Trouble in the Galleria

This page relates to a reported minor bug: Confronting Big Bad John Steele before getting the steel knuckles and being defeated might break the quest

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Walkthrough

1. Visiting The Galleria shops for the first time, you get the following:

You take a stroll through the galleria shops down at the corner. It's late and most of them are closed, but a few, like a music store and bookstore, are still doing active business. Frankly you're surprised that this area is so quiet and peaceful. There aren't many places in the city like this.

On a whim you pop into one of the shops at random and poke around a little. Even crimefighters need a little breather now and then, right? You say hi to the shop owner and he returns your greeting. Just making conversation, you comment on the pleasant, peaceful nature of this little corner of the neighborhood. Strangely, the shopkeeper turns pale and starts stammering, "Wha-what do you mean? I don't know what you're talking about."

Weird. "I was just thinking you guys must do a really good job with security around here, to have all these shops open this late and not locked down like a fort. It's nice."

The owner continues to stammer awkwardly, and then squints his eyes at you. "Are-are you the new collector?" he asks.

"Huh? No. I mean, I don't know what you're asking. What kind of collector?"

The guy clams up, fast. "Oh, nothing. Nevermind." He refuses to say more about it, and eventually you leave. Something's very fishy, though.

This will yield the following message to your journal:

There's something fishy going on in the Galleria shops--it's weirdly quiet and the shop owners seem timid. Besides the stores, the only other night life in that area is at the Cannonball Tavern. Maybe you can pick up some clues there?

Or, if you are still level 1:

There's something fishy going on in the Galleria shops--it's weirdly quiet and the shop owners seem timid. Besides the stores, the only other night life in that area is at the Cannonball Tavern. Maybe you can pick up some clues there? Be careful, though. The roughs that hang out in that bar might be tougher than you are.

2. Patrol the Cannonball Tavern until you get To the Rescue, and the following message to your journal:

After rescuing Melody you're now very certain that something sinister is going on around the Galleria shops. If what she says is true, the guy who owns Jax 'Za pizza parlor might be responsible. You'll need more information, either from the pizza place or from the Galleria.

3. Visit The Galleria shops again to get:

You step into the galleria bookstore and browse for a bit. There's a visiting author reading excerpts from a children's book called Pickle and Onion and kids are running everywhere. On your way out one of the employees pulls you aside to an isolated corner. In a hushed voice he says, "Hey, I'm Bob, the store owner. I heard about how you rescued Melody from Jack's goons. A lot of people are afraid that might make things worse, but I think we've needed someone like you for a long time."

"What can you tell me?" you ask.

"Unfortunately, not a whole lot. The thugs do most of the dirty work, but it's common knowledge that the guy who owns the pizza place is ultimately in charge."

"You mean Jack?" you ask.

He nods. "Yeah. Jack. Big J, some people call him. I think those are just nicknames, though. I've never met the guy, but the neighborhood business association has him listed as John Steele."

"What else?"

Bob spreads his hands. "That's about it. You're going to have to find out the rest on your own. Come back if you learn anything else. I'll help if I can, but I'm no hero; I've got a wife and kids, and a good business."

You nod in understanding and head back out to the street.

This will give the following message to your journal:

Melody and Bob have confirmed that the owner of the pizza place, John Steele, more commonly known as Big J. or Jack, seems to be responsible for neighborhood extortion. It's up to you to track down more evidence. Besides the stores, the only other night life in that area is at the Cannonball Tavern. Maybe you can pick up some more clues there?

4. Patrol the Cannonball Tavern again until you get A Noggin Scratcher, which provides the steel knuckles, and puts the following message in your journal:

You've seen enough to feel confident that the owner of the pizza place, John Steele, more commonly known as Big J. or Jack, is responsible for some sort of neighborhood extortion. Now you just need to find a way to get to him and teach him a lesson. Maybe one of the locals can help?

5. visit The Galleria shops again to get:

You visit the bookstore and have another chat with the owner. Bob says, "I've been thinking about Jack, and I've got an idea. Jack's never around during the day, and his goons won't let you in with a weapon at night. But I bet I could sneak a small weapon into the bathroom of the restaurant during the day. Something small and completely waterproof. I could hide it in the toilet reservoir. If you can get past the guards, you could go into the bathroom and pick up the weapon."

The bookstore owner looks over your collection of weapons. "Hmm," he says, fingering the steel knuckles, "I think these might work. I'll sneak them over as soon as I can." He takes your steel knuckles and tucks them in a pocket as you head back out into the street.

This will change the journal message to:

You've seen enough to feel confident that the owner of the pizza place, John Steele, more commonly known as Big J. or Jack, is responsible for some sort of neighborhood extortion, and it's time to teach him a lesson. Bob already took the steel knuckles from you and hid them in the pizza parlor bathroom. All you have to do is get in there after the shop is closed for the night.

6. After 11:05, un-equip your weapon, go to Jax 'Za and enter John Steele in the box. You can then either "Visit the Bathroom" first, and then "Go to the Office", which yields very dazed John Steele or go directly to office which yields the much tougher Big Bad John Steele. Defeat him to get the following message in your journal:

You have had your showdown with John Steele and taught him a lesson. The Galleria shops ought to be free from his meddling now. You probably ought to let Rand know what you've been up to, and see if he can have Steele arrested.

'Or, if you haven't finished the Like a Super Neighbor quest yet:

You have had your showdown with John Steele and taught him a lesson. The Galleria shops ought to be free from his meddling now. If you ever make friends with anyone in the police department, it might be a good topic of conversation. In the meantime, maybe you ought to follow up on your hunches in the Like a Super Neighbor entry above. Hint, hint.

7. Visit the Twilight Police Department to conclude the quest and talk to Rand:

You catch Rand at the office and fill him in on your exploits regarding John Steele and the Galleria shops. He congratulates you on your good work but doesn't seem nearly as excited about the experience as you are. When you ask if he can arrest Steele, Rand just shakes his head. "Fraid not, kid. I'm glad you showed him up, but you don't have anything you can use as legal evidence. I'm sure he was guilty, but in a legal sense you don't have any reliable proof. In fact, if he wanted to, he could probably sue you for assault, and you'd be the bad guy in the case."

"Really?" you ask. "I hadn't even thought about that."

Rand nods. "Yeah, you've got to be careful, or you're going to end up making as many enemies with the law enforcers as with the criminals."

You say, "But at least that neighborhood is safe now, right?"

Rand snorts, and starts to laugh, until he realizes you were being serious. "For a few days, maybe. But Steele's just a small fry. Some guy running extortion in a few blocks of a small neighborhood? He may have been pretty efficient at keeping things quiet, but there isn't a fraction of a chance that he could have held the neighborhood if someone above him hadn't let him keep the territory. There's a crime syndicate that controls most of the city. Steele isn't even a bit player in that organization. He's a flea that lives on a rat that eats the crumbs that the syndicate drops now and then. There's a dozen parasites just like him living on your city block, waiting to take his place."

"Huh. Wow. I hadn't even thought about that. So the whole thing was basically pointless?"

"Aww, don't be too hard on yourself, kid. You did a good thing. A bunch of people are better off than they used to be. That's not a bad start at all."

The following message is added to the Completed Quests section of your journal:

You successfully tracked down a local criminal, John Steele, and taught him a lesson. The good news is that neighborhood is free of him. The bad news is you've come to realize he was just one extremely small extension of an extremely large crime syndicate.

Rewards

• 150 XP
• 400 chips