Just One More Thing, Mr. Anders
is a crossover between Worm and Columbo by Rukaio Alter.
In the Medhall building, an argument between Kaiser and Purity erupts into violence, resulting in Purity's death. Problem is, it's in Max Anders's office, so Kaiser- in his civilian identity as Max Anders- has to scramble to hide the body (framing the ABB for Purity's death) and clean up the mess.
Unfortunately for Max and the Empire, there is one major obstacle between him and getting away with murder: Peter Falk as... Lieutenant Columbo.
The fic is complete.
This fanfic contains examples of the following:
- Awesomeness by Analysis: Columbo explains to Max how he deduced that Kayden Russel was Purity by examining the autopsy report and studying discrepancies in security camera footage. He deduces that Medhall is a supervillain front the same way by the end of the fic.
- Death by Adaptation: Purity's death at Kaiser's hands kicks off the plot of the fic.
- Dramatic Irony: Max tries to get Columbo taken off the case by talking to the Police Commissioner, only for the Commissioner to tell him that Columbo may look sloppy and act dumb, but he is actually one of their best men and the case is in good hands with him. Unbeknownst to the Commissioner, Max is the perpetrator, knows Columbo is a good detective, and wants him off the case because he's a good detective.
- Establishing Series Moment: The first chapter has Max Anders murder Kayden and then stuff the body in ABB Territory, only for Lieutenant Columbo to show up the next morning.
- Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: Max Anders is outed as Kaiser by Armsmaster and Lieutenant Columbo explaining all of the oddities in Max's office to each other and then putting two and two together.
- Fiery Cover Up: Max has the office of the private investigator he hired to spy on Kayden (and who Kayden killed) burned down to remove evidence linking him to the PI, and leaks the connection between the Empire and the body disposal expert that helped him deal with Kayden's body to the ABB, causing them to kill the expert and burn his business to the ground.
- Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: As he is being arrested, Max Anders explains that Purity's death was self-defense. Armsmaster retorts that it doesn't justify Max's other crimes as Kaiser.
- Guile Hero: Lieutenant Columbo, as usual. He charms his way into Max's confidence before basically outing him as Kaiser in front of Armsmaster.
- Hero Antagonist: Since the story is told mainly from Max Anders's perspective, Lieutenant Columbo is this.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: Typical for the murderer in a Columbo episode, Max Anders submits quietly when Armsmaster arrests him.
- Make It Look Like an Accident: Max's plan to hide his involvement in Kayden's death is to dump her body in an alley in ABB territory and stab it a few more times with a switchblade to disguise the cause of death, making it look like a botched mugging, likely by a member of the gang that claims that territory and is known for targeting white women walking alone.
- Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: After spending most of the story (and much of his life) being ordered around and bullied by his father, Theo needs very little convincing to help Columbo catch Max, even without knowing the full details of why it's important he dent the base of a particular statue.
- Oh, Crap!: Max has a few of these.
- First at Lieutenant Columbo's first appearance in the story, the morning after he thought he committed the perfect murder, especially when Columbo connects the statue Max used to kill Kayden with the murder, and reveals he found the glass of scotch Kayden dropped when Max killed her.
- Then when Lieutenant Columbo explains how he managed to deduce that Kayden Russel was Purity using an autopsy and security camera footage.
- Again when Theo explains that Columbo was questioning him.
- And again when Columbo shows up with Armsmaster and the PRT.
- And finally when Armsmaster levels his halberd at him and puts him under arrest.
- Original Flavor: This fic is very much a Columbo story that just happens to have Worm characters as most of the cast (including Max Anders as the murderer), and Lieutenant Columbo investigating a murder in Brockton Bay.
- Revealing Cover-Up: After Columbo gets too close, Max decides to move the statue covering the bloodstain, get rid of the stain, then use his powers to firmly fasten it to the ground by growing a new base. Unfortunately for him, he forgot that Theo had kicked the base of the statue hard enough to leave a dent the day before, and he removes the dent when he uses his powers to replace the base after removing it to get at the bloodstain. Unbeknownst to him, Theo had gone to Medhall and argued with him as a cover to leave that dent for Columbo, and when Columbo and Armsmaster investigate the day after and see the dent is gone, it helps them prove Max is Kaiser.
- Reverse Whodunnit: As per Columbo, the fic is told from the perspective of the murderer as Lieutenant Columbo investigates him.
- Underestimating Badassery: Downplayed. While Max thinks Columbo is a shabby looking mess when he first meets him (much to his delight, as he doesn't want the murder solved), he very quickly realizes Columbo is far more perceptive and clever than he looks.
- He also underestimates Theo, who he is so convinced doesn't have the spine to cross him that he doesn't even feel the need to threaten him into silence when he realizes his son suspects if not outright knows the truth behind Kayden's death. Even when Theo does stand up to him, he dismisses the boy's intelligence and pretends to agree to Theo's demands for now while planning to bring him to heel after he no longer has police attention on him, not realizing Theo is helping Columbo set a trap for him.
- Villain Protagonist: Max Anders is both the murderer and the viewpoint character.
- Wham Line: If it wasn't obvious before that this was a Columbo crossover, Jessica informing Max that Lieutenant Columbo is here to see him is one, and it's definitely one for Max.
- Wham Shot: Armsmaster pointing his halberd at Max Anders, now aware that Max is Kaiser.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Max leaks the identity of his body disposal expert to the ABB, resulting in them killing the expert and burning his business to the ground, in order to cover up his involvement in the disposal of Kayden's corpse.
