It was the last day of the workweek, and Jamie expected it to unfold like the previous ones. Friday started off the same way, except for one thing: Xavier was in the office this time, and Nate was supposed to join them in a few hours, once he finished his other duties.

Actually, there were two changes, the hero realized when he came to his desk and found a brown package on it. Judging by the smell, it contained food. Next to it was a paper cup of coffee.

"You didn’t have to," he said, directing the words toward the team leader since he didn't even need to ask to know it was from him.

"You work better when you eat," Xavier answered, unfazed by his tone. They had had this conversation far too many times, and Jamie always ended up losing. After all, Xavier was the team leader and was only doing his job by looking after him, and although there were only a few years between them, Jamie held him in high regard.

“Hey, since when do you go on patrols on Fridays?” The conversation was no longer just between the two of them. Somewhere behind him, the dark-haired hero heard his other teammate’s voice.

“Since Nate asked me to switch with him today,” Eli answered Adrian’s question.

“He’s behind on his school projects again?” Xavier joined in.

“No idea.” Just as he turned his head, Jamie caught sight of the freckle-faced man shrugging. A moment later, their gaze met. The brown eyes lingered on him for a few seconds before Elias decided to move toward his desk.

Jamie adjusted his glasses, even though they weren’t slipping down his nose, out of habit. Then, he turned his attention back to his computer. While it was booting up, he brought the coffee cup to his lips and took a sip.

He didn’t expect the dark liquid to still be that hot. A string of curses escaped his mouth as he quickly set the cup back on the desk and pressed his joined fingers against his lips, as if that could soothe the pain.

"Idiot," Adrian muttered. He was already by Jamie's side, placing his hand against his face to heal the minor burn that hardly required medical attention. The youngest team member simply couldn't help himself when it came to taking care of others.

"Thanks," Jamie murmured once Adrian pulled his hand back and the burning and tingling on his tongue were gone. His teammate only gave him a small nod before returning to his desk and diving back into his work.

Jamie shot a glare at the coffee cup before shifting into a more comfortable position and leaning forward to start typing.

As usual, he wanted to focus on the Sunshine Boy case, but he first had to attend to other duties. He began by reviewing the police reports from the previous day. Surprisingly, Krasport had been quiet except for a few reported thefts, drunken brawls, and speeding tickets. That didn’t happen often.

There was also a report about yesterday’s bank incident, but since Jamie had been on the scene, he only skimmed it to see how the situation was handled after they left. There was nothing unusual—just the arrests and the estimated prison sentences the robbers were likely to face for the bank heist.

Meanwhile, Adrian was reviewing the paramedics’ reports, Elias was looking through the fire department's reports, and Xavier was handling documents sent from the Legion headquarters of their branch. It was practically their daily routine. Afterward, they would look through the missing persons database as well as websites where people could report possible sightings. If they didn’t find anything noteworthy, they waited to see if something new would come up during the day or if they’d be called to a scene.

Today, they didn't have to wait long because, once again, an emergency arose before Nate could even join them.

The number 140 flashed on the screens around them, and from that code alone, it was clear that whatever awaited them wouldn’t be good.

All four of them stood up at once and moved with urgency toward the locker room, knowing they had no time to waste. Although the police report had already indicated that someone had lost their life, they couldn’t let it happen again.

Ironclad, Solid, Solace, and Echo headed to the garage, got into the dark vehicle—with the team leader taking the wheel—and drove straight to the scene without a word.

Everyone was unusually quiet. Although they were accustomed to working in silence at the office, this time it felt different. The atmosphere in the car was so thick that one could have cut it with a knife. They were well aware that, the moment they stepped out, they could be faced with practically anything. Even though some had been in the job for years and others for a shorter time, there were some things one could never get used to.

The flashing police lights and yellow tape around the old laundromat did not bode well. Ironclad parked as close as possible and they all stepped out at once, knowing the protocol for such a situation. One of the investigators was already walking toward them to brief them on the case.

“Detective Harris,” the leader of the superhero team greeted him from a distance. Despite Krasport not being a small city, it wasn’t the first time they had met.

"Ironclad," the man in the long, dark coat replied in the same tone. He stopped in front of them and nodded to greet the rest of the team. "The body was found by a patrol about half an hour ago. The coroner currently estimates the time of death to be between three and six in the morning. He is now conducting a closer examination of the injuries.”

The team leader nodded. “Do you have an ID on the victim yet?”

This time, Detective Harris did not have an affirmative answer. "Not yet. The victim didn't have any identification documents on her. The forensic team is working on fingerprints and the database.”

“Any evidence?” Ironclad continued with the necessary questions.

“We found shoe prints with an unusual tread pattern, as well as something that looks like a fragment of a plastic card. The forensic technician finished photographing the scene and moved on to searching for prints. But so far, it looks like the perpetrator cleaned up thoroughly. At least when it comes to incriminating evidence,” the man in the suit with the badge on his belt explained.

“Can we go inside?”

"Yes," the detective nodded. "But stay clear of the areas where the technicians are still working. I’ll show you a safe path.”

Solid had a strange feeling. He couldn’t identify or describe it, but the back of his mind whispered to him to stay alert. He followed Detective Harris and his colleagues with undivided attention. 

Soon, the interior of the half-abandoned building came into view. Clearly unused for a long time, it was the perfect crime scene. Yet that wasn’t what captured his attention the most.

“Where’s this glass from?” he asked, stepping away from the group slightly and approaching the area where light fell on shards of glass. There were no broken windows or anything else nearby from which those shards could have come. Despite this, it hadn’t been marked as evidence.

"This place is popular with the homeless and addicts," the detective replied. Solid wasn’t satisfied with this explanation, though, and bent lower to get a better look at the shards scattered across the floor. He scanned each piece, then pulled a flashlight from his pocket to illuminate them more clearly.

"Solace," he called to his teammate, noticing a detail that deserved a closer inspection. No one else on the team was better suited to provide an expert eye than the hero, who was trained in medical skills and capable of treating injuries without tools. “Come take a look.”

"What's wrong?" the superhero in the white-and-red suit asked, kneeling beside him and being careful not to step on the glass.

"See those markings on the glass? They’re too precise and clean to be from a typical addict's syringe,” Solid pointed out, directing the flashlight where he wanted his teammate to look.

“You’re right,” Solace agreed. “Try to find a needle so we can be sure.”

Searching for a needle on a filthy, long-unused floor littered with debris was no easy task. But Solid wasn’t about to give up, nor was Solace. He also pulled a flashlight from his suit pocket and joined the search.

"Found it," the healer announced after a while.

Solid moved closer, focusing on the spot where his teammate’s flashlight shone. A steel needle glittered, catching their eyes. Though thin and long, it was impossible to miss.

“Looks like a lab needle,” Solace assessed. “Can I get an evidence bag?” He turned toward Detective Harris, who nodded and instructed the technician to move closer and secure whatever had been found.

"A lab needle in the laundromat," the hero in the anthracite suit muttered to himself aloud.

"We'll wait for the coroner. So far, there are no injuries suggesting the needle was used,” Detective Harris reported. The group of heroes followed him closer to the room where the body lay. This time, the metallic scent of blood hung in the air. There was no time to focus on the smells, though. Nearby was a perfect shoe print—a piece of evidence the detective had mentioned earlier.

Looking at it, Solid couldn’t shake the feeling that he had seen it before. The atypical hexagons didn’t resemble anything commonly found on standard athletic or casual shoe soles. Although the hero in the anthracite suit wasn’t an expert, the design triggered flashing warning lights in his mind for some reason.

Since no one else reacted as if it were strange, Solid decided he was just being paranoid and pushed the uneasy feeling aside. He shifted his attention to the remaining marked areas on the floor to ensure he hadn’t overlooked anything. However, nothing else triggered the same reaction in him.

“You can see the body now.”