Realistic or Modern The Vigilante Code

[Mitheral]

Saturday, June 27, 2015 0545 AM


Brooklyn area, home of the Kincaids


Kevin Brody stood over the still smoldering pyre that was the murder scene of a victim he suspected was the son of Mrs Kincaid, Nico. The firemen had been more than a little reluctant to release any part of the scene to a homicide investigation. He glanced out at the crime scene tape already in place, a dozen NYPD and two fire trucks, keeping onlookers away so firemen could keep cooling the scene to prevent the fire from spontaneously igniting again - and so that Kevin could canvass the scene.


His supervisor was shaking his head with disdain. The man was already of a mind that there was little to be done to identify the body. This was a lost cause in the criminal justice system. Without a body to ID there was no case. Sr Detective Ryan Kelly, the department’s boss had only just arrived and it was pretty clear that he saw a case that was going to become a headache. It was public - therefore news. But it was next to impossible to prosecute.


The murderers had wrapped the victim in chains and hoisted him upside down over a pallet of thermoplastic. His arms and legs had been broken to render escape impossible. Judging from the condition of the chains the fire had been a homemade thermite with magnesium mesh as the fuse. There were a few bits of melted plastic here and there blown about and washed down by the fire hoses. On these were traces of thermoplastic powder. These had been bags tied to the body filled with thermoplastic to slow the fire.


Whoever had done this wanted the fire to burn hotter than Hell itself, but allow the victim to live long enough to suffer. Much of the skeleton was ashed - partially crushed. What most people didn’t understand about the process of cremation was that it wasn’t easy to burn a human body. Bones had to be crushed during the process to complete the process, requiring considerable force.


“We’ve got nothing to used to ID the body,” Kevin’s supervisor commented.


“Maybe we do. If this is who we suspect, we might be able to get some DNA evidence,” Kevin announced.


“With the heat generated by this fire? With the bones mixed in with all that stuff. What is that? Why the hell can’t the fire department get it to stop burning?”


Kevin smiled grimly. “Thermoplastic. You know that thick plastic they used to melt onto the roads to make lines and arrows? It used to be made with about 30% calcium carbonate. That gave it excellent refractory properties to resist summer heat as well as durability once cured to withstand erosion. In short, it has a very, very high heat capacity. But once heated to the sort of temperatures involved here it flashes and burns, its molecular decomposition fueling the fire. It is going to take a lot to cool it down.


“I’ll admit it is a long shot, but there may be some viable bone marrow cells that we could run DNA testing on. And if this is who we suspect, then his DNA will be on record in a medical database. He had sickle cell. That would mean a search for viable donors. And that requires DNA testing. His brother was a candidate. Oh, and his brother’s DNA is on file.”


Det Kelly sighed. Like father, like son. Kevin wasn’t going to let this one go. He stepped over. “Kevin, can you really make a positive ID? And do you really see enough evidence to investigate?”


“Unknown and Yes. The sooner we get this cooled down, the better our chances. It was murder though. Might also be able to do a facial reconstruction.” Kevin mused.


“From that!?” Ryan looked dubious.


Kevin nodded. “Definitely, but I’ll need to have the whole mess shipped back to the lab. If it is a cost issue, I’ll cover the transport. I like a challenge. But I am going to be very honest. It is going to take time. There was more than one murderer. But there was a single one in charge. HE orchestrated this. The others just followed orders. This was a professional hit. And it required a knowledge of chemistry and demolitions. My guess would be military experience, but that is a guess.”


Kevin’s supervisor did NOT look happy. He was being shown up by a kid. But then the man was approaching retirement. Kelly could sympathize. Kevin was scary smart. And he did not like accepting there was a problem he couldn’t solve.


“Any signs this was .. you know who?” Kelly asked.


“The vigilante?” Kevin shook his head. “Not his M.O. He works alone. This took more than one man, and a vehicle to transport the thermoplastic. There were here and gone too fast for one man to do all this. He hangs his victims upside down, but he never causes serious injury. This would be an extreme evolution.”


Kelly nodded. He needed something to tell the Press that were starting to gather. He wanted his facts straight.

 

[TheWriter]

6:00 am.


Washington Heights, NYC

Cool crisp mornings.



​

Ah, his favorite. Not too cold, not too warm, just right.


An empty street, no chatter, clutter, or car horns to distract him. A bit early for a jog, yes, well at least for normal people it was. However Caleb found it to be rather soothing. It was still dark out and most people were still in their beds sound asleep. This was a major reason why he exercised so early, this way he could run in peace without too many distractions. Besides, he wasn’t big on the whole ‘sleep’ thing. Getting to bed late and waking up early was definitely not good for his health, and he knew that. He had no choice in the matter though. The poor man couldn’t help it. With studies, work, and pleasure—sleep was more of a rarity than it was a necessity. That was never going to change.


During his morning jogs, Caleb likes to plan out his day. He had off on weekends at the coffee shop and had no classes—but he had to head down to 1 Police Plaza to check in at least four hours of “work” for the NYPD. It was a bit of a bother since he had an un-paid internship but he happened to like the work there. Still, they never really let him do anything. He really just stood by and watched, which was not his forte. No matter how hard he wanted to put in his input and get hands-on experience they refused, claiming he needed to ‘watch and learn’ first—as if his bachelors and masters in forensic phycology meant nothing. He wanted to cross-examine people and work with witnesses, he found it difficult to just wait and watch others do what he wanted to do. He had so much to offer if they only let him…But he was a patient man (not really) and he was willing to stand by and do nothing (as if) until his time came.


He grumbled at the thought, a bit annoyed now.


Before he could dwell more on the subject a faint vibration caused him to halt to a stop, reaching down to his pocket to pull out his phone. Laura, the manager of ‘The Pour’, was calling. Alongside Caleb and another worker, she helped out with taking orders. “Damn it.” He mumbled, already expecting what she was going to say.


He answered reluctantly. “You’re up early.” Caleb said a bit out of breath. “Not by choice—you need to come in today.” Her voice held a slight wheeze, congested. Probably has a chest cold. She wasn’t sniffling and she didn’t sound stuffy. “You owe me extra pay—but I have to leave shop around noon—I had other plans.” Laura coughed a few times. Yup, a chest cold. “I’ll give you next Monday off, how does that sound? And I’ll have Alyssa come in for the afternoon shift then, I just need someone to come in by 9:00 to fill in for me.”


“Fine.” He responded simply. “I’ll be in by 8:30.” She coughed again, making a ‘mhm’ sound before promptly hanging up. So much for his free morning. Anyway, he had three hours to kill. Or two, since he now had to head back home and get washed up and ready for his unexpected shift. He placed he phone back in his sweatpants, continuing to jog in a now different direction to his apartment. “Jesus, I hope nothing else hits me off guard today.” He thought.
​

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Saturday, June 27, 2015


9:15 am


Bobst Library, New York University Campus, Lower Manhattan


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​

Seated next to a large window, on the fourth floor of NYU’s campus library, Edwin watched the people trickling in and out below. Despite how small the people below him appeared, Edwin was still able to distinguish the different individuals based on gait and facial features.


Still no Nico Kincaid.


Edwin sighed, absentmindedly shuffling the deck of cards in his hands. His dexterous fingers moved with such precise and rapid motion that it would make a casino dealer jealous. Edwin and Nico had promised to meet on the fourth floor of Bobst Library to study for Professor Skid’s Anthropology exam. However, Nico was late…fifteen minutes late to be exact.


Edwin rolled his eyes. He needed one more G.E. course to graduate and cultural anthropology hadn’t sounded like a difficult course. Who would’ve guessed that Edwin would end up with a hard-ass professor like Mr. Baley Skid. Edwin could barely understand the old professor’s raspy voice, let alone comprehend the complicated jargon that Skid liked to use. He wasn’t failing the course yet…but the upcoming exam might prove to be his undoing. Fortunately, Edwin was in the same class as honor student Nico Kincaid.


Edwin pulled out his iphone from the pocket of his blue blazer. No replies from Nico.


Normally, Edwin would have left by now. He had better things to do with his time and he hated waiting on people who were inconsiderate enough to be late to an appointed meeting. However, this was Nico—diligent, kind, punctual Nico. Nico had never broken a promise to anyone ever since Edwin had known him—and he had known the boy for two years.


Straitening his red, spotted tie, Edwin glanced at the clock on the far wall. He would give Nico fifteen more minutes before he called it quits and returned to his Uncle’s Condo to enjoy the rest of his Saturday. If he was going to fail his anthropology exam, he might as well go out with a bang.


Expertly distributing the cards he had shuffled onto the table, Edwin prepared to play yet another game of solitaire.

 

[Athens]

Saturday, June 27, 2015

9:35 AM

Sensei Kai's Dojo, Young Adult Class​

Avalon smiled in approval watching the young adults session. Although they were much more powerful and had more force in their hits than the younger kids, their skills were sloppier in some areas and needed some improvement. Her hair was pulled in a high ponytail and she was in a white tank with black yoga pants. The morning had been going quite well so far; she'd gotten up early, gone for a jog, done some stretches, got a green tea, and made her way to the dojo to open up for her Sensei Kai's first class of the day. Sensei Kai was in his office working on paperwork and had left Avalon to supervise and assist his students -knowing that she was more than capable.


"Come on Claire!" She shouted at one student who was blocking multiple hits from her sparring partner, but not striking back. "If you want to take him down you're going to have to go into offense! In a real fight, defending can only get you so far before you get tired, and then you're attacker won't even have to try and take you down!" Sweat was pouring down Claire's face as she blocked the hits flying at her; Avalon could already see the young woman slowing down as Carson continued to brutally attack her.


"COME ON CLAIRE! TAKE HIM DOWN!" Avalon demanded from the sidelines crossing her arms. The other students stopped to watch the sparring match. Avalon always paired Claire up with Carson due to the fact that she was the best on Defense in the class, but he was the best on Offense. Avalon's goal was to get the two to help strengthen their other skills and help make the other a better fighter. "CLAIRE I AM NOT GOING TO SAY THIS AGAIN! TAKE HIM DOWN OR YOU CAN SIT OUT THIS SESSION!" Claire bit her lip hard, knowing that Avalon meant business today. She stepped back, dodging Carson's strike. The move caught Carson off guard as he lurched forward, and she took the chance, attacking him with full force. Claire had almost gotten Carson pinned down, but he flipped the roles last minute and pinned Claire instead with a hand around her throat and his knee resting lightly on her stomach.


Avalon stayed quiet with perched lips watching as Carson helped Claire up and the others came over to comment on how well she was improving. Claire didn't respond as she made her way over to the lockers to grab her stuff in shame and embarrassment. Avalon walked over to her and leaned against the lockers watching silently as the other students resumed training. "Don't worry miss Carmichael, I'm just grabbing my stuff seeing as I'm not participating today- "You are participating today, Claire." Claire looked up from her locker in shock. "What?" "You proved yourself today. And even though you didn't take Carson down, you just about had him. He's much stronger and well more skilled at Defensive hits than you are, so even almost taking him down is damn impressive." Claire grinned bashfully as she put her bag back in her locker. "Thanks." "No problem, now get back out there and do stuff like that every time!" Claire nodded and jogged back over to the center of the room grinning like the Cheshire Cat as she resumed training with the others.

 

[kira blackthorn]

Saturday, June 27, 2015


9:47 AM Swift


Remy yawned as she leant against the counter in boredom. It was to early for many customers to come in. Most were just kids that came in to admire the equipment. This was fine with h e'er r though even if it meant she was bored out of her mind. After all she get try s paid by the hour, not by the customer.


Speaking of which her shift is just ...about... done!


Grinning widely in relief she practically vaulted over the counter in her inpatients to get out of the store. She hardly even stopped to alert her manager as her replacement entered. Stumbling out of the large store she stopped and took a deep breath to feel her lungs up with fresh cool air. She loved her job don't get her wrong but after a late night up studying the last thing she wanted was to get up at 6 in the morning and stand in a boring shop for 3 hours. If she didn't have bills to pay she would stop Taking the morning shift. Covering her mouth to block a yawn her eyes unwittingly caught onto the time flashing on her watch.


9:47 AM


Why did that time seem important? Remy wondered briefly but then like a bad nightmare it came to her. She had a test today in Criminology at 10. Cursing she was off speeding toward her school which was about 20 minutes on foot. She made it in ten. Stumbling to a stop in the classroom she straightened barely out of breath and well aware of the stares of her fellow students.


"Take a seat Ms. Shelby. " Mr. Gideon snapped pointing toward her regular seat angry that she interrupted his pre test lecture. Giving him a sheepish smile she slid into her seat ignoring the whispers and giggles of her fellow students. After the lecture was finished she looked down at her test and realized her arrival wasn't the only reason for the giggles and whispers.


In her rush she had forgotten to change out of her work uniform which consisted of a purple training bra, black yoga pants, and running shoes all put together with her newsboy cap and Jean jacket.


God dammit!

 

[TheWriter]

11:45 am





‘The Pour’ Café, Manhattan, New York
​

“Ok… now…her!” A chipper young voice pointed out a young woman with a tilt of her head.


“Alright…. Hm, this one is a bit tricky.” Caleb stared at the woman in question. The stranger was sitting in the corner with her mac computer out, typing away. “About twenty five. Rich. She likes to party, but not at clubs, she prefers private parties. Just woke up from a one-night-stand, has an eating disorder, and sever anxiety.”


“Explain.”


“The age is a given. The clothes, hair, and technology tell me ‘college’, so about twenty five it is. Then there’s the outfit. Notice the wine stain on her pants, small but there. Fashionable clothes, expensive rolex watch, classy and not whore-ish. She’s somebody who likes to be put together, but her blouse is wrinkled. This one wore them last night to a get-together. More like a frap party for rich people, actually. It’s obvious she didn’t plan to stay the night at someone’s house so she didn’t bring a change of clothes. She woke up late without her usual alarm and rushed out to door to head home, realizing she didn’t have enough time if she wanted to make it to work, or class, which ever works. So she comes here, ordering a caramel Frappuccino that I’m still making. She’s probably working on something for said work/class right now on her laptop. Anyway—her finger nails scream anxiety. Short stubs, rugged and chipped. They’ve been bitten down to the nub. Even now, she’s sweating, worried about being late to wherever she’s heading to.” Caleb spoke quickly like he was stating facts, hardly stopping to take breaths.


“Holy—ok, so maybe you got that right, but about the eating disorder?”


“She’s tall, maybe 6’2, but not very fit. Incredibly thin for her size but that’s not too abnormal… Ok, look-“ He motioned for his amazed listener to look over to the stranger, who was biting her nails again. “See that? Yellowing teeth. Now either she hates brushing her teeth, or she purges frequently.” Caleb finished on a sour note, grabbing the woman’s Frappuccino. “Tragic, really. She’s very pretty.”


“Ok, there’s no way that’s legit.”


“Really?-“ He smiled brightly, calling the woman’s name. “Rebecca, right?” The blonde looked up, closing her computer to walk over to him and take her drink. She was just about ready to pay when Caleb spoke up in a hushed tone, but loud enough for his one-girl audience to hear. “By the way, forget about what society thinks—you’re beautiful. Enjoy this without regret, alright? Oh… and always bring a change of clothes; you never know how those parties end-up.” The woman, Rebecca, seemed stunned and speechless. “How did you…?”


“That’ll be eight dollars, ma’am.” She starred at him for a good moment before fumbling in her purse and shakily placing the money on the table before storming out, a bit flustered.


Caleb smiled confidently, looking over to his audience Alyssa. His coworker had her mouth wide open. “No freaking way, no.”


“You owe me twenty bucks-“ Caleb smirked, leaning back on the counter.


“No! No way!” The sixteen year-old began to laugh. “You should make a living out of that, you know.” She pushed his shoulder playfully, and he shrugged. “I’m trying to.” He responded. “Speaking of that… I have to get going. If not, I’ll for sure be late.” He removed his apron and handed it to Alyssa who was still clearly amused by the whole ordeal. “Wait, can we just… I don’t know, talk about what just happened.” He laughed, “Just think, Alyssa, that’s all you have to do.” He tapped her forehead, before walking out from behind the counter to grab his bag. “Are you calling me stupid?” He laughed again.


“Twenty dollars! I won’t forget!” Caleb yelled before heading out the door to grab a cab.


“I bet you won’t…”


--------------------

1:00 pm





1 Police Plaza, New York, NYPD Headquarters
​

As soon as he walked through the front doors he noticed something different. Something… off. Thought he couldn’t tell what, which drove him crazy. Everyone was busy, as usual, but the office was fairly empty—more police men out than usual.


“Mr. Elias. Over here please.” An older police officer, Douglas Evans, called him from across to room. Douglas was one of his ‘mentors’, if you could even call him that. He would usualy let him watch the whole process of interrogation and cross-examining, one time even taking him for a ride-along. He was forty nine and ready to retire, old but sharp. He just lost his wife and was currently living with his son and daughter in law for financial reasons. The old man would dare not tell a soul, but Caleb was more than certain that his situation was as stated.


“The station has been so damn busy today, it’s been a mess.” Caleb raised an eyebrow at the man’s statement. “Ah…right, you haven’t heard about the latest. If you ask me, I think it’ the damn vigilante running around, but what do I know?” The man ran a hand down his face before sitting down, then looking up to Caleb. “Anyway, we got a gruesome one here. The poor fella, if it even is a male, is burned beyond recognition. It’s clear that the victim was tortured, his arms and legs broken, teeth removed, hung upside down and burned with a fire so hot that I’m pretty sure they’re still putting it out. Mind you, we found this out around 5 or 6 am. Oh I’m sure the media is going to eat this one up and blame us for the rising crime rate, but hell, it’s not our fault the world is getting crazy now-a-days. I’m glad as hell that I don’t have to deal with this case, but I feel sorry for the poor sap that does.”


“Sounds interesting, someone clearly had something against the victim. Do we know who it is yet?” Douglas shook his head in response.


“No hard-core DNA evidence as of yet, but the department has an idea of who it could be.”


“Oh? Aw, don’t hold me in suspense! Famous public figure? Senator? Come one, Douglas.”


“We think the victim is someone by the name of Nico Kincaid.” The words made Caleb’s heart stop. “What?-“


“The body was found in front his mother’s house, and we haven’t been able to get ahold of Nico. He’s missing and this body just may be him.” As the man spoke, Caleb turned pale. He began pacing back and forth while running his hands through his hair, taking in deep breaths. Was he having a panic attack?


“Boy, what the hell is up with you?”


“No, no, no—why would someone want to kill Nico? This doesn’t make any sense..” He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Nico’s number, getting his voice mail. Again, he called and again he got sent straight to voice mail. Over and over he tried in a desperate attempt for an answer, leaving frantic messaged for him to pick up. “Did you know the victim?” Caleb’s eyes were wide and he was clearly in shock.


“I have to go…” He mumbled.


“Hey, hey wait a second boy- get back here!“ But before he could object, Caleb was out the door and headed straight for the university. He shakily sent a group text message to his close group of friends, trying to pull himself together. The text read:


‘Meet me at the university library ASAP. It’s urgent. Hurry.’





@Mitheral @kira blackthorn @TheWeirdPhilosopher @QuirkyAngel

 

[Mitheral]

Saturday, June 27, 2015 - 1300 hrs


Sensei Kai's Dojo


Sean Reed had been at the Dojo on and off since 0530. His day had started out with a sparring session with Avalon - a typical workout in which he generally considered himself lucky to even connect a blow. The pain usually began with a smirk as he called her by his usual nickname for her - Cheesecake. This usually resulted in a little more aggression out of her as he knew she was sensitive about her small size.


He had teased her with the nickname on their first meeting. The result had been a flurry of blows - probably a little harder than she had intended - and admittedly a little painful. She had come a little too close to ending any chance of him ever becoming a father. But despite the pain he had ended up on the ground laughing so hard that she must have finally realized he had intentionally pushed her buttons. Her reaction had likely been more because he was the exact opposite in size.


He had paid for it this morning by not quite being at his best. He had been distracted by a project he was working on - and an argument he’d had with his brother. As such she had thought he wasn’t putting forth his best effort and that always drew some pain as she tried to get his head in the game. Of course he had apologized and explained - leaving out the part about his family. He suspected she knew he wasn’t being completely honest. But he hadn’t really wanted to talk about it. His brother was making some real estate purchases he found questionable.


By 0630 he had headed back out to his beautifully restored 1977 Lotus Esprit and driven off to get some work done on his engineering project. The car was one of his prides and joys. It had a secret he had yet to spring on any of his friends. He had harbored thoughts of springing its surprise on Avalon. She’s likely kill him for it. At the very least he’d pay for it in a later sparring session.


He had returned lated around 1030 to start working with some of the disabled kids. It was a weakness of his. He hated the idea of anyone admitting a feat was impossible. He had discovered that helping a kid with a physical handicap do something they thought was impossible did wonders for their self esteem. This particular program had drawn three excellent volunteers - two handicapped themselves, and the third their bodyguard.


The three volunteers were Raven Murenkova (blind), Dawn Proudhawk (a wheelchair bound Amerind), and their chauffeur / bodyguard Elizabeth Stevens (former Special Forces, former SWAT and now played hockey with the NY Rangers). Dawn’s big brother, Thomas, was a friend of Sean’s, a fellow engineer. Raven and Dawn had created a small company consisting of themselves that produced children’s educational videos in multiple languages, with captioning for the hearing impaired. Lizzy had met the two after they had fended off a gang rape attempt. It had been a case of pure luck that Lizzy had been there. The two had put up quite a struggle and made enough noise to get her attention. She had since taken up teaching her friends more self defense. But that isn’t why they became such close friends. Raven and Dawn had made the whole Nothing is Impossible attitude into their life motto. They had both gone skydiving, driven a formula one - at high speed, flown a plane (yes landing it). They simply never accepted being told that it couldn’t be done. And of course they had a website with blog, videos of their activities. To the handicapped kids they were practically superheroes.


When the three showed up Sean had six kids hanging from his arms despite protests and scolding by parents. Sean clearly didn’t mind. But when his phone gave the tones of an incoming text he was a little grateful and gave a nod and eye roll signalling he needed some help.


The text from Caleb read: ‘Meet me at the university library ASAP. It’s urgent. Hurry.’


Sean Reed raised an eyebrow. Urgent and Hurry were two words generally not in Caleb’s vocabulary. While very active the guy just never struck Sean as rushed, merely driven. The guy operated with wits that made most people look like they were thinking in slow motion. The text was a group text sent to their exclusive circle - the vigilante club.


Oh they weren’t really vigilantes. They talked a mean game. And maybe they were really serious about the idea. Hell, he had thought about it seriously enough to create a 70 pound suit of body armor that would stop damned near any hand held projectile weapon. Of the whole group he must have been the only one to take things that far. But then he was the only one who could really move normally with that sort of weight.


Talking a mean game had produced mixed results. His biggest worry was getting caught. Fact was he knew far less about criminal forensics than he felt he should. The use of guns was ruled out right from the start. There were simply too many ways to trace a weapon. He had eyed Avalon’s sai with concern. Again, too easy to trace. Remy was adaptable. But she would have to watch out to make sure she didn’t leave DNA behind or any weapon she employed. And Eddie … all those gimmicks could be traced.


The second concern had been one of criminology. Technically they would become criminals themselves. No case they ever worked could be especially personal. That was probably the fastest way to get caught. It was the one reason he had decided not to go after his own family. He was going to have to find a legitimate way to go after his brother.


Sean sighed and looked up at Avalon, holding up his phone.

 

[kira blackthorn]

Central Park 12:59 pm


Remy sent the cashier a smile as she was handed her vanilla cappuccino. Closing her eyes she breathed in the sweet scent deeply. She loved coffee. Turning on her heel she began a small walk around the park to relax. That test had been brutal. Still she was sure she had passed.


The buzz of her phone alarmed her to a text as she passed the entrance to the park. It was a text from Caleb.


Caleb:‘Meet me at the university library ASAP. It’s urgent. Hurry.’


Eyebrows furrowing in worry at the urgency of the text she slid her phone back into her Jean jacket. Luckily she had changed into a comfy black long sleeve top and some blue jeans after class. Finishing her drink she disposed of her cup in a nearby trash can and was off. Soon she arrived at the university library. Taking a seat at a table facing the door she began to wait patently for the others.


As she waited she began thinking about what was wrong. Did something happen to him or someone they knew? Since it was a group text it was no one in the vigilante group. So who could it be? Realizing she was driving herself crazy with worry she took a d ed would breath to calm her thoughts.


After all for all she knew nothing was wrong.

 

[TheWriter]

1:35 pm


University of New York Campus Library
​

Caleb couldn’t wrap his head around it. God, did that bug him. His friend was presumably dead. Gone. No explanation whatsoever behind it all as of yet. Why would someone want to kill Nico, of all people? The guy was the practical incarnation of Christ. He did no wrong. So why… why did someone murder him? And so brutally?


And then a name popped up.


Lucius Kincaid.


Someone would want to hurt him. What better way than to get to his family? That had to be it, right? The man was no stand-up-citizen and had a bad rep when it came to the law. It wasn't too far of a stretch for Caleb to think this had something to do with him and the people he associated with. It was true that Nico’s brother was trying to turn a new leaf, but the past never forgets its victims. It probably caught up to Lucius someway, somehow.


Yes, that had to be it. It was the only logical explanation, right? God—he wasn’t sure. Caleb only just found out about this. He wasn’t even sure if the body belonged to Nico or not, but anyone would assume as much. Not that it mattered, Nico was still missing. Dead or not, he was obviously in trouble. That was unacceptable.


Caleb’s mind raced. He walked around the shelves and sections just to get some of his energy out. Occasionally pulling out random books to reed the descriptions, for no other reason than to distract himself.Words, pictures, and scenarios danced around in his mind. He tried to connect the dots, put all the pieces together, but some were missing. He had to get a hold of Nico’s mother, brother, co-workers, friends—whoever knew him… and he would have to see the body, if there was anything left of it.


After all, you can’t put together and finish a puzzle if some of the pieces are missing. No… he would have to dig in order to find them.


Oh he was going to dig.


But not yet. He had to wait for everyone to get there. They had a right to know.


It was true, yes, he shouldn't be sharing this information. It involved official police business. If it were anyone other situation, he would have kept it to himself.


But this was personal to both him and the rest of the group… Damn, they tortured him bad. He must have been in a lot of pain if what Douglas described was true. Someone wanted not only to kill the victim, they wanted to make him suffer. Badly. Damn it, why did it have to be Nico, of all people....


He stopped in his tracks at the sight of Remy, walking (or actually sprinting) over to her to quickly sit beside his friend. However, he soon changed his mind and thought it better to stand. So the male stood up and crossed his arms, a bit tense. “I imagine your day went well-“ He looked off to the side, a clearly concerned and distressed look on his face even though he did a considerably good job at trying to hide it. ”Before you ask what this all is about, I suggest we wait for everyone else.” He raised a hand to his chin, nervously scratching at his scruff.


“Ok-“ Caleb began, sighing slightly.


“Remy, I need you to talk. About anything really. Tell me about your morning, what you ate last night, who you happened to see today, I don’t care. Distract me. I need a distraction.” He paused only to start up again, hardly giving her a chance to respond. “Have you seen the news recently? I haven’t bothered to check. Why didn’t I check? It’s been a few good hours! Idiot-“ The man lightly hit his own forehead to scold himself. “I doubt it would be useful anyway, the media is horrible when it comes to get solid facts. Believe me. No, we need to get into the nitty-gritty ourselves.” He started to talk more to himself now, clearly just thinking aloud. “Do you think the others have seen the news?” Caleb quickly pulled out his phone.


No messages.


They haven’t. Because if they had; his phone would be blowing up. “Alright. Good.” He roughly placed the phone back in his tailored pants. He scanned about the building to spot Edwin across the way-- "Over here!" He waved his hand and projected his voice, getting a few odd stares and scolding looks from other people in the library. Not that he bothered to so much as care.


Caleb shook his head. This was going to be bad. Hell, it was bad. But what was he going to do about it?


The man bit his lip, remembering Remy.


“Why haven’t you started talking yet?” He looked down at her in the eyes, hardly noticing that he had been rambling on.


@kira blackthorn @QuirkyAngel

 

[kira blackthorn]

Remy looked up when Caleb appeared and was just about to ask him about his text when he began rambling. Shocked she stared at him with slightly wide eyes. Sometimes she forgets about his habit to ramble. Her brain Soon caught up with her and she leaned back in her seat waiting for him to finish as her worry grew. Something bad must have happened to get him in this state. Considering where he works that could mean many things.


When he finished she straightened unconsciously adjusting her newsboy cap as she leaned closer careful of the razor bladez hidden in it. Calmly she spoke trying to ignore her racing heart. "Finished? Good. Maybe now I can speak before I'm interrupted again. You really should get a hold of your rambling problem but for now why don't you just work on calming down. Your giving me a headache. Kay?"


Finished she leaned back in her seat once more and hoped he would take her advice. He really was giving her a headache. A headache plus being worried wasn't a good combo. Waiting for him to speak she scanned the library and upon spotting Edwin shot him a welcoming smile. "Take a seat. I assume we won't be waiting long. "

 

[Athens]

2:37


University of New York Campus


Avalon walked into the library with Sean looking around worriedly for their friends. After reading Caleb's text -and over-analyzing each and every word twenty times over- she had rushed to the car wanting to get there as fast as possible.


Avi wasn't one prone to panicking, but Caleb wasnt one to send texts like this out of the blue either.


The worst case scenarios Avalon could think of were reeling around her head, and she was hoping and praying that it wasn't as bad as she was thinking it to be. Because if it was she just might freak or be spending the next couple of nights in the dojo after closing; her usual coping method.


Scurrying over to the table, Avi sat down at the table with a weak smile at the others. "Hey, what's up? Muscle Man I got your text." Avalon questioned pointing back at Sean when she mentioned the new nickname she had thought up for him.

 

[Mitheral]

Saturday, June 27, 2015


14:37


Bobst Library, New York University Campus, Lower Manhattan
​

“Wasn’t me,” Sean shook his head. “That was Caleb. Not like him at all. Maybe Remy stole his cell and is playing with him?” He tried to smile. That would be a dangerous game to play. He had made that mistake once and only once. Trying to outthink Caleb was a damned good way to hurt your brain. While Sean considered himself impossible to hypnotize, the guy had played quite the prank on him. And he had to have one of the most vindictive senses of revenge in the group.


He led Avalon out to his car. He had four cars rather than one or none. Today he was driving the ticket magnet, his pure white 1977 Lotus Esprit. It was one he had rescued and restored. And he had re-engineered it for not only his stature, but for vigilante purposes as well. And its internal systems were state of the art, not the original 1977 components. He had yet to show off any of the features to his friends, but not all of them were exactly legal. One thing was for damned certain; it was NOT going to explode if someone broke a window. (This is the Bond car from the movie The Spy Who Loved Me.)

The new nickname didn’t bother him one bit. He flexed a little. This was something he rarely ever did except back in his competition fighting days. Even then that had been to intimidate an opponent. And he did so occasionally to pose for an artist. But otherwise he really wasn’t a show off. He simply flexed a little and smiled.


“All I texted was a receipt of message so folks knew I was okay. I must have hit Quote.” He looked around the table. They were all here now. He looked around, finally settling on Caleb. “So what gives 78?” 78 was a nickname he had applied to Caleb, referring to a play speed for old turntable phonographs.

******************************


*****************************
​

CSI Lab - NYPD HQ


Saturday Morning
​

Kevin had ended up called a tree deliver service to move the crime scene. He had the crew literally dig the whole scene up and set it carefully onto a short flatbed and had it delivered as it was to the lab. He kept the scene covered to avoid contamination. Once there he set to work.


The list of tests that needed to be run was extensive. First, the plastic that the powdered thermoplastic was kept in could be analyzed for origins. He used mineral oil to wash the bottom of the thermoplastic slab until the skull was exposed. He had hoped to find teeth, but wasn’t surprised to find them missing. The skull had broken in the fall into the thermoplastic. But he was able to cut out the skull and clean the plastic away from the bones. He was left with numerous shards that soon began to resemble a 3D puzzle.


The hands were the next piece of the puzzle. They hadn’t suffered crushing like the upper half of the body. These confirmed age, gender, body mass, the effects of sickle cell anemia. They also confirmed Nico’s ID. Once he was able to remove the thermoplastic he was able to X ray the broken section of the left arm. In this he found a fracture that had healed. The break was a perfect match for a prior injury.

1245 am

​

Kevin picked up the phone and called Kelly. “Sir, ID confirmed. It was Nico Kincaid. Not by DNA, but by previous injury. I am going to relegate clean up to others and start on trying to see if we can trace the chemical, chains, pallet remnants, to a location. Maybe that will give us a who. But I know the brass and Press have been pushing you for confirmation one way or the other.”


Kelly grunted his thanks before hanging up. Then he turned to a sergeant. “Put out a BOLO on Lucius Kincaid. Have him brought in for questioning.” He frowned his displeasure. This mess not going to go away.

 

[TheWriter]

2:40 pm


University of New York Campus Library
​

Remy had a way of shutting him up. She was tough. Small, but tough. Caleb respected her ‘no-funny-business’ attitude, it was one of the reason’s they became friends. So he took in a deep breath and nodded, crossing his arms again. “Alright, ok, fine.” He stated quickly before finally giving in to take a seat. “But let me tell you—as soon as you know, you won’t be able to shut up either. Ok, now I’m done.” He sat back for a few moments, biting his lip in silence. Damn, that was hard. Especially now. Caleb always found it easier to think when he spoke his thoughts aloud. It was better than letting his brain get all cluttered. But he tried at Remy’s request, not wanting to frighten her more.


He let out a deep sigh of relief once Avalon and Sean came into view, motioning for them to quickly take a seat. They were visibly worried and it killed him to see everyone all bent out of shape, and that’s before he’s given them the news. He could only imagine their reactions, or rather, predict them. He knew it wasn’t going to be pretty.


But that didn’t matter. They were all together now. It was time to drop the bomb.


This was a horrible position for him to be in. Caleb wasn’t one for… fluffing things up or sugar coating things. The male usually just got to the route of the issue, things were handled quicker that way. He just had to lay it all down.


“Ok.” He began, uncrossing his arms to lightly tap the table with his finger. “I think…“ He corrected himself, Caleb didn’t think Nico was dead, he knew. He knew but didn’t want to really accept it. That was normal. Part of grief, he knew that.


“Nico’s dead.” He finally just spit it out, resting his temple on his palm. “Someone killed him.” Caleb took a moment to let it really sink in, leaning back in his seat. “I know the how and where, but not the who, not the why-” His voice cracked a bit as his vivid imagination played the scene out. Nico must have been in agony, he probably had a brave face on, trying to pull through.


“It was bad, guys. Really bad. I haven’t even seen him but…” He exhaled, taking a second to gather himself.

 

[Mitheral]

2:40 pm


University of New York Campus Library
​

Sean took the news with little or no effect. Sure it was horrible. But Nico lived in a rough neighborhood. gang violence happened all the time. Sure it was sad. Sean hadn’t known Nico especially well. But he had known of the guy. Nico was pretty well thought of in the community of medical students.


But as Caleb went on to explain what he did know - the stuff that was probably already online in some trending blog - it was the Where and How that hit Sean. Burned to death right in front of his mother’s house. “That was a personal message, not just some gang hit. It also sounds racial. But I just can’t see Nico getting into that sort of trouble. You suppose maybe he narked on someone? No .. wait. Then he wouldn’t have been killed so publicly. Like I said, it was a message. But for who?


“The question is who knows something that the people who did this - or had it done - want silenced? That might lead us to Why and Who.”


Sean stopped. “Guys … stuff like this happens all the time. That is why we started this club. We always talk about … you know.” He looked around. “This isn’t really the place to talk about this. We need to go off grid. I mean way off grid. Because … if we are going to do anything more than talk about this, we have to start thinking with paranoia.” He pointed. “Security camera .. there … there … over there … and there … Laptops and cell phones everywhere that can be tapped into to record everything we say - not to mention the fact that they usually have webcams.”


Sean stopped there. Fact was, he wanted to do something, hit someone. He had already been in a foul mood about his family. Sparring with Avalon had been the only bright part of his morning. He was so tempted to shake the grapevine to see what he could find out.


“Anyone have any ideas about the Why?”

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Saturday, June 27, 2015


1:36pm


Bobst Library, New York University Campus, Lower Manhattan


Meet me at the university library ASAP. It’s urgent. Hurry.


That was what Caleb’s text had said.


That was why Edwin found himself back at the University library on a perfectly beautiful Saturday afternoon. Edwin sighed as he wandered the library with his black briefcase. In the end, Nico had not shown up to their meeting. Edwin returned to his Uncle’s condo feeling worried about his friend. Was there an emergency that Nico needed to attend to? Did he get into an accident? After pacing with those thoughts for a while, Edwin decided that worrying would do nothing and resolved to simply question Nico when they met again. Pleased with his decision, Edwin enjoyed a relaxing home-cooked lunch with his uncle…until he got Caleb’s urgent message.


Unfortunately, Caleb failed to mention where in the huge library he wanted them to meet.


Edwin was just about to call Caleb when he heard his chatty friend’s voice. Quickly striding to their table, Edwin noticed Caleb seemed a little more high-strung than usual, but chose not to comment on it. Instead he grinned in response to Remy’s welcome and slid into an open seat. “I certainly hope so. I’ve got an appointment with my hairstylist at three.”


Saturday, June 27, 2015


2:40 pm


Bobst Library, New York University Campus, Lower Manhattan


Edwin had been entertaining himself by flipping a coin back and forth between his fingers when Sean and Avalon arrived. The pair looked quite odd next to each other—one nearly seven feet tall while the other only a few inches above five feet. Then again, all the members of the Vigilante club were all odd in their own way. Sean was inhumanly strong, Remy was the most athletic girl Edwin knew, Avalon was a skilled martial artist, Caleb was the brilliant psychologist, and Nico…Nico was the nice, dependable guy that no one could hate.


As for him, he was a magician. Catching the coin in his fist, Edwin opened his hand to reveal an empty palm. When everyone was seated, Caleb began speaking in a hesitant manner…as if he couldn’t find the right words to explain himself. Edwin frowned. Caleb being hesitant to speak was like his Uncle making a half-way decent meal. Not very common. As soon as the 26 year old finished, silence deadened the table.


Clink!


Edwin hardly paid attention to the coin that slipped out from his sleeve and onto the tiled floor. His face was expressionless. “You can’t be serious.”

 

[kira blackthorn]

Remy froze her face going blank as the information hit her. Her mind however was a whole different matter. After all Nico was a friend of hers. Not close but close enough.


'Nico is dead? He can't be. This has to be a joke. Yet, Caleb would never lie or joke about something like this. So why? Nico never did anything to hurt anybody. Maybe it wasn't because of Nico. Maybe it was an act of revenge not against Nico but then against who?'


The answer hit her like a ton of bricks. His brother! Of course. He had just finished a stint in prison and It's completely possible his past caught up with him. Though it's sad that Nico payed the price. Yet, all this does not tell her who the culprit was.


Who killed Nico?


Her expression became calm and her eyes became icy as Sean gave his opinion. He had a point but that didn't stop her from speaking. Her voice was barely above a whisper yet could be heard by them all. " Nicos brother just finished a stint in prison. It could have been someone from his past. Making an example of Nico. "

 

[Athens]

(Typing on a PS Vita is so frustrating)


Avalon shook her head in shock, covering her face with her hands. "Oh Nico..."


A soft sigh left her mouth as the hands left her face. Nico is dead... Of all people, Nico would be the last guy she would expect to have somebody out for his life, and in such a horrific and showy way. "I don't know what Nico had gotten himself into, but I do know that whoever his killer was wanted to put on a show, and did a prety damn good job," Avalon commented in a blunt voice crossing her arms. "But as Sean said, now we need to focus on the Who and Why."


Hearing of Nico's death didnt affect Avi nearly as much as she'd expected it to, but maybe that was due to the fact that practically nothing could hit as close to home or affect her as much as the death of her dear uncle.


"As much as I'd like point fingers at Nico's brother and his past mistakes, and not having the greatest history with people, I doubt it, Remy. What possible grudge could a person have that's so strong against him, that'd they take like his brother in such a crude way just to make a point?"


Avalon groaned, running fingers through her reddish/brown hair in aggravation. Why did this have to feel like a real life version of Scooby Doo and the Mystery Gang? "I feel like he may have been mixed up in something we didn't know about. But at the moment, Sean is right, we need to get off the grid and away from the public eye before discussing this further."

 

[TheWriter]

2:53 pm


University of New York Library

​

“This was a message, yes. For Nico? For his brother? For the NYPD? We won’t get answers unless we look for them.” Caleb shook his head, ”It’s possible he could have been hanging with the wrong crowd, I suppose. Maybe even unintentionally.” He thought about Nico’s character. He was a standup guy and, like the rest of them, had a strong belief in justice. He wouldn’t dare hand around with the wrong kind of crowd unless… No, he wouldn’t be so radicle as to go out on his own like that, right? No… not without telling the group. Nico was no idiot, and that would be an idiotic move.


He glanced over to Remy, then to Avalon. “I don’t think his brother had any idea that Nico would die today—but his old ‘friends’ might have. But that’s obvious to pin it on the everyday criminal… this is no everyday thing. Someone orchestrated this, someone who knows what they’re doing. Someone above the streets.” He paused, collecting his thoughts as the group continued to ponder on. He closed his eyes and blocked everyone out.


‘Think, Caleb, think.’


He thought about the last time he saw Nico, only a two days ago. He seemed like his usual self. Chipper, energetic, always looking on the bright side. They did the usual thing. Talking, poking fun at one another, seeing who could solve the riddle fastest...


Nothing was off about him. Nothing at all.


Although…


Caleb opened his eyes. “I have a theory.” He whispered, thinking aloud.


“We need to talk somewhere else.” The man sounded urgent. "Any suggestions as to where?"

 

[kira blackthorn]

"My apartment? " Remy suggested ready to go. She wanted to solve this as Soon as possible. She knew to do that they needed to get answers somewhere they wouldn't be overheard. Her apartment was close and secure enough for what they need. Plus she will feel better in her own environment.


Patently waiting for her friends answers she leaned back in her seat and began scanning the room absently as she thought. She didn't believe that Nico got involved with the wrong sort as he was to smart for that. However that still left to many things to consider.

 

[Athens]

Avalon leaned forward in her chair looking between the two. "I never said that he got mixed up in the wrong crowd, we all agree that he's too smart for that, but there's still the possibility of him getting mixed up in a bad situation." Avalon's mind was whirring through the possible reasons for Nico's death.


"Like you said Caleb, his death looked like something orchestrated by someone not off the streets, or at least someone who shouldn't be on the streets. So maybe Nico's death was bigger than him, maybe he found out something that would have been a gamer changer for whoever killed him, -and not in a good way- and that's why they took him out?" Avalon looked around at the other people in the library and scowled at the eyes lingering in their direction.


"Is there any place more secure than an apartment? Somewhere off the maps, or a hidden location we can talk without our heads ducked low? Because this even feels suspicious to me." Avi wanted out of the library. She waned to leave and go somewhere that talking about Nico's death wouldn't feel so wrong and forbidden.

 

[Mitheral]

Sean nodded at Avalon, then looked back at the rest. He smiled grimly at Remy. He wished she’d listen, but fully understood her sentiments - even echoed them. Finally he looked back at Caleb. A slow grim smile spread across his face. “Of course I do. I have just the place.”


“Guys, let’s get out of here. Avalon and I have been doing martial arts all day and I am starved. We can grab something to go and talk as we go. Although … I brought the wrong car. My Lotus won’t seat all of us. Well, maybe he we just let Remy jog along. I bet she could keep up if I didn’t speed.”


“Yes, I know I am being paranoid. No, not your apartment. I have something MUCH better than that - and disposable if need be. I planned for this day ever since we started getting serious.”


Sean’s idea of “much better” was a 53 foot container unit stashed at a junkyard. Of course, the dog seemed to know him. And it only growled at Avalon. Of course, this he attributed to the likelihood that it could smell her cat. The exterior of the container look corroded and filthy. But he unlocked the padlock to reveal an inner door with a good cypher panel.


“I remodelled the interior a little,” he grinned. A little was an understatement. It could have been a bachelor pad. “Soundproofed, tempest secure - your cell phones now get zero bars….”


The place had been set up with electronic whiteboards, a computer, four large screens, a work desk in the form of a drafting light table. There was another that had a metal club on top with a hollow design that appeared to be getting redesigned with some sort of circuitry. And in one corner was a security locker with a cypher lock. There was a long rack of unique weapons. There was more, but that was the gist of it.


“I come here to think sometimes.” He walked over to the white board and began to write with a phosphorescent marker. He started with the word Nico.


Nico?


Witnessed an illegal act


Asked to commit an illegal act but refused


Asked to commit an illegal act, agreed, and became a loose end


Lucius


Murder of brother an act of revenge?


"I am open to more. So far it looks like we have two people to question if we are going to do this - Lucius and Nico's mother. maybe this Dark Knight too. He only seems to come out at night. But I guess we need to decide if we are doing this first. Just one thing: if we do, we follow the Vigilante Code we discussed.

 

[Athens]

Avalon grinned cheekily, despite the grave situation at hand. "So you've upgraded your Batcave?" Although Avi constantly teased and jabbed at Sean about his junkyard hideout, she actually believed it to be really cool anld still has yet to find out what all the old and new gizmos do.


She'd found some really neat stuff in there, but had to restrain herself from toying with anything after she'd somehow broken one of Sean's computers while pushing buttons.


Avalon had informed Sean that it was an accident, but she still felt guilty afterwards.


"Wait!" Avi's eyes widened as she realized something that left a feeling of dread in her stomach. Please say no. PLEASE say no.





"Is that dog still there? Because if so, I'm not going. You guys can just inform me all about what you talked about tomorrow." Avalon stated in a hasty voice looking over her shoulder in discomfort. Avalon was absolutely terrified of the dog at the junkyard.


She was pretty sure the thing hated her, and the feeling was mutual.


Sean always stated that it only growled at her because of the smell of Tubbingtons and most likely assumed that she was being irrational and overreacting, but that dog did much more than growl at her. It had attempted to bite her more than a couple times, and Avalon no longer wanted to take her chances.


"That thing hates me Sean! You don't have some other magical Batcave we can go to?" Avalon's voice was pleading as she gave him puppy dog eyes. Sean was unbudging. Avi was the first to scurry into the room and sat down with a scowl, watching Sean write on of the whiteboards.


"Let's do it Muscle Man."

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Nico’s dead.


Murdered.


The words echoed over and over in his mind. Edwin had never had someone close to him die before. It was a surreal feeling…that he’d never see Nico again. For some reason he thought that the death of a friend would be more painful…like in the movies. But he couldn’t feel anything. Nothing at all.


Edwin was quiet as he listened to the others speak. Everyone was so excited about solving the mystery behind Nico’s death. Sure they’d talked about becoming vigilantes—made all those plans about serving justice to criminals—but he didn’t think they’d actually do it. Edwin’s fists clenched. He hated violence. The idea of putting himself in danger frightened him.


But finding Nico’s murder(s)…sending them to prison.


Sounded like a good idea to him.


“Yes,” he said. “Let’s get out of here.”


***


While Edwin agreed that it was best for them to get off the grid…especially if they were going to be hunting down a dangerous criminal…he didn’t think they’d actually stay at a junkyard.


“Not to sound like a girl…but this is so GROSS!”


Edwin shuddered when a dog growled at Avalon. It didn’t matter that the dog wasn’t paying him any attention. He hated dogs. Edwin scowled up at the dirty looking 53 foot container that Sean suggested they step in. The idea of ‘getting off the grid’ was beginning to lose its appeal.


Fortunately, the interior was very different from the exterior. Edwin couldn’t help, but whistle. He knew Sean came from a well off family…but WOW.


Edwin ran his fingers through his curly hair. “I’m in.”

 

[kira blackthorn]

Remy was a little disappointed that they didn't go to her apartment but understood. Caution over rode comfort. However she never expected that they would end up in a junk yard. Looking around she wrinkled her nose at the smell. It was disgusting!


When everyone began heading in she followed pausing only briefly to pat the dog on the head. Hey, what can she say she has a soft spot for animals. Once inside she took a deep breath of the Clear air and it quickly rid her of the lingering smell of trash. Looking around she was surprised at how nice the place was. Though she probably shouldn't be seeing as It's Sean She's thinking about. Taking a seat on the floor she rested her head on her knees and watched Sean start a list.


What happened to you Nico?

 

[TheWriter]

“Thank you, Tony Stark.” Caleb joked once he fully scanned the contents of the storage container. High-tech in all its glory. “Sean, I think I’m in love with you—or your money—probably your money.” He smiled as the sarcastic slur slipped his mouth, walking about the re-designed space to admire everything. Sean had really chippered him up with this one, sure they were serious about the whole vigilante thing, especially now, but this was just the icing on the cake. The space seemed bigger on the inside than it did outside. No one would suspect them there. It was the perfect hideout for the time being.


He then turned his attention to the whiteboard now, watching as Sean wrote everything down. “I have a feeling this ‘Dark Knight’ can be of use to us—and since Nico’s death was so… brutal, I think it already has his attention.” Caleb crossed rubbed the back of his neck, glancing at everyone in the group. “Since I have connections with NYPD, I can get intel on what the police have gathered. Witnesses, forensics, the works.” He paused for a moment. “We might have to operate at night too, or at least I do. I can’t compromise my position at headquarters if we want to know what they know.”


“Oh, and while you’re at it, put Dark Knight up there too.” Caleb placed his hands in his pockets. “The other day I brought up the guy to Nico, and he got a bit… uncomfortable. Now that could just be because I may or may not have been going on about how I wanted to analyze the guy, but I don’t think that was it. And before you ask, no, I don’t think this batman knock-off killed Nico. I’m just saying… it’s something to look into if and when we meet this guy.”