A theater worker with certain connections had been paid to conceal her weapon of choice in the box that Cosmina would be using for the show. She was dressed in a lovely knee length green dress that would leave her plenty of range of motion to run and fight. Paired with it was a pair of dark blue gloves. A purse that matched the dress had been smuggled in with the rifle and concealed a pistol. The preparations were set and so Mina approached the theater in question confidently with her ticket in hand.

A person that knew of these preparations might be forgiven for thinking that someone important would die tonight. The truth was far less compelling. A rich man whose hobby was the theater had a certain actor he was fond of. The actor had been spurned in favor of a younger, newer face for the part of Hamlet in tonight's production. In truly spoiled style this man had gone through a number of contacts to reach her so that he could be disposed of. This would have been no issue for Cosmina. A low cost job in fact. Instead he thought he was creative and wanted to send a message.

Hamlet had to die during Act 3 Scene 1 of tonight's play: The "To be or not to be" soliloquy.

So a man had been paid, her gear had been smuggled, and the amount she was receiving for the job quadrupled. The rifle was new and had not been used previously. It was registered to a business rival of her employer. The pistol was her own and would be leaving with her while the rifle stayed behind. Mina handed in her ticket when prompted and began to mingle with the crowd in the lobby. It would be a long evening with a chaotic finish.

Theater was one of a very small number of things that could give Reginald some semblance of faith in humanity. Regrettably, the amount of loitering about and shuffling through crowds involved tended to have the opposite effect. There was a certain temptation to draw the sword from his cane and start hacking this herd of ruminant theatergoers into little pieces, but Dr. Black was not inclined to commit such a faux pas so soon after returning to the colonies.

Regardless, box seats for this performance had been rather difficult to acquire on such short notice. It was only due to considerable generosity on the part of the good doctor, and perhaps the judicious application of tentacles, that the house manager had remembered that there was, in fact, one box with an open seat remaining. In fact, It appeared that the lady in green who had entered before Reginald would be seated there as well. He supposed that it would be best to get these things over with as quickly as possible.

Dr. Black approached his eventual companion, bowed with a tip of the hat, and introduced himself. "Good evening madam. I believe we are to be seated together tonight. I understand there has been some confusion about whether or not seating in our box has been restricted, but I trust that it will be of no inconvenience to you."

Jorge sighed as he stood in the main hall, mingling in with the crowd for this performance of “Hamlet”. Though the 41 year old detective was a pretty grizzly officer, he actually did hold a degree in literature so classic plays were some of his absolute favorite. It had actually been a long time since he had gone to any production so tonight was indeed going to be a treat. He wished that Gemma had gone with him. They had planned on it but something suddenly came up for his beautiful girlfriend that took up her time. She told him to go without her and as he much as tried to say “no”, when she gets that look in her eye, you know the battle is lost.

She made him promise to bring back a program for the evening.

So, resigned to his fate, Jorge agreed that he would go without her. It would have been much more fun with her, but he would at least try to have some fun tonight. First night in weeks he was by himself. Apparently he was going to have to get used to being like that for at least the next three hours.

Dressed rather snazzy in a fine suit the detective freely mingled amongst the crowd, looking for no one in particular. He was dressed so snappily that Jorge would have surely blended in if not for the smallest bit of his personality that he needed to express.

He ignored the looks of disdain and shock as he sucked on the cherry lollipop in his mouth and instead busied himself with looking at the various pieces of art that was mixed along with production photos for this evening’s performance. He tilted his head as he looked for the photos and then glanced to his watch.

He hoped that the play would be starting soon. Already he could feel the questioning gazes of those around him burning a hole into his back.

He interrupted her mingling. Granted it had been mostly reconnoitering the territory discretely under the guise of watching her fellow play goers as they ever so slowly made their way to their seats. It was her hope to blend in with the panicking crowd once the actor was dead and find a convenient back exit to slip through. She'd done her homework and scoped the place previously but things could change from day to day. Mina saw no such changes now but caution never hurt in her line of work. Her eyes swung the man that was bowing and tipping his hat to her. His voice, words, and clothing would seem to mark the man out as one of quality. Sharing the box with someone was an unforeseen complication but that was what the weaponry that was waiting for her was for.

Decisions made, Mina inclined her head and dropped into an ever so brief curtsy.

"Good evening. Your presence, though unexpected, should pose no obstacle to my enjoyment of tonight's entertainment."

There was little doubt in her mind that this interloper would be no threat to her plans for the evening. Perhaps there was some hidden mettle to him but even so Mina was confident she could overcome it. Few were they that had stood after she decided they should be in the ground instead. The crowds were slowly shuffling forward and Mina moved with them toward the entrance to the box that she was suddenly sharing.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Claire Prince."

It wasn't a false name that she would keep. Mina didn't quite like it but it would serve it's purpose of concealing her true identity.

"A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Prince. I am Dr. Reginald Black."

The choking mass of humanity did not move as quickly as Reginald would have liked, but at least it was moving. He took some liberties with his own form to squeeze between less fortunate humans, who would never know, nor likely notice, the many conveniences to which the tentacled professor's more fluid anatomy entitled him. It was nevertheless a relief when he reach the box, a mercifully spacious venue to accommodate his not inconsiderable mass.

"I am not always fond of Shakespeare, but Hamlet does have its redeeming virtues. It is, I think, quite instructive upon the nature of mortality."

Though not often one to disrupt a lovely bit of silence purely for the sake of doing so, Reginald seldom turned down the opportunity to impart others with the knowledge of his particular perspective. Philosophy, even of such an impromptu variety, was a wonderfully productive use of time. Indeed, it could be esteemed at least as highly as polishing one's monocle, which Dr. Black had been doing as well, or watching the other humans in the theater strutting about like little exotic birds. An otherwise finely dressed man displaying a single bright red bit of candy was a particularly egregious example. Regardless, the good doctor seated himself and attempted to settle in.

"I believe you will often find that it is only once a dead body or two hit the stage that anything really gets done. This is especially true in theater, of course, but it holds up well enough in life as well."

The lights flickered and the crowd began to push itself closer auditorium. Jorge felt himself being pushed along with everyone, much like a fish that had been caught in a current that was far too powerful. Jorge, lollipop in mouth, sighed as he was ushered along. Soon he found himself on the ground level seating, looking up at the box seats that were for those who could afford it. He had to admit that people like that must have had a hell of a view. But Jorge rarely liked looking down on the world.

Returning to the task at hand, he glanced down to the ticket stub in his hand and started the search for his seat. The crowd was snobby, pushy, and always seemed to be giving him dirty looks whenever he passed their aisle. What was so wrong about an impeccably dressed simply enjoying a candied confection?

Jorge shrugged it off though. It they wanted to be shooting him daggers with their looks, then just so be it. At least he would be here to enjoying the show and enjoying the fact that he disrupted these snobby people’s lives. A personal victory he could jot down in his scorebook.

“Ah, there you are,” he said as he finally found his row of seating. His seat was the one on the aisle so he could easily stretch out his legs if need be. A quick glance down and he already saw that people of his row were sitting and muttering to themselves in hushed, whispers. The off duty detective gave them a quick smile and a nod as he claimed his seat. “Evening all.”

Once settled in, Jorge maneuvered his candy pop to his other cheeks as he glanced to a particularly ornery old woman who arched a brow in his direction.

“Evenin’ ma’am,” he said with a slight bow of his head.

“Hmph,” the woman replied and turned her eyes back to the stage.

He shrugged as he turned back to stage. Some people were such critics…

With the proper greetings observed Mina allowed the Doctor to speak as they reached the box and emerged from the clamoring masses into something much more quiet. A small smile played across her lips as she noted the purse that was exactly where it should be. This meant her weapon, hidden to one side among some drapery, should be there as well. Only then did she allow herself to actually hear what her particular companion had to say. What she heard relaxed some of her fears over how things would progress when it was time for action to be taken. Only a fool would reveal their errand after a few cheap words but if he held to that philosophy then things would be much smoother later.

"Do go on. "

Her fascination was only partly forced. Mina was interested but not nearly fascinated. The longer he spoke on the subject the easier it would be to get a read on whether he was a good actor or truly believed as he said. Counting on a lack of an obstacle where one would later arise could be far more detrimental than she would like.

"Death does tend to create a sense of urgency."

Why Mina was willing to bet that they'd see first hand just how urgent a crowd could get later in the evening. They had two Acts to sit through before that, not reckoning how long it would take for everyone to find their seat and the play to begin.

"Indeed, though such urgency is craven as often as it is noble. A human congregation scatters at death no differently than a flock of startled pigeons. It is an instinct which should remind us of our animal roots."

The blessing of a companion willing not only to listen but also to discuss was unexpected, though most welcome. Occasionally, Dr. Black entertained the possibility that he gave humanity at large too little credit. His life thus far, however, had taught him to err on the side of cynicism in this particular matter. Of course, he was cynical in practically all matters, but that was beside the point.

"Similarly, nothing reminds us that killing each other is a perfectly valid option so well as a few fresh corpses. Social beings, after all, expend considerable effort in forgetting how to kill. You will notice, however, that once the killing start again it is not inclined to stop. Barely anyone will be left alive at the end of this play, and it all begins with a single assassination."

Dr. Black gave the hilt of his cane a violent squeeze, accompanied by what could be interpreted as a bloodthirsty smirk. The lights were beginning to dim, although there might well be several minutes remaining before the house went completely black. Regardless, the good doctor felt quite at home in the dark.

"There are more truly noble perspectives offered by death, however. The understanding of one's own mortality is quite a powerful insight, as we shall see. It takes but the slice of a poisoned blade, and behold! Gone is the weakness, the indecision, the prince himself consumed with murderous vengeance. Indeed, Hamlet seems to find his death quite liberating." Reginald smiled again, though with more subtlety this time, as he felt the tentacles within him roiling where his viscera would otherwise be. "Of course, it doesn't hurt to know exactly how mortal one is or is not."

Jorge sighed as he settled into his seat. Though the looks from the surrounding people were a little disconcerting, the good detective really did not care. They could judge him all they want. The people around him, those that were sitting in the box office, the whole lot of them could just sit all night and sneer at the nicely dressed cop with a lollipop. He was here was to enjoy the show and partake in a little bit of Shakespeare.

Settled into his seat, the good officer sighed as he watched the rest of the people mulling around, trying to find seats. When they finally did, he smirked a little to himself. He loved a good stage production and he had heard that this was supposed to be good. There was a major change in the casting for this show. Some newcomer was supposed to be playing the role of Hamlet. Apparently the change had upset some people but he had heard that this new guy really had the acting chops.

Jorge hoped the rumor about the newcomer’s talent was true. Otherwise…well…what really could go wrong at the theater? Couple a difficulties, but this was Shakespeare! Nothing elaborate. It was not like someone was going to keel over dead on stage.

Ah well. The stage production would be well. The real test would be the soliloquy. The detective could not wait to see what new spin the newcomer would add to that…

She silently pondered the doctor's points as the lights began to dim. Her profession more often than not relied upon death and the social animal's reaction to it.

"Too true. But then there are those of the species that embrace death. Society by and large constricts these people to certain ways of life, either serving their country or indulging in a life of crime that eventually leads to prison and a death of their own. They certainly do not flee from death."

Cosmina knew this well. She was one of those few that did not shy from death.

"Just as life begets life so does death often beget more death."

And Mina hadn't spoken like this in some time. It was good to stretch her acting muscles like this. She wondered if he'd be as charmed by her demeanor when the moment of truth for the evening came.

"People on the edge of death do seem capable of far greater things than one would suspect them capable of. The body is after all so fragile, so easily broken."

Below them the lights finished their descent into darkness and the stage was revealed. A strident call of "Who's there?" put to death the low chatter of the audience. The play had begun.

"Sometimes imparting death is only another means of fleeing from one's own."

It would not be long now. Reginald had but a few moments to close out this little discourse. To his surprise, he was actually reluctant to do so. Unfortunately, time stopped for only a few humans these days, and Dr. Black was not one of them.

"I think, though, that occasionally there must be some who truly embrace death. I may not be quite such a fanatic myself, but I could not be persuaded that such a being would not be of great and terrible consequence. If one wants to transcend humanity, becoming one with death seems a rather promising way to go about it."

Then, not a moment later, there was darkness. By now, Dr. Black already considered tonight's entertainments a success. It would take quite a spectacular performance to really catch his interest at this point, but the next few hours would have to be the judge of that.

A death, a vengeful ghost, a murderous uncle, what wasn’t there to enjoy about this play? Most would say that this type of story was far too silly for modern audiences. People wouldn’t “get it” because of the highbrow language and the absurd storylines. After all, how many audiences would understand a bloodthirsty son wanting revenge against a conniving uncle who had murdered his own brother to get the crown and wed his sister-in-law?

Heh.

It sounded like a normal episode of the “Jerry Springer Show”. Not that Jorge ever really watched something like that, but he had caught glimpses of it in the precinct’s break room. Half the time the “reality” presented on those shows were far more ridiculous than anything the Bard could have come up with, and people ate those types of things up.

Nah, Jorge believe that people would be just fine with the story and would be able to grasp it. They just needed a little imagination. The detective had always enjoyed the play, though it was not his absolute favorite. Othello, now that was his favorite. Never had he read of such a deplorable villain with absolutely no true reasoning behind his actions as Iago. Sometimes, when he was in college, he could feel his blood chill just reading about the absolute maddening levels of betrayal and manipulation the man possessed.

It was people like that he tended to put behind bars, but not until after they hacked a bloody pathway through their lives.

He shook the thought away and continued on with watching the play. Now was not the evening to think of immoral villains and rogues. Now, was a night to enjoy the show…

The tragedy of Hamlet unfolded before the the audience. The young new talent in the starring role acquitted himself quite well. Cosmina pondered over Dr. Black's statements on death as the tale was told, eventually dismissing some of it as junk. While it was refreshing to speak to someone so openly on the subject of death he didn't seem to grasp the finer concepts of it well. Mortality? It made Cosmina laugh. While everything could die what use was that when each person would eventually return? Perhaps with a slightly different face but they'd be back. Some well spoken words wouldn't change that!

Act 3 Scene 1 drew closer and closer and Cosmina quietly waited until intermission before locating her rifle. She laid to rest any concerns over her companion acting up by first producing the handgun from the purse and discretely pointing it at him.

"I'm afraid, my dear doctor, that tonight Hamlet is destined to die much sooner than usual. I must therefore ask you not to make a fuss. I've no way of knowing whether you truly believe the views you fervently espoused earlier this evening or are simply a good actor. Regardless, think of this as an opportunity to enjoy a rather unique performance of the prince's soliloquy."

Her rifle retrieved Cosmina returned to her seat, careful to keep both weapons out of sight of anyone not in the box. The audience did not need to be aware of what was going to happen until Hamlet crumpled to the stage in a pool of blood.

Inspiring. That was really the only word for this woman's work. Visionary would not be inappropriate either, but Dr. Black suspected that she had accomplished this bloody masterpiece out of pragmatism and ruthless efficiency rather than artistic vision. Somehow, that only brought the spectacle closer to artistic perfection.

In return, Dr. Black intended to do her a far more substantial favor than "not making a fuss." Normally, he would be loath to take credit for another's brilliance, but on this occasion it seemed that the last thing Ms. Prince wanted would be recognition. Speaking of which...

"Ms. Prince, I do believe that now would be an excellent time to be on your way. I am about to make quite a spectacle of myself, and with all the confusion, well, who is there to say that you were even here? By the way, I love your work. Perhaps I may look forward to seeing it again in the future."

Without troubling her to respond, Reginald hopped onto the railing of their box, and addressed the mass of silent, bewildered theatergoers. "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the answer to a question that has been asked for centuries to no avail. Consider it an education in the nearness of your own demise!" The good doctor unfurled his tentacles, each finger becoming a long black serpent as he spun out slithering mass from his body. He was pleased by the resemblance this gave him to a malevolent angel in the low light. "Anyone desiring more personal lessons in their own doom may find them in my embrace. Prepare to learn." And with that he dropped from the box down into the orchestra seats and found himself staring at the familiar face of a well-dressed red candy aficionado. It was around then that the screaming began in earnest.

With intermission come and gone, Jorge returned to his seat, sans his lollipop or any sign thereof of it. Instead he looked like quite the normal theater goer now. He blended in with everyone who had not taken notice of him when he had first entered the playhouse. Those that had remembered him, though, still gave him a judgmental eye. Not that he cared about that. He continued on his merry way, bought a program for Gemma and Chase, set them beneath his seat when he returned.

He lounged back in his chair as the blinks flickered and blinked before suddenly going dark and scene opening on stage. So far Hamlet was not so bad. He was young and he still had raw talent but nothing that could not be honed without hard worker. Jorge had to admit that he was a little impressed.

Too bad Gemma had missed the evening though.

Shaking the sad though away, Jorge turned his eyes back to the questioning youth on stage and listened intently. He knew the soliloquy fairly well and could probably recite it by heart if he wanted to…

“To be, or not to be--that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them. To die, to sle—“

Jorge was going with it. He listened intently, not taking his eyes off the stage as the young soul poured his tortured heart out for everyone. The detective could believe that the kid truly had the chops to be an excellent actor because this right here, he was proving it to be so. But there was a small mistake that was notable; he paused in the middle of a word. Maybe he was doing it for dramatic affect? If so then he really should have waited until he was at least done with the word.

Also…why was his face make-up running red?

It took a second for Jorge to realize what was going on. The second he saw the man’s knees begin to buckle and the odd black dot that was in his forehead, Jorge had sprung up to his feet. The whole theater gasped in horror, screaming was going to start any second now. Quickly he scanned the audience and stage looking for any clues as to what happened…

Though he didn’t have to look far.

>> "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the answer to a question that has been asked for centuries to no avail. Consider it an education in the nearness of your own demise! Anyone desiring more personal lessons in their own doom may find them in my embrace. Prepare to learn."

Jorge soon found himself staring directly into the fiendish, tentacly, man that stood before him. His eyes narrowed. The man sounded like a bona fide loon. Slowly, though he began to back away as he kept his focus on the man while reaching out with his sense. His water sense was pinged several times as he narrowed his caught the locations of several cups and bottles of water that were scattered about him. They would have to do if things got crazy.

“Buddy, you picked the WRONG night,” he muttered and tightened his clenched fists. “Put up your hands and all your appendages. You’re under arrest!”