball than a fearsome tracker.
Ruby, as it turned out, was about the size of a loaf of bread, with tiny legs, a wagging tail, and big, curious eyes that blinked up at the group.
Derek: (staring in disbelief, jaw hanging open) "This is… Ruby?"
The Kid nodded, beaming with pride as he held the tiny dog out like it was a prize trophy.
Kid: "Yup! She's the best tracker in the whole city!"
Derek blinked several times, his brain struggling to process the sight before him. He glanced at Charles, who was already face-palming, and then at Suzy, who was doing her best not to laugh.
Derek: (muttering under his breath) "We're doomed."
Suzy: (giggling, crouching down to pet the dog) "Oh, come on! Ruby's adorable! And I'm sure she can track just fine. Dogs have a special Teja sense for scent, after all."
Charles: (grumbling) "Yeah, but I don't think 'adorable' is going to help us find a criminal mastermind."
The Kid placed Ruby down on the ground and pointed dramatically at Derek's shoulder.
Kid: "Alright, Ruby. Smell the spot where the intruder—I mean, the mysterious lady—touched Derek. Track her down!"
Ruby sniffed the air for a moment before stepping forward to sniff Derek's shoulder. She circled him a few times, her tiny nose twitching as she took in the scent. Then, with surprising speed, she darted off down the street, yipping excitedly.
Kid: (grinning) "She's got the scent! Let's go!"
Scene: The Chase Begins - Through the City Streets
The group rushed after Ruby, sprinting down the crowded streets, dodging vendors, carts, and bewildered citizens. Ruby, despite her small size, moved like lightning, her little legs carrying her at an impressive speed.
SFX: The chaotic sound of footsteps pounding on cobblestones, the distant shouts of vendors and pedestrians dodging out of the way.
Derek: (panting as he tries to keep up) "How… is this little thing… so fast?!"
Charles: (gasping for air) "She's… surprisingly… agile!"
Ruby darted around a corner, yipping happily as the group chased after her. Derek's mind raced with possibilities. What if Auguitius was some kind of dangerous deity? What if she was planning to summon a monster or curse the city? His paranoia grew with every step.
As they rounded another corner, Ruby suddenly stopped dead in her tracks, nose twitching as she sniffed the air again.
Derek: (breathing heavily, wiping sweat from his brow) "Did she find something?"
Suzy: (excitedly) "Maybe she's close! We're going to catch her!"
The group gathered around Ruby, holding their breath as she sniffed the ground. Then, to their collective horror, Ruby stopped at a very particular spot—right next to a pile of poop.
SFX: A faint buzzing of flies and the squish of something unpleasant underfoot.
There was a long, awkward silence as they all stared down at the pile.
Charles: (sighing deeply, face falling into his hand) "You've got to be kidding me…"
Suzy: (holding her nose, looking disgusted) "Well, this is… disappointing."
Kid: (cheerfully) "She found something!"
Derek: (wide-eyed, disbelief etched on his face) "She doesn't smell like poop, okay?! This dog's not working!"
The Kid bent down to pet Ruby, clearly oblivious to the tension building around him.
Kid: "Good girl, Ruby! You're the best!"
Derek let out a long groan, his head dropping into his hands as the reality of the situation hit him. How had things gone so wrong? They were supposed to be tracking down a criminal mastermind, not ending up at a random pile of poop in the middle of the city.
But then, something clicked in Derek's mind. A memory—a vague, disturbing memory—came rushing back to him.
Derek: (slowly, eyes widening in realization) "Wait… oh no."
Everyone turned to stare at him, confused.
Charles: "What is it?"
Derek: (groaning, slapping his forehead in frustration) "There was another person who touched my shoulder after Auguitius…"
Suzy: (frowning) "Who?"
Derek: (grimacing) "It was that creepy old merchant from the market! The one who sells those weird 'miracle elixirs'!"
The group froze, the horror of the situation dawning on them all at once.
Charles: (groaning loudly, pinching the bridge of his nose) "So, we've been following the scent of some random merchant this whole time?"
Kid: (innocently) "He did seem a little weird. Maybe he's in on it!"
Derek threw his hands up in the air, his frustration boiling over.
Derek: (yelling to the sky) "Nooooooo! This is a disaster!"
SFX: Derek's anguished scream echoed through the air, the distant sound of Ruby barking happily in the background.
Scene: Reassessing the Situation
After a few moments of collective frustration, the group sat down on a nearby bench, catching their breath. Derek sulked, his head in his hands, while the Kid continued to pet Ruby, seemingly oblivious to the disaster they'd just endured.
Suzy: (trying to remain optimistic) "Well… at least we know she didn't go this way."
Charles: (sighing) "Yeah, but now we're back to square one."
Derek, still sulking, mumbled under his breath.
Derek: "Maybe we should just give up. Auguitius is probably long gone by now."
Kid: (cheerfully) "Don't worry! Ruby did her best, and that's what counts, right?"
Derek lifted his head, glaring at the kid.
Derek: (sarcastically) "Yeah, right. If by 'best,' you mean leading us on a wild goose chase to a pile of poop."
Suzy: (giggling) "Come on, Derek. You've got to admit, it was kind of funny."
Derek: (grumbling) "I don't find poop funny."
Charles: (rising to his feet, determination returning) "Alright, we'll try again tomorrow. For now, let's regroup and figure out a better plan. We're not giving up yet."
The group stood up, dusting themselves off. Ruby barked happily, completely oblivious to her failure as a tracker, and the Kid gave her a proud pat on the head.
Kid: "You're still the best, Ruby."
SFX: The soft rustling of leaves in the wind, the distant hum of the marketplace.
As they started walking back to the city center, Derek glanced at his shoulder again, his mind still racing with paranoid thoughts. Auguitius was out there somewhere—and next time, he'd be ready.
Derek: (screamed) "No guys, we have to do it now otherwise, no way.."
SFX: The scene fades to black as Derek screaming.