Title: A Perplexing Disappearance from Mr. Stark's Country Estate.
Fandom: Marvel (MCU)
Rating: G
Content notes: Contains photos/caps related to various other projects or shoots the actors have been in.
Artist notes: For fan-flashworks. Also for Trope Bingo.
Summary: Several prominent Victorians have shown up to a party at Mr. Stark's country estate. But now the renowned scientist Mr. Banner is missing, and everyone in the house is a suspect.



My dearest fellow officers at Scotland Yard:

I write to inform you of the highly suspicious events committed at the country estate of Mr. Anthony Stark over the past weekend. On Friday night, Mr. Stark hosted one of his famous, or perhaps infamous, galas, full of drunken ribaldry, music, dancing, and presumably other pastimes. In the morning, however, the guests discovered that Mr. Banner, a scientist known far and wide for having an exceedingly calm demeanor, has gone missing. Given these very unusual circumstances, I hastened to Mr. Stark's estate to question the guests, and it is no exaggeration to say that I have encountered a veritable gallery of rogues, each individual being even more suspicious than the last. You, my colleagues, know how my heart's greatest desire is to see righteousness done, and to protect the innocent. I must therefore pursue this investigation until the guilty party or parties are revealed.

The suspects are as follows:

Mr. Stark is the owner of the country estate and a well-known tinkerer, inventor, adventurer, and world traveller. He is also known in the underbelly of London as an unrepentant pleasure seeker, with all that entails. He and Mr. Banner are known to be friends, and they often work together on odd and baffling scientific projects that, according to whispers, no man of good sense would pursue. Their friendship hardly indicates Mr. Stark's innocence; indeed, an experiment gone wrong could have angered the notoriously temperamental Mr. Stark into doing some violence.

--

Ms. Romanov is an accomplished ballet dancer from St. Petersburg, but rumors abound that she has connections to the dastardly world of espionage. She was seen flirting with Mr. Banner at a recent gala, and is known to be highly skilled at bending dangerous men to her will.


--

Mr. Rogers, a rather sinister-looking American, has been in England for several months, with his companion Mr. Barnes. Mr. Rogers has been reported as being seen arguing with Mr. Stark over some matter. It is possible that Mr. Banner, in taking Mr. Stark’s side in some altercation, may have suffered at the hands of Mr. Rogers.


--


Mr. Barnes is a mysterious figure, appearing to suffer from some injury to his mind during a war on the Continent. Little is known of his past, but many have reported that his eyes are haunted with guilt and pain; we must assume that this man is capable of great violence.

--

Mr. Thorin, the naval captain, fancies himself a hero but is widely thought to be a fool, a braggart, and altogether undeserving of the status he holds. He might easily deserve punishment for any manner of faults, including whatever has happened to the reputable gentleman Mr. Banner.


--
With so many suspects of dangerous repute, it is imperative that I keep everyone here, locked in Mr. Stark’s estate, until I discover the truth. I shall execute this investigation with the utmost impartiality, and in the end, there is no doubt:
I shall have justice….

Yours with greatest sincerity,
Inspector Laufeyson