Voices In The Baks.docx

Chapter 1

Ghost "With proven evidence of man slaughter, I hereby sentence Mrs. Katherine Thorn to 18 years in prison with a chance of 3 years parole" and with a bang the judge swiftly ended the court trial. Cheers of joyous celebration erupted from the other side of the room as the victim's parents cried for the justice that served their precious son. The other side of the faction, however, is in contrast to this atmosphere. Faces full of disbelief and shock as the person they have been defending has been the killer after all. The attorney assigned to Katherine Thorn couldn’t help his mouth from gaping like a fish out of water. He was one hundred percent sure that he would win this trial. He has been hired to win over this case, as he never lost a case before, and with his persuasive words and confidence that his charge is innocent. He should've won over the court like a walk in the park. And yet a red headed woman suddenly walk in here with a stride that means business, completely obliterating their chance of proving Katherine not guilty in a span of 5 minutes. From just her husband's private credit card and a burnt fingerless wool gloves that Katherine whined to be missing, as it was her

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‘favorite’ gloves that her deceased husband has given her in her birthday Katherine stood in rage, "YOU'RE ALL MAKING A MISTAKE! I DIDN'T KILL MICHAEL! I LOVE HIM WITH ALL MY HEART! WHY WOULD I KILL HIM?! "All the evidence points at you, Mrs. Thorn, and has been proven correct by a professional, I assure you." Judge Coolly, who was nearly fooled by the innocent demeanor of the crazy woman that he nearly prove not guilty at all, motioned for the cops to take the raging woman away. Katherine couldn’t believe that this is happening to her. She wasn't supposed to even be in the possible list of suspects. She even made sure to plant fake evidences and she still got caught?! Her eyes swept over the room and found the bane of her existence, the bane of her freedom. "YOU!" She hissed angrily, blonde hair wildly moving at her erratic movements as she forcefully made her way towards the woman that foiled her plans. Lashing her arms out in order to avoid those hands that want to stop her from beating the shit out of the bitch

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She made a move to slap her as hardly as she can when she suddenly found her face mashed against the floor, arm gripping the base of her shoulder and a knee that dug painfully on her back. The said arm and knee belonged to that bitch while keeping a cool aloof expression, as if unfazed by everything that is happening, that she just hadn't ruined HER life!

"Me" fiery red hair pooled down above her, tickling her neck and irritating her face. Katherine glared hatefully at those cold brown eyes hidden behind a set of squared glasses, lips stretch into a mocking smile behind that fire red head of hers. She swore that only she could see it

She tried talking, only for her voice to be muffled as her cheek and mouth dig the floor that had been walk upon by those filthy shoes. "G'off of' me B'tch! I' G'nna kill ou! " "Ms. Quinn, please remove your person from the convict," "Yes, sir," and just like that, the weight was lifted from her body, She made a move to attack the red headed woman when hands roughly grabbed from her elbows and, proceeded to drag her away from the court room, screaming and kicking.

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Her raging eyes lock into the cold brown eyes one last time, and with deep seethed loathing she vowed. "I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS!!" BANG! Muffled shouting was continued to be heard outside.

Alice Quinn Stared impassively at the door before she made a move to leave, seeing that her job is done. A hand grabbed her sleeve, making her turn and look at the teary eyed form of the victim's parents, their wrinkled face filled with tears and grateful smiles. "Th-thank you so much Ms. Quinn, We owe you our gratitude for bringing our dear Jasper's justice," Vidalia Thorn hiccupped, stifling her cries. Her husband placed a comforting hand in her back. Alice smiled and bowed her head at the two, hands clasped in front of her in a form of respect and condolence for their deceased son. "I'm merely doing my work madam, besides…" She looks up and stares past their shoulders.

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“I’m not fond of criminals getting away from what they've done “ Mrs. Thorn grasped her hand in a tight yet gentle grip “If you need anything, anything at all, you can just come to us. We owe you for what you did for Jasper” The redhead smiled and nods her head. Alice bid her goodbye and exited at the other side of the room, giving thanks to the compliments of the people on her way out. The last thing she heard was the couple thanking their attorney for his efforts.

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Chapter 2 Death

In the parking area of the building, Alice made her way into the only white colored car in the vicinity, heels clicking against the concrete floor with measured steps. Entering the car, Alice removed her glasses and stared at the rear view mirror, she took a view of her irritated eyes. Red and dilated, just like every time she forced herself to see. Releasing a sigh, she opened her side bag and took a small bottle, dropping 2 drops in each eyes. While doing so her phone vibrated and she answered it without looking at the caller, knowing the only person to ever call her after finishing every trial is that bozo. "What is it?" Alice inquired, readying for her next destination that she’s been waiting to go to for the day. "Heeeey, Alice! How's the trial? Locked up another scumbag? " A cheery voice drawled out from the other line, accompanied by shuffling of what sounds like paperwork and distinct voices of people scampering and shouting in the area. Sounds that she grew familiar with for the last 4 years in service.

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"As usual, they found my suspect guilty" And she did. Katherine Thorn hid the evidence quite well if she say so herself, But with the right resources and knowledge, as well as to where to find them, all of it really falls down to the blonde haired woman like a wildfire in a forest. "How did you even know that she's did it? She wasn't even in the list of suspects; she's the least that we could think of to kill Jasper Thorn as she was seen half a city away from the initial date that he died" This made Alice sigh with hidden mirth "Let's just say that a little birdie told me" And that little birdie is Alice herself and her ability. It made her mouth tilt a little. The case had been requested by the old couple in her agency who wanted to make sure that the process of their son’s investigation is dealt with justice, and she’s the one her boss assigned the case to. But with the limited amount of time and the need to see the mutilated corpse across the city, she requested the picture of the crime scene from the wary people that wanted nothing to do to her, and the strain of reconstructing the time of death in her poor brain and all that jazz. "Of course, you’d say that. You’ll never tell me how you do it, will you?" the voice lightly pressed, he’s been wandering over the red head’s secret for every single time she successfully won a case. Except that one time she didn’t, but that is a story for another time

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"Yep" Alice answered, unaware of the other’s thought "Anyway…we’ll probably have a meeting about tomorrow,” "Is there anything he said about the meeting?" Alice paused to ask, fiddling with her sleek glasses to remove the smudge that somehow manages to mysteriously appear at random. “I don’t think you’re going to like it,” Suddenly, the voice changed from easy going to a serious and it made Alice frown. This usually means that it's something really severe that it even makes the famous Markus Graham serious and now that she thinks about it, he’s jittery. The Markus she knew is lax and jolly, not as tense as she pictured the man is now. And above all is his voice, back from their earlier conversation, Markus sounds uneasy, hesitant, and Forced, As if he’s buying time and doesn’t want to even disclose the information to her “It’s about the VoiceBox Killer," This made Alice pause. "Isn't this assigned to Richard?" "..." The silence disturbed her. It means uncertainty, it means something bad, it means there’s something wrong.

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“Markus!” Alice snapped, feeling the distress slowly crawl in her brain and into her heart that started beating loudly in her ribcage. There’s something wrong. Something bad happened to Richard. She hoped she was wrong. She wouldn’t mind being wrong for once if that would mean Richard isn’t"..Yes, but the thing is...he turned up dead with his larynx cut-off. I think he's the latest victim,” Alice felt the moment her heart stop beating, how her breath hitched for hearing what she didn’t want to hear "...I see" She couldn’t help how hollow her voice sounds like at the moment. "His body will be moved for autopsy tomorrow, I can make a visitation pass for you if you want to see him," "That will be much appreciated Markus, Thank you" Alice forced herself to answer, the other line on the phone let out a pained sigh as he gripped the device tightly in his hand. "Hey, I'm sorry that you have to know about this, I know you and Richard have something going o-" "I'll be there at 7 in the morning, Goodbye Markus" She stared blankly at her phone as the call ended. For the first time in a while, Alice couldn’t comprehend what she just heard.

Richard is dead?

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Dead? That ray of sunshine? Dead? A pathetic laugh escaped her lips. She couldn’t believe what just happened. Richard shouldn’t be dead. She just spoke to him yesterday. Why would Richard be dead? How?

‘I’ll wait for you in the park after you win the case alright? You got this!’ She was supposed to meet Richard today, she was supposed to be on her way to the park today.

‘I have a surprise for you’ His voice…full of enthusiasm, as if he couldn’t wait to show her something, to tell her something. His enthusiasm is so contagious that even she couldn’t help but look forward to it. It’s why she finished her work so early. ‘I’ll wait for you in the garden’ Snapping out of her reverie, she immediately started the car engine and hit the gas. Alice sped out of the parking lot, leaving a trail of dust on her way out.

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Chapter 3 Search

She sped through the highway as fast as she can, ignoring the beeping vehicles and yells of shock for overtaking or nearly ramming her car into theirs. She had to go to the park. Alice disregarded the red light that motioned for cars to stop, one that she follows faithfully till now, traffic light and speeding ticket be damned. Richard could be there waiting for me. The starry night twinkled with ancient rhythm. Honks of vehicles can be heard at the busy streets with the occasional yelling of a street vendor. Strays littered the ground with fallen trashcans looking for food to feed their sunken, hungry stomachs. The redheaded woman drove pass them in haste, heading into the more peaceful part of the city, a destination that she knew like the back of her hand.

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The spacious park filled with their memories came into view. She didn’t bother finding a parking lot and just parked on the side of the road, her car bumper nearly hitting a tree in her haste. She didn’t waste any more time and walked out of the car, slamming the door on her way She dash through the gate and entered the park, she looked around, looking for the familiar wild pale-blonde hair that should be standing out like the moon in the inky night sky. Eyes sharper than ever, knuckle white hands gripping her phone, pleading for whatever Gods out there to make Richard answer her goddamned call. “Richard, if this is what you call a surprise, I’m not going to talk to you ever again” Alice warned in a stern voice, hidden nervousness barely seeping through her teeth. She hit the end of the voice call for the umpteenth time. She ran to every nook and corner of the park, startling the men in the restroom for barging and forcefully opening open every stall. Dignity stashed away at the back of her mind if it means finding Richard alive and well. She couldn’t believe that she was now representing the opposite of what people saw her before, something different that even she is not aware of, someone that she will know that one day. She will

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look back and remember this day and will be cringing and threatening everyone who saw her weakened state. Alice didn’t know how much time she spent looking around for the man, just running and scrutinizing every person that she passed and sooner or later, people begun pointing and muttering of a deranged red haired woman that keeps on running around the not-so peaceful park anymore, wondering if they should call for security, but she didn’t care at all about what they think. Hours pass and before Alice knew it, she was the only person in the park. She let her shoulder sag, releasing a tired sigh. Her face crumbled down into a pained yet relaxed state as she dejectedly made her way to a bench near the fountain, her knees finally buckled from exhaustion making her roughly sit. The lights around her gleam from the lack of motion, leaving her in darkness with the starry night as she remains motionless. Nothing could be heard except the sound of water flowing from a nearby fountain and the occasional sounds from cars that drove past. '’I will never be happy, will I mother?'’ Her voice was filled with pain and resignation, her eyes filled with silent tears, mourning for the death of the only man she will ever love.

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She couldn't help the self-hatred that flowed into her being. The promise that she made all those years ago to not let anyone enter her heart, shattered because of the insistent ball of life. She made herself care for another person, let him enter into her life, and at what cost? Another dead body on her doorstep. Alice let out a bitter laugh. She really is cursed, even with her so called gift. The last thing she cares about is the only thing she’ll forever keep. She couldn't even bring her parent's real justice. To wring that man's neck with her own hands and watch as his life get snuffed out by her own two hands. Have a glass of champagne as she watches what that man ‘hard’ work be consumed into the flames The nagging feeling from the back of her mind whispered ‘he’s

probably living a peaceful life in his pristine prison, with the guards wrapped around his finger with the money he threw around to allow him to do as he please’. She shook her head and expelled the traitorous voice.

She couldn’t do anything except wait for the right moment, and she could see that moment a bit too long from here.

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Eyes brimming, intense and a little unhinged. A thought escape and she remained still, body remaining in the same position as she silently mourns, with the stars as the only witness of her weak moment. Silently, Alice Left the park. She glanced back and saw all those happy moments in her life play before her eyes. Alice Quinn left the park full of memories and negative emotions. Her painful past, deep inside her heart, stirred but she suppressed it. Only leaving the Cold sensation of determination to catch and destroy. Whoever killed Richard should be ready.

She wouldn’t be merciful this time around.

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Chapter 4 Crime scene

Paul, one of the evidence response team members that was scattered across the area, gripped the cotton swab in his hand as he checked for any possible clues left behind by the killer. His mask hiding his solemn, yet sad expression that he knew each and every one currently had. The body has been transferred to the Behavioral Analysis Unit. He placed another cotton swab in the container and turned off the UV ray that was illuminating the car seat that they brought in, and let out a deep sigh. He stood up and approached one of his colleagues, avoiding the flash of light of the camera from the photographic unit. “Any news so far?” his voice was hoarse. His mouth felt dry for ignoring his body’s need of for water for the past 3 hours as he prioritized working. He couldn’t allow such limited time to be spent pointlessly. There’s a lot of clues left that is yet to be discovered, and the possibilities of it vanishing for his incompetence left an ugly taste in his mouth.

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His colleague turned away from the monitor and nodded at his direction. He took the offered bottle and gulped it down till it’s empt. Taking off the orange glasses, his vision returning into a world of color. “Bad news actually, the recording of CCTV camera located at this direction was…How do I say it? Chipped off from the recording?” Paul furrowed his eyebrow “You mean the recording was destroyed?” “No, I meant that the recording was trimmed of the time the body was placed in his car, rendering us from knowing who placed him there.”

‘Why not just destroyed it completely?’ he wondered, keeping his thought to himself just in case someone might get offended. But really, why didn’t the murderer just get rid of the recordings so they wouldn’t waste time? Something’s missing here. “From the way his body was placed here by the murderer, and the amount of blood that surrounds the car seat, and how it dried. I’d say he was murdered from another place, preferably near the site for the murderer to easily avoid,”

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Both, along with those near in the area enough to hear it, turned to the sound of a monotone voice. Finding just in time a figure turning off the flashlight that illuminated the car seat. Red hair tied in a ponytail swayed to the side revealing the face that Paul knew really well, and oh boy did he gulp from the woman’s presence. “I think Richard was killed 10 hours prior of the discovery of his body, the killer had enough time to remove the larynx and move his body from other place and for the body to cool afterwards,” “Alice” He intoned, watching with wary eyes but he nodded at the helpful insight, slightly in awe that the red head had the same conclusion as the one that analyzed the corpse found in the car, without seeing the body itself. Monroe’s body had already phased through the Algor and Rigor Mortis when he was found, indicating that he was killed between 6 to 7 in the morning. The red head approached them and leaned on the monitor that displays the video of the supposed cut that his colleague talked about. “The probability of the location of him being killed is in a 1 kilometer radius, with the way the blood dried up around him, he could’ve been place here at…9 o’clock in the morning” That…

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Pieces begun connecting in his mind from what the red head is insinuating. “Miss. Pincer, Did you see anything of importance from the recordings you gathered? Preferably in parking lot’s entrance?” Alice continued, eyes never leaving the body of the recent victim that the two knew to be her lover. Pincer subtly flinch, ignoring the fact that someone just barged in their investigation and talked like she’s one of the higher ups demanding reports, she shook her head and answered the redhead’s (At least) politely asked question. She checked the information about the building and tried looking for one that could’ve sighted the car. Even at the street that has a full view of the hotel. “Err… No ma’am, the building’ didn’t have any CCTV in their parking entrance, unfortunately” A subtle click of a tongue was the only response before the red head leaned back and politely smiled discreetly at her. “I see, thank you for the information.” Paul decided to interject and continue what the woman has been hinting on, she turned her head into his direction and flashed him a mirthless smile “Our killer is getting sloppy” He nodded, the killer seems to think that by trimming the CCTV feed it would make it look like Richard Monroe has been there for hours and create and

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point their alibis to avoid suspicion, now that he thinks about it, the way it was placed. Paul took that chance to question the FBI agent “What are you doing here Alice? We’re currently in the middle of investigating, not that I’m complaining but it’s-“ His eyes swept to the clock in the monitor “-12:50.” “M-markus called me earlier after the hearing and I wanted to see for myself” the stutter went unheard and Alice crossed her arms over her chest, her face remain unchanging with a cooled off expression. Paul couldn’t fault the woman for her eagerness to come into the investigation, but wondered why she came into the site at such hour when the news of Richard’s body being discovered was 5 hours ago ‘where were you?’ “Monroe’s Body was moved in the facility an Hour ago, to be autopsied by Sean’s team.” His eyes drifted at the red head, hesitating to what he will be saying next “Quinn… I think he was killed by the-“ “Voicebox killer, I know, Markus already speculated it,” The woman cut off, Paul could hear the anger that escape her tight, controlled voice and didn’t call her out for it.

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“But we need the other clues for Monroe’s to be labeled as another of their victim,” He almost hesitantly added, Alice’s brown eyes suddenly seems clouded. Paul wanted to smack himself for speaking Her vision cleared and smiled at them, so utterly empty that Paul finds himself unconsciously shuddering “I know” she checked her watch and let out a sigh “I’ll be going at the BAU, I’ll check the proceeding about their analysis” They both nodded and bid a polite goodbye The moment the red head entered the bleached car (Since when is there a car there?) Paul let out a sigh as the phantom feeling of tightness that seems to clog in his body leave along with the red head, he ruffled his hair in frustration and went back to work

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Chapter 5 Regret

Monika stared, and stared at the pale corpse laying at the metallic table. Her vision blurred by the tears that continues to flow in her eyes. Regret

Sadness

Pain

She never known that this will affect her badly Monika sniffed and swipe her already wet face with her sleeve, the tears smearing bits of make-up that she dabbed in her face earlier this morning, soaking her lab coat and prickling the skin underneath. She couldn’t bring herself to approach him. Feet rooted at the floor like someone nailed it to the ground. Every move that she tried to make seems painful, excruciating.

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Someone gently tapped her shoulder and Monika flinched at the sudden contact, body swirling around and met face to face with the female visage of her best friend. She was then enveloped with her warm body. She realized that she was being hug, she greedily returned it, body shaking as new found tears returned with full force, throat choking up to the point that it hurts. Her best friend, the whole crew knew of her romantic interest to Richard Monroe. How the man was always there for her, even in the academy, her classmate, her friend who supported her unconditionally. Dead Monika always had low self-esteem. Her meek personality had others frowning at her dream, thinking that she couldn’t be part of the FBI like her brother who was always fierce and look up to at the agency. Monika wanted to be like him. She wanted to give up at that time, already thinking of dropping out of the academy with her resume tightly held in her hands, ready to give up her dream one door away. But then a wild blonde haired man bumped in front of her, accidentally letting go of the paper and for the blonde to pick it up. And from that moment, everything changed. Richard Monroe changed her life, supported and cheered for her until she graduated, Monika never stopped being grateful to him.

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And then he turns up dead. Eyes closed. dead. And yet… Monika could almost feel like he’s sleeping, tucked away in bed with a white sheet that protected him from the cold. In his eternal sleep… Layla hugged her tighter, ruffling her hair in comfort. Monika closed her eyes and relished at the emotion that her best friend portrayed her. Monika listened as words were formed, the apologies, the condolence and the conviction to solve this problem. She nodded and strengthened her resolve, she made her decision. And with a deep, shaky sigh. Monika looked up and stared at Layla with resolve. “I’ll be the one to check him” Layla stared at her in shock, before turning into a worried gaze that Monika felt the urge to wipe it out of her face. “Are you sure? I feel like it will make you uncomfor-“ “I can do it!” Monika snapped before looking guiltily at her “Let me do it…please, it’s the only thing I can do for his sake,” she muttered. eyes looking at the floor to avoid her friend’s searching gaze. Monika then heard a sigh “Sure, I’ll tell the others about it, but I’ll

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assign someone to be there to assist you alright?” Layla sternly instructed. Monika agreed, and watched as Layla sauntered away and joined the rest of the crew, gripping her hand in her pocket tightly. She released a shaky sigh and grabbed a pair of synthetic gloves, putting them on with trembling hands. Her eyes then glance at the pale face one last time before grabbing a cloth and placing it gently on top of his face. High resolve or not, she couldn’t bear to look at his dead, pale face. Monika released a teary smile, hiding them behind her mask before uttering. “I’m sorry.” The man assigned to assist her came with soft footsteps. He nodded at her before grabbing a pair of gloves for himself, face already hidden by his mask. One of the few who remained apathetic to the death of their fellow agent. With a firm voice that lack its usual shaky voice, Monika stared at him before giving her order.

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“You check his check, I’ll be the one to open his stomach” The men only nodded and grabbed a pair of tools, turning the light above brighter and promptly ignoring her. Monika focused on the stomach, grabbing the scalpel with steady hands and positioned it above the scar-less stomach. The scalpel glinted in her vision, a replacement for the loss one which they couldn’t find.

With a steady breath, the blade touched the stomach and pressed it down with laughable ease.

Monika slowly packed all the bloodied tools in the plate, deciding to be the one to wash all of it as her partner left to start all of his findings in the lab, as well as to check the substance that she saw in Richard’s stomach to see if they are the same as the previous victims. Giving him a bottled drink for his hard work, the man gave her a questioning glance before muttering a thanks, tucking it in the pocket of his lab coat before exiting the room.

She disposed of the gloves placing it in her bag along with the others to be incinerated for later. Stifling a yawn she wondered what time is it already and looked at the wall on the left, which was

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where the wall clock is located that glared at her with its red numbers,, Monika realize that there’s only 4 hours left for her to rest… If she can still sleep after what happened today Rubbing her sore eyes, she carried the plate and made a move to the exit, only to stop when it opened, revealing the sharp brown eyes of the person she doesn’t want to see the most. Monika buried her hatred, guilty for feeling this way when the red head didn’t even do anything against her. Not that she’s even

aware of it in the first place. Avoiding the sharp eyes, Monika focused her eyes in the plate and stuttered a greeting “He-Hello…” She muttered softly. “Greetings miss Sullivan,” Answered an equally soft voice, in contrast to the intimidating, frosty look on the red head’s face. “I’m here to see him,” Monika flinched and forces herself to look at her, only finding sad, hurting eyes that she couldn’t handle seeing so she avoided it. “He’s over there” It was pointless to say it, Monika knew. But she couldn’t handle the unbearable silence that was trapped inside the room. The redhead nodded. Stepping aside to continue her way towards the metallic table that the red head probably saw on the door.

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Monika remained motionless, only listening to the soft footsteps that Alice Quinn created. Silently, she turned her body and looked at her, stifling her shock when an alien gaze of love, sorrow, affection greeted her. She wondered if all that cold, crystallized persona of a heartless ice queen is all an act, or is it because it’s Richard. Monika smiled mirthlessly at the thought.

‘Richard really can help those who needed saving and turn them into a better person’ Even if that person only leaves her shell in front of him and still be the same seemingly cold individual to others. “What have they done to you, love?” Alice whispered, voice seemingly hollow, different from her blank, polite or cold tones. Monika followed the red head’s pale hands that grasped the cooled corpse of a once vibrant, warm, human being. Hand ghosting over the thick blonde hair that couldn’t be fix with a brush that Richard once use to complain about almost every day. Monika uncomfortably excuses herself from the room, hand fiddling with the ring jewelry clasped adoringly in her neck for comfort. _________________________________ Alice didn’t bat an eyelash at the retreating woman. All she wanted for now is to see her beloved in such an uncharacteristic display of affection that she knew would make anyone uneasy. Alice Quinn is

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never this way. She never acted this way in all the years they’ve known her. All they known of her is a cold, calculating human. And all it takes for her to freely express her locked emotion is the dead, cold corpse of her man. She stared. And smiled oh so sadly. “A shame, you could’ve live such a wonderful life, run a daycare like you always wanted, build a secret garden to complete your everlasting bucket list.” She leaned forward and gently pressed her forehead into his, closing her eyes and basked at the silence. “And maybe…I would be there in your life, the one to protect you as you protected mine.” She leaned away and faced the ghastly skin that replace a once vibrant once “But they just had to take you away from me,” She pressed her chapped lips in his forehead, ghosting and loving. “They just took you without my permission,” Her eyes hardened, hand turning into a fist. “And they will pay dearly for it,” Alice snapped, shaking her head with frown, leaning back and straightening her posture to look around, she click her tongue

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softly and cursed at her slip up. Even with Richard dead, he still manage to make her act this way. Remembering her second motive, Alice gently removed the clothing that obstructed her view of the gaping wound. She stared deeply at it before grabbing a pair of gloves and putting it on. She hesitated only for a second before her fingers touched the flesh. She ignored the fact that she’s touching the inside of her lover and forced herself to see it analytically. Her eyes narrowed in concentration, mind flickering to the previous victim’s wounds that she saw in Richard’s file in their shared room. The wound in the center is deeper than usual, but the skin and muscles are similar like the previous ones . Did he struggle when he is attacked? Or was taken by surprise? She checked one of his hands. Dried blood trailed down on his arms. Nails stained with it as if attempting to stop the blood from leaking it He must have been standing, but why? And the state of his clothes that she saw on the other room for the people specializing in fiber analysis on her way here...all the recent victims all have cleaned clothes, never a bloody one. Her theory clicked in place, a mirthless smile forming in her face as her brown eyes darkened, narrowing in realization. ‘I see…”

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Chapter 6 ‘Home’

Location: Wilshire Corridors Condo Parking at one of the slots, Alice promptly grabbed her handbag, checking the time on her watch which displayed the glaring numbers of 1:50. She proceeded to enter the building with controlled grace, as if she didn't just lose someone special to her on the same day. Waving off the security guard that stuttered a greeting, Alice passed him by with a smile. Entering one of the elevators, she clicked a button for the 10th floor and waited patiently as she browses through her phone. Just as the elevator door finally closed, a faint yelling of “Wait!” Comes from the other side of the door, Alice instinctively raised her free hand to press the open button on the elevator from closing completely. From the other side, the woman nodded at her thankfully, her fringe bobbing up and down from the action with visible sweat clinging on her forehead, and in her hands is a box that nearly reached her chin. With obvious difficulty, she wobbled to step inside.

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Stepping aside to make a room for the obviously tired woman, Alice briefly shifted her eyes to the exhausted figure that placed her box in the floor to press the number 9 and made mental description as if it’s a habitual routine when she's not doing anything.

2 Brown hair neatly tied in a bun with some light makeup, matching up with her prim and proper outfit. Alice guessed that the woman beside her is an office worker. An assistant to a Company maybe? But then again, she could be wrong. Leaving the brunette's form, her gaze went back to her phone and typed a message for Markus to ready ALL the files by tomorrow and that she will need to see Richard's body and autopsy file first. 3 Feeling the eyes that bore into her, Alice swiftly turned her head to the only occupant in the room, catching the woman off guard as she stuttered an apology for staring. "It's all right" Alice assures the woman as she continues to apologize, not really bothered since she did that to the brunette too.

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4 "I just wanted to thank you for helping me, and well, waiting. I must've wasted your time by now," The woman fidgeted in her spot, eyes glancing off to anything other than the Alice’s brown orbs that continue to stare at her with a raised eyebrow. "It’s really no bother, I’m happy to help. So it’s nothing to worry about, miss?" Alice trailed off. The woman stared at her confused until she realized that the red haired must've been asking for her name "Elizabeth, Elizabeth Luh Vendein. Pleasure to meet you" She raised her hand for a handshake. 5 A man nonchalantly went inside, barely regarding them with a glance as he treaded near the door and pushed the 13th floor button. He whipped up a black cased phone and browsed through it. The opposite gender stared at the new occupant for a few seconds before continuing. "Alice Quill, the pleasure is all mine," She offered her free hand, which Elizabeth shook with optimism. She then raised an eyebrow at the woman's surname as she let go of the appendages "Luh Vendein? I must've heard that name somewhere," she feigned her

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wonder, watching with critical eyes as Elizabeth rubbed the base of her neck in bashfulness, A coping mechanism when embarrassed perhaps? And the surname sounds fancy as well, did this woman come from a noble family line? 6 "I get that a lot. Actually my sister… is someone whose been making a name for herself the past year," Elizabeth admitted with a smile Alice could trace a hint of pride in her, with her chest puffing out like a peacock and yet she could trace a little bit of...envy? 7 "Is that so?" She whispered, mentally listing the information the brunette revealed. Some people might see this habit as cruel, only socializing into others just to get information. Faking all the emotion of interest to communicate. And there are those rare times where she actually enjoys a genuine talk, but like she said, it’s rare and happened only to one person. It's a habit of hers that is too Difficult to stop and yet too valuable to discard of. So Alice just went along for the past 25 years of her life 8

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“Well, I guess this is my next stop," Elizabeth exclaimed cheerily. She gathered the heavy box with a huff, groaning at the familiar weight of the cursed box that she’s been carrying for on her way from work. 9 The brunette then turned her head to address Alice before she completely left. “Thank you again for helping me Miss Quinn hope we get to meet up soon" she smiled, eyes crinkling and almost unseen with her lids. Alice nodded "Likewise, Miss. Luh vendein,” she couldn’t promise to see the other woman soon as she plans on moving out of the condominium next week and into her old apartment. Elizabeth was already on the other side when a buzz suddenly started from her pocket startling the brunette as she fumbled to placed her box on the ground and picked her phone from her pocket. “Oh, it’s from my sister!... Hey sis! I met a really nice lady-“ The elevator door closed in front of her, leaving the two occupants in complete silence. Both ignored each other in favor of their own interests as Alice moved in front of the door just as the elevator door dinged open.

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10 She left without a word. Shoving the key in her room, she unlocks the door and swiftly entered, dropping her bag randomly and stared at the dark room. Deciding to take a shower as the feeling of dirt and sweat stuck in her body, she suddenly smelled her body odor and winced at the horrible smell. Elizabeth didn’t seem bothered earlier so maybe she did not reek that bad? Her body stilled at the almost suffocating silence, the silence that made her remember that Richard isn’t with her anymore. She switched the light on, watches as bright lights overtook the darkness, she fills the place with music, anything that could replace the silence. She slowly removed all of her clothes on the way to the bathroom, taking a leftover food in the fridge and set it in microwave. Filling the bathtub with warm water and scented soap before laying down as it continues to be filled. She stared as the water and soap mix in a spiral fashion, bubbles already forming as more water falls into the tub. Alice closed her eyes, her exhaustion from before coming back with a vengeance as she fell asleep soon after. But she soon regretted for letting the fatigue won over her.

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Chapter 7 Nightmare

The voice is distorted. Ghastly, spider-like fingers gripped her neck and squeezed the life out of her. Alice couldn’t breathe as liquids seems to entered her lungs, as she was forcefully submerge into a pool of liquid that wasn’t water. Alice knew that this is a dream, she tried waking up like she usually does. But all of this looks so real, felt so real. Red The color of red continues to swim in her vision Alice doesn’t want to be in this place She wants out The voice continued to scream beneath the surface, the sounds it sprouted were muddled And she can’t understand Alice couldn’t understand She suddenly found herself forcefully ripped out of the surface and came face to face of something frightening, a gaping mouth of

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endless darkness, and horns protruding out of each side of its head. Alice could feel the sticky substance sliding into her body and realized she was drench in blood, Blood, BLOOD. But didn’t have enough time to see more as the spidery hands in her neck tighten its hold and dragged her face close to the Demon’s gaping face. She remain paralyze as the gaping mouth move, sharp teeth appearing in its gums as a wicked grin formed in its face.

“TeLL Me YOuR FeEEeAAARSS” Its grin become even more terrifying

“ALICEEE!!!”

Alice bolted awake with a gasp, eyes wildly looking around as her hand clasp into her chest in distress, heart beating loudly with adrenaline, as if wanting to escape from her ribcage.

‘W-what was all of that a-about?’ she wondered, her mouth unable to even pronounce a single word other than gasping for breath, she

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could feel her body quivering in trepidation and lack of bodily heat in the ice cold water she was in made the situation even worse. ‘It was just a dream’ Alice mouthed, not having the strength to even make a sound, god she felt pathetic. ‘Just a dream’ Her wide brown eyes were tightly shut, wanting to make the horrible things go away. ‘Just a goddamned dream’ … It was then when she tried calming her nerve that she noticed that the water was already overflowing out of the tub with suds spilled onto the floor. She gave a deep weary sigh, turning of the faucet and pulling the drain plug with shaky hands. She forced herself to get out of the tub. Taking the hanging bath robe in the hook and immediately wore it. Alice’s eyes drifted to the tableside with a lone clock with digital numbers, one eyebrow rising in surprise that she slept through for 3 hour. Ignoring the feeling of tiredness that seems to creep everywhere in her body, Alice passed the food in the microwave, not having the energy to at least take it out of the microwave and return it back to

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the refrigerator as she plop on the bed and lay wondering what will happen now that she’s alone again. Alice knew that emotions can either be the one to drive her to success, use it to fuel her desire to bringing Richard’s murderer into justice, or be the cause of her downfall, leaving her blind to facts like the only time she failed. Where she had gotten too attach to who she thought was the victim, only realizing that that person is just too good at pretending that even she was fooled. She will never make the same mistake twice.

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Chapter 8 Meeting

This is the day that she would finally meet the group assigned to this case longer than her ended up with tense and forced conversations. Her older peers tried to make her join in to establish some sort of closeness and camaraderie, which she agreed for the sake of working together on the from now on. The group of 5 consisted of 3 men and one woman, now including her. They all gathered in a room with a projector placed at the end of the wide rectangular table. The sides are filled with a bunch of cabinets for all different kinds of cases. They gave her all the files they compiled over the years and she read through the reports and suspects. Alice went through the file as thorough as she can, keeping her ears alert to hear what her teammates’ opinions are about the dubbed Voicebox Killer. Pursing her lips in thought as the subject of her ire is suddenly shoved to her. First day she didn’t sleep well and had to conceal the deep bags under her eyes with makeup, no matter how much she despised using one of those skin-killers.

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But back to the subject. The Voicebox killer is something that earned a name for itself for the last 2 years, for its seemingly random victims and the supposed leftover clues that the killer leaves that always makes every agent that has taken the case frustrated. Alice knew damned well that the bastard is playing with them, probably having gathered a huge ego boost every time a new victim comes out and is left unsolved. His or her First kill was a recently widowed woman named Annabeth who went missing, No one could contact the poor woman's whereabouts and that no one demanded for a money as a sign of hostage taking, eleven days later her body was found by her own service maid in her own room, Pictures of Annabeth and her husband were lay out around her in a circle, With her ring grasp firmly in her chest and her face is wearing a frozen expression of melancholy. But what troubles the Police investigators assigned to the case is the wound on her neck, her larynx cut off too cleanly, with not a speck of blood in her neck area. Others speculated it that the killer is a deranged cult who saw Annabeth as a perfect victim to summon their gods. While some theorized that it is the mistress of Annabeth's recently deceased husband who passed away 2 months after her disappearance, Believing that the widowed woman is at fault of her

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lover, which made the red head raised an eyebrow at that time the second theory may have made sense if not for the fact that Annabeth's husband is Blind and CLEARLY incapable of walking without his legs. The death of both Annabeth and her husband left their son who Alice assumed would be graduating from college by now, orphaned. as there is no evidence that could lead to anyone, many tried solving the case, intrigued and wanting to be the one to solve the untraceable Murder but after months of searching and finding nothing and connecting people to the murder, the case became cold. But then 2 months later, the body of Lawrence Wilde, an office worker at some company was found dead in his car weeks after he was declared missing with his Larynx cut off of his body, last seen in the Eden’s bar with his colleagues, who assumed he went home with a girl after some... misconception within the group. If the new recruit assigned to paperwork hadn’t organize the file cases by alphabet AND got curious of the Annabeth’s Case BECAUSE of the fact that his mother had the same name as Annabeth, then the police investigators wouldn’t connect the case that happened 4 months ago into the recent one.

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He pointed out the patterns that seem quite similar to the old case and the new case. Lawrence Wilde was found the same way after all, but even if the day they were found was different, the autopsy of Lawrence’s body is guaranteed by the professionals, even if his body was found on the 18th day, it is undisputable that he died on the 10th day. And that…he didn’t die because of the wound in his neck, but what he consumed, one noticed a remnant of something stuck between his teeth, a gelatin they then identified as a capsule containing something. The Forensic pathology team decided to check the Victim’s stomach and lo and behold, they found a goldmine. A Substance known as Digoxin mixed in water and a high dose of cyanide is found in his stomach with other leftover of half dissolved Food. The man clearly bit the capsule between his teeth before swallowing the Digoxin as particles of powdered cyanide is present between the his molar teeth to the throat and down into his stomach with lingering effects of wounds at the poison. If Lawrence Wilde hadn’t had that gaping hole in his Neck, they would’ve count his case a suicide one.

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But that isn’t the situation here because the murderer probably forced him into taking it and then removed his larynx for some twisted reasons. They couldn’t check if Annabeth consumed the same substances as Lawrence, for her body is already buried and decomposing but the Forensic team responsible had conclude that the victim died of Blood loss. (Alice wasn’t sure if they are telling the truth or just negligent of their work for not opening up Annabeth’s stomach to check) The 3rd killing is something that really hit the final nail in the coffin that they are against a serial killer. The 3rd killing , is a double murder of a couple that was supposed to be married, just like the following victims they disappeared without a trace for 10 days with the 11th day of someone finding their corpse at some random location. Both of their larynxes were surgically removed with their arms positions into a hug, as if they were just sleeping from such a night workout. Police investigators are able to admit about the pattern the intern suggested, that the killer strike every 2 months and seemingly kidnap random people at different places Same missing organ

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Killed at the 10th day With the same ingested substance of a Suicide pill and Digoxin mixed with water on their stomach. (Rumor has it that they were supposed to name the killer as The Cyanide killer but it sounds like the murderer kills cyanides so They Just decided to call it The Voicebox killer because he or she took their larynx so that even in death, they couldn’t tell who killed them) And the murderer is now dubbed as Voicebox Killer, That weren’t that popular becomes A controversial as the case had been handled by the local police before it handed to the FBI by a raging senator whose daughter was found dead with the same wound as the previous victims. The 8th victim. But something just doesn't add up about Richard's death. As it supposedly happened every 2 months, is what made Alice furrowed her brows at that moment. As the criteria seemed to tip off quite dangerously to the side to be spilled in the floor of Bullshitness. Because it’s only been a month and 2 weeks the since the latest victim, the date may have been close but if there's one thing that Alice is sure of from the so called Voicebox killer, is that he or she is a Fucking perfectionist.

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It always killed on the tenth day of the 2nd month and Richard was killed on the 20th day of March which the estimated time-frame of the supposed victim should be April10 and most important of all, He didn’t went missing for 10 days just like the other victims had. She voiced out her thought about the hole and the people assigned to the case seem to be thinking about it as well. “You’re right, but maybe the killer just couldn’t wait to kill their next victim, maybe they were addicted to the thrill of killing that they just killed Richard” Mike Leonheart speculated, looking through the files of the previous victims, his gruff voice that sounds like he’s been grouching his whole life. “That could be true” Nikolas Sullivan Agreed, rubbing his mustache in thought, standing near the window with a cigarette in his hand, Alice hid her distaste as she caught a whiff of polluted smoke in her rather sensitive nose.

“Or maybe Richard found a lead about the Voicebox killer” Assumed a feminine voice belonging to Olivia Ashburn, A black haired woman in her late 40’s, stopping her tapping to look at them. A hushed silence envelop the room as they shared a glance towards each other “And the killer knew about it and that’s why they killed him” Mike added, seemingly agreeing to the black haired woman as he nod in agreement.

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Alice look up from the files with a furrowed eyebrows and an emotion that the black haired woman couldn’t process as it vanished in an instant “Then why would the killer risk their Quota just to dispatch a threat? It would've make sense to leave the Body without taking out the larynx, and we all know that the killer is an absolute idealist". “Maybe it just doesn’t want anyone to steal their kill?” “Or a threat to make us stop by killing one of our own” Nikolas added with a frown, scratching his whitened hair at the moment. Alice look up from her notes and sent a look at the smoking man, which caught his attention, his palm sweating unexpectedly from the emotion that flash through her face before sending a small tilt of a smile in his direction. “Did you ask your sister when the full autopsy will be done Mr. Sullivan?” Said man flinch from the voice, slightly startled out when the gaze suddenly sharpen and silently berating himself for acting like a child about to be scolded for doing something bad and he is 13 years her senior for god’s sake! “N-Not yet, but I think they might be done soon” He admitted, watching as the only red head in the room scribbled something in the paper.

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“I see, thank you” She murmured, Nikolas nodded and hastily went back to his own business and finish smoking. The other occupants in the room couldn’t help as their eyes linger at the end of the table where Alice Quinn is at. The red head woman in front of them sat with a poised posture, sipping a steaming cup of coffee as her narrowed eyes finished a page, yet her Face is unreadable, they get this odd feeling that feels like they’re not sure if they’ll get used to her ice cold demeanor, or even understand, guess time will only tell. The youngest yet most experienced Agent FBI has to offer with a high rate of success cases ever assigned to her and if there’s anyone in the room who has the high chance of solving this case, then it will be Alice Quinn. it made some of them pretty peeved out for the big boss to almost eagerly give the case to her just as she came back and intimidated at the same time to not try any funny Business that could potentially be the receiving end of her ire, But they have been into this case for the last three years after all. A knock came from the door, making the entire inhabitant look at the door, as a young man with freckled face hastily entered the door.

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“Er…Miss Quill?” He inquired, fiddling his hand in nervousness for being in the attention of the people above him, feet refusing to move anymore at the doorway as he is clearly intimidated. “Yes?” she questioned, standing up and met the searching gaze of the young man, who didn’t seem to know where ‘Miss Quill’ is. “S-sir Carson I-is asking for your p-presence in his office” He stuttered a reply, face tinged with red as he finally saw the infamous Red Queen of the FBI Agency (Not that Alice knew, It’s a Sacred Law to never utter that name in her presence). Alice nodded and gave the resident in the room an apologetic expression; she made her way out of the pristine office and followed the Young man out, the room’s Door closing with a click. Nikolas let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, he notice his Blonde companion seems to slump in his chair as well, thumping his head in the table with a groan. “Man, what is up with that?” Alexis, a wild blonde haired man Whined as he stretch in his chair and swirled himself in it, He was dubbed as the man-child of the team. “With what?” Olivia Ask with a monotone voice, seemingly the only one unaffected as she taps at the keyboard in her laptop probably doing reports.

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“I can’t help but feel intimidated around her, it feels like she’s a ticking bomb if we make even a mistake in this investigation and we’ve been here for years”. “The sudden Assignment of this Case to her is something that we didn’t think would be happening “Nikolas added, not meeting anyone in the eye as he fiddled with the Cigarette stick in his pocket. Alexis snorted and played at the pen in his hand. “At least she’s not an asshole like mike here” Alexis pointed out at the bald man across him. “What did you say?!” A vein becomes visible in the man’s temple, an irritated expression on his face that Alexis stick his tongue out at him. “Miss Alice is a nice lady, Alexis if you guys stop looking at her rank and achievements, then you’ll be able to actually see that she’s fun to be around” Olivia suggest looking pointedly at them which they tried to avoid, She get to actually know the young woman and all she saw is a hard-working person with fiery fire for justice, along with deep hurting hidden behind her icy gaze once upon a time. “I know man; it’s just that…we’ve been stuck in this investigation for years, hell! We’ve been threaten by the boss for not having much progress and with figures dropping dead, And with Richard being gone and be replaced by someone new, someone better, and someone that we knew that she is closed to on a deeper level gone

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is just…” Alexis trailed off, uncomfortable to continue what he was going to say, but unknowingly becomes the voice of the occupants that’s still wary of the young FBI. Olivia sigh “I know, but we must also not be insensitive about what she feels as well” She had been miffed at first for a younger agent to suddenly be in charge and is leader of the investigation, but being a rational woman as she is, Olivia knew not to let her view of Alice be clouded, she could see what the red head woman is capable of. “She is after all, the lover of Richard Monroe” She finished with a pointed stare and that seems to be the right word to say as understanding appeared in their faces, mixed with shame for thinking negatively about their comrade. “Sir Carson must’ve given the leadership to her because she is the most capable one to move our investigation forward, A lot of people already resigned in the investigation and with us the only one left, need the help we could get” Nikolas stated, squishing the cigarette butt in the ashtray and went back to his chair. “This might be a bitter taste in the mouth but you’re right” Mike agreed, huffing and crossing his arms in his chest. “Plus, no one could hide from the wrath of an angry woman for so long, the killer is done for” Alexis laugh with delight, imagining a

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beat up killer from a very pissed off Red Queen that he secretly admired from the shadow. “Then, no more mental boarders about our subordinates all right?” Olivia said, finally closing her laptop and staring at them after receiving a nod and thumbs up from the team a pleased smiled appeared on her nonchalant face. This made the only blonde in the room shiver in sudden fear “Dude, if you’re going to smile, please, for the love of all things anime, follow the proper facial expression when you’re smiling” came the opinion of the Man-child, rubbing his arms with an emphasis of being creep out. “I didn’t know that there is a properly to conduct a smile” Olivia remarked, not really offended to say the least. “Well there is to me in my presence!” “Check your grammar for god’s sake” While the two famous duos started bickering, the two mature adults in the room started minding their own business, with Olivia Fishing her phone out of her bag to check her Social media, And Nikolas calling his sister to check the progress of the Autopsy.

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Chapter 9 Intern Alice is seated in a wooded chair while staring at the man across her in the table “You want me to what?” Alice Repeated with a raised eyebrow, drifting to the young man across the room, with only the glass panel that separated them. “I want you to take Mister Emerson here as another member in your investigation, He is part of the honor internship program and will be staying with you for 10 to 12 weeks, depends on you”. Carson repeated with a mysterious smile on his face, hidden by his interweave hand in front of him but Alice saw through him and gave the older man a suspicious glance. “I never taught anyone before, are you sure that I’m even capable for this kind of thing?” “I have hope for you” “You overestimate me too much, besides why did you assign him to me specifically if the older agents with clearly more knowledge in handling an intern had more potential than me” ‘who prefers working alone and not talking at all’ Alice stated dryly before sending a calculating look at the intern who seems oblivious to what is happening, sitting in the plush

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chair with upright position while looking curiously at them and wondering what’s happening. But based at how he fidget in his sit, she could tell that he’s nervous at being assigned to the people he didn’t even know of. Alice averted her eyes towards the dark skinned man for more information who readily gave the Red head what she wanted to know, in cryptic way “This one is a special case, He will be able to help in the investigation I assure you, and besides, if there’s someone out there who could bring the potential in him” A big surprise indeed for the Scarlet woman in front of him, He could see it bubbling in the surface and knew that the Usually stoic woman could bring that out and flourish it into one that the agency needed. ‘A special case?’ Alice thought with a frown. “You can decide if you want him to take part in your current investigation or make him observe, the choice is yours” it’s not like Carson here is giving her an offer to refuse, he’s just informing her, He know that Alice knew he wouldn’t accept her refusal and just force the intern to either her hands or the other members and will order said intern to stick close to her. So with a sigh she nodded her head. And it’s not like it will badly affect the case anyway The boy could learn by observing and sharing his thoughts about the case and Alice will be there to teach him , plus, The more the merrier.

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And if Carson said that this kid is a special case, then Gabrielle Emerson probably has something to step the investigation into the next level. She bid Carson goodbye as he wave his hand in dismissal and motioned The Black haired man to follow her into their Office. While on their way to the Office, Gabrielle followed the red haired woman on a long hallway as she skimmed through the file that the Olive-skinned Director had given, checking for information that he freely given for the sake of being assigned to this particular investigation, The older woman he’s been ordered to follow suddenly stopped in front of a door similar to the ones he passed by, prompting him to stop as well. ‘He was mindful of his Surrounding, Good’ Alice thought with a small tilt in her mouth. “So you graduated 1st in class huh, then this should be easy for you to catch up with the investigation rather quickly” remarked the red haired woman, facing him entirely with a swift turn and towering over him with approximately 2 inch in height, Gabrielle craned his neck to meet her gaze and politely smiled. “Thank you for believing ma’am, I’ll do my best to help as much as I can into the investigation” Alice nodded and turned her brown gaze into the door in front of her, hearing bits and pieces of a heated argument inside.

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“Since we’ll be working from now on, I would advise you to not be intimidated when you’re in front of our team, they may act tough and mature in front of a Newbie but once you get to know them and prove your worth in the investigation. You’ll fit right in” “I..see, thank you for the heads up ma’am” His hand unconsciously crept into his neck and tighten his tie with a barely visible gulp on his part. With that, Alice grab the door knob and twist it, entering the room with the still heated arguing of a balding man and a blond man-child “I’m losing hair every second you open that mouth of yours” “You’re already bald though” “WHY YOU- MY HAIR IS JUST FUCKING SLICKED BACK” “That doesn’t excuse your huge forehead” Alexis stuck out his tongue “Ahem” The two’s Argument immediately cease and whipped their head to stare at Alice in surprise, Olivia nonchalantly stared at the red head woman’s companion the moment they entered the room. “Who’s Blacky over there?” Alexis piped up at the Stranger that their Big boss standing next with. Ignoring as the bald man muttered how kids these days have no respect for their seniors.

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Olivia sent an annoyed glare at the man-child but didn’t said anymore as she too, is curious of the new arrival as well. “Everyone, this is Gabrielle Lyn Emerson, He’ll be working with us in the investigation from now on” Alice pointed at the young man beside him, who is beginning to fidget at the continued stare of the Occupants seated in the room, the three men then exchange glances with a scrunch up expression. The only woman seated at the table groaned and banged her head at the wooden desk voice muffled as she spoke with an exaggerated voice. “We just had an agreement about this” Alice let an Amused glance in her way with a confuse smile directed at the rest of them, wondering what they agreed upon when she’s not here before. Nikolas sigh and stood up from his slouch position, Walking over to the new Recruit and offered his hand. “Nice meeting you lad, The name’s Nikolas Sullivan, guess we’ll be working from now on” Gabrielle shook the offered hand with a smile. “And to you as well, sir” Nikolas laugh awkwardly and pat the back of the black haired man “None of that now, Just call me Nikolas or whatever”

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“Nicky here doesn’t like being called sir, he said it make him looks old” came the cheery voice of the blond haired man, grinned when the man he dubbed as ‘nicky’ glowered at him. “Don’t call me Nicky” Alexis clasped the hand of the surprised young member and shook it whole heartedly

“My name’s Alexis Cumberbatch, yes,

Cumberbatch, But no I’m not related to the one you’re thinking of, yes I check about it, No, England isn’t my Homeland, unfortunately. Nice to meet you” Alexis grinned at the befuddled man who hesitantly smiled at him ‘I wasn’t thinking of anyone…’ “Ignore his surname, he’s prone to create made-up celebrity and seems to believe that they’re real” A Gruff voice across him remarked which the blond man blatantly ignored as he continued grinning down at him. Gabrielle smiled and shook it with a firm shake before replying “Nice to meet you too Mister cumbersnatch” Gabrielle realized his mistake too late and prepared to apologies to the nice and a little eccentric Blonde man when a bellied laugh erupted from the man from earlier, bent over while pointing at the blond haired man who stood frozen in his spot.

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“HA! Told you they’ll never get your name right, most of all if you just met” Mike Approach the pair and look smugly at the ire of his life for the past 3 months. ‘Why does everyone always say my name wrong?’ Alexis’ silent whine went unheard from the still laughing man, who cough, then proceed to smile widely at the young man, approval written over his face “Anyway, I like you, The Name’s Mike-“ “Wazowski” Alexis Butted in with a loud-ish whisper, Gabrielle wondered who that was. “Shut up Pringlesnatch, as I was saying, My name is Mike“Teavee” And that “I said my name is Mike-“ “-y Harper” Who? “Please shut up, both of you” Olivia groans and smack the two in the head with a brochure she planned to read for later “Ow!” “Hey what gives?!” Olivia ignored hem and greeted Gabrielle with an apologetic smile “Don’t mind those two, My Name is Olivia Ashburn and that

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man,” Olivia pointed at the bickering Slicked haired man “-is Mike Leonheart, I hope we can get along” “T-thank you Miss Ashburn, I hope to meet your expectation” Gabrielle shook the offered hand, eyes blinking confused at his expectation of the group that contrast heavily to what Miss Quinn said outside. Olivia nodded went to her sit barking at the two to sit down. “Well then, why don’t we give a brief review for our newly assigned member of our investigation?” Alexis proposed, having already forgotten the misconception about his name earlier as he gave Gabrielle a grin. Alice nodded and prepared to give some of the files about the investigation, having already organized it from the 1st to the latest victim while they’re introducing earlier. “I’m pretty sure that if you’re a news fanatic, you would’ve heard of people dropping dead with their larynx gone once every six months in some news” Alice started, staring at her now responsibility with keen eyes, who had gotten a serious look on his face and Listen to every words she said. “the police hid the connection from the public’s eyes when the higher ups agreed as they thought it wasn’t that important, The media hadn’t connected the dots yet as it would create a mass-

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panic of the civilians for two years” Alice didn’t know what her superiors were thinking of not letting the civilians know of a serial threat, that they won’t even know if they’re the next victim, but Alice think it’s better to be a little paranoid than an ignorant one that could be the next one dead, no matter how random the victims are. but she’s under the Vow of Confidentiality, les she risk being thrown to prison for breaching it and informing the media about it.. She didn’t know whether to be glad or remorseful and even resentful that it took an innocent life of the government’s family member to die for the case to be taken seriously as a Mass threat. “It’s also a way to keep the killer from knowing if we had any lead if it ever got out in the press or aware that we have suspects, Quoted by the director” She made a motion of lifting her two fingers together and drawing a quotation mark in the air. “As we are all aware that we’re against a highly intelligent killer with knacks for larynxes for an odd reason, Confident with his or her ability evade the law for so long that they left traces of clues behind” Alice suddenly a pinch expression on her face “And a Dry Humor” The senior investigators shared a knowing glance with a bit of bitter humor in it, engulfed in gleaming enmity, while the youngest

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one stared confused at them about the Dry humor thing that their supposed leader is displeased about. “We’ll tell you for another time squirt” Mike gruff and look away at them, seemingly looking at anything other than the living ones present, Alice stealthily rolled her eyes in a tight amusement before continuing. “I also prepared the group suspects that Richard already filed away, along with ones that you prepared “ Alice continued, punching some keys in her laptop and open the projectors with the remote, the blank screen came into life and Gabrielle is face to face with multiple people he didn’t recognize much with some he vividly remember in the news, each cataloguing into stolen shots and formal pictures. He tightens his hold into a fist, eyes trailing the longest on the first picture and to the most recent one. “Each of these people has a connection to the respective victims that varies from rivalry, family debt, and ect” “We’re looking for a killer that has innate knowledge of medical studies, narrowing down to all the People with Medical occupation” “Which is approximately…has a thousand or so overall, but if we narrowed it down to Surgeon and even Pharmacist, Two hundred.” Olivia hummed in thought.

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“And narrowing it down even more with the previous victims in contact with each of them…twenty four?” Alexis chimed with uncertainty, looking down at the paper to see if he got that right. Mike rolled his eyes and leaned his head on the wooden table to rest his arms on it, sharp eyes discerning anything he could contribute to their insistent rambling “But only 3 of them require extensive medical attention, the others is pretty much healthy in terms, some, like the first and fourth one is in need of counseling and in meds with psychological problems” Gabrielle listened with rapt attention and attentive eyes, gathering all the information that the others had given, the gears on his head already turning with possibilities that he wanted to share, choosing to keep his mouth shut for now. Alice let the others give their own thoughts of the Investigation and decided to observe how the intern that Carson assigned to her will fair, it’s obvious how he wanted to say something with the way he fidget and look uncertainly at her, Alice answered with a shrug, giving him a chance to speak up, But the younger man chose to keep his mouth shut and only listened. Now that the younger man, as well as the others was distracted with their talk, Alice took that opportunity to gather a simple profile description for the young intern.

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Gabrielle Lyn Emerson, Age 19, Lean athletic built but still in need of more training if the need of a fight arose because in FBI the need to be seen as strong could get you somewhere, but then again, he could be quick on his feet to avoid any injuries from being subjected into him so Alice guessed that couldn’t be a problem for now, The younger man had Wavy black hair and fidgety Blue eyes, and with her narrowed stare, a specs of silver that surrounds the iris, probably a mix from his parents . He have pale complexion that could indicate that he has low melanin or maybe doesn’t just stayed in the sun more, who knows. Alice towered over him with the heel of her shoes much to her dismay, vowing to never take it off when the younger man is around. Gabrielle Emerson also showed early stages of keen intelligence that could be nourished and develop into one that could be well known in the agency, but there’s a thing that keeps him from prospering, holding him back, it could be his hesitance to speak up and hold everything he wanted to say for himself and maybe something more. Alice blink out of her haze the others didn’t seem to notice her momentary relapse from reality and continue to talk, Gabrielle seems to be easing up from their Resident Man-child and Grouchy grandfather’s Constant bickering, a tilt of his lips and the urge to laugh from their amusing verbal, one sided spat. Her eyes drifted to the other members of the team, Olivia seemed to be sending the younger male a silent message that clearly

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translated to : ‘Do you see what I have to put up with?’ from which the Gabrielle helplessly shrug with a silent support, seemingly worried for himself at the thought of handling the ‘father-son’ duo that continues to fight and got completely sidetrack with their summarizing. Alice cleared her throat and immediately got their attention, flushing at the thought that she saw them as a bickering kid, Olivia quite envy how she easily mange to control the situation and wonders if she should be harsher when handling the two. And just like that the investigation is right on track, with Alice scribbling notes and Gabrielle listening intently.

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Chapter 10 Rooftop

Alexis slump over the desk with a dizzy look , if this was an animated one, they would’ve seen steam coming out of his head with his eyes swirling. "How did you even become an FBI agent?" Mike grumbled halfheartedly, preparing to leave for a lunch break. The slumped over Blonde Just whined and sprouted incoherent words that the balding man didn't understand, rolling his eyes, he made his way over the door and close it with a bang. "Well, there goes my plan for a group lunch" Alexis straightened his slack posture with a bored expression on his face, Olivia stared at him incredulously. "You call that a plan?" Motioning his hand in a waving manner Alexis bore her with a kicked puppy look. "Cut me some slack! I was just about to ask them after my breakdown”

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"You wouldn't succeeded anyway, Nikolas has to check on his sister at the lab for the progress or probably go the kindergarten and mike had to do whatever business he has outside" The black haired woman explained, patting the man-child in comfort. "If you want, I could accompany you " the man-child immediately brighten up like a bulb and Olivia wondered if the blonde is really a 32 years old man. "Really? Thanks Ollie!" Olivia only gave him an exasperated look “Let’s see if we can invite the others” “Uhh you should probably not” Alexis muttered to her with his eyes behind her, turning her head to see the other occupants, Olivia could see that they were both busy and look like they didn't even notice the other member’s leaving. And with a sigh, Olivia nodded and drag the blonde man-child with her on the way out, Gabrielle only cast them a lingering glance before going back to what he is doing, gathering whatever the red head said like a gospel. They converse for a while before noticing the time, realizing those twenty minutes has passed since Olivia and Alexis exit the room, not that Alice didn’t pay attention. Deciding to have lunch now that she checked the time, Alice invites the intern when she felt that her lecturing is enough for the day, and contemplates where they should eat.

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Eyes glinting at the thought of her favorite café, Alice turned her attention towards the male she is assigned to and plastered a smile. “How would you like a Scottish Lunch Mister Emerson” Gabrielle only blinked at her and nodded “So, how is your first 3 hours in the work place Mister Emerson?” It was the 1st thing that the older red haired woman uttered when they sat down at one of the tables of a café after their order was taken by a enthusiastic waitress, it was one of the nearest to the building they came out of, maybe 2 blocks away that wouldn’t need any sorts of transportation And Miss Quinn decided to drag him here for a talk that he couldn’t help but be worried to, But Gabrielle pulled off a smile and took a small sip from his latte to ease his nerve,. He couldn’t afford to look week in front of such powerful figure “You can call me by my first name Miss Quinn” Alice didn’t bat an eyelash and just gave him a tight smile of her own “Gabrielle then, you can call me Alice from now on” Gabrielle only nodded and contemplates what he will answer for the red head’s recent question “It’s certainly…Interesting to say the least, it is also nerve-wrecking with all the experienced people surrounding you” He then hesitates “And mind-opening, I didn’t know how much were hidden in the public with this case”

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Alice nodded with her unnerving brown eyes, Gabrielle didn’t let him be affected by the stare, but he did gulp and wondered if he said something wrong “Indeed, I remember the first time I was assigned to my case, younger than most of my peers, tried intimidating me at first before proving them that I can keep up with them” Alice shared with a whimsical smile, Gabrielle smiled at the projection his mind relayed. “I think it’s the same as everyone, a method to toughen our will perhaps” “It could be, and it could also be a method to remove any competition” Gabrielle got the idea, but he wanted to hear why the Red head across him would say that. “You see Gabrielle; I didn’t quite go to the academy like most do, got myself straight to the FBI through the invitation of the higher ups because of my rising reputation to solve cases in my youth” Gabrielle leaned forward to hear what Alice got to say. “Of course I had to work harder, work to become stronger that people who would try to destroy this opportunity that was gladly given to me, I remain adamant to receive a physical training, be with peers older than me and fought my way through”

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Gabrielle stared at him with something in his eyes that Alice couldn’t recognize. “There’s something that I wanted to know” “Yes?” Alice urged while sipping her beverage, looking at the young intern through her eyelash. “The killer’s Killing method…” Gabrielle muttered, looking around to see if someone could eavesdrop of their conversation, but to his surprise, they’re the only one still present. “Oh you mean the Digoxin and Cyanide pill?” A rueful smile filtered her face, eyes darkening at that particular subject “Our resident killer wanted his or her victims to suffer, the cyanide was supposed to make the heartbeat quickly stop, instant death, But the Digoxin countered it. Do you know what Digoxin is Gabrielle?” At the intern’s shake of head, Alice continued “It’s a Medication either swallowed or injected, used to treat heart failure and make the heart continuously beat” Gabrielle looked at her in horror, Face ashen white that had Alice wondering as to why he reacted that much, Gabrielle Emerson probably imagined what that felt The killer is cruel and a sadist. Forcing others to swallow a high dose of Digoxin, The right amount that it will make the drinker spasm erratically from the heart

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activity then adding the Cyanide pill… A horrible battle that will happen in or body, two substance fighting each other and with the Digoxin ratio purposely lose for the Cyanide to take over and finally kill its inhabitants. She wouldn’t even dream of the thought of that happening to him But before she could continue to tell just that to the younger man, The pair sighted the people running outside and noticed a crowd forming just in front of the building that is facing the café, Gabrielle became tense and Alice calmly downed her tea before placing it down, she stood up and stared through the glass as if looking for something before those brown orbs clash into his eyes. “Well then, let’s see what’s happening” he quickly nodded and catch up to the red head’s strides, before he knew it, he was already outside and is squeezing to get through the forming mob to follow his superior, which act like a beacon with her red hair in the sea of Black and brown. Muttering and harsh whispers envelop from the forming crowd envelop him, along with teenagers snickering as if finding something hilarious about the panicking crowd. Gabrielle catch up to her figure and observed that she’s talking to a frantic Hotel employee heaving and rapidly talking about something he passed from the Crowd that he now noticed to be forming a half-circle, some are pointing while the others with their camera pointing in the sky.

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He look up and blanched at what he saw, up in the rooftop is a person he couldn’t identify the gender off, but could already realize of what they’re planning to do. “We- We couldn’t get him to get down! he threatened to jump if we come any closer-“The red head then signaled him to take care of the frantic woman, dashing through the Hotel doors and Disappearing behind it in a flash. “Breath Miss, Calm your breath and talk slowly” Gabrielle ordered gently, observing how the woman forced her breath to slow, when he deemed it alright, Gabrielle began his quick assessment that he was drilled of in the academy “Do you know how long he’s been up there? The woman scrunched her brows before dropping her gaze and staring at the ground. Not meeting his eyes before blurting out a hesitant answer “A-about 10 minutes…” Gabrielle hid his frown at the poor management, aren’t they supposed to call for help for this kind of situation for the police to immediately set up and avoid the death of the person above? And what if the one threatening to jump didn’t hesitate? But it’s a good thing they manage to stall the man from jumping to his death bed for so long. Deciding to not continue his questioning, He thanked the woman and directed her towards her fellow workers.

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He look up and didn’t bother calling for help, knowing that someone already called for aid and on their way to setup counter measures if the person above did jump from the 4th floor they’re standing on, the sound of police cars arriving had the crowd dividing, he explained the situation and they began ordering the crowd to step back. He wondered how Miss Alice will handle this situation. But oh boy did he not expect this kind of method from the Red head.

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Chapter 11 Rooftop part II Archie knew enough is enough; he knew that he couldn’t handle all the pressure happening in his godforsaken life for the past 20 years of living in this world. Social anxiety coupled with the fact that his own family always let him down and blurt out hurtful comments that they thought would help him overcome his ‘Problems’ But NO, they keep of making things worse! And then, and then…Even his own friends has grown tired of him, he could see it in their eyes, the annoyance, the disappointment as if he’s doing things wrong, for being weak willed and how they react around him as if wanting to get away from him, Archie knew that they were tired of him. Life has always been cruel to him, all plummeting from the incident years ago, leading him into this pathetic person that he is now, he decided that people is crueler too, even the Workers in this building doesn’t want him to jump in fear of being fired if they couldn’t prevent him from jumping and ruining the hotel’s reputation because he will die and splatter his remains on their entrance, tarnishing their oh so cleaned and lovable image that his parents has work hard for. But that’s the point, he will leave this world with a final ‘fuck you’ to them for what they’ve done.

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But why is he hesitating? He could’ve jump and ignored the pleas of those people. Having already gathered enough crowd for them to share the message.

That the owner of this building mentally abused their own child to the point of killing himself. He decided he wouldn’t give a fuck about it anymore, the workers already give up and fled the rooftop, not wanting to scarred their eyes of the vision of him jumping, or maybe not wanting in the same vicinity as him in order to save their job? Who knows, people are cruel after all. He gripped the railings tighter, hands sweaty and trembling. He tried calming his nerves and took deep breaths. “You’re hesitating” a voice drawled out, startled from the voice that sounds so close to him, Archie whipped his head on the right so fast that he could’ve sworn that his neck creak a little. He stared on the regal looking woman on his side, standing a little bit behind him; the only thing separating them is the Green metal railings that reach half of his body that he is standing on. He let out a startled shout, but jerking in motion at the sudden appearance but he realize with a narrowed eyes that the woman is probably here to stop him just like the people from before too. “Did they send you here to stop me from jumping?” He accused, one hand pointing at her direction while his other remained tight

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grip on the metal “ You can’t stop me! I already made up my mind” Archie said with so much conviction, at the same time reassuring him too. He readied his trembling body to jump as he forced his tense feet to move as a threat for the red head woman to back off. But she remained unaffected while staring at him with eyes hidden in sleek glasses and what the red head said next momentarily stop his brain from functioning. “Oh, I’m not here to stop you at all” The red head chuckled, waving a hand as she swat the air in a Lax motion “ Feel free to jump” Archie stared gob smack at her, not expecting her to say something like that. “I-if this is your way of preventing me from taking my life then you’re in for a surprise” He regain his bearing and declared at her, watching with suspicious eyes as the woman remain standing with her arms in the pocket of her trench coat, looking at him with unnerving eyes and irritating tilt at the corner of her lips in an almost mocking way “Not at all, I’m just here because I wanted to see how a person fall from above view” Archie decided, this Woman Is a lunatic. Batshit insane psychopath. “Stay away from me you crazy woman! And let me die in peace!” focusing his eyes on the ground he notice the crowd already swarming with a new batch of people forming in a half circle while

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pointing at him, some with their phones out with the intent of recording his fall, the distant sound of blaring siren made his heart clench in thought. Seconds tick by and he was still in the rooftop with the lunatic, drawing a deep sigh from her. “This is taking too long” He turned his head at the red head when suddenly, Archie felt a push in his back “Wha-“ before he knew it, his world is tilting, he let out a frightened shout as his feet slid off the pavement, hand accidentally letting go of the railings from the sudden push. Fear overcome his senses, body flailing as he tried grabbing something to stop him from the sudden fall, Archie wasn’t ready yet! shitshitshitshitfuckingshit A tug behind the base of his neck stop him, a fistful of his cloth held by the lunatic that just tried pushing him to his death; He tried moving his head and look behind him, meeting the bored gaze of the lunatic that pushed him. “You wouldn’t really die in ‘peace’ as you thought it would be, you will die in bitterness, you wouldn’t know what the outcome of this will be” The red head-no, LUNATIC said, as if she didn’t just push a person because the person is taking his sweet fucking time a little bit too long for his liking. It doesn’t matter if he is in the middle

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of killing himself, this shit is different! This lunatic doesn’t have his consent to just suddenly push him just because she’s fucking bored! “WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!” He screamed in rage, shock and terror rolled into one, but fear is the one that overcome his senses, trying not to move to much as the only thing keeping him from falling is the hand holding his clothe in

one arm, As if the weight didn’t deter the lunatic one bit as her other arm remain inside her pocket( he didn’t notice one heeled foot leaning against the fence to support his weight). “I thought you wanted to die?” She questioned with a mocking tilt of her head “I’m merely helping you as I saw you having a hard time” “FUCK YOU!” Archie screamed, along with the gasp and shout from below who probably thought that someone stop him from

jumping and currently is holding him down and didn’t just carelessly shove him to his death. “You’re Rude, what would your parents say with that kind of language?” Anger immediately filled through his being “My parents wouldn’t care about what I say, they didn’t care if I got hurt or not, why would they waste their energy on someone like me?” He sneered, momentarily forgetting that he is a few move from dying and spatting in the ground, what does this stranger knew anyway?

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Chastising him for his language when she doesn’t even know what he went through throughout his pathetic life! “Pathetic really, you live in their dominating shadow without doing anything?” “What can you do anyway?! I just wanted it all to end!” He flailed, Goosebumps creeping in his skin as his eyes drifted in front of him and the ground that suddenly look like a lot higher than it is before “Pe-people like me will always be treated differently! Just because we act like someone they didn’t want to do business with they will either try and destroy my life or remind me of how worthless I am!” He spoke with a wavering voice, he blinked the tears threatening to fall from his face “and you people all do is go on your merry way and live in ignorance that someone is hurting!” he balled up his fist in anger, restraining himself to lash out. The lunatic seems thoughtful for a moment, brown eyes seemingly fogging

before

clearing and is back with the lax, half-lidded eyes that pissed him off. “You’re right, what can I do? Not like I can help you with that” The lunatic shrugged, He could feel the panic slamming into him in full force, feeling the lunatic let go of the only thing holding him down, his body immediately goes down, the gravity doing it’s work with bringing him down head first. Cries of panic reverberated from below.

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“AHHH! STOP! STOP” he pleaded, his flailing body turning from behind and positioned to see the red head, just in time for her to grab his shirt and pulled him towards her, not enough for him to get his footing as he tiptoed at the edge of it. With half of her body crossing the only barrier with the other hand originally in her pocket firmly held the pavement as if to stop herself from falling as well, yet her face remain indifferent with an amuse smile lingering on her face. Fuck this shit. Fuck this reverse psychology shit. “Please pull me up” Archie begged, his pride forgotten for the sake of not falling from the suddenly intimidating height of the building and then he realized, He’s afraid of dying.. “I forgot that I wanted to ask something before you fall” This made him gape before her.. Did, Did this woman plucked him from his fall just to answer her question? Did she intend for him to die?! “Wha-what is it?” His voice trembled, hands gripping the appendage of the red head in case she let go for the 3 rd time. To his relief he was completely pulled from his death bed, he knees weakened, he grip the pavement for support and stared at the red head warily. doubt that she will shove him completely this time if she

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doesn’t like his answer. She leaned and cross her arms in her chest, tilting her head to the side while staring at him in. “What’s it like? What does giving up feels like?” Her voice was lower, sounds like a whisper in his ears with the pounding in his heart from earlier. Archie stared at her confused, mouth already demanding to what the redhead said, and she seems to anticipate it as she interrupt him before he could lash out “You of all people probably knows about it more than I do” An involuntary twitch spasm in his face from the Jab, unbelievable, this woman is unbelievable. Archie release a tired sigh and grip the railings tighter, he’s confuse at the particular question and wondered why the red head would ask about it, maybe she wanted him to realize something? That life is worth living for? She already done that with the stunt she pulled of earlier. He turned to look at her, really look at her. The makeup that she thought was concealed enough showed the deep bags under her eyes, the paleness that could only point at being in a seclude place for preferring to be alone, along with the sorrow flickering in her brown gaze as if seeing something he doesn’t know of, what he saw is a tired person seemingly on the brink of breaking, like him.

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Gabrielle could feel his heart stop the moment the body of the soon to be corpse suddenly slipped of, body involuntarily leaning forward as if to catch the man when it froze a second later, he could see the faint lines of a sleeve connected from the man’s nape and he release the breath he didn’t know he was holding. His neck craned and looks above once more. “Oh man I was hoping for something to happen, this is boring” someone complained. Gabrielle snaps his gaze towards the sound came from. Blue Eyes glaring daggers at the unimportant man with an unimportant, useless opinion. The man seems to sense his gaze as he turned his bored eyes at him, suddenly flinching and diverted his eyes somewhere, his expression must’ve unnerve the man, who hurriedly scuttling away from his field of vision. Letting out a snort he returned his attention back to the spectacle, a little disappointed that he couldn’t see how his boss would handle this situation Up close, he wondered what tactic she’s using to convince the man, is it manipulation? Physical force? Or All of the above? The third option seems to be the correct one as the man released a shriek as the arm tug forward as if intent to letting the man go. Epidemics were already stationed just in case. With the handlers ready in action, Gabrielle was then approach by one of them, inquiring for more information which he readily give, both of their

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attention then returned to the current situation as the people around them seems to be releasing a collective sigh of relief. The suicide jumper was gripping the Railings again but still on the dangerous side of the fence, and look to be conversing with his boss, the two occupants on the roof stayed there for an estimated time of ten minutes before people around him begun to clap and cheer with some assholes releasing a disappointed sigh and left, The suicide jumper already on the safe side with his boss holding the other’s arm for assistance, just in case.

Gabrielle is curious as to what the two talked about and as the front door opened with the former suicide jumper and the red head agent in tow. He approach both of them along with the fellow nurses and officers, he made a beeline towards his boss, having already separated to the recently suicidal man with the gathering crowd around him. Alice avoided the people intent on getting close to her space, immediately noticing him and walked towards him, he congratulated her with a smile, the red head shrugging and muttering thanks before motioning him to walk towards the direction of the Headquarters. “Hey!” Both turned towards the direction of the voice which came from the star of the day, who sees to stutter with the color of red creeping up his neck and into his face “J-just because you help me

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realize something doesn’t mean that I for-forgiven you for doing that earlier!” Alice simply sent an amused smile on the man’s direction before continue walking, with Gabrielle following beside her, he took one backward glance towards the man. Gabrielle could feel his eyes unexpectedly narrow. “Where were you?” Nikolas questioned with a raised eyebrow as The last people needed in the room occupied the remaining sit “We were sidetracked” Alice Answered distractedly while taking a note Gabrielle stared at her questioningly but didn’t dare utter a word about it instead he answered the man’s question “We were in the Aquatea a few blocks from here” “Their fruit teas are to die for” Olivia commented offhandedly, returning to her work with a lingering gaze on the red head. Alexis hummed in thought, Pen flicking in his lips in as he stared at the two with interest “AqueaTea…Isn’t that place near the building where someone wanted to jump this afternoon? I heard it was taken care of” “Then, were you two there when that happened?” Mike leaned in his chair, his disinterested air vanishing in a flash.

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“Y-yes we were there when that happened” Gabrielle looks worriedly at the red head whose pen stopped moving and placing it down. She smiled placidly at them “Just like what Gabrielle Said, we were there when that man tried to jump. We offered some assistance to ease the crowd and the man’s death has been avoided” If Gabrielle hadn’t been there with the red head, he would’ve thought that Miss Alice is insinuating that she calmed down at uneasy crowd and not the one from above, But wasn’t really lying when she said that she did calm the crowd, by saving the former suicide jumper from death. Gabrielle wondered why she didn’t take the credit. “That’s one heck of a experience in your 1st day at work, isn’t it newbie?” Alexis lightheartedly teased while wiggling his eyebrow at the now uncomfortably Gabrielle. “Y-Yes, but I learned a lot from Miss Alice from just a few hours that she’s been assigned to me” Like how calm she is in such situation and how she handled it. And also the strength and endurance that she have just by lifting the man with just one arm. Gabrielle added to his mental list to opted his training in that field. “Instead of chit-chatting, why don’t we try and get back to our work so we can at least have some progress?” Came from the annoyed looking Mike, glaring irritably at the blond, Alexis lift his hand in mock-surrender.

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Just like that the subject has been drop, but taken noted of to be pursued later. Gabrielle release a sigh of relief, He wasn’t really that comfortably being the center of attention, just like miss Alice who went back to her work the moment she answered their question to send of signals that she’s done with that subject. He muttered an apology and quickly shifted his eyes towards Miss Alice who suddenly stood up and assigned them of their next assignment, which includes interviewing those people who Richard was last seen with and question the previous suspect of their alibi at that time. Eyes straying to the paper that she’s been writing on since the 1st few hours, Gabrielle realized Miss Alice has been cataloguing each member to what they do best, with notes commenting their compatibly to investigate and question each suspect and even the place. The only thing that changed in the plan is that Olivia and Nikolas switch their assigned person as Nikolas claimed to know who Olivia will be questioning, saying that that person will probably be uncomfortable and uneasy to anyone they didn’t know. So with a sigh, Alice agreed. And just like that they exit the building and separate to their respective destination. With him accompanying Miss Alice to investigate said pace he’s been talking about.

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He followed her to the white car that he immediately realized as Mazda3, He must’ve said it out loud when the red head look at his direction amusedly “You seem to have proficient knowledge about cars Mister Gabrielle” the teasing quirk of her lips made him stutter an explanation, Both respectively opening each door open as they entered “I’m-uh A car fanatic in my youth. I tend to keep tabs on them as a hobby” “It’s a good hobby” Alice complimented, starting the engine and drove “It can be a good asset to the FBI as well, Identifying runaway cars or even give feedback to the headquarters with that knowledge in a stressful situation” Alice Drawled, eyes focused on the road ahead to their first destination. Gabrielle forced him not to smile goofily and preen. Usually people just look at him weirdly for obsessing over cars, but it’s the only things that really connect him to his late-father, gushing over new car models that made his mother look exasperated at them. Such a sad thing when they died…. He shook his head to clear that depressing thought and smiled politely, thanking the red head with a barely heard ‘thanks. They traveled with a comfortable silence.

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Chapter 12 Lead? _________________________________________________ "The results came out, just as we thought, He was killed with the same Substances of Cyanide and Digoxin, The same one as the other 8 victims before him" Monika gravely Said, not looking at them in the eye with her hand tightly formed in a fist, trembling as she give them each copy of the result Nikolas gave her a sympathetic pat in the back, hands staying there that Monika could feel the trembling appendages from his brother as well. It was 2 hours after the lunch did Nikolas informed them of the final results of the autopsy, it took longer than usual as the one assigned to type all the finding unexpectedly request a leave due to his problem that had the head of the Behavioral Analysis Unit Nodding with desperate eagerness while also clamping her nose and mouth to avoid such horrid smell, The man left with burning embarrassment, leaving his unfinished work to the one who he is with during the autopsy. Layla Maddie Coleman Chooses Monika as their representative, as well as a member of the Fiber Investigative Unit to rely their findings to them, calling cheerily at 7 am in the morning to inform a dead tired Monika and taunting her lightheartedly to Man up and face her fears.

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Monika had to leave her house in a rush and crammed up all the things she relied on the poor, embarrassed man when they were together that night. The first thing they saw when they entered the seemingly glass paneled room is her haggard appearance, scrambling up all the freshly printed papers, hastily giving each and everyone the similar papers. Nikolas pats her in the back to ease her discomfort as she gives him his own copy. And from there on, she summarized all their finding, as well as what the Fiber analysis unit could find in Richard’s clothes. The murder weapon, as always, looks to be the cyanide pill and digoxin. “How about the place where Mister Monroe’s Larynx got cut up, Is it the same place he got killed or, was he moved towards a different location to remove them?” Olivia asked out loud, finally looking up from the files after she read over it, (And also keeping her ear out to hear what her colleague’s Sister had to say) “As a matter of fact, I was about to tell you about that “A male voice Mused as a nearly dark- haired version of their Blonde Manchild, (But hotter) took a step in the center, fishing a remote from his lab coat and clicking a button. The projector screen on their side lit up and the familiar bloody clothes of their deceased colleagues and friend (As well as lover) Appeared on the screen.

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“Mr. Monroe here had been killed in a polluted area, based on the amount of dust that surrounds almost all of his body, as well as his clothes, before getting his body move to a rather sterile one, similar like a lab, A place for his larynx to be cut off, as always. Based on the sterile components found on his wounds” “Isn’t it the same with the other victims?” Mike blurted out in confusion. “Yes, But this one is slightly different from the rest, You see The body has been left alone for an estimated time, preferably twenty to thirty minutes before being moved” “The previous victims hasn’t been in contact with the outside world for how long, trapped in a confine place where they will stay for approximately Ten days before they will be out in the open to be discovered” Monika helpfully added to give her black haired colleague a time to rest his moving muscles, in fear of them cracking or accidentally bitten from his over-talking. “In Mr. Monroe’s Case, it’s the total opposite” He finished with a mad glint in his dark eyes, before turning to the youngest occupant in the room, grinning wildly at Gabrielle (who couldn’t help but compare Mr. Alexis and Him together) “You must be new here, My name is Jesse Sawyer, nice to meet you” Gabrielle nodded and offered his own name, stopping short when he noticed that they are the only one making a sound.

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The other occupants remain silent, casting a concerned glance at the only redhead that never left the paper held in her hands, Gabrielle being the nearest to her could see the slight crinkle forming

at

the

edges

of

the

paper

from

her

hand.

Even if he only spent a short time with his superior, he was sure to be the only one really get close to her Titanium wall, enough to discern the turmoil that threatens to break to the surface. Monika immediately notice her and fumbled to the last page of the file, clearing her throat for preparation “We…Also found a DNA that didn’t belong to Richard Monroe” That got the red head’s attention, eyes sharpened as she leveled Monika, her attention solely, clearly focused on her. Monika hid a flinch from the sudden action but collected her cool to calm the cheering blond man that she identified As Alexis, The similar locks of wild blonde hair struck a pain in her cord; she wondered if Quinn felt the same way she felt when she saw the blond man. “We already go the result of a matching DNA from the tiniest bit of hair that we found in his clothes” from here she heaves a sigh, giving the final pieces of duplicated paper to one of them. “Praise the science technology for that” Alexis remark before

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frowning as he look at the paper in thought “Who’s Pierce Jennings?” ‘ I think I heard that name earlier…’ he muttered a little too loudly to himself. “That’s because he’s the one that Nikolas and I switched over before” Olivia answered, speaking for the first time that they entered the Unit. Realization seems to flash in his already expressive face as he pointed his finger quite rudely to the bearded man “Isn’t that your bro-bro that you mentioned earlier?” He exclaimed, Nikolas glower at him in irritation but the signs of sweat that leaves his forehead didn’t hide the fact that he’s shock as well “It’s rude to point at people, learn your manners” He chided before finally nodding, staring intently at the paper with shaking hands “But ye-yes I do know him” Alice continued to observe Nikolas’ reaction with keen interest, eyes never leaving his the moment she read over the name from the file “I was planning to tell you guys the moment we returned to the office about my suspicions of him, but I guess this changes everything” Nikolas admitted, ruffling his hair as he uncomfortably chose the next words to explain

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“Just the other day, I was on my way to his house to discuss a few things about his request for a job, we stumbled upon each other in front of his house. He seems jittery when he saw me but Pierce still invited me inside” Nikolas begins, crossing his arms over his chest to rest his upper body on the glass walls “Nice fellow, gave me a batch of his favorite cookies before excusing himself upstairs to change” “Now that’s suspicious” Mike muttered, but with his gruff voice “Is his clothes that dirty?” Alexis wondered, the same time Mike muttered, sending a look to the bald man and give him a stink eye, Mike simply rolled his eyes and ignored him. “it’s only polite to change to a pair of clean clothes if your appearance could make a guest uncomfortable” Olivia reasoned out, but he knew that doesn’t change the fact that she’s suspicious as well. Alice and Gabrielle chose to remain silent and waited for the man to continue his report, or in Gabrielle’s term, Story. “we talked, nothing important to really take note of but our meeting today had me on edge, especially after I learned that he’ under suspicion, doesn’t seems to be himself like I remembered. Refused to answer my questions as to where he was yesterday morning and look worse for wear, always looking at the door as if someone is going to take him” “Like expecting someone to barge in and take him straight to jail?” Monika offered drily, clasping her folder close to her chest as she

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listened to her brother’s story, tucking her fringes to her ears as she do so in a habit. “He seems paranoid, yes. Requesting for me to leave when I uh, remain persistent about his last whereabouts in our last meeting” “Is that why you’re the first one to come back then?” The blond Man-child piped, not really delivering it as a question for Nikolas to answer. But he still nodded at the not-question. “That’s it then, we finally have our lead for the first fucking time” “Watch your language Leonhart” “Give him a break Ashburn,I’m as Ecstatic as he is” Gabrielle didn’t know if that’s sarcasm right there “But with more control over your mouth Sullivan” Olivia retorted with a snort, her eyes then met Alice’s Brown ones and sent her a questioning glance that translated to ‘What now?’ “We’ll arrange a questioning for Mister Jennings at his house today” The others somberly nodded and turned to walk out of the glass paneled room, Nikolas giving his sister a pat in the head and Alexis and Jesse humming a similar tune.

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Chapter 13 Intruder

“What are we doing here Miss Alice?” Gabrielle asked softly while following the graceful steps of the red head. He had been confuse when they finished interrogating the man, Mister Jennings earlier when he noticed that the red head hadn’t intended to go home at all. She just motioned for him to get closer and Told him in a low tone of her controlled voice that she’ll be going to the headquarter to see if her intuition is correct, The others didn’t seem to notice their stray on their way out of the house, with a lingering glance from their resident Man-child. Gabrielle vehemently agreed at the rather open invitation, Not wasting a chance to see what his superior does in her line of work. “Just a niggling feeling” Alice Answered, Eyes straying to each department that feels a little deserted in her own opinion, She already dismissed the suspicion on Pierce Jennings. Nothing in his behavior leads back to Richard’s Case, with the only reason that he briefly talked with the man over his job. It more or less lead to his psychological trauma of something vile that happened to him when Nikolas Sullivan met him. She noted the lack of White coats in the vicinity from their walk.

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Passing a familiar face, Alice called the person’s attention and walk over to them, Gabrielle could see the visible gulp from the person that the red head didn’t seems to notice, or maybe ignored the action at all. “Did something serious happened In the BA Unit?” From the confusion on the Man’s face, Gabrielle got the niggling feeling that something is wrong. “Didn’t you hear? Carson asked for the whole unit’s assistance. Something about a massacre in the San Fernando Valley” The man hurriedly explains the situation before excusing himself and went on his merry way. Alice stared at the retreating back for a minute before stepping to a different direction. “I originally wanted to ask my colleague about something, but I believe that can wait” The red head answered as if reading Gabrielle’s thought, He nodded and kept his mouth shut on the way, The longer they walk, the shorter a person is present in the area and it made him wary when he noticed that they are alone in a deserted hallway. The BAU room on the end of the passage. Alice halted her silenced footstep and stared at something Gabrielle couldn’t see, so he move and takes a look at what the red head is staring at.

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He frowned The Double door is slightly ajar, barely unnoticeable for anyone walking and not really looking. Alice looks at him before moving her hand in her backside and took something and positioned it downwards. A Gun he realizes. He took a step back and allowed the red head to enter first swift as a cat and soundless like assassin, Gabrielle minded his steps to make as little sound as possible and followed the red head to the otherwise empty room. Blood pounded on his ears as it heightened for any noise that doesn’t belong to either of them, eyes focusing on something that wouldn’t belong in a lab at every step he take, forcing himself to calm down les he made a mistake, Gabrielle breath slowly through his mouth and continuously followed the Red head. “This kind of thing shouldn’t even be possible” Alice muttered to herself, Gabrielle still heard it from their close proximity. From his questioning look Alice answered his otherwise silent question with a low whisper “Every unit usually left a couple or more members in every department to guard and keep any investigation or operation running, there’s no exception” She answered in a clipped voice, hinting that Gabrielle should be suspicious of the fact and take note of what she said.

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Gabrielle nodded seriously and look towards the spacious room filled with gadgets, tables with little to no concrete that separated each section of the BAU, divided only by glass panels that allows anyone to see the procedure of anyone. The only exception being the place where the corpse for investigation is stored, each corpse held inside a Metal ‘coffin’ stored like a cabinet with many drawers.

Meanwhile in San Fernando valley “Carson” A curt voice called, gaining his attention from the police that he is conversing with, He turned his narrowed eyes towards the voice and couldn’t help raising his eyebrow to the point of nearing in his hairline “We came as you requested” Layla stated with underlying confusion, eyes wandering in the vast valley as if looking for something, and she seems to not be the only “What are you talking about?” The Dark skinned man questioned in equal confusion, pocketing the folder that was given to him from the previous officer about the victim’s Identity and turned his full attention towards the White coated woman, Now noticing the number of White lab coat in the vicinity “And why are there many of you?”

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Layla furrowed her eyebrows as she stared at him “The man you called informed us of a Massacre near the San Fransisco Valley and that you required the whole Unit due to how much corpse there is” “I didn’t do such thing” Carson denied with suspicion” Besides I have my own phone here with me, why would I order someone else to inform you of such thing?” Layla shrugged but her eyes gained a darkened hue in realization. “And there’s no Massacre as you can see, it’s only a MurderSuicide case” Carson helpfully added . “I can see that” Layla snap with irritation, Hand on her hips and heeled foot tapping on the ground with annoyance. “Um sir?” Both turned their attention towards another person clad in lab coat, sensing what the question is going to be Carson snap his own irritation at the poor man. “I didn’t order a summon of the whole BAU, and no there’s no Massacre” The man cowered under his glare. Carson didn’t try apologizing for his temper as he made his way into his car, starting the engine and ordering the whole unit with the exception of the ones originally in the crime scene to get back to

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the Headquarter. The door beside him opened and Layla made her comfortable in the sit beside him, pulling the seatbelt and connecting it to the other. Carson looks at her questioningly and Layla only blink “What? It’s stuffy in there” He rolled his eyes and starts the engine, driving away and leaving a trail of dust behind them. Back to the present Alice followed the barely noticeable light, with Gabrielle slightly distracted by the corpse that the red head ignored all together. Recognizing it as the newest victim of the investigation, and from what he had gathered, Miss Alice’s Deceased Lover. And it all happened unexpectedly, one moment he was assessing the corners of the Morgue and the next, Bumping into the red head’s Back that had him instead stumbling backwards and hitting the table and scattering all the things that is placed to the side, falling into the floor with a crash and finally staring at the frozen eyes of a hooded person bend over a computer, Gloved hands that stilled from their keyboard. Alice reacts fast and whipped her gun at the person’s Chest. Gabrielle tensed in his position, ready to stop and block any form of escape that he could. He didn’t have any weapon in him to attack the Hooded Man? Or is it a Woman? The gender is

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unclear with the baggy clothing, So he was force to rely to the only person fast enough to apprehend the ‘guest’ if necessary. “Place your hands where I can see it” She ordered with the coldness that Gabrielle hadn’t heard before from the woman Slowly, the hooded person lifted their appendages under the scrutiny of those Darkened brown orbs, slowly and carefully. Gabrielle warily watches as their left hand to stray longer than the other, hidden by the Monitor. Alice only have time to realize what it is before shoving herself and Gabrielle to the ground, a bullet whiz past them and embedded itself on the Glass wall, shattering it into pieces. Alice tried shooting, her other hand resting on the shattered glass as she pushes herself up, missing the person’s body much to her ire. The Hooded person bolted out of the area with Speed-filled panic, bumping into some materials and out of the room with a bang. Alice followed soon after, body slamming into the Double doors and wrenching it open, never missing a beat with her adrenaline she run after the last glimpse of clothes on the left, she ignored the Younger male that tried to follow her in speed, ignore her feet that was clad in heeled shoes, and not meant for running. She ignored the pain in her hands and the creeping ache in her muscles on her feet, all the red head was focused on is the running figure that leaves any person in the vicinity blink at them in bewilderment. They entered an empty hallway.

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She gripped the handgun tighter and fastens her speed, catching up with the hooded figure and grabbing the base of their neck clad in thick cotton and with all her might pulled them into her and sent herself and the other in the floor in an effort to trap them, hand gripping the handgun and placed over the struggling figure’s chest in a manner that is threatening to blow up their innards, Her other injured hand holding the Figure’s left hand in a tight grip that she will know that would bruised in violet and blue. but she misjudged the hooded figure’s strength and possibility of a hidden weapon as they unexpectedly lash their free hand at her, with a glinting knife in their hand that could’ve slice her throat open, but with inhumane speed that could only come from her adrenaline, Alice moved her hand to instinctively protect it, her right palm facing the blunt force of the blade, the pain hadn’t registered yet and she took that moment to send a punch in the fucker’s chest with her uninjured left hand. They grunted in pain and Alice, in her haze, manage to discern that it’s a male. Said male return the physical favor in gusto as he propel the red head out of his person and shove her into the wall with a force that had her grunting, Alice could’ve sworn that hear head hit the concrete wall, the gloved hands that gripped her loosen and let her body crumple into the tiled floor, The male made a step towards her in an action to even inflict an even more damage, stopping as the blaring of alarm resounded in every direction, the set of feet running away from her made her tremble in anger. Alice force herself to stand up amidst to the pain in her hands and most importantly in her head, throbbing and making her vision

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blurry, she stumbled in her steps but continue running, depending on her blurred vision and hearing from the heavy stomp, She release a soft curse under her breath as the sound got distant and the sound of alarm louder. Luck doesn’t seemed to be on her side as she lost the hooded figure, Wasn’t sure if he went on the left or right hallway, betting on her intuition, Alice pursed her lips and went to the right, stopping in a halt when a startled cry from the left hallway materialize. Thinking that the hooded man probably shove someone out of the way, Alice run to the left , her good hand leaning for support as her headache worsen. She soon manage to stumble upon a crouching figure with papers scattered on the ground, she narrowed her eyes and tried clearing her vision and called the attention of the person with familiar lab coat with her pained grunt. “AH! Alice wh-what are you doing here- wait, is that BLOOD? !” She immediately recognize the woman’s voice and with a heaving breath opened her mouth “Did you see a hooded man running this way Miss Sullivan?” her voice sounds hoarse and weak and it made Alice wince. “No, But you need medical attention immediately” The stern voice of Monika made Alice raised her eyebrow in the midst of her pain; She could tell that the woman is lying, maybe Monika thought her health is more important? but the panic sound from the woman as she tried to force her to stay when the red head made a move to come back to her former

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destination, and the insistent spurt blood on the hallway made her hesitantly nod as the brunette threatened to inject her with tranquilizer, hoping that someone at least catch that man from the population residing inside the building, Alice stayed on her spot. She waited for the Brown haired woman to snatch up all the paper on the floor with a hurried pace, uncaring from the crease and dirt stepped paper. Soft hands gently grasp her uninjured ones and drag to her to a location that Alice blindly followed, stumbling with every step that had the brunette struggling, Rapid pair of footsteps had her tensing and she turned her blurry eyes towards the sound and recognizes the color of the clothes. Gabrielle immediately walk beside her and ushered her to lean on his body as he grab her arm and steady it in her shoulder, as if knowing that he couldn’t possibly carry her weight and has the probability to make her injuries worse. Alice only grunted and let the both of them suffer for forcing themselves to carry her body, Monika’s previously meek voice became loud and had it ringing in her ears as the brunette called for help. What a hell of a night.

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Chapter 14 Interrogation _________________________________________________ The perpetrator that infiltrate the BAU laboratory was unsuccessfully apprehended, vanishing in the feed like a phantom and had Alice silently cursing the FBI population, And it had them on edge as the prospect that someone successfully entered a highly populated building filled with skilled agents and no one, not even the guards that were stationed on every exit, noticed the ins and out of the Hooded man. The sarcasm in her voice as she thought of them skilled can be subconsciously felt by said population. Her injury has been treated with professional help of one Monika Sullivan, After being questioned as to why she is the only one left in the BA unit, the Brunette claimed to have been accidentally left after she went to retrieve a follow-up files at the other side of the building –which the people of said building- After that Alice had her right hand in a sleek cast, much to her annoyance the pounding in her head had been receded into a manageable one, confirmed by the medical doctor that she only suffered from concussion, she didn’t hesitate shut down their pleas as they wanted her delivered in the hospital to be confined, Because of the fact that Markus informed him of a rather Alarming fact.

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They shuffled through Richard’s File. The fucker tried doing something in Richard’s file and got stopped by her lucky intuition. She’ll be damned if she let herself rest with this and they got the fucker’s accomplice too, the one who ordered the BAU of Carson’s falls orders. “Carson suspended him for giving false command and was placed in the interrogation room for being a possible suspect, as of now for his action"

"Who ordered all the Agents in the Lab to go to the Hangman crime scene yesterday?" Alice Murmured after Catching up to someone she's familiar with, following the man's pace as they made their way to the same destination, the spectacled man nearly drop all the papers he was holding from the sudden, dangerous question. gathering his bearings and glance at the Red head before quickly replying to the visibly agitated agent in a hushed voice so only the red

head

could

hear.

"Jackson did, he mentioned that 'The boss' texted him to inform them that they we're all ordered to be dismissed for the day and they all seems to do so in an instant" Alfred, The spectacled man explained, relying all that he was informed to as he himself only

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heard what the Chemist, one of the member that Jackson dismissed. Frantically explained, fearing for her job for following Jackson's demand. And to say that Carson is shock is an understatement when he, along with the rest of the agents of police saw the whole BAU members comes into their crime scene in the middle of the night asking him what his next order was, and where the massacre of bodies is to be preserve. He patiently tell them that no, it was just one corpse hanged by the no-named murderer and no, he didn’t order an immediate summon from them, much less the whole unit. And Carson immediately knew that something is amiss, fleeing the scene along with the baffled Unit and into the headquarter, just in time for him to receive a call from Alice, informing him that someone tried infiltrate the lab And the unsuccessful attempt to catch them. ( the red head then hesitantly inform him of her wound) "And everybody just believed that? Even the ones stationed to guard the files?" Alice said in a more normal voice as they walked to a deserted hallway. Tilting her head to look at the man beside her better and unconsciously forming her hand into a fist. She was instantly reminded of the stinging pain that she got from the earlier encounter. it left a bitter taste in her mouth for letting them escape escape from her grasp, she was so close.

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"I have no idea how that happened, they just quoted that Jackson was pressuring them to leave, threatening them of telling Carson that they disobeyed his order"

"He sounded desperate from how you describe him" The red head muttered.

They entered the slightly darkened room and her gaze immediately snap towards the chained down man who keeps on banging his fist on the Metal table in clear frustration, with Carson himself sited across the man, glaring at the suspended agent and spoke with a clear, minacious voice that finally silence the raging man, as if remembering his place. He didn’t have any defining features in him that could make him stand out in a crowd, save for his Anger management that is as clear as day.

Alice and Alfred, along with the others that Alice recognize being Markus, Silently watch the interrogation with the Glass panel separating them and the ones inside as the questioning continues, now with a more sedate pace.

One in denial and the other with a calculating tone as he tried

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wording the questions that could potentially bring the man guilty. and from what Carson gathered from the past 5 minutes, This little shit is full of it.

As she never interacts to this 'Jackson' before, Alice had no idea what to think of him in a way that could excuse the man of his behavior. But he just became a suspected accomplice really, that person she encountered with in the Lab, greatly confuse her, whether or not they were hire by the killer or was the killer itself, she wasn’t sure of. But one thing was for sure, the serial murderer that she’d known, strike when they least expected it, Nothing like this Jackson who will be a guaranteed accomplice if he

continue to vehemently

denied and refuse to answer some of Carson’s question. She might get the answers from the man herself if this continues, nothing like using the old method that had others shaking in fear. Alice turned her gaze away from the two men "Did you track the number that contact Jackson?" The question was directed to Markus, The resident hacker of the FBI.

"of course, but the only thing that I could find is a call and the message that Jackson here is talking about, the caller’s number is

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untraceable but guaranteed that it was only used once, probably for this” Alice released a Tsk, withdrawing for the rather short conversation to observe the proceeding again, the pain in her wound receding and numbed once more that she almost forgotten that it’s there, but no. she has to reminded herself of her failure, failure to catch that killer and let them get away, A reminder that will keep her going. “I told you boss, someone called me saying that he’s your assistant. Filling my head that it was your outmost order” ‘And I know what you did to those that disobey you’ Was left unheard “That doesn’t change the fact that you didn’t at least check if what the caller said is valid, Since when did I ever request for someone to make a call for me , much less order A whole unit to come into a crime scene?” Carson rebuked Jackson’s Excuse with a leveled glare. “And from these report, ‘Jackson strutted into the lab and immediately informed us of ‘your’ request of our aid in the supposed Hangman Serial case’. ‘Threatened us to go to my location’ ‘Stayed behind and only gave us your location ’ ‘Smug bastard ordering us around’

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The list goes on as Carson gave the already reddening man the full details of the Members that wanted to share their testimony about Jackson’s Actions. “I admit that I did that” Jackson slowly grounded out with barely contained anger “But I did that because I thought it was from you, Sir” for the first time Jackson sounded sincere, but the almost craze panic in his eyes blew the cover away. “Then explain why you won’t tell me of the unknown caller before the actual call that you keep on sprouting about” Jackson seems to clamp his mouth shut with a click, Alice wondered if his teeth cracked from that action. He took a shuddering breath and look away from the imposing man in front of him, the other occupants on the other side of the room waited with a baited breath, wondering if the man will confess or make an excuse once again. “The only thing that I could tell you, is that it isn’t connected to the one we’re talking about right now” “Who is it?” Carson demanded with a scowl Jackson mumbled something under his breath and seemed to redden at the demand “I can’t hear you, what are you saying?”

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“it…bo…” “What?” Carson repeated, the rest of the bystanders outside of the room leaned forward to wait for his answer. “Answer my question with a loud-“ “IT’S MY BOYFRIEND OKAY?!” Jackson snapped with a flustered face, gripping the table in shame. Alice blink Markus choked on his spit Carson stared speechless “What?” Jackson begun to sprout his sexual extravaganza in frenzy about his lover and explained that he really thought that Carson ordered him about the BAU situation and he believed it because he was drunk. Alice shook her head in irritation at the fact that the Man is telling the truth, she didn’t listen to the man’s ramblings anymore and simply waited for Carson to be finished and discuss the things with him .

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Chapter 15 Conflict _________________________________________________ “The suspicion over Pierce Jennings has been dismissed, as per my request, have him investigated of something else” Alice declared after they settled down on their sit. Just as she thought, there was a series loud exclamation from the two vocal people in the team, Olivia sent her a look that requested for her to explain or else she will join the fray. Nikolas only remained silent and waited for her explanation. “He is under the possibility of recently experiencing Sexual harassment” They quite down soon after that and she didn’t waste any more time explaining and giving them a rather short file that has their current (And former) suspect’s name written on it. “I- I don’t understand” “We became rather blinded to any possibilities other than the ones we were told to, that’s why there’s a boon in remaining ignorant to something, our mind would create potential reasons as to why they did it, not set in stone to where we scrutinize everything based from ‘facts-”

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“Yeah yeah we get it, stop jabbing at our incompetence” Mike grumbled, slicking his hair back with a frown. “Don’t be hard on her Mikey, she’s just giving her words of wisdom” Alexis made a move to pat the grouchy man’s shoulder, but immediately snap it back with a snicker when the man directed his glower at him before suddenly dropping the given file in the table stood up straight with his expression set into horror. “I FORGOT THE COFFE IN THE ENTRANCE” He runs off the door without an excuse, much to Olivia’s irritation “Mikey loves no one other than his Love for coffee” Alexis chortled “Quinn?” Alice turned her attention from the two to the Short haired woman “Yes? Is there something you need to know?” Alice softly inquired, already knowing what the other woman will ask, or should she say confirmed. “The last page of the folder seems completely unrelated to the Jennings, It says here that you requested for another Autopsy to be done on Monroe’s Body?” That got the attention of everyone in the room; Alice noted the violent snap of Nikolas’ head towards her direction.

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“Why?” Olivia query with a raised eyebrow, “We have come to deduct that the result of Richard has been compromise by someone inside the Lab, I requested for another autopsy, Carson provided the set of people to do that would do the jo-” Her softly spoken word that had the other people listening with wide eyes came into abrupt into a halt when a chair skidded out rather forcefully and palms harshly collided in the wooden table with a resounding bang, Olivia and Alexis wince at the sound and glared annoyed to the bearded man, who ignored them in favor of glaring at the Red head woman across him, who seems to remain unaffected as she stared at him with half-lidded eyes. "Care to repeat that?" His voice was ever stern, with a barely controlled anger lacing every word that the man leisurely said, His eyes contains a mixture of disappointment, trepidation and barely contained

Rage

that

Alice

noticed

before

speaking.

"I requested another autopsy for Richard, but this time, it's a thorough one, just to make sure that we're getting full information for the sake of the investigation" she repeated, adding more explanation for the older one to see and understand. "Why?" Nikolas grounded out, hand turning into a fist "Isn't my

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sister's data not enough? She, along with the others did their job, They both did their work for the sake of this investigation, and here you are, tarnishing their hard work just because you're not satisfied

with

the

result?"

"I never said that I’m not satisfied, i just had something to make sure of” Alice retorted . “Don’t try to shut me out of this and not tell a damn thing as to

why, I’ve been here since day one. I’m more a part of this investigation than you are” Nikolas grounded out, as if reminding her that she’s only been here for 3 days. Alice remain unaffected to his words that had the others wincing at the Bearded man’s rather harsh remark. “Their findings about the traces of Jennings’s DNA proved to be valuable in the investigation. It leads to the possibility that someone inside the lab could’ve tried deliberating something Alice recounted, eyes narrowing. "And besides, why are you so against the idea? I respected their findings, and most of all, how dedicated Monika and the others in the investigation, wouldn’t you want to gain

advantage

to

finally

solve

this

case?"

Nikolas only glared at her before forcing himself to sit down, his heart already racing from this stressful situation, where had he gone

wrong?

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"If it makes you feel better, if the thing I’m unsettled about turned out wrong, then that just means that I’m wrong, I’ll even publicly apologize to both of you and your sister" She doesn't even mind apologizing if she really made a mistake anyway.

"H-hey no need for that Alice! I'm sure we can all agree to disagree for the sake of the investigation yeah?" Alexis' usually cheery voice seemed to be forced as he wave his arms around to placate a raging storm that continues to brew at the two, eyes wildly going back and forth to the two with distressed intensity.

Olivia and the other spectator chose to remain silent and see through the situation and decide when to intervene, The black haired woman only hope this wouldn't escalate into something much much worse, she couldn't help but wondered if her blonde companion made it more bad as it is.

Nikolas only stared across her, Alice could discern the Mixtures of emotions swirling in the older man's expression but she stood her ground and let a slip of defiance escape her stoic face. "Tch" Nikolas broke off the staring contest and marched out off the room, opening the door wide open, and not before casting

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Alice a Dark look and closed it off with a resounding bang, leaving the room once again in a tense silence.

Gabrielle couldn't help but frown heavily in his seat, unable to meet any of them in the eyes as he had his own inner turmoil, the team's dynamics is one that you could feel like at home while you try and solve a problem, he could almost labeled this seemingly dysfunctional team as a company he preferred more than all things possible, and to think that it’s only been three days since he came into this group and now…

He couldn't help but try to find the reason for this sudden situation, Gabrielle knew Miss Alice enough to know that the controlled, analytical mind of the red head wouldn't just sprout off this kind of thing and not expect the consequences of the said action. 'What are you planning Miss Alice?' Olivia released a deep sigh rubbing her temple in a way to massage the growing migraine "You have to give Sullivan a chance for acting that way, he's just protective of his sister and also.." She started, Expression stern while gazing at the younger woman in a disapproving

tone .

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"You don't just unsubtly tell that kind of things, especially if you tell those in front of a family member that could destroy your life just by their anger alone"

"I

know"

The

red

head's

tone

remain

unchanged

"This is the first time that happened in a long, long while" Alexis muttered to himself, fiddling with the metallic pen while staring worriedly

at

the

door

and

at

the

Red

head

woman.

The Door suddenly open and both spectators swiveled their head to the direction to check if their angry subordinate came back, the only thing that could prove that Alice check as well is the subtle flick of her eyes before continuing her typing something in her laptop. "What did you guys do to piss the man off? i saw em' stomping down the hallway like a beast who got his cereal shitted at" the familiar sound of Mike's gruff voice and astounding dirty mouth manage to turn Olivia’s disapproving stare right at him, Mike blinked multiple times before shrugging off and placed the Takeout Coffee in the table before sitting, He look expectedly at them. "Well, you see, it's actually a long story..." Alexis is the one who

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decided to fill what his Frenemy missed out, Mike's eyebrow rose up with an incredulous expression after the blond man finished the recap of what happened just a while back before turning to the red head that seems keen on ignoring them. "I think you fucked up" “But you guys don’t get it” Gabrielle muttered, finally speaking up to back the red head “What do you mean ‘we don’t get it?’ is there something that we should know about for that stunt you pulled?” Mike demanded, not really forceful. A furrowed brow, Hands folded in his chest for the red head to answer. Alice stared at him and the rest, as if searching for something and seemed to weigh the options of whether or not tell them. She release a sigh and stared at her injured hand that still have their bandage in it. “We encountered someone who tried sabotaging something at the BAU yesterday, Carson ordered me yesterday to keep it low for now” They stared at her with wide eyes and slightly gaping mouth. “And you only decided to tell us now?” Olivia’s exasperated voice had the others blinking out of their shock, Alexis look as if he swallowed a lemon whole. “Don’t tell me…Their target was Richard’s file?” At the red head’s Nod, The blond haired man releases a shuddering sigh.

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“Someone purposely left the computer open, as well as the door unlocked, enabling our Would-be Sabotager to enter and tried doing something the file, even if the BA units were in a rush, they wouldn’t let their electronics and precious evidence out in the open” Alice told them about the interrogation, about Freyr Jackson and his apparent reason and why Carson ordered them not to tell anyone unless in certain circumstances. Alice decided that they needed to know, so that they can at least understand why she antagonize Nikolas. “B-but why? Monika already gave us the results, there wouldn’t be a reason for them to delete or change something in it” Alexis Blinked in confusion at the man’s purpose “That’s something I don’t know the reason of” Alice admitted, she didn’t know why they did it, she gritted her teeth for not knowing why. “Did they mistake the duration of the data to be shared tomorrow?” “They must’ve used Freyr Jackson as a diversion by the killer then” Alexis suggested after Alice gave them the name of the man still lock in one of the cell for his actions “It’s not Freyr?”

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“No, he was seen in hanging in the bar when he dismissed the BA units” Alice denied, the man that huge wouldn’t be that fast and agile in avoiding her, She knew it was someone else, suspected that person ever since. “Then the killer…” Olivia trailed off, uncertain to continue of what she thought “The killer is in our midst and Monika Sullivan along with the other BAU member and everybody else inside this building became our suspect” Alice finished darkly, knuckles turning with to the point that they nearly popped out of their sockets. Surprisingly soft, gentle hands pried off her deadly grip, at least tried too, she let her knuckles loosen for the younger man to take. “Miss Alice, your hand” Gabrielle warned with a frown. Alice sighs and muttered a silent apology. “What happened to your hand?” Olivia asked in alarm, standing up to inspect the slightly bleeding wound before getting the Med kit, Gabrielle already doing the task of untying her bandage and setting it on the table. “Oh that is just nasty” Mike wrinkled his nose, turning away from the bloody view and took the coffee with his free hand, his left hand holding a newspaper of all things that he really didn’t have the

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chance to check out in the morning, hey didn’t judge him, he knows no shit in the medical field. “Something that I got from the Killer’s Accomplice” Alice wished that she said that a bit earlier, the cup on the verge of being drank by the man, as said man’s hand froze and look at her. “You didn’t mention anything about being wounded earlier” The accusing tone made the corner of her lips tilt slightly, as Olivia came back with a box of med kit, she answered. “I did now” But honestly, this situation is giving her a headache and her hand hurts, a lot.

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Chapter 16 Mending of relationships

Alice didn’t know what came over her to come and go to the central park first thing in the early morning. the sun hasn't risen yet and with the weather goddamned cold that puffs of air could be seen in every time she breathe, she would've prefer sleeping in the bed with let the fluffy blanket cover her entire being and sleep for just another hour before going to work.

But something seems compelled her to go and leave the condominium and she left with a deep sigh, donning a thick white scarf around her neck and a dark trench coat before stuffing both of her hands on either side of the respective pockets and out in the building, she let her feet drag her somewhere with not particular location in mind, avoiding the early risers that seems to be as haggard as her, Alice felt eyes unconsciously darted to any suspicious behaviors from the mass. The red head let out a yawn, mouth covered by her slightly cold hand that she had to take out of their precious confine to mask her gaping mouth, the stinginess of her eyes and the bags below it made her wince for the lack of proper sleep she hadn't had for

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days, today is the fourth one and it seems to affect her and her attitude towards specific people. Because of Another nightmare, it's something the redhead couldn't comprehend, couldn't find the source of, she thought that with her recent loss, shouldn't it be about Richard? and yet all the dream ever was is the Monster that continue to kill her every time she sleep, Alice tried escaping and find a way to banish it from the depts. of her mind but keeps on failing every time, only finding a locked box that she couldn’t pried open before the hideous monster came out to tackle her out of nowhere.

Rubbing her eye in a rather undignified manner this time, Alice let out another yawn and ignored a woman walking her dog looking at her with a rather thoughtful expression while checking her out, eyes trailing up and down with something like approval in her face. Her mind couldn't help but wonder about the heated conflict that she caused the other day, Alice could've handled it the other way and not the poor result that she got instead, cursing her stupid Nightmare for scrambling her usually Controlled Mind, and tongue. She didn't expect for the older man to explode right at her face, it was all thanks to the fact that Sullivan had to rein his body from

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outright attacking her due to the possibility that she might file a case against him for assault, not that she will. But there is a reason for that particular action alone, something that she's reluctant to see the result of but intended to see the end of it and she chose to be the antagonist of the Sullivan siblings for the sake of the investigation, there’s no going back now.

A small figure suddenly stumbled in front of her and Alice reacted on instinct, body reacting fast with hand swirling around a small chest and kneeled down just as the child was about to face plant on the floor, Her hand tinged with pain at the force of collision. It's a good thing that the place they are now isn't that crowded, allowing the red head to move freely. Placing the child right up and standing Alice Look at the youngster who dusted herself off the dust that manage to clung into her periwinkle dress and look up to meet her gaze. The two stared for a while, Alice noticed the youngster had a glazed look in her eyes, which she had been thinking of, racking up her brain from where she saw it as the Girl's eyes seems oddly ...familiar "You okay there moppet?" She started, startling the youngster out of her daze, face suddenly turning into a rosy color that Alice worried that the kid will cry, but the kid Shook her head, coffee

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colored pigtails swinging in back and forth motion as pearly white teeth stretch into a shy smile, the rosy color on her cheeks staying in place that Alice wondered if it's Permanent "I'm okay, Thank you nice lady!" The smile widen, The purity of it looks so contagious that Alice couldn't help but smile as well, eyes slightly softening from their icy interior. "Pretty..." The Coffee Haired child muttered under her breath, staring at the pretty lady that stop her from falling and getting the pretty dress that her father brought for her, she wondered if this lady is the pretty Red mermaid from the one in television, pushing her shyness away she asked just that. Her little fingers nibbling the edge of her pretty dress. The pretty lady had this look in her face that Look almost exactly like the one daddy got when she ask questions and she pouted for being left out to what's funny about it. "No Moppet, just a normal human being" The pretty lady said with a wink, letting her mind run a mile that lead to her thinking of another favorite pretty lady with the same pretty hair. "Are you black widow then? She's pretty and fast like you" Pretty lady shrugged and let out a small chuckle "Something like that" She gasps and looks expectedly up at her. That just means that pretty lady is an Awesome Hero beating up bad guys like her

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Dad! Pretty lady then made a shush motion, lifting her pointy finger and placing it in front of her pink lips "But that's our secret little moppet all right?" She eagerly nodded before pouting; puffing her mouth with her arms crossed in her chest “Don’t call me moppet! That’s not my name"

"Well what do people call you then?" She puff her chest in pride “Daddy Calls me Poppy” Poppy like her name very much. "Poppy, huh? That's such a nice name, but would you like me to call you Poppy too?" Pretty lady said with a smile, looking down at her, now that Poppy notice it, The way the sun's light illuminated around pretty lady's hair looks like a halo like the one an angel have... Poppy smiled at pretty lady with an almost blinding intensity, nodding in agreement with a vibrating excitement. The lady suddenly frown and it momentarily stop her, picking up the mood as she tense. "Where is your daddy then? I don't see him everywhere" Pretty lady said, looking around in search for a man that has any similar look as the coffee haired child.

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Alice already pieces enough to know that Poppy' dad is the only one around, the possibility that poppy only have a single parent is available but she could only hope that it isn't, for the sweet Moppet in front of her lacking a mother is.... "Oh! I wanted an ice cream so daddy took off to get me one, but it's taking too long so I followed after him...but I got lost" Poppy answered, looking uncertain now that she remembered why she was running in the first place. That made Alice worried, deciding to help the little moppet to find her way back, as the red head couldn’t risk the chance of the little girl being in the wrong hands. Alice stood up and questioned where poppy was before bumping into her, Poppy thought for a moment, gathering what her mind could remember in the last 15 minutes that she’s been looking for daddy. "I was playing in the slide near the Pond with those colorful fishes when daddy left..." A park then, Alice catalog the distance the little poppet could run and from the way poppy didn’t seem to be that tired, the park must be somewhere nearby, and the most possible location poppy came from is the Neighborhood Park just a few blocks away from here. Alice sternly look at the sheepish child, Voice neutral with enough chiding tone that even poppy felt but didn't feel afraid to "You

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should've stayed there and waited for your dad Poppet, what if you got hurt?" "Sorry..." Poppy meekly muttered, seeing her fault in the matter for not staying put, promising to her to listen now, especially to the pretty lady, poppy doesn't want to see her upset. Alice sigh and offered her hand to the coffee haired child who look at the offered appendage hesitantly, face conflicted as if wanting to reach out but couldn’t, Alice felt approval for the child's hesitance, at least she's careful and not that trusting to strangers "Daddy said to never follow a stranger..." "And your daddy is right about that one, but here " she reach for her pocket and pulled out her badge, showing it to the wide eyed Moppet who immediately brighten and eagerly took her hand, then followed the pretty lady as she was guide back to the road, Knowing that pretty lady is like daddy now made her completely trust pretty lady more. They passed stores and stalls that she remembered passing by before bumping to the pretty lady. Now that Poppy think about it, Poppy didn’t know what Pretty lady’s name was “Pretty lady..? I’m flattered” Alice drawled while looking ahead, Her icy exterior back in her face as Poppy decided to look down at

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the ornaments designed in the stoned road, but her voice still warm and soothing, Brown eyes looking in front “I’m Alice” “Alice? Like the one in Wonderland?” Poppy piped in bouncing in her every step as she tried following the pretty pattern of the carved stone. Her mind flashed to the Girl with yellow hair and pretty blue dress. Alice didn't seem to mind the overactive child as the duo both made their way to the designated destination, Giving a raised eyebrow at the question "Yeah, like in wonderland" They continued to talk with the younger one talking animatedly and Alice giving occasional remarks, gathering a side eye look from the people they passed, eyeing the pair with curious glance and continuing in their merry way, An old couple giving them a whimsical smile as if reminiscing a moment 'Such a lovely pair' the old woman thought, heart lightening while squeezing her husband's wrinkled hand. Alice stop in their tracks as they finally reach their destination, the park was littered with a few kids with their parents, She felt a tug in her hand and look at the coffee haired child who then excitedly pointed at a giant green slide surrounded with sand "That's where I’m playing earlier!" Alice nodded and made their way into the one the little Moppet was pointing at Poppy escape the red head's gentle grasp and run towards the green slide then suddenly begun looking around it as if looking for something, Alice approach the little girl, avoiding the other children

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running in the area. Stopping just a few feet away from the moving child, Alice called out poppy's attention to stop her from kneeling on the sand and possibly dirtying the dress that she knew the young girl treasured.

"You shouldn't kneel on the ground, your dress will be sullied" Alice cautioned, stopping poppy from her action and approach her whle sniffing and rubbing her eyes.

"I can't find it anywhere…" Poppy muttered, her voice wavering as she begun to hiccup, Alice leaned forward "What is it Poppet? Did you lost something? Is it your doll?" Alice guessed, as it was common for a child to have toys. Poppy nodded worriedly "I just left it in the ground under the green slide” the leveling her body in front of the young girl, ruffling her hair to calm said child. “Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll find it” Alice thought for a moment ‘Maybe her dad saw it and took it? The slide area is rather deserted so the probability of it taken by the others is unlikely’. “Penelope!” the familiar voice had Alice turning her upper body to look at the source of the sound, Her eyes slightly widening as the familiarity of the child in front of her and the one she couldn’t remember finally click into place.

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She stood up and step to the side, allowing the man to crouch in her former place before engulfing the child into a hug that Poppy happily reciprocated. Smiling wildly at the white haired man. “I thought I lost you Poppy, why did you leave the park when I told you not to?” The man sternly chided after the long hug, the sweat clinging into his face down to his beard proved that he has been running around and looking. Poppy dropped her head guiltily “I’m Sorry daddy; I got impatient and wandered off… and got lost” Poppy spoke with her high-pitch voice. The man let off a deep sigh before finally noticing Alice and stumbled a little from his kneeling position, standing up and holding Poppy’s hand and stared appraisingly at her . “Quinn” He tightly intoned, motioning Poppy to go behind him, whom the child confusedly followed, blinking owlishly at him and the red head. “Sullivan” Alice acknowledge, giving a nod to the bearded man with the same evaluation as his, gone was her soft expression, retreating back in their confines. Replaced by the same cold exterior that she’s known for Poppy not knowing what’s happening between them, but got the general idea that Daddy must be Mad at Pretty Alice because he probably thought that she is going to get poppy into a scary place,

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so she tug her hand in her daddy’s hand, gaining his attention as well as Pretty Alice. “Don’t be mad at Pretty Alice! She helped me get back here from the Bricky road safely” “What? You traveled in the Modern district? Poppy You know how dangerous it is to wander out there alone” Nikolas momentarily forgot that he’s facing someone he’s mad to, as he dote on his daughter and check her for injuries. “Sorry” Nikolas sigh and ruffled her coffee colored hair “It’s alright; just don’t go wander off again without a person with you okay?” Poppy nodded eagerly “It’s thanks to Pretty Alice that I didn’t trip and fall back there, she save my pretty dress too!” Nikolas immediately realizes that the red head was still there “Why don’t you play in the slide again poppy? Just play where I can see you” He said, bringing out a slightly warm package out of his pocket and gave it her Poppy stared at him confused as to why, but she caught a wiff of something better than ice cream and quickly nodded running off back the slide that already has some children in it. The two adult stared at each other, with the other eerily unblinking and the man wavering, finally looking away from the brown gaze to

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look at the playing coffee haired child in the park, Nikolas huff and cross his arm over his chest “Thanks” He grouch out, forced and almost unwilling “For bringing Penelope back” “You’re welcome” Alice replied with a clipped voice, unwavering as she continued and observe the playing children as well “my conscience wouldn’t allow a lost child wandering on her own” “…” “…” “…” “I apologize for my action yesterday” Nikolas nearly jolts out of his body and stare incredulously at her sudden statement, not expecting for her to even apologize at all. His eyes suddenly narrowed “Why? You realized that you’re wrong? Wanted to tell me now instead of the ‘Apologize in front of everyone’ bullshit?” Sneering at the still unchanging expression of the red head, Nikolas smiled at her with too many teeth that seemingly resembled a wolf “No, I stand on my word, I meant about the way I worded it out in a way that’s insulting, I never intended for it to be directed at your sister at all” Alice corrected, Nikolas wavered, moving towards a

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bench and sitting on it with a huff, Alice followed soon after, Sitting beside him with a comfortable distance. “You shouldn’t even suspect Monika at all, I know that you know, that she has feelings for Monroe, she wouldn’t even dare hurting any of his body part at all, Monika is dependent on him to even make him disappear into this world” Nikolas started, he didn’t know how the red head will react with him casually saying her lover’s death, when the red head remained still and unchanged, Nikolas continued. “Monika…never had anyone to care for her in her childhood, Our parents separated when I was 13 with my father into another country, with Monika being only 7 at that time, left to that woman” Alice stared ahead, but listened intently to the Man’s every word, she didn’t know why he was suddenly telling her all of this when he’s been wary and untrusting of her since day one “I left my father as soon as I’m legally of age, I never really know if they still live in that dingy house, but it seems that they are, but then I saw Monika for the first time in years” Nikolas stared at her and Alice saw the burning rage swirling in his orbs, along with guilt.

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“She was stunted of her Potential, she didn’t have anyone to depend on, and that poor excuse of a mother neglected her and ignored her of her needs. I took her away as soon as I can” Nikolas look deeply into his hands, She had to know all of this in order to clean Monika of the damn suspicion, But this part always makes him smile proudly. “I filed against my mother and surprisingly won the case due to that person, I never really known who help us win against her, I’ve been sure that we didn’t have a chance at all, my mother is a Good liar. I just knew that she solve cases of true justice, that’s why I decided to become a investigator, With Monika soon following behind, I, we wanted to be just like that person” “That’s why” Nikolas muttered, returning his attention to his silent listener “Monika should not be suspected at all, she’s too pure to even walk in that path, she’ll cling to anyone that give a damn about her” “I wouldn’t doubt it” Alice whispered, finally conceding at the subject, she seems thoughtful for a moment before finally looking at him with earnest brown eyes “I’m only following the protocol and Carson’s Orders” Alice whispered, Nikolas stared at him in surprise “He’s the one who ordered the Autopsy”

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“Why?” Nikolas wondered, what is Carson thinking? What is he plotting? His shoulder lose their tenseness seeing that the red head looks truthful in her answer Alice only shrugged and suddenly looks pointedly at him “Who was your mother, if you don’t mind me asking?” “Gracie-Rose Orman…Why’d you ask?” Nikolas questioned with a confuse frown, eyeing the red head and silently demanding for her to answer The red head’s mind suddenly flashed of that time, a familiar woman with a snarl on her face, being dragged out by the Authority for Child Neglect She had been a teenager when she solves that case… Alice only smiled secretly and shook her head “Nothing, I think I heard of her before” Nikolas Huff and promptly rolled his eyes “As if, her case is pretty common and wasn’t even noteworthy at all” Alice hummed and stared ahead

‘We hereby charge Gracie-Rose Orman of Child Endangerment..’ “If you say so” TIMESKIP

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Alice walks through the crowd on her way to the headquarters She gently squeeze the device in her pocket with a mockery of a smile, thinking for a moment whether or not she’ll actually do this Alice’s resolve didn’t waver in the slightest She took the device and dials the number The call was answered after a few beats, answered by a groggy male “Quinn?” “Carleton, we will proceed with the original plan, inform her of the files and send her the location” The other line was silent for a moment before Carleton answered with his currently weak voice “Understood” … Alice could hardly say that Nikolas Sullivan looked pleased to see him after she entered the room but, to Alice’s surprise, The bearded man didn’t look entirely displeased either so she guessed that’s a plus The littlest smile on her face vanished in an instant when she remembered the plan She could only hope that she was wrong for once.

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Chapter 17 Caught

The figure effortlessly drop to the ground from the high fence, goggles tinted in green briefly flash through the dark, she surveyed her surrounding with her tense form ready to bolt into hiding if a person ever stumbled upon her hooded form. it's already nearing midnight and the neighborhood she dropped into is vacant with any other human being, all of them tuck in their comfy bed and fast sleep for the night, except for her. A thing she must accomplish for the sake of her and the others with stealthy feet with inaudible footsteps she unzip her belly bag and took out a tool meant quietly picklock the said door along with the others she knew were there as well, but to her silent surprise only one lock was ‘activated’, Maybe he was still unwell from the indigestion 3 days ago. Shaking her head, she focused her attention in slowly opening the door- careful for it to not creak too much, and entered. Body blending into the shadow that could only came from years of training.

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It’s been a while since she done this, years after she graduated all of it her training put to waste after deciding to work at a safer environment even (if it includes the dead) and to say that she is still in working gear-even if a little rough, slower. And to be forced into this situation is the ones she could never refuse, have no choice but to do or else they’ll be both sent into prison and leaving her behind. Green filtered around her vision illuminating the supposed to be things hidden by the darkness and with the step of a cautious cat she moved. She look at the table, seeing nothing but a basket of fruits and tableware, She took the gun hidden in the vase, putting it in her back pocket and moving to the second floor, knowing that’s where the monitor was located, the one that can lead her to her doom. If only the man hadn’t been stubborn and just stayed bed ridden in the hospital, now she had to eliminate him and erase all of the information he gathered to stop him from bringing what they’ve both done.

Stopping at what she recognized as the bedroom, her hand faltered at the doorknob as a distorted voice appeared in her right ear, the earpiece clearing and a familiar voice that questioned where she is right now

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“I’m outside his bedroom,” she said in a barely audible whisper ‘You have to be careful, I’m not there to make things easier due to Queen Elsa’s order, you have to do this all on your own’ The voice reminded with an equally hush voice, distant voices surrounding the caller, the tone of his voice when he mention their bane of primary obstacle was scathing and filled with sarcastic irritation. “I know,” She muttered with a small tremor at the thought, one of the reasons why she didn’t persist her original line of work, controlling her breath when her heartbeat rapidly pulsed. She let the ear piece on and opened the door, checking the bed and seeing the lumps of blanket covering her intended target’s whole body. She hesitated. Her feet staying rooted at the ground, refusing to move an inch, her upper body seemed to agree as the air in her throat clogged painfully.

Taking a step back, she closed the door and stared blankly at it, hands trembling. She turns around and made her way to the other room ‘What are you doing right now?’

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“I’m deleting the information he gathered first”

‘What? you have to do it now, Silencing him is more important, he is the origin of the source’ She gritted her teeth in frustration and shook her head “Give me time , deleting the files will be quick’ the other line was silent for a moment before a defeated sigh escape from his lips. ‘Fine make it quick’ Breathing a sigh, she turned to the table and atop of it is a familiar laptop that she saw the man carrying around, Wincing at the sudden flash of light, she cursed her momentary flash of stupidity, she shove the night vision goggles out of the way and scrunch her face at the screen, face facing the front of the door just in case the man decided to go to the bathroom and notice the light coming from the supposed dark room. Fingers tapped the alphabetical keys, typing the correct password after she accidentally saw it at that one time didn’t really mean it and had to avoid him as if she killed his pet bird, wasn’t really important at that time, guess it paid off now as files exploded in the screen. Jesus she didn’t know Carleton is so unethically unorganized, does creating folders not part of his literal dictionary? Shaking her head from such dizzy display and cursing the man’s health, Her gloved fingers slid into motion, searching from the search box for possible lead, hoping that her luck at least love her just this one time, when she still came up blank after 5 minutes, her head dried out of any idea.

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Huffing, she massage her temple and look dejectedly at the messy display, she just lose a lot of time, maybe…

Fuck it I’m just going to destroy the whole thing Snapping the laptop shut (silently) She move to smash the thing on the ground to dictate her anger before her control over her emotion snap back into place, smacking her face at the near slip.

W̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅh̵̙̮̒̀͘a̵̙̮̒̀͘t̸̲̂̅̇̆͝ ̸̲̂̅̇̆͝a̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝r̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅê̸̲̅̇̆͝ ̸̲̂̅̇̆͝y̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅȯ̴̡̨̖̯̆̃u̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝ ̵̙̮̒̀͘ḟ̴̡̨̖̯̆̃u̵̙̮̒̀͘ċ̴̡̨̖̯̆̃k̴̡̨̖̯̇̆̃i̵̙̮̒̀͘n̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅĝ̸̲̅̇̆͝ ̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅd̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅo̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅi̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅṅ̴̡̨̖̯̆̃ġ̴̡̨̖̯̆̃ ̸̲̂̅̇̆͝ṡ̴̡̨̖̯̆̃t̸̲̂̅̇̆͝u̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅp̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝i̴̡̨̖̯̇̆̃d̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅ ̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅt̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅh̵̙̮̒̀͘i̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝n̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅġ̴̡̨̖̯̆̃ṡ̴̡̨̖̯̆̃?̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝ ̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅI̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝ḟ̴̡̨̖̯̆̃ ̸̲̂̅̇̆͝y̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅo̵̙̮̒̀͘u̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝ ̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝d̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝ȯ̴̡̨̖̯̆̃n̸̲̂̅̇̆͝’̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅt̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝ ̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅẇ̴̡̨̖̯̆̃a̵̙̮̒̀͘n̵̙̮̒̀͘t̵̙̮̒̀͘ ̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝t̵̙̮̒̀͘h̵̙̮̒̀͘ê̸̲̅̇̆͝m̸̲̂̅̇̆͝ ̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝t̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅo̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅ ̵̙̮̒̀͘b̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝e̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅ ̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝d̸̲̂̅̇̆͝r̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝ a̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅg̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅ ̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅÎ̸̲̅̇̆͝ṅ̴̡̨̖̯̆̃ ̴̡̨̖̯̇̆̃y̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝o̵̙̮̒̀͘u̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝r̵̙̮̒̀͘ ̵̙̮̒̀͘p̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝a̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝t̸̲̂̅̇̆͝h̵̙̮̒̀͘e̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝t̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝i̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅc̵̙̮̒̀͘ ̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝m̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝i̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅṡ̴̡̨̖̯̆̃t̸̲̂̅̇̆͝a̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅk̴̡̨̖̯̇̆̃e̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝,̴̡̨̖̯̇̆̃ ̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝d̸̲̂̅̇̆͝o̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅ ̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅẇ̴̡̨̖̯̆̃h̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝a̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝t̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅ ̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝ŷ̸̲̅̇̆͝o̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅu̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝ ̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝ẇ̴̡̨̖̯̆̃ė̴̡̨̖̯̆̃r̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅê̸̲̅̇̆͝ ̴̡̨̖̯̇̆̃s̵̙̮̒̀͘û̸̲̅̇̆͝p̸̲̂̅̇̆͝p̵̙̮̒̀͘o̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅŝ̸̲̅̇̆͝ė̴̡̨̖̯̆̃d̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝ ̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝t̵̙̮̒̀͘ô̸̲̅̇̆͝!̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝ ̵̙̮̒̀͘ A voice in the back of her head yelled with a sneer, distinctly familiar with her own, looking at her foot, covered in darkness, she couldn’t help but shiver .

It’s not that easy you know she whispered, lowering the piece of evidence that could lead and destroy both their life, especially that innocent life.

I’m not strong-willed like the others; I’m nothing like her, not even at the level of her feet. I… I can’t do this; I don’t want to kill him I‘̵̡̙̖̬̱̯̗͚͚̋̋͗̏̈́̉͜ͅĄ̴̠́̋̈͛̿̈́͐̽͌̀͋̕͝ű̵̡̙̖̬̱̯̗͚͚̋͗̏̈́̉͜ͅn̵̡̙̖̬̱̯̗͚͚̋̋͗̏̈́̉͜ͅt̴̨̠́̋̈͛̿̈́͐̽͌̀͋̕͝i̸̧̧̢͕͖̭̘̻͎̬̼̪̱̺͊̀̈̿́̀͋̆͐͆̚͝͠͝͝ͅë̷͔̘̻́̅̾͛̍̔̍̎̄̔͠ ̶̡́͒̀̔̄̆̎͌̏͌M̸̧̧̢͕͖̭̘̻͎̬̼̪̱̺͊̀̈̿́̀͋̆͐͆̚͝͠͝͝ͅö̷͔̘̻́̅̾͛̍̔̍̎̄̔͠ņ̸̧̢͕͖̭̘̻͎̬̼̪̱̺͊̀̈̿́̀͋̆͐͆̚͝͠͝͝ͅa̵̡̙̖̬̱̯̗͚͚̋̋͗̏̈́̉͜ͅ! ̸̧̧̢͕͖̭̘̻͎̬̼̪̱̺͊̀̈̿́̀͋̆͐͆̚͝͠͝͝ͅ’̵̡̙̖̬̱̯̗͚͚̋̋͗̏̈́̉͜ͅ ̴̨̠́̋̈͛̿̈́͐̽͌̀͋̕͝ ̷͔̘̻̈́̅̾͛̍̔̍̎̄̔͠ Her eyes widen

O...of course, if I don’t do this, P̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅê̸̲̅̇̆͝n̸̲̂̅̇̆͝ê̸̲̅̇̆͝l̸̲̂̅̇̆͝ȯ̴̡̨̖̯̆̃ṗ̴̡̨̖̯̆̃e̵̙̮̒̀͘,̸̲̂̅̇̆͝ ̴̡̨̖̯̇̆̃M̵̙̮̒̀͘ẏ̴̡̨̖̯̆̃ ̴̡̨̖̯̇̆̃l̵̙̮̒̀͘i̵̙̮̒̀͘t̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅt̸̲̂̅̇̆͝l̴̡̨̖̯̇̆̃e̵̙̮̒̀͘ ̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝P̸̲̂̅̇̆͝o̵̙̮̒̀͘p̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅp̵̙̮̒̀͘ẏ̴̡̨̖̯̆̃ ̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅw̵̙̮̒̀͘i̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝l̴̡̨̖̯̇̆̃l̸̲̂̅̇̆͝ ̸̲̂̅̇̆͝b̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅê̸̲̅̇̆͝.̴̡̨̖̯̇̆̃.̵̙̮̒̀͘.̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝

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With a strong resolve she place her goggle back into place, she stared intently at the door, hand opening the device once again and holding the screen and the keyboard.

Snap

Her eyes didn’t waver at the door, waiting for the moment of any sound from her action. And when nothing came, she gently placed the destroyed pieces into the table and walk out of the door.

̵̡̙̖̬̱̯̗͚͚̋̋͗̏̈́̉͜ͅ

̴̶̨̡̠́̋̈͛̿̈́͐̽͌̀͋́͒̀̔̄̆̎͌̏͌̕͝F̷͔̘̻̈́̅̾͛̍̔̍̎̄̔͠o̵̙̮̒̀͘ṙ̴̡̨̖̯̆̃ ̵̙̮̒̀͘P̸̲̂̅̇̆͝e̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝n̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝e̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅl̸̲̂̅̇̆͝o̷̡̗̖̦͉̗͍͑̿̀̓̑͝p̶͇̠̦̻̤͓͌̌̃̌̂͐̕͜͝͝ͅê̸̲̅̇̆͝ ̶̡́͒̀̔̄̆̎͌̏͌The knife glinted out of her bag after taking it and holding it firmly in her gloved hands, palm sweaty inside that it made her other hand curl. She approach the dreaded room and turned the knob, heaving a sigh before silently pushing it open and closing it behind her, it close with a click.

Step She took off her goggles; she will not see what will happen next with a rose tinted glass

Step ̷͔̘̻̈́̅̾͛̍̔̍̎̄̔͠

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̶̡́͒̀̔̄̆̎͌̏͌Ş̸̧̢͕͖̭̘̻͎̬̼̪̱̺͊̀̈̿́̀͋̆͐͆̚͝͠͝͝ͅẗ̷͔̘̻́̅̾͛̍̔̍̎̄̔͠é̶̡͒̀̔̄̆̎͌̏͌p̸̧̧̢͕͖̭̘̻͎̬̼̪̱̺͊̀̈̿́̀͋̆͐͆̚͝͠͝͝ͅ ̴̨̠́̋̈͛̿̈́͐̽͌̀͋̕͝

Every steps that she made felt like the floor is drench molted lava, as if reminding her of what place she will end up to if she continue this.

‘What’s going on? Did you already killed him?’ The voice from the ear piece questioned ‘Something not right about what she assigned to us, there’s no one here’ He seemingly muttered to himself rather than telling her, but she still heard it and chose not to answer . Gritting her teeth, she raised the Knife, To hell with this, she let it hover above the white blanket that continue to steadily rise and fall, Moonlight illuminating the body like a spotlight. With a shuddering breath she strike. ‘Wait, is this a tra-‘ She didn’t hear any of it anymore as Thin, calloused hand snap out of the blanket and gripped her wrist. A lone eye flash beneath it like a monster, glowing in the dark and staring at her with those impossibly brown orbs. Monika withheld a scream ‘She tricked us’ Chapter 18

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Unexpected Accomplice Monika staggered back and forcefully took her caged arm out of those deadly brown orb’s grasp She watch in fear as the figure gracefully slid out of the bed, taking her precious time to stretch and release a satisfied hum, the voice in her ear piece letting out a string of curses of every possible language that he’d known before all went still “You really took your time, I was beginning to doze off earlier” Alice smiled with a teasing tilt of her lips, one that was meant as a banter between friend and yet her eyes bore no warmth at all as she stared coldly at Monika. Monika tense in her position as the red head’s arm move to take something on her wrist, a familiar hair tie that carried two pearls in the center, the red head tied it in her hair in a pony tail that it no longer cover her aristocratic face that money had no chance to compare to “W-what are you doing in Carleton’s bed Qu-Quinn?” Monika stammered out, taking a step back to distance herself from the woman “Oh you know, just laying around” was the red head reply just as she finished placing her glasses ‘before zeroing on her body clad figure with a raised eyebrow

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“What are you doing here in the middle of the night? And wearing such uncomfortable clothing in a pleasant evening?” Alice let out a sarcastic gasp, hand covering her mouth with wide dark eyes “Or are you planning to surprise Carleton for a romantic way? Sneaking into his bed and doing grown up stuff?” Monika spluttered in indignation but didn’t dare utter another word, shifting her body for any chance of escape that she knew she didn’t have right now, not when the person in front of her is the freaking“That doesn’t explain the knife though” speaking of saidforgotten knife, it was held loosely by the pale fingers, that Monika carelessly drops on the floor after she jerked her hands out “Unless…” Alice trailed off, staring at her and tilting her head to the side in the most intimidating manner that Monika ever had the pleasure of seeing “This is both your kink? I-Monika I didn’t know you’re a Closet dominatrix!” Monika’s face reddened her mask, (The question lingering at the back of her mind as to How Alice knew who she was?) Anger from the mockery of Alice’s Voice and half from such accusation “I- I can explain” “Is that why you killed Richard?” It was said in such an Innocent tone when the red head said it, blinking at her in (Mock) child-like

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curiosity with her posture equally lax. A simple statement that sound like an offhanded comment when talking about the weather, yet the message is so clear, so bold that it had Monika reeling but she helplessly tried to save her skin and act clueless, no matter how stupid it is to deny when there’s like a neon arrows blinking and pointing all around her that ‘She’s the one who did it’ “What a-are you saying Alice? You know I wouldn’t do that to him” Monika exclaimed in incredulity, trying to laugh it as a joke made by the red head while looking at her in a dubious eyes “The investigation must be wearing you down “ “ahuh, and it’s all your fault” Monika clenched her eyes shut and forced out her voice into speaking “Look, there must be a misunderstanding I didn’t kill he, this” She motioned around her as if to emphasize her point “Is… A role play” Alice raised her eyebrow “A role-play” She voiced out drily Monika nodded tersely, if not a little green at the thought Soft, wispy laughter came out of the red head’s lips, one that set Monika even on edge from the hallow sound before Alice’s facial features suddenly sharpened, body rigid and the moonlight behind her made her look enthrallingly feral

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A wolf out for blood Her blood “How much are you willing to stoop low on the ground to deny the truth?” Alice softly snapped, reeling her control back from the slip up Monika refuses to answer and only stared, body slowly inching towards the doorknob, palm rested on it. Waiting for the right moment to bolt “I didn’t do it” It’s clear from the two occupants that Monika is lying making Alice scoff and lowered the knife, taking something out of her pocket which Monika feared to be a gun “Even if you ‘didn’t do it’, That doesn’t excuse the fact that you attempted to murder your colleague, The one that your clearly poisoned after the Autopsy” Alice fished out a rectangular object that had Monika Squinting suspiciously, realizing that it’s just a Mobile “Now why would you poison your colleague hmm? When you clearly have no reason at all to do that, Carleton never mention any action that he did to make you grudge him in any way” Alice waited for another excuse, after receiving none, she heave a sigh and put a palm on her hips. Monika’s eyes darted towards her injury.

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Her mind flashed towards that time she treated the wounds herself, one where, for the first time, talk her heart out in front of the red head And remembered the one thing she took earlier. But decided against using it unless she doesn’t have a choice.

The round table on her opposite side has an ornamental vase

It’ll be a shame for it to be broken, but she had no choice.

And she didn’t hesitate to throw it at the surprise’s red head’s direction quite precisely she might add and promptly slamming the door open and out in the room, She heard a crash soon after and didn’t hear any footsteps following her. Someone bodily crash into her own and didn’t have the reaction to keep herself from falling flat into the floor, thrashing as a set of hand keep her hold into the ground. A familiar figure she immediately recognize as Alice’s Lackey came into view, seizing her to stop moving with some difficulty as he grunted, she didn’t have the chance to struggle out of his rather bruising grip as another set of footstep, a calm pace approach them and kneeled in front of her,

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she look up and glared weakly at Alice’s cold ones, faltering slightly from the intensity “If that doesn’t make you guilty, then I don’t know what is” “Quinn?! Quinn! Where are you?!” a voice from below shouted, Gabrielle blinked in confusion and sent a look at the red head with a furrowed eyebrow, steps thundered the stairwell “That’s weird, why would your accomplice call for me?” The question was directed at the restrained woman who became tense in her position, Alice huff and took her gun out of the pocket, the distinctive click of the gun’s safety being remove had the woman below Gabrielle tensing, Alice didn’t bat an eyelash at the action, merely turned her head towards the hall, gun positioned into the ground and out of the incoming man’s view “I heard something broke and i-!” The voice shouted before cutting itself off as they first step into view and took a good view of them “Mo-Monika? What are you doing here” Nikolas’ voice was faint, face ashen white while staring in horror at the restrained woman, Monika’s mask had already slid off her face from all the moves that she did a while back Monika slumped over the wooden floor even more, shame and regret marring her features

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“Don’t look” Monika muttered, didn’t have the courage to even look Alice observed the short conversation between the two siblings with a furrowed eyebrows Gabrielle’s grip loosening a little from his confusion as well but Monika remained on the ground wishing for it to just swallow her whole and never emerge from the land of the living ever again “Mona...I… it couldn’t be possible could it?” The bearded man whispered to himself rather than directing it at towards her, a conflict of emotions swimming in his face Shock Disbelief Fear Gabrielle observed the interaction with wary eyes, his narrowed orbs glued on the newcomer with suspicion, the woman below him limped in his grasp but he didn’t bother tightening his grip Miss Alice had already told him everything, the man before him is a suspected accomplice, trying to convince Miss Alice that his sister is a good girl and hell would freeze over if she really is guilty. But miss Alice remained undeterred and laced out a trap for the younger woman, a diversion for the older sibling to be away from Carleton’s’ location and make Monika Sullivan vulnerable.

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But it seems like the older man didn’t follow the red head’s order, ditching the team assignment of questioning their latest ‘lead’ half way on their destination and “You talked as if you didn’t know of what she done” Alice stated in a matter of fact kind of tone “That’s because I thought so too” Nikolas snapped angrily, hair in disarray from the sweat from when he run into the house and at the revelation that his sister, the one he vehemently denied having a connection to the murder, his sweet little sister… He shook his head “There’s got to be a mistake here Alice” He pleaded in denial, refusing to believe what is happening in front of him without any considerable proof that Mona didn’t partake at the killing of Monroe along with the others Alice payed him no mind at the moment, trusting her companion to look after him as she took a pair of handcuffs and locked it in both wrist, Monika didn’t fought

“She poisoned Carleton’s with the drink she gave him, deleted all his findings that could’ve point in the wrong direction and replace it with her lies, He didn’t realize it at that time so when he messaged her about sending his own version of the Data in the computer, So Used Jackson as a decoy and sent someone to delete the files.”

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Monika nearly turned into a white sheet with all the red head continued summarizing, trembling visibly with tears slowly leaking in her eyes, Nikolas had been standing across the trembling woman, frozen in his spot like a statue,

“No one know about this?” Nikolas queried softly, Monika turned her pleading eyes at his and desperately tug at his sleeve

“No one but Gabrielle and I, I only wanted to test if she has some sort of connection with the killer, but I guess she is the killer heself “ The red head admitted,

“So…you trick me. Ordered me to investigate a false lead along with the group, so you can confront the ‘killer’ here” He summarize, eyes hidden by the shadow that crept in the room

“She trick us too, giving false information, planting deceitful ‘clues,

Gutted Richard’s stomach to implant those things inside, Dragged a possible rape victim and used his moment of weakness to blame their death” Every words that left her lips felt like poisoned acid, every words that had her snarling viciously inside. Hands straining to hit something, preferably a face.

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Her eyes suddenly narrowed, standing up along with Gabrielle as he took the restrained woman along with him. Monika followed with a grunt “Don’t tell me…you still believe that she’s innocent? After all the facts that I said? All of it that clearly pointed at her? Why do you keep on protecting her?” Gabrielle begun to fidget uncomfortably behind her, sensing the tension that continue to rise into room that suddenly feels small that he felt like gagging and stepping out of the room, but he remained behind the red head’s back as her order. Alice nearly forgot about him, her focused glaring at the two with sharp eyes. Alice would’ve admired that kind of loyalty, unwavering and willing to do anything even ignored their flaws. But this woman killed Richard

She only have time to realize and move in front of Gabrielle something behind Nikolas moved with the shadow Alice felt her world tilt, 3 series of gunshot was heard throughout the house, and possibly the whole neighborhood A thump of heavy body hitting the ground with a painful grunt She remember hearing a bang before suddenly forced to fall backward, darkness eclipsed her vision for a brief moment. Alice felt someone catch her before she completely fall on the floor, hand unconsciously moving to touch the numbing feeling in her shoulder.

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Her senses immediately comes towards her like a bullet hitting a target, the stickiness of the blood that poured out of the wound, and so does the pain of being shot, Alice gritted her teeth and not dared to make any sound to show her pain. She blearily opened her clenched eyes and glared daggers at the man in front of her, hand poised around the gun that hasn’t drop and continued pointing at her

Gabrielle held her protectively, body positioned to block her of any incoming bullets as he tried putting pressure on the wound. Alice weakly, bitterly chuckled “I should’ve known”

Chapter 19 Bullets and Love Gabrielle couldn’t help the panic that crashed violently on his body. The trembling in his hands as he tried putting pressure on the wound, the sight of blood, bringing memories that buried within. His mind was hazy, trapped in the nightmare of trauma filled with memories, of the day where he found his mother laying on her bed, dead.

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The blood continued to flow from Alice’s shoulder blade, staining the white coat that once protected her from the cold, her hair once perfectly combed now in disarray, tangled with fringes that scattered in her paling face.

Anger came. Fury and hatred mixing into an ugly mess that Gabrielle was sure would result to an equally ugly outcome. He forced himself to focus on the more important matter; making sure of the survival of the redhead that he was sure would bring his mother justice. He glared pointedly at the wounds, ignoring his labored breath that contrasted to the soft, weak breathing of the bleeding body in front of him. Two bullets are lodged deeply in her shoulder. But he listened intently to the conversation; every comment the man said made fueled his anger even more. “So” The redhead grounded out, weakly and softly. Gabrielle felt his heart clench in distress “You’re the one who helped Monika pull all those stunts.” “You talk as if you haven’t thought about it,” Mike scoffed with a roll of his eyes, as if not bothered at the fact that he just shot somebody. Their blood heavily on the floor, slowly approaching the frozen body of Monika that was paralyzed in her shoes as she stared at Alice with wide, scared eyes. He skipped over the laying

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bloody man, paying no heed that said man is quickly loosing blood from his shot on the back.

“No, actually...” Alice bitterly revealed in her coughs, Mike faltered in his steps and stared questioningly at her “I didn’t think you have the time to do any of this with Lu-Alexis draping around you, guessed he found out sooner than any of us.”

Mike’s face was unchanged, mouth opening to say biting, hurting words that had him silently seething, he wondered what he would be feeling if he was close to the man as the redhead seems like. Hurt? Betrayed? Hate? “That was your mistake, foolish girl,” The Alice tensed in his hands, releasing a shuddering breath, one that could’ve mistaking by the her pain the in the wound. “I simply used that lunatic’s antics over me and divert it to poor Nikolas who could only saw his sister as an innocent human being incapable of doing anything bad, and it worked. You didn’t think anything suspicious of me other than having anger issues” “I see…And the thing with Jennings?” With the blood that the she continuously lost, Gabrielle wondered how Miss Alice still has complete control over her voice.

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“Just heard it from my old pal Nikolas here. I inquired my old

acquaintances of what they did to the poor fag,” ‘Great, a homophobic piece of shit too’ “And now, I just have to finish you both of. Create an alibi and blame it to the others and we’ll both have happy ending, you will be together with that Monroe and you,” Those ugly eyes stared at him, one that reminded him of some kind of monster

“You get to reunite with your parents,” Gabrielle sucks in a harsh breath. Eyes impossibly wide, panicking as to how the man knows.

“And Monika and I, get to have peace and get things back to normal, it’s a win-win situation,” Mike continued, lifting his gun once again and pointed it above Gabrielle’s head, just a few centimeters of the hot barrel being pressed in his temple.

“Nobody will believe your lies” Gabrielle defiantly said, eyes blazing with a barely held hatred for this man. Said man only laughed hollowly. One with malice that even had Monika shivering in fear, hands on the both side of her face even if they’re restrained as she descended into the ground with a tremble. The thought of

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someone she was close to, killing the two in front of her while she just stands there, waiting for their execution, put her mind in a hazy storm.

“That’s where you’re wrong, boy. Nobody, other than this woman connected the dots, and only because she’s a so-called Einstein that solved this” Mike uttered, sneering down at the now- silent woman before staring at Gabrielle’s fearless eyes. The gun clicked “S-stop” a wet gurgle had the 4 of them snap their eyes across the room. Monika looked at her brother with teary eyes. “Don’t- ugh-Don’t hurt them- bastard,” Even with such a weak, bloody and obviously dying body, Nikolas still had a fierce determination to protect and he was staring at Gabrielle with determined eyes, conveying a message that he couldn’t understand “And why should listen to you?” Mike muttered, slicking his hair back before directing the gun at the crawling man, Nikolas simply smiled his roughish grin.

Bang

Monika cried, slinking into the ground even more.

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Alice’s hatred grew towards the bastard. Gabrielle’s memory festering, now understanding what Nikolas what had done. A chance to turn the table A distraction for Gabrielle to use Gabrielle couldn’t really comprehend what happened next, the sudden fast reflex that he had, fueling his body’s desire to draw

blood from the bastard Grabbing the gun still pointed at the now limped man, feet snapping and firmly held into the ground for balance and directing the gun upwards which release a resounding bang due to the man’s surprise.

He swung his fist back and punch the man’s throat as hard as he could, the tight grip Mike had in the gun loosened as he painfully grasp his neck, backing away from the Intern, mouth gasping for breath that the air selfishly denied, Mike’s knees buckled below him, kneeling into the cold tiled floors, gasping. In pain

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Mike raised his head and was met face to face with unforgiving ones, the gun that was now position to shoot him held firmly in the hands of the child

Gabrielle relished the look of utter pain in those eyes, the anger blocking his Sense of moral, now in control of his action, and all he wanted is to pull the trigger so many times. A gurgled coughs snap him out of his thoughts. Rapidly blinking he turned around and saw Alice staring at him with bleary eyes, mouth that couldn’t form a sentence with the blood that dribbled past her lips.

Hearing the sound of movement, Gabrielle immediately turn his attention back to the recently kneeling man, who wasn’t really kneeling anymore as he pounce on him with the intent to take the gun back or maybe strangle him with those big hands

His back hit the wall on the side; the larger man trying to pry away his grip on the gun with vigor, nails dug into his hand, scratching and drawing blood while the other hand gripped his head to bang it at the Concrete wall, in a panicked state, Gabrielle kick the man’s midsection as hard as he could. The man stumbled back, hitting the

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wall with a loud grunt, Mike glared at him took the discarded knife on the ground and made a move to dash towards him again

Gabrielle didn’t think straight any more, he thought of his mother and her kind smiles, her melancholy smile with a gaping neck as she peacefully lay in bed. Miss Alice who used her own body to shield him for his own bullet. He turned his terror into anger, anger at the man for hurting them, Hatred for taking them away from him.

He used it to pull the trigger

“STAY AWAY!”

A series of bang resonated in the room, Monika cried, tucking herself into a ball as her mind couldn’t take it anymore, Gabrielle didn’t care, didn’t stop until the Handgun only produce a set of click. The blood pounding in his ears is the only thing he heard. Red haze that filled in his vision.

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He didn’t know how long he’s been standing there, staring blankly. But once Gabrielle snaps into reality, the first thing he saw is the bloodied form of Mike Leonheart, dead on the floor. With patches of blood from different places on his chest, on his torso and everybody else New panic starts within him; Gabrielle stared wide eyed at the form “Don’t look at him” a voice from behind him coax, it was softly spoken, not an ounce of fear of what he recently done, with trembling body, he turned around and was met with soft earnest eyes “That’s right, only look at me” He stumbled and knelt beside the bloody figure, blood staining his shoes and pants, “You’re safe” the soft voice continues, Gabrielle felt confuse. Shouldn’t he be the one to say those words to her? “You too” he murmured through his trembling Alice closed her eyes and breathes with steady breath, clenching her wound that already stops leaking blood before grunting tiredly as she forced herself to move towards the barely moving body of Nikolas Sullivan, who could only lay on the ground with a glazed look in his eyes, conscious but barely. Gabriele followed her with a limp, kneeling beside the man with respect

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“Why do I keep protecting her?” Nikolas slowly repeated through his gurgled voice, a question she urged him to answer before his downfall, Alice didn’t care of the hellish pain in her shoulder and gently as she could with her wounded Hand and shoulder, rest the grey patch of head on her lap, He look serenely at the Blank haze of Monika’s eyes “Because she’s my sister” The conviction, the fondness and love when he said it felt like acid pouring in her body, it felt mocking in her ears. The spark of light that lit Monika when her own brother still cared about her after all she’d done before falling into a fit of guilt, it didn’t matter to Alice what the Brunette is feeling right now Deep respect ingrained in her being and the strain in her body didn’t matter Nikolas turned his eyes on her, eyes already fluttering shut as his breath slowed “Take..care of..her okay?” Alice nodded, The back of her head niggling as to why Nikolas would ask for her to take care of Monika when she will be convicted in JaiOh Poppy

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They simply stayed in their position, Alice with steady breathing, Gabrielle simply staring, Monika whimpering in the corner and the still warm corpse of Nikolas Sullivan and bloodied monster that dared called itself man in the center until the blaring of sirens stood outside, people slamming the door open, and paramedics nursing Alice of her wounds carrying her towards a stretcher Through her weak breath, Alice explained what happened, Gabrielle on her side as she was carried through the Paramedic van Monika blankly walk through the police car, cuffs on both arms and was led away for custody, Gabrielle watch all of this with bleary eyes, body lacking the energy to evenIf only he was strong enough If only he didn’t live in the shado“Hey” a tug on his arm Gabrielle instantly looks at the red head whose good arm gently gripping the helm, he wondered how the red head still found the strength to talk normally, and losing a lot of blood and two bullets shove near her collarbone. Just another thing to add in the growing things he respected in her, along with Nikolas Sullivan “It’s not your fault, always remember that” the firmness in her voice could only make Gabrielle nod

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“Heeyy Alice how’s it going?” a familiar cheery voice cause both of them to look in that direction, A familiar tuff of wild blonde hair came into their view, skipping towards them like the child that he is. “I take it that you’re the one who called the authority as well as the Hospital for the Ambulance, You knew” Alice accused, anger hidden and weak to even portray in her frozen features “Yep, I couldn’t have you dying on us without bringing the voice box killer into justice right?” Alice only snorted, bitterly looking at him with a sickening amusement “So you noticed it too” She murmured, she already know not to underestimate the man in front of her, A man with the same intellect like her, even more so and equally dangerous as well He could kill a person without said person noticing as they sip a cup of tea, smiling pleasantly at you while you converse. She had been with the man when he executes a double agent that threatened to swap to a rebel group after all. And the man played personas like clothes to get answers he needed without anyone noticing and having a thought off. Often underestimated by his almost anyone and thought off as a dunderhead. Which is not really the real him. He is a carefree executioner that would have anyone who knew the real him on edge, But not Alice.

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They’ve been partners for years before transferring to the Investigation Unit As well as her Cousin after all “Of course who do you take me for?” Alexis playfully nudge her side, which unfortunately the side where her wound was. She glared at the Blonde man for the intentional action “It’s as obvious as my Grandmother’s wrinkly bosom, intentionally intercepting an information through light poisoning, Guilty glance that anyone could mistake as ‘Not confessing her Love for the deceased man’, Sudden courage to talk to a large number of people especially if there’s certain person in the people that she hates and envies the most and would rather avoid at all cost, and let’s not forget the fact that brother dearest dotes on her like a daughter and almost forcefully switch place in interrogating the suddenly suspicious Rape victim and putting the blame on said victim in his weakest moment and convince him of killing your lovely” Alexis summarized with one breath, not at all winded from talking straight, almost like a rap monologue that could put skilled rappers to shame and in awed for the wild blonde man to not stutter Gabrielle stared at him with his slackened muscles, resembling a fish out of the water, one for his talking and for what he is talking about “What…?” He whispered, voice wavering from the man was initiating, Alexis look at him with a furrowed eyebrow, as if he

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couldn’t comprehend what the young intern is confuse, shocked about. “Didn’t you connect the dots yet? Dear Mikey and Just Monika is a Copycat of our Voice box killer. Maaan you have a lot to learn before even turning into a Investigator I mean-“

Thud “You broke him” Alice accused with a frown, at least the poor mentally damaged intern hadn’t hit his head on the ground and instead drop on her lap. “I did? Oh well” Alexis chimed before picking the unconscious intern and carried him like a sack of potatoes “Don’t be hard on him Lucy, he’s just a kid” Alice reprimand before letting her eyes shut and finally went unconscious from exhaustion. But not before a single thought sprung into life, but she’s too weak to fight off Morpheus’ embrace as she fall into a sleepless dream

‘Poppy’ “Yeah yeah I can see him growing on you anyway, as I always quote, Micasa esucasa ” ‘Alexis’ mumbled, still carrying the ittle bitty intern in his shoulder with almost laughable ease as he followed the stretcher into the ambulance.

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He took his phone from his pocket and called The phone rang for thrice before being answered by a sweet voice with a layered threat ‘you should have a approving explanation to wake me up twelve A.M in the morning before I have my men gut you down and make your intestine into a Catgut’ kind of tone “Yes?” “Mamma it’s me”

Chapter 21 Back to the world

Alice woke up with the shittiest head ache she ever woke up in all her life and she grunted as she tried standing up, only for a lone hand stopping her short in sitting upright

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“You shouldn’t Move yet” Olivia said softly, bringing a cup of water near the red head’s lips, Alice Drank it and nodded at the Short haired woman thankfully. “Ho-how long was I out?” “Surprisingly, only two days have passed, they had to do a blood transfusion, you lose a large amount of blood after the incident” Olivia’s smile vanished at the last part, body limping in her sit with a frown “I-” The black haired started, seemingly unable to form any words, after awhile Olivia turned at her with a sunken expression “I didn’t think Mike would do that, would even be part of the crazy investigation” “It was unexpected” Alice agreed, face remorseful and gripped the white sheet that covered her, her other hand useless at the moment “We already had it taken care of, Carleton spoke against Monika in the court and Gabrielle informed us of what happened, Nikolas’s body-“ Alice’s eyes suddenly widen. “Nikolas! He has a Daughter and he said that I-“ The door opened, interrupting Alice of her Panic as both look at the door in question

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“Pretty Alice!” A blurred figure dashed forward and toppled over Alice’s side, luckily on the side that wasn’t injured, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t grunt in pain at the collision “P-poppy…” She whispered before looking questioningly at the other woman “Gabrielle told us about what she” Olivia shrugged before staring at the figure on the door “Why don’t you come in here young man? The cold air will get ou” Hesitantly, Gabrielle walked over the room, looking worse for wear with the deep bags under his eyes. Alice offered a smile “You look like you didn’t sleep a wink” Alice started “That’s because he didn’t, stayed at your side since you got admitted before I forced him to take poppy outside to breath for fresh air” The other woman offered, giving the only male in the room a stern glare, then offered her seat for the young man to sit on “Um- I’ll just stand” “Nonsense, I was about to take my leave and inform the nurses anyway” Olivia tightly chuckled, dusting off her attire “Pretty Alice I’m glad you’re okay” Poppy exclaimed with a grin, Alice tried smiling, which came off as a pained grimaced- not that

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the child noticed but Gabrielle definitely did- and ruffled the child’s hair. “Why don’t we go to the cafeteria Poppet? I’ll buy you a cupcake” Olivia offered her hand for the child to take, which Poppy hesitantly took after some gentle nudging from the red head The door closed with a click, leaving the two occupants in the room in a complete silence, Gabrielle pursed his lips and silently stared down on the now vacant chair. “How are you doing?” Alice softly questioned, leaning back into her bed and snuggled deeper at the feathered pillow. “Fine…” Gabrielle whispered, not daring to look at her and knowing that she wouldn’t believe that, he’s not okay, afraid that when he closed his eyes and dream, it will be all about that night. “You don’t seem fine,” “I may not look it but I’m fine,” Obviously, she was not. “Look, I know it’s hard but you did the right thing here,” At that, he swerved and looked directly at her. His blue eyes darkening and overtaking its silver specs as he glared, his face twisted in a scowl.

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“THE RIGHT THING?!” Gabrielle growled. “WAS IT THE RIGHT THING TO LEAVE A CHILD ORPHANED?” Alice looked down but said nothing. She knew Gabrielle was also an orphan and whatever she might say might hurt him even more. He continued shouting. “DO YOU KNOW HOW IT FELT LIKE WHEN I LOOKED AT THAT CHILD’S EYES THAT BELIEVED THAT HER FATHER IS IN A BETTER PLACE? WELL DO YOU?” His eyes started to water as his knees fell weak. He fell on the chair. He feels as though he’s about to vomit. He brought his hands to support his head as he propped his elbows to his knees. “Well, that makes the 3 of us right?” Gabrielle stilled in his position, mind coming into a abrupt halt at what the red head is insinuating “Olivia and most importantly, Carson probably fixed Poppy’s predicament of being placed in the orphanage- as I know she didn’t have any known relatives and placed the guardianship over me” Alice continued before staring earnestly at the currently befuddled man

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“And I need the help that I can get to raise her from now on, where else could she grow up without being parentless?” “Wh-what are you saying?” Gabrielle stuttered with wary eyes, one that was filled with Suspicion, fear and hope “I’m saying” Alice smiled “That I’m asking you to help me raise Penelope” The silence was almost deafening, not that Alice minded as she relaxed her tense shoulder and letting the young man take his time in wrapping his head around it And finally…

“I’d like that” it was almost a breathless whisper but Alice heard it all the same and she let a pleasant smile over her face The lack of sound was comforting this time and when Olivia and Poppy, along with a nurse came back, Gabrielle’s eyes didn’t cloud over like the one she caught a glimpse of back in the doorway, greeting the child with little tenseness She listened to Poppy’s rambling with a fond gaze, Gabrielle listening intently beside her before her eyes lingered to Olivia’s onyx ones before mouthing ‘Did she know?’ At the Woman’s terse

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nod Alice wondered why the coffee haired child wasn’t showing any signs of distress over the loss of her father. Then Olivia decided that right now is the time to tell that Gabrielle needed therapy “I don’t need one” Gabrielle denied with the a shook of his head “I’m sorry but you can’t refuse this one” Olivia shot back with a sigh “It’s a protocol for the younger ones and even the older agents to go for a session and from the one you experienced at young age…” The black haired woman trailed off, but the two already knew what Olivia meant and Alice pat the trembling hand which stilled upon contact “Don’t worry, I already contacted a friend who’s good at her job” Olivia offered trying to show the young man that if she knows the person who’ll consult him then it will show the young man that he’s in good hands “What their name?” Alice Asked, softly patting Poppy’s hand who fell asleep during their conversation after not understanding anything, lying beside the red head and snuggling in her waist “Victoria Luh vendein, She’s a good civilian consultant ”

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Pronunciation (Lah) Luh vendein

Chapter 22 Six for Gold

Two months Ago

"I'm sorry Ma'am But this card has been freeze by-"

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"My mother, I know" a dry voice, cut off the female employee with an irritated expression in her face, not directed at the employee, but to her wretched mother who wanted nothing but to make her life miserable. Her faced wash off her sour expression and smiled tightly at the woman sited in front of her. “I’m sorry for wasting your time Ms. Linda" "Nothing to worry about Miss Angela" The woman gave her a polite smile "Thank you for your time"

Angela took her card in the desk, gripping it a little too tightly as she placed it in her Bag, she stood up and walk off, exiting the office in a Repose pace, her mind seemed to be elsewhere as body seem to drift off to a random room, she paid no mind to it as she already memorized the building's Exterior anyway. Angela thankfully ended to the woman's restroom, and as soon as she deemed that there are no signs of life, she let her face crumbled into a bitter fury 'That damned woman, always making my life harder, what did i do to make her always act this way towards me?'

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'Maybe because you weren't her real daughter?' a dark amused voice rang through her mind- whispering painful facts as to why their mother hated her ‘It’s so obvious anyway...You don’t have any physical trait that resembled her in some way, plus...you're just the product of a wh-'

"Shut UP" Angela hissed venomously, glaring at her form in the large mirror as her eyes strayed in her form It's not her fault to have such a Pale red hair that none of her parents or relatives had, or why her eyes held such color of green, it's not her fault to be Born to a Lust frenzy slut of a Father, or how her real mother used her as a money Bag to be given for her Father, if it wasn't for the DNA test that she found in her father's closet, she would've thought she was adopted

"Tough day? “A feminine yet elegant voice suddenly penetrated the tense silence, startling her to accidentally let go of her phone 'since when did I took it out of my bag?' shaking her head, Angela pushed her annoyance at bay and crouched down To picked the Dream catcher case phone, which thankfully didn't have any cracks on it, She placed it securely in her bag this time.

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"yeah, I have to pay for the requirements of my school today" she blurted out, eyes straying into the Brown haired stranger in her side, who didn't seem bothered of the little accident that she caused, Angela could see flecks of silver in her narrowed eyes and with a chestnut colored Hair Curled elegantly into a Braid, Angela allowed a Brief moment of appreciation to the stranger's appearance before switching back to her hands, and both female occupants wash their hands in silence. "College really is the most stressful part of our life, I remember Stressing over a mountain of Projects and Thesis My teachers Assign us to" Silver eyes swept into her, an amuse glint crinkling in her eyes that clearly spoke 'We can all relate, But from your haggard appearance I think I Pity you more' Angela felt herself Bristled in annoyance but wisely push it down less She might Misunderstand the Message because she was probably thinking too much about the subject, again. 'Damn, I'm Reading too much psychological facial translation' "You could say that again, I can't wait to leave the School and just be done With The life of adolescents” Groaned The pale red head, Taking out a Tissue to dry her wet hand and dropping it off into the nearer trash can

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"I assure you, living the life of Teenage Hood is better than Entering the stage of adult cycle, unless of course, one find the need to get away from their nagging parents" 'Totally spot on Dude' Angela mentally (and also bitterly) snickered, Giving a "Hmm" response as if thinking over to what the stranger said. A loud growling suddenly emitted in the restroom, bolting the smaller of the two to look around, Her Eyes caught two amused Silvery Eyes who pointed at her with her well-clipped manicured finger at her midlevel She embarrassedly clamped her stomach while screaming 'Traitor!' in her mind; her stomach seemed to have a mind of its own as it growled even louder

"Sorry I never had the chance to grab a Breakfast on my way here" she smiled sheepishly, she is full blown Embarrassed "I can see that" her lips seem to twitch, as if stopping herself from smiling, Or smirking at her Poor State Hur hur.

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"Well I happen to have my schedule cleared today, would you like to accompany me? i happen to arrange a reservation table at the same cafe " "What? But I-" “Don’t worry, It's my treat today since you look like you have a little problem, i just wanted to Make a Downed maiden Happy, even if she's ...Sad" The way the woman’s tone curled into that of soothing mother, A rich mega mother. 'Big problem actually' She mumbled before her mind processed everything the stranger said

Free Food

She could feel her mouth drool at the thought but she put her will power to not agree because the lady, even if you are pretty, is a Dead ass Stranger "Actually, I prepared a food at home after I left for the bank, I'll just have to reheat it again, But Thank you for the invite" Angela Lied smoothly through her teeth "A shame" The woman shook her head and Angela couldn't help the shame in her gut for lying

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" But here, if you need someone to talk to about your problem, Just Go to this address and then maybe I could help you" The woman fished out a card in her Handbag, and offered it to the pale redhead who hesitantly took it away from her manicured hands

The woman smiled and then sigh as she check the time on her wrist "Well then, I'm off to work" She walkout of the restroom "Till we meet again young lady" Angela stared at the retreating figure before finally taking a look at the card, Eyes widening incredulously 'Did she just gave me a-' shaking her head in amusement, Angela placed the card in her bag and promptly walk out of the restroom 'Adults' But maybe she could check it out later, the lady is nice to her after all To be continue Book II ongoing ;) Created By:

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Althea Earlexandra Jade Pacho Shan Uriel Carreno Raen Alyssa Roque Rg Delos santos Jannah Shalom Baddong Francis Kye Juan

The Voicebox Killer is someone who made a name for itself for the past 2 years, striking their chosen victim every two months, The only thing that would potentially lead to their doom is killing Alice Quinn’s Most precious person

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