| Nothing Can Stay The Same Forever, But Change Isn't Always Good. |
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The sound of thunderous rain beat against the plastic signs and balcony’s above, showering the alley with heavy droplets.
“Haaa…”
As the man’s agitated breath slowly fogged over the metallic surface, his hand continued to scrub the rest of it diligently. Cleaning off blood from the blade was the hardest part since fat mixed in with the other liquids that covered the edges and if left untreated, would dull its sharpness. Worst of all, the cold darkness of night and the near pitch-black alleyway didn’t help either.
“Tch. This is my fifth job in two months. Next time they send me on some stupid rush job like this, I swear I’ll tear out someone’s throat.”
The sound of squeaking came furiously as the cloth slowly began to take off the residue from the curved knife's edge. Its unique handle and shape made cleaning it a slight hassle, but its utility and capability was more than enough to make up for that. Not to mention the history behind it.
“Ah- There we go.”
It took a bit longer than expected, but sure enough, the job was done. One could say it looked almost brand new.
“Nice. Well then,” the man said, looking out into the bursting midnight sky. “Guess it’s bedtime.”
Lifting his mink coat from the makeshift hanger he found nearby, the man took off from the alley, leaving behind another certified job well-done as he escaped into the night.
“I better be getting my Vacation after this.”
In his wake lay seven men, face down and dead across different parts of the alley.
|+|
Pitter-Patter. Pitter-Patter
The sound of rain banging against the window was beginning to let up, if only slightly. What was once large thuds against the pane was now merely slight bangs against its stained-polish.
“Hmmmm…”
A report came through right as the clock ticked past one in the morning. Signed by someone she was expecting tonight, the woman took one brief glance at the heading to confirm what she already knew.
[Mission: Completed]
[P.S: Vacation. NOW.]
Seeing that, she tossed aside the rest of the file with little care for whatever else came with it. Not out of irresponsibility of course, but more so out of irritation due to the knowledge that whatever else came with the status of completion would surely irritate her to no end. It was no surprise that he accomplished the task, but knowing him, it was guaranteed to be in the worst way possible. Rubbing her forehead in pre-expectant annoyance, the woman glanced across the long marble desk in front of her as her eyes took account of the myriad stacks of paper which littered across its elegance.
She had enough headaches to deal with as is. With the upcoming deadline to finalize this urgent request swiftly approaching, any more additional information and she would surely lose her mind.
'Sigh.'
Picking up her pen once again, she continued to go through the mountainous stack of documents.
‘I just hope he didn’t leave too much of a mess.’
|+|
Drip-Drop. Drip-Drop.
“Ma’am. We’ve confirmed the deaths.”
The night sky's torrent finally began to let up, as now it was merely drizzling from above. To the woman standing in front of the alley alongside numerous other officers however, it felt as though the clouds above her were on the last of its tears.
“ID’s?”
“Exactly as expected. All of them were acquainted with the underground Void-Synchro fighting ring from the other week.”
As expected. As expected…
“Injuries?”
“A knife wound...One for each.”
“All of them… With one single knife wound?”
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
“...Yes Ma’am.”
“Tch. That’s not good.”
Looking into the alley was no longer an issue thanks to the lights and coverage from the medical team and investigation squad. Bright bulbs surrounded the darkness from all corners, illuminating the gruesome scene of seven individuals completely laid out without even a glimpse of life left on their skin- tainted with the dark stains of premature void. Who, or whatever it was that attacked had snuffed out each of their lives with what appeared to be only one single stroke of a knife, and left the bodies scattered around the cold and wet floor starting all the way from where she stood. Overlooking the nearby surroundings such as the lines of red trickling down the nearby brick walls, the unusually scattered garbage, and taking into account the positions of the bodies as they stand, it didn’t take a genius to piece together how this went down.
They were all led here. Probably of their own accord. Not just one by one, but most likely all together at once. Then, they initiated the fight from the front of the alley- right here. After the first one went down, the others began to realize the situation. Two more probably came forward thinking they could overpower the killer in numbers using Void-Synchronized attacks; that didn’t end well- or maybe they didn't even get the chance to find out before their demise. The rest? Well…
“Any Weapons? Contraband?”
“About that…” The officer’s eyes narrowed in both disgust and worry as he continued. “Yes, Ma’am. There were two things we discovered on-site.”
“...Let me see.”
As the officer called the on-site team to bring the evidence over, she continued along her line of thought. Once three bodies hit the floor, it would send the rest into a panic. From where they stood, it was possible to escape the alley on foot into the backside within nearly fifteen seconds for an average adult. That said, this was on the assumption that they were fully invested into a straight sprint. Most individuals would be after seeing three people die right in front of them, but clearly this wasn’t the case; though that was to be expected, now that she knew who exactly these individuals were. To them, they probably got a thrill from the chance of dying in a fight. But surely that would only apply to the ring.
Dying here, like a dog, in an alley? No one would choose to go out like that.
So why would they choose to turn around?
“We found old weapon tech. A loaded 1911 9mm handgun. We've determined that it was held at one point during the altercation, but due to the rain washing over it, that's about all we can tell for now.”
“I see. An actual pistol, huh?"
Rarely used nowadays. Though, more-so out of better options rather than lack of purpose.
"A last resort weapon would answer why they didn’t escape right away, and since this was a decently narrow alley, it could be assumed the wielder was under the assumption they wouldn't miss a shot. If they were up against an average Magnus user, they could probably deal fatal damage with it too. Any rounds fired?”
“...None, Ma’am. Whoever had it probably didn’t get the chance.”
“...”
“We’ve got one other piece of evidence too… Not a weapon, though.”
At this point, both officers' faces began to contort. One with unwanted knowledge, and the other with painful foreboding.
“...I’m listening.”
Trading one plastic bag with the handgun for another, the officer held up a set of keys with a sticky note attached.
“...”
“The note… We found it slapped underneath one of the bodies inside their jacket. It... It's just like the ones we've ran into over the past few weeks."
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Hey officers; good news. Once again, I’ve done your jobs for you.
You’ll find what you’re looking for with these keys. I’d tell you the address too, but you probably already have it narrowed down. Good Luck.
P.S: Thanks for the cleanup job. It was raining pretty hard, so I figured I’d leave the bodies as a farewell gift.
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Sickening. Truly disgusting.
Those words rose up from the pit of her stomach as she heard the officer repeat the letter left behind by an individual who had enough time to write such bullshit, kill seven people and run off without a care in the world. Worst of all, this was becoming a common occurrence, a fact that trampled upon her pride as an officer.
But rather than focus on that, something far more important was left behind for her to deal with.
“They’re talking about the trafficking ring, aren’t they,” the officer sighed, after finally piecing everything that’s happened tonight together.
“...We believe so. It would match the ID’s, assumptions and stakeout information we’ve put together at HQ.”
Another click of the tongue left her mouth as she looked back into the alley filled with deceased. Seven people, all presumed to be connected with various underground dealings and illegal activities, were still innocent until proven guilty. Even while the police had nearly assured evidence of their crimes, it's the job of the court of law to determine punishment, not them. Now, it didn’t even matter. They’ve been judged and executed without even a trial. Something every citizen, regardless of who they are or what they’ve done, should have the right to receive.
“...Take as much time as you need to investigate here. Find anything you can which might give us identification on the culprit or culprits at hand; and don’t forget to send that note into forensics with all the other ones.”
“Yes Ma’am. And they key?”
“Give it to me. I’ll deal with the situation alongside the A.T.F.”
“Right. Good luck, Ma’am.”
“Same to you.”
As much as it irritated her, these people were already dead and gone. Their stories, any information they had, the lives they lived, the things they’ve experienced… And the chance to redeem themselves, all snatched away by the time she arrived. This was a fact: something she had to accept, regardless of how she felt.
But if that note was correct, then there were still people who could be saved. Criminals who still needed to be apprehended. Work to be done.
“HQ,” the woman called into her radio, tuning it toward a signal only those with special status would know about. “This is Codename Doberman. Send in any available members of the Alternative Task Force to these coordinates as soon as possible with breach and secure clearance. We’re entering a potential Void-Trafficking situation, with Void-Tablets on the scene. I’ll be on the scene in twenty minutes. Over.”
Once she hopped onto her bike, her eyes narrowed as the engine roared.
Justice was a term which adorned her title. Its weight was one she carried constantly, and its meaning was one she understood thoroughly. It wasn’t something an individual should take lightly, nor was it something just one person could decide for themselves.
As she took off into the night, she contemplated the state of justice, and steeled her resolve. She would continue to bring down those who chose to stand against what was right, no matter how long it took, or how much harder she would have to work.