Fantasy The Albert Branch (Urban fantasy/Secret organisation RP)

[GhastlySquash]

The Mad Queen

Emma just shrugged. “Listen lady, I don’t know what branch or division this is that needs James Bond and the three stooges but I could easily settle this in my own country, thank you very much. Americans have a way of believing the evidence.”

She turned to the younger Emma, who by now had gone into the fetal position and avoided her gaze. “This girl isn’t me. I don’t know why she’s claiming it, but the fact remains is that she is. And that is identity theft. You want to look at it another way, I can call my lawyer. Isn’t this already kinda illegal to transfer me to another country to solve a simple case?”

When Vera mentioned caring about herself, Emma smiled. “Of course I do. Who wouldn’t?”

 

[The Mad Queen]

Vera squeezed the ridge of her nose, and looked away from the older Emma.
"We've been over this. The Americans will probably kill you via dissection. Going back to your own country risks your life." She put it as bluntly as she could, then sharply turned to the younger Emma.
"But we will protect you. That is what the branch does."

Her attention moved back to the older Emma, who was asking for lawyers and talking about how illegal things were.
"Then if you care about your safety, you will listen. I do not know how much those American agents told you, but this isn't just a simple case of identity theft or a confused child." She leaned in closer "If I continue with this, you will have to be sworn to secrecy under the penalty of life imprisonment, possibly worse. Do you understand me, Emma?"

The branch could just wipe both their minds and be done with it using some magic and a gargantuan stack of paperwork, but Vera knew better. If the two girls, the older one especially had their memory wiped and were sent back into the world the TFF would still take them in. Where was the younger of the two meant to go anyway?

-
Oliver shook his head, tutting "The Clerk family always were tricky bastards. Alright, Langley. Walker." He nodded at both men "I wish I could join you, but the TFF are gonna be up me arse all day. But, that does mean I'll be at HQ till me shift ends, maybe even longer if these Yanks stick around. So, let me know if you need anything. Backup, more information. Anything. Let me know."

"Mr Bóideach?" A voice came from down the hall "This agent is..."
"Ah." Oliver grunted, heavily rolling his eyes "Chaps. Good luck to ya, I best be off before there's a diplomatic incident."

GhastlySquash jones573 Sylvio

"It's too great a risk." Chloe shook her head "Even if we did find a back-alley there's the potential of somebody seeing us just drop in." She stared out the window "Forget I said anything about it, and let's just hit the road."
She nodded at Fletcher in the driver's seat "Sir. I've entered the coordinates to the nursing home. Tried to avoid the main roads, that way we'll skip the traffic and should get there as quick as this thing will move."

As she readied herself, the phone in her pocket started to buzz but Chloe took one look at it and simply hit the deny call button. Whatever it was, it could wait.

Eliasdagood Foster LindsMagee

 

[Foster]

It was a conscious decision on Fletcher's part not to throw his opinion into the ring whilst the others spoke, after all an agent like Chloe would never learn to think for themselves in the field if their superiors just told them exactly what to do. It was his preferred teaching method, a trial by fire so to speak. It was how he'd been taught after all and he was... well he wasn't dead yet.

"Cheers." Fletcher nodded in acknowledgement at the now set up GPS system. A top down roadmap came to life in the dashboard, a bright red and easy to follow line pathing the way towards their destination. An admittedly useful little device. All the same Fletcher deactivated the vocal instructions the GPS offered, after all a map should be seen and not heard. It was with ease that Fletcher navigated their van out of the structure, something he'd done countless times before. They emerged out into what was shaping up to be a rather beautiful day, morning wasn't quite over yet and already an optimistic sun was peering out amongst a few wispy clouds. That was enough to lighten Fletcher's mood a bit, perfect weather for a little field work. After a quick flash of ID to the security guards the group was out on the open road and making steady progress through the picturesque Irish countryside. One could almost be forgiven for forgetting they were on a murder case. They passed many other cars filled with those on their daily commutes, parents taking their kids to school or whatever else it was civvies did. It was just as his father had always told him, the world was like a lake, it's surface beautiful and tranquil. Rarely disturbed by the chaos beneath. This is all most of the world would ever see, never feeling a need to know what lurked beneath and content in their ignorance. It was down to those who knew what was hidden under the water to keep it that way, lest the balance of the lake be broken. His father was a rather melodramatic man. But still he'd made sure Fletcher would never forget those words and the significance behind them.

"Aziza could you disguise yourself as a forensics specialist? I feel it might help you blend in a little better." Suggested Foster as they arrived at Seahall, grabbing a parking space with ease. It made sense that the car park was relatively empty, visitors had probably been told the ward was temporarily closed to the public.

"Tempest you want to take point here?"

Normally Fletcher would have just put aside his distaste for public relations and got on with the job but he was tired and irritable so it would be in their best interest to let Tempest take the lead here. Besides her "forever young" appearance probably made her seem a little more approachable.

 

[jones573]

“I do believe Agent Vera is out investigating that spattering of suspiciously stubborn fairy rings, sir,” Daniel lied blandly. “I’d guess she won’t be back until at least tomorrow.”


“Well, let’s go see what these boxers know then,” he nodded at Jack. “You wanna drive? Sounds like you know where we’re heading.”


He pulled out his phone to text Tempest: ‘Chasing leads for a diff case w/Langley, will be out&about. B’s in meetings, call us direct if you need anything’


Daniel guessed the whole business was probably just a curse with no immediate danger, but it was technically an open Class 2 situation with the potential to escalate. He trusted Tempest’s judgment about whether they would need additional help and when, so he figured it would be easier to cut out having her need to call Olivier to request back-up so that he could then call Daniel to dispatch him.

Interactions: @ The Mad Queen , @ Sylvio , @ LindsMagee

 

[LindsMagee]

Responding to Daniel’s text, Tempest wrote “Will do. You do the same”, wondering what case they would be chasing. When Fletcher asked Tempest to take point, she observed the dark circles under his eyes and decided that would be the best option for them. Not to mention her experience with public relations. Straightening out her blazer, Tempest surveyed the group and said “I’ll head inside first and speak to the receptionist. Once everything is clear, I will wave you in.” To Fletcher separately, she offered “I can make you feel like you have energy if you need a ‘pick me up’” the power granted to her at death gave her an ability to do that, among other things. She couldn’t give him real energy, but the illusion of it was enough.
Leaving her offer on the table, she walked up to the front desk and decided that the receptionist would not be difficult to deal with. “Detective Bradley. My team is here to do forensics and investigate the death of your patient last night.” Tempest motioned to the other agents with one hand, and showed her badge with the other. She wasn’t expecting the receptionist’s response to be “What happened to the police officer from earlier?” Tempest quickly responded “He was called back to the police station after the forensic team and I were requested to come investigate”. The receptionist smiled “The last room to your left, oh and her grandson came about 20 minutes ago and he’s quite the looker” she added with a wink. Tempest laughed lightly, thanked the woman, and waved her team in. “A police officer is missing and her grandson is apparently already here” Tempest informed the other agents in a hushed tone as the walked through the hall.


Smiling at the woman, Elysian began sifting through questions to begin with in his head. Just then, he heard Emilio’s voice ringing in his ears. Something about a cop’s disappearing act. Turning away from the woman after mouthing “one moment”, Elysian sent orders to Emilio“Send a comm to the guys on watch today to look out for a police car with an out of place driver or erratic driving. Could be a potentially dangerous situation.” Then, pondering for the best course of action, he directed Aleksander to review the nursing home’s security footage to get the exact police car and cop that were missing. Spinning back around to face the woman, Elysian began to ask his first question and pressed the “record” button on his device. “Who found the patient and what actions did they take in response to the situation?” Just then his ears pricked as he heard what sounded like multiple people enter the nursing home.


The Mad Queen Foster Eliasdagood jones573 ​

 

[The Mad Queen]

Placing her cap on, Chloe followed the others inside.
"Ma'am." She nodded at the receptionist "I'm sure the other officer went over this with you, but is there anything you can tell us?"
"My shift only started recently." She shrugged "I wasn't here when Mrs Cotton was..." She shook her head, turning slightly pale
"Okay." Chloe nodded once more "But you were here yesterday, right?"

The receptionist nodded
"Was there anything suspicious then? Anything you can think of?"
"Nothing that would point towards what happened, no. Mrs Cotton was usual self. Bubbly as always."
"Did anyone come to see her?"
"No. Her family usually come on the weekends anyway, but..."

Chloe leaned in.
"What did you see?"
"It's nothing."
"Ma'am. Anything you can tell us, anything at all would be important to the investigation..." Her eyes were alert, staring the receptionist down
"An old friend of hers was in yesterday. Bald fella, about your height. The two of them got on well, even more on the days when Mrs Cotton recognised him."
"Do you have any contact details for him?"

She nodded, and opened a small book behind the desk.
"Mr Noah Whyte."

Getting a phone number off the receptionist, and bidding her a good morning despite the circumstances Chloe walked with the others towards the room Mrs Cotton had died in. A nurse stood just outside the door, and she appeared to be talking to someone.

-
The middle aged nurse nodded "That would be Rosamie. Rosamie Torres. She's been working with us for just over a year now. I accepted her myself. She takes the nightshifts so she can watch her kid during the day."
She shook her head, tutting "I hope this doesn't bury her. All the residents like her, and damn near half the staff do too." She shook her head once more, snapping herself back to focus "Sorry. She, um. Despite what happened she followed protocol in the event of an unexpected death. Contacting the authorities, the manager and of course the next of kin as well."

"The police questioned her and then she went home when her shift ended. Poor girl blames herself for what happened."
Hearing footsteps, the nurse turned to face the team.
"Hello. What can I do for you officers? I was just speaking with a lawyer representing the family."

Eliasdagood Foster LindsMagee

 

[Eliasdagood]

Aziza nods to Fletcher, her appearance changing to fit the role of a medical examiner, her hair pulled back in a neat braid, her outfit changing, and her jewelry changing to something a little more casual.

She gets out of the car with the others, letting them do the talking. Noah Whyte. She’ll want to research him once they’re back at the office. Just because the woman liked him doesn’t mean he wasn’t hunting her.

As they go to inspect the room, she hears another voice, and has to hide her reaction immediately. Of course he’d be here. Why wouldn’t he be? He could have waited a moment though so they could coordinate.
The Mad Queen Foster LindsMagee

 

[Foster]

"I appreciate the offer Tempest but I'll be fine. I'll grab a coffee from the cafeteria if need be."

It was true, Fletcher really did appreciate the offer of help that his fellow agent was willing to provide but the words were out of his mouth before he'd even thought about it. After all an illusion of strength was little more than that, an illusion. A placebo of sorts. He could very well push his tired body past its limits without realising it and do lasting harm to himself. Following the rest of the team inside he did find himself longing for a shot of undead magic red bull however.

With the rest of the team handling the staff Fletcher did what he did best. Pulling a pair of mirrored sunglasses from the depths of his coat he slipped them on, suddenly longing for his mask and cane, both of which he'd had to leave tucked away in the van. But the sunglasses were certainly less suspicious. A familiar rush coursed through his veins, a peculiar feeling akin to ice cold water that made it's way to his eyes in less than a second. Hunter's soul. An old magic passed down generations of Hazeclaw hunters. Due to the rather flashy side effects the magic caused Fletcher was barely tapping into it, just enough to grant him the most basic enhanced sight. His gaze raked the room, searching for even the most inconspicuous detail out of place. Plenty of footprints decorating the carpet but all of them humanoid. A tea stain on a magazine. Human hairs dotted all over the place. Disappointing but this was only the reception after all. As he followed the girls towards the scene of the crime he noted an elderly lady eyeing him with an air of suspicion.

"What's with the sunglasses? You shouldn't wear those inside you know. Bad manners." She croaked, waggling a crocked old finger at him.

Stopping in his tracks the young man gave her a quick once over. Human through and through. Perhaps a tiny bit of selkie lineage many generations back.

"Headache dear, they're just to help me through the day." He shot her what he hoped was a sincere smile and left her behind, not wanting to trail to far behind the others. As they closed in on the scene of the crime an all too familiar scent reached his senses, masked as it was by cologne. A lycanthrope? Male as well probably but it was hard to judge. Tensing up checked the trick pistols hidden up his sleeves, remaining calm despite the possible threat. He couldn't go in guns blazing, that would be insane. Not here, not with so many civilians. And there was always the slim possibility that the lycanthrope was a member of staff or even a patient, trying to live a peaceful life out here. He'd just have to let the situation unfold naturally before he took any action.

 

[GhastlySquash]

Vera squeezed the ridge of her nose, and looked away from the older Emma.
"We've been over this. The Americans will probably kill you via dissection. Going back to your own country risks your life." She put it as bluntly as she could, then sharply turned to the younger Emma.
"But we will protect you. That is what the branch does."

Her attention moved back to the older Emma, who was asking for lawyers and talking about how illegal things were.
"Then if you care about your safety, you will listen. I do not know how much those American agents told you, but this isn't just a simple case of identity theft or a confused child." She leaned in closer "If I continue with this, you will have to be sworn to secrecy under the penalty of life imprisonment, possibly worse. Do you understand me, Emma?"

The branch could just wipe both their minds and be done with it using some magic and a gargantuan stack of paperwork, but Vera knew better. If the two girls, the older one especially had their memory wiped and were sent back into the world the TFF would still take them in. Where was the younger of the two meant to go anyway?

-
Oliver shook his head, tutting "The Clerk family always were tricky bastards. Alright, Langley. Walker." He nodded at both men "I wish I could join you, but the TFF are gonna be up me arse all day. But, that does mean I'll be at HQ till me shift ends, maybe even longer if these Yanks stick around. So, let me know if you need anything. Backup, more information. Anything. Let me know."

"Mr Bóideach?" A voice came from down the hall "This agent is..."
"Ah." Oliver grunted, heavily rolling his eyes "Chaps. Good luck to ya, I best be off before there's a diplomatic incident."

GhastlySquash jones573 Sylvio
Eliasdagood Foster LindsMagee

Both Emmas had been silent for a while. The younger one seemed to be staring at her hands, muttering something incoherently while the older Emma just looked irritated.

“So how do you presume we figure this out?” The older Emma asked. “Which one of us is real after all?”

The younger Emma had retreated under the table, apparently rocking back and forth as if the weight of Vera’s words finally dawned upon her about how serious this situation was. If they didn’t solve this, she’d be dead in a few weeks.

She had no doubt in her mind that Vera was saying the truth after all. The men that had taken her seemed less than appreciative of doing this. In fact, one of them told them that the only reason they had sent them here was because one was a parasite and the other was a normal tax-paying citizen.

 

[The Mad Queen]

Up until she joined the Branch, Vera had no idea that Changelings even existed. They were an old wive's tale, even to the Church she served. And sure, she'd handled cases involving Changelings since then but this one was brand new. It wasn't unheard of for a Changeling and the original to be on the Earthly plane at the same time, or even for them to want the same life while being unaware of their true nature.
Vera could handle that.

She could handle the Fey and their plane of existence, but what she couldn't handle were the Americans. The cross-agency diplomacy and the bureaucracy were her true enemies in this.

"There is no way of proving this..." She looked to the younger Emma again, practically seeing stench lines from the fear the child. Even the older Emma was listening to her now.
"Unless we consult one of these beings."
There was a dissection too, but she wasn't even thinking of going there. It would be costly, but at the very least both Emmas would be alive.
-
Daniel's phone would buzz as he received a text message. It was from Oliver.
Stuck with TFF wanker, but do send me updates on that boxer situation as it comes in. Good luck to you both.
-B
GhastlySquash jones573 Sylvio

Chloe took a few steps towards the nurse, greeting her with a smile.
"Good morning, ma'am, are you alright if we ask you a few questions?"
She sighed lightly "I already told the officer who was here earlier everything, and as I said I've been talking to the family lawyer too."
"I understand, but we have to make sure we haven't missed anything."

The nurse turned around to face Chloe, her eyes tired and wearing a scowl on her face.
"What else is there to miss? You people have been in and out all morning. Scaring residents, scaring staff..."
The officer raised a hand "Okay, okay. I get that. Look, why don't you go sit down for a few minutes. Do your rounds, check on the other residents and we'll talk later, okay?" She was calm and clear

The nurse's gaze turned back to face Emilio.
"Is that okay with you?"

Eliasdagood Foster LindsMagee

 

[LindsMagee]

Tempest observed as Chloe began talking to the woman and the…family lawyer beside her. She had never seen him before but had the notion that he was more than human. As the nurse was directed to go sit down, Tempest made her way in front of the man, “family lawyer?” She questioned with a raised brow before walking past him and into the room. Someone else could question the man.

In the meantime, she scanned the room, and found nothing to be out of place other than a few odd patches of soil. Walking over to the family photos she noticed that they seemed to be a happy family. Who or what would do this? What was the motive?


Ah, here we go. Elysian thought with a smirk and the Branch agents showed up late to the party. He eyed the blonde agent that told the nurse to take a rest before answering the nurse’s question. “Yes love, take a rest we can speak later”. Then a new agent appeared to question him and walk into the room without receiving an answer, with a laugh Elysian turned to the blonde agent from before. “Is she always that accusatory?” He asked before sticking out a firm hand. “Elysian Brekkr. And you are?” he inquired, feeling the presence of Emilio and Aleksander flank either side of him. It would be interesting to see how well he would get along with these agents.

The Mad Queen Foster Eliasdagood ​

 

[Sylvio]

Jack was bringing Walker the garage, he was driving a silver Toyota Camry Andy was briefing Walker on the way. “So the man running the place is Edgar McMahon. Commonly referred to as Ed Man since most of his goons didn’t even get through secondary school. Smart bloke actually, he’s an auditor for the Clerk’s, so he should have something in his books of any transactions within the past few months. My plan to get in is really simple.” Jack takes his hand off the steering wheel to reach in his pocket and pulled out 20 quid. I have someone in the PSNI who’s undercover, works as a trainer. He can get us close to McMahon.”



jones573

 

[The Mad Queen]

"I find she's a good judge of character." Chloe nodded over at Tempest. She could search for strange elements while Chloe dealt with the lawyer. Some things weren't adding up to her, but whether this man was a part of it remained to be seen. Glancing over at Tempest once more, she looked at the lawyer but took care to avoid making direct eye contact.
"Chloe Walsh." She returned the handshake. If she used a fake name, and the lawyer followed a paper trail he might get suspicious. According to official PSNI records, she was still an active officer but currently working with a specialist unit. It wasn't that far from the truth, of course but she was looking into Vampires and Mummies rather than IRA and UVF members.

Her alibi was held up by a mountain of bureaucracy, so using her real name wouldn't draw attention. He'd wonder why she was looking into a nursing home death, but there was bound to be something to hold that up too. She trusted the Branch to cover their tracks, and so long as she kept to the story they gave her it would hold up. Lying was a small price to pay for protecting people and upholding the law, and one she gladly paid.

"We're investigating this woman's death. I hope you weren't getting in the way of that." She said rather coldly "If this goes further, you might have to be summoned to court to back up that nurse's statements."
Telling a lawyer that would be like explaining police procedure to her, but she had to play her part.

Eliasdagood Foster LindsMagee

 

[LindsMagee]

Tempest felt secure in the fact that Chloe was dealing with the lawyer. However, Tempest wondered if Fletcher might be able to know what type of magic was used in this room, if any. She didn’t know where exactly the agent was, and seemed to have misplaced her phone, so she directed an illusion of her calling him into the room into his mind. Tempest didn’t have to look at a person to direct her illusions at them, she just had to be near them in order for her magic to sense their presence.

As she waited for Fletcher, Tempest noticed a dropped police badge on the ground near a night stand. Puzzled, Tempest squatted down towards the badge to get a closer look, not wanting to touch it incase it could lead to any evidence or if it had any harmful residue on it. Not able to make out a name just yet, she wondered what cop would forget their badge and continue on with their day.


“Walsh? Walsh…” Elysian repeated, as if the name left a bad taste in his mouth. He had distaste for the fact that the woman simply wouldn’t look him in the eye. She didn’t know who he was. Good. He didn’t like many branch agents knowing of him, though his supernatural community knew he sometimes aided the Branch, he still needed some of his more shady clients to stick around and do business with him. Being branded as a Branch snitch wouldn’t do anything for his noble cause. Not that he could lose much of the power over the community that he had such a strong hold on.

Elysian chuckled at her comments as Emilio and Aleksander tensed for a fight with the various agents there. “Oh that’s rich. You’re actually getting in my way love” he replied with a grin, eyes glittering with anticipation, trying to get a rise out of her. “Trust me, no one will be seeing me in court.” Just then, he spotted Aziza “Ah, finally an agent I’m familiar with. How have you been? I see you lost your whole genie get up” Elysian said in a more friendly and easygoing tone, grateful he wouldn’t have to deal with stoic and possibly incompetent agents after all.

Eliasdagood The Mad Queen Foster ​

 

[Eliasdagood]

Aziza chuckles softly, leaning back against the door. “Mm, as much as I dislike uniforms, I think this one flatters me. Don’t you?” She jokes. “Nice to see you again. Maybe you could have waited a moment though? Let us coordinate and all that. As much as I enjoy confusing them, I hate having to cover up the inconsistencies later.”

She sighs, casting her glance around the room. “Anyway, find anything interesting? I don’t suppose anyone’s seen newts around. Seems like fast work for an alp-luachra, but I wouldn’t rule it out.”
LindsMagee Foster The Mad Queen

 

[The Mad Queen]

"Getting in your way? Of doing what, exactly?" Was he just a soul-sucking lawyer, intent on making a few quid off of a grieving family or something more? Her suspicions were confirmed when he looked directly at Aziza and mentioned agents. Was he from another agency? Perhaps he was an informant? It wasn't uncommon for the police service and the rest of MI5 to rely on informants so why would the branch be any different.

She took one slight step towards Elysian, taking great care to show she wasn't intimidated by the man, just annoyed.
"You've wasted enough time with your charade." She said, bluntly "But you got here before us, so did you manage to find anything? Whatever this thing is it may very well strike again."

Did he mean Genie getup literally? That was a burning question Chloe would need to ask about later. From what she knew about the stories, they were tricksters not unlike some Fey so holding your tongue was a necessity. She wouldn't start a sentence with 'I wish' or even use the word around Aziza, at least till she knew the status quo.

"Maybe it already has."

The badge Tempest found did in fact carry a name: Griffin Adley.

Eliasdagood Foster LindsMagee

 

[Shannon Trevor]

The sun fighting against the cover of cloud held some promise of a decent day ahead, although predicting the Northern Irish weather was never a sure thing. Even a sunny day did little to improve the aestetics of the industrial estate the Albert Branch called home.

Rachel finished the last of her coffee with a grimace. She could admit she had high standards but the coffee stocked by the Branch was taking the piss. She resolved to treat her colleagues to a proper coffee machine with some premium quality coffee.

The office was quiet. Many of the field agents had already left at the beginning of the shift, tasked to a nursing home down the coast at Killyleagh. Rachel was a field agent too but had spent most of the two months since she had transferred to Albert Branch going over old case files and doing admin. It was a tedious but necessary exercise. She had been introduced into a world she didn't know existed and had to play catch-up with a few centuries worth of history, cases, investigations, creature types and anything else connected to the weird or wonderful. It had been a head spinning experience, even for someone with fifteen years in the intelligence community.

She had felt her assignment to the Branch had been a prank. The initial briefing was nothing more than an official document. It was so matter-of-fact about the work the Albert Branch cinducted that she had believed someone had concocted it to make a fool of her. Her skepticism had lasted a minute into her first day as she watched Aziza casually hovering at her desk.

The vibration of her work issued Samsung broke her from her reverie. The message was simple, a direction to make her way to Seahall Nursing home and assist the team there. Rachel checked the two tone Rolex clasped tightly to her left wrist as she stood. Bangor was less than twenty miles away and she would be going against the morning traffic rather than being part of the jam going into the city.

Forty five minutes later Rachel was walking up the steps to Seahall to look for the Agent in charge.

Anyone

 

[RayPurchase]

Steve Fletcher

It was well into midmorning by the time that the black Ford Focus pulled up at the anonymous industrial estate, if anything the cold light of day just hammered home how drab and soulless the buildings were here. Steve emerged from the car, coffee in hand, door slamming behind him as he stretched himself out , making his way towards security, flashing a pass and a tired grin towards the guard.

“Did you see that ludicrous display last night Steve?”

The guard began, a far more sincere grin on his face. Steve simply shook his head, pointing an accusatory finger in his direction.

“You'd better not say another word. I’ve got Match of the Day recorded and I’ve got no idea about the result. You say anything and you’ll be for it,”

He could hear the guard still chuckling away as he made his way through the numerous security checkpoints and down the freight lift. He’d been stuck working until the small hours, hence permission being given for the later start today. A stake out at a suspected vampire nest, nothing came of it in the end, intelligence ballsed up, nest was long abandoned. And so because of that he had been stuck in a car until 2am on a deserted residential street, and worst of all he missed the Crystal Palace game. Thankfully he’d had the foresight to set the highlights to record, he'd missed far too many due to unexpected delays, and now he was more than prepared, at least he'd have Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer to welcome him back home tonight.

The office was pretty quietly by the time he grabbed a seat at his desk, dumping his empty coffee cup in the bin. The computer warmed up into life, bringing with it a multitude of emails. A grimace tugged at his lips. It wasn’t too surprising to be honest, I mean the stuff that Albert Branch felt with was out of this world, and as a result the paperwork that it resulted in was just as unbelievable. He rubbed at his eyes and glanced about the office. It appeared as though quite a few of the field agents were gone, clearly snapped up this morning and already out and about. He glared at his emails for a moment, and here was stuck here... now wait a second. He honed in on one of the email chains, briefing for this morning, obviously he hadn’t made it with his late start, but he was still cc'ed in, still listed as part of the team for... well some nursing home in Killyleagh. He smiled to himself, much better than being stuck in the office waiting for something to happen, besides the fresh air would clear some of this grogginess. He kept back up from the chair, swinging his coat back on, quickly hammering out an email to his superior, joining the rest of the team at the care home. Pulling up a copy of the briefing on his work mobile he scoured over the notes on the journey between the desk and his car. At least getting the basic specifics down as he pulled away.

Just over half an hour later he was pulling up outside the home. The PSNI had clearly been and gone, most likely just Albert Branch now, he swung the door of the Focus open and jumped out. Seemed like he wasn’t the only recent arrival. He just about managed to catch up with Rachel, breaking into a light jog up the steps. She was Rank I like him, he couldn’t sat he knew her particularly well, I mean the first few months was spent getting your head round exactly what was going on, this whole new world opened up around you, as opposed to being able to get really pally with your teammates. Perhaps a pub night was in order,, lord knows a bit of respite could be done with.

“Morning Rachel, couldn’t have picked a more scenic spot could they? Gorgeous spring morning like this, nice beach perhaps?”

He slowed his jog walking alongside her, matching her speed.

Shannon Trevor

 

[Shannon Trevor]

Rachel smiled as Steve fell in beside her. She was glad to see him, the former Police officer was also a new recruit and like her was firmly out of his normal element. They had both spent their first months playing catch-up on the workings of the branch.

"Not sure about beach here, try Benone or White Park Bay instead" Rachel said as they reached the top step leading to the old nursing home. "A little marina and a few nice walking routes as far as I recall though."

Steve was doubly out of his element, Rachel supposed. At least she was a native. Steve had to adjust his life from the hustle and bustle of London to Northern Ireland's more sedate way of life.

Despite being the two newbies, Rachel hadn't spent much time in Steve's company. She did know they shared a mutual love of football. Rachel, as with most children from Northern Ireland whose fathers had grown up when George Best was in his prime, was a feverent Manchester United supporter. Steve, for his sins, followed Crystal Palace. A slight consolation given United's recent woes.

"You lot were a bit unlucky last night," she said, as they glanced around the foyer looking for someone they recognised from the Branch. "Letting them sneak that goal in injury...." she trailed off as she noticed the look Steve gave her. "Anyway," Rachel said, clearing her throat and quickly changing the subject. "Do you know who is running the show here?"

 

[RayPurchase]

Steve Fletcher​

Steve grimaced, a harbour and walking routes. Bustling metropolis it was not. It was about this time that he missed London, the hustle and bustle, the throng of people the heartbeat of the city, this was… quieter, more quaint, sort of place he imagined retiring to in about 20 years. Price to pay he supposed, he loved the job, no question at all, so he had to give something else up, and it just happened to be the location. The people themselves were fine, both those we worked with and by and large the locals, he’d already established himself a local pub, and they’d soon warmed to him once he’d bought enough pints, both for himself and some of the regulars.


He promptly stuck his fingers in his ears at Rachel’s comment.



“Keep all that on the down low will you, shift went into the early hours last night, and I’ve somehow avoided any mentions of scores of highlights, and I’m planning to keep it that way till I’m back home this evening. Almost murdered the guard on the front desk this morning for letting something slip,”



He flashes her a wink, at least half of what he said was in jest. He glances about the foyer, his hands in his trouser pockets as he taps his foot on the ground.



“From what I saw on the briefing notes looks like it’s Corvade who’s running things today,”

(Interaction: Shannon Trevor )

 

[Foster]

The rather intrusive sensation of Tempest's illusion settled over Fletcher as he entered the very room she was standing in, so uncannily real that if not for hunter's soul being currently active he probably would have assumed she was speaking directly to him. He sidled up beside his fellow agent, his gaze burning into a the well dressed Lycanthrope that Chloe was dealing with from behind his shades. Certainly no simple feral wolf. In fact now that he was able to get a good luck at the man Fletcher had the strangest feeling that he'd seen the man somewhere before... Perhaps he belonged to a foreign agency? No matter, Chloe was keeping him occupied for the time being.

"No obvious tells sadly." He grunted as his gaze continued to sweep the room. "But that means we're probably dealing with a humanoid, no beasts at play here. Too clinical. I'd reco...hold on."

In their altered state Fletcher's eyes picked up on something glinting suspiciously on the ground beside the very bed that the victim had spent her last hours in. Ignoring the small film of dust layering the carpet the agent knelt down to get a closer look. Spit. Magic spit to be exact. In such a tiny quantity that the forensic team could have easily missed it. Hell he wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't for the magical energy radiating from the dried spittle. Now any agent worth their salt would be able to tell you that magic saliva was a sure fire sign of vampires. Magic infused enzymes in their spit stop wounds from congealing, making sure it only takes one puncture wound to drain you dry. Better yet evolution supplied the blood suckers with a natural anesthetic so a skilled vampire can get a taste test and leave you none the wiser. Still it didn't add up, vampires drain blood not fat.

Glancing back at Tempest he explained his findings. "Got a trace amount of magical saliva here. I'd have said Vampire if we both didn't already know better. A subspecies perhaps?"

 

[Shannon Trevor]

"At least you got some briefing notes," Rachel gumbled lightly. She wasn't sure what the rush had been to get her out here but as best she could tell, everything was calm and in hand. As with most of her new colleagues, Rachel had not spent much time with Fletcher Corvade. From their brief interactions he was personable enough although far from talkative, and seemed to have a quiet competence that Rachel valued.

"You're here about Mrs Cotton?" The question came from a nurse behind the reception desk. Her glasses were perched on the top of her head and she wore an expression that suggested she had already lost patience with the two strangers in her foyer.

"We are. I'm Rach-"

"-Room four," The woman interrupted, already looking back to the monitor in front if her. "Second floor, sixth door along."

"Thank you," Rachel said as she and Steve passed. The nurse did not look up.


They took the stairs and could hear snippets of conversation as they moved down the corridor to room four. "Got a trace amount of magical saliva here. I'd have said Vampire if we both didn't already know better. A subspecies perhaps?" Fletcher Cordave turned as Rachel reached the doorway, giving her a nod that she reurned. Aziza and Chloe Walsh were also present in the room along with a second man she did not recognise.

"We've been sent down to lend a hand," Rachel explained, taking in the details of the small room as she spoke. The family photos, the untouched meal and the soil on the floor. "Just tell us where you need us."

 

[LindsMagee]

Sighing as Fletcher concluded nothing was to be found, Tempest wrote down the name on the badge and stood up, looking around the room once more. Not likely she would spot anything else out of the ordinary. Just then, Fletcher discovered a deposit of spit in the room… Vampires? Was the first thought that popped into Tempest’s mind, and it looked like Fletcher was on the same page. But they hadn’t had recent events involving vampires and the other agent was correct, vampires sucked blood, they didn’t just simply leave the skin and bones of their victims.

Looking up to find the eyes of her fellow agent, Tempest added “There are old legends of ‘life drinkers’, vampiric beings that suck out life energy rather than blood. However, no creatures like them have been reported in centuries.” Tempest began to absentmindedly pace the length of the room, stopping when she noticed that the window was slightly open and there was yet another soil deposit on the sill. “Can you see if any of the crumbs of soil around the room have a magic signature?” Tempest asked, motioning to the various piles. She assumed that who or whatever had entered the room had gone in through the window. She pulled out her tablet and began to write down various notes while taking in the room.


“Oh Aziza, you know I don’t have time to coordinate, the only reason I was able to make an appearance today was because I canceled my meetings…And you know how smoothly that can go over with the clients I have.” Elysian replied with a light smile. “Oh I must have forgotten my manners. This is Emilio and this is Aleksander” he added, motioning to each one without looking back, the two them dipping their heads respectfully in turn.

When the blonde spoke up again, Elysian coldly responded “I’m just as curious as you are regarding this case. You see love, not many supernaturals tend to disobey the rules set by leaders of each faction. Bad consequences could ensue…However, there just so happens to be a missing cop, an odd grandchild, and interesting amounts of soil in the room.” Elysian knew it wasn’t one of his lycanthropes or other followers, he lead with a balance of fear and admiration, so creatures of all sorts were loyal to him.

A flicker of curiosity came across the blonde one’s face as she glanced at Aziza. Elysian looked back and forth. With a sly smile and feigned apologetic tone he turned to the blonde, “Oh dear, you didn’t know? I apologize Aziza, I didn’t know knowledge of supernatural agents was above her pay grade. Please forgive my misstep.”


Foster The Mad Queen Eliasdagood ​

 

[Eliasdagood]

Aziza dips her head to her associate’s assistants as he introduces them. Ah, poor Chloe. Aziza was forbidden to tell her outright of course, but she was hoping to guide her to the answer more gently. “Ah, I don’t mind. I still don’t understand why that rule exists in the first place, and we both know how subtle I’m not. No one thought I was human.

She looks around the room, humming. “I’d like to see the body. See if this is proper accelerated starvation or not, since there might still be food in the gut. And if there’s saliva, it’d be good to look for bite marks. Or potentially more magical saliva around her mouth. I can think of a few creatures that might have kissed their victim.” As much as she’s having fun with this, she does have a task she’s here to complete.
LindsMagee The Mad Queen Foster

 

[The Mad Queen]

Two more agents arrived at the scene, filling Chloe with a little bit of relief. If the stranger was to try anything he'd be up against several trained agents, and Aziza. At the very least it would act as a deterrent to stop him from lashing out. While still keeping him in sight, she glanced over at the two new arrivals. Steven Fletcher caught her attention first, another ex bobby who'd been in the force long before joining the branch.
They'd spoken a few times in passing, but that was about it.

The second was Rachel Porter, who'd stuck to MI5 but now found herself somewhere new. Both were the same rank as Chloe, but had more experience overall. Needless to say, that gained her respect.
"Mornin'." She nodded at both of them, then looked back at her ranked superiors. They'd be the ones to find them something to do. With the backing of two more professionals, her full attention moved back towards the stranger and his companions.

"So you're part of the collective?" She asked "Very well."
Aziza being a different kind of being than she realised was a bit of a shock of course, but not as much as the idea that Genies were real. How much else roamed the earth without her knowing, just out of reach due to her rank? She'd have to brush it aside for now, simply out of necessity. Her own curiosity would have to wait if lives were on the line.

"It's possible the soil is just from outside. Yes, this room is on the second floor but this life drinker could have simply gripped the side of the building or even flown in. Leaving a trail like that seems clumsy, but we're dealing with something that killed out of hunger. It could have slipped up somewhere." She walked up to the window, staring down at the garden below.

"Hopefully that slip is what leads us to it."

Eliasdagood Foster LindsMagee Shannon Trevor RayPurchase