February 7 – 1991 - Secret operation base, Chicago

Beatrice woke up on her room, she had to change into some secret place for the duration of the investigation, it took much longer than she wanted, really, but if she was going to bring Andrea Marconi down she needed it. Had been a whole year now so it was almost like her home.

The entire crew was in there as well, all the people she personally vetoed and organized for that operation in several levels, she had to do so, she investigated everyone, every part of it, and yet a few people already suffered bad accidents, attacks and ambushes, she was forced to bring the four most trustworthy people she could find into her hideout. The entire situation was a terrible one.

Guiding Star, he was a young prodigy hero in Beatrice's team, his theme was all around stars and the like, a young star rising in the hero ranks lately at least, not a big shot at all but someone gaining some small fame.

Erin Reed, some big shot detective of the police force, she was one of the most trustworthy people on the entire team, experienced and said to be incorruptible, it was said she had an absurd sense of danger and sixth sense of some sort, Beatrice was glad she was on the team, she dodged a few bullets because of Erin, a few literal bullets as well.

Charon, a powerful meta and hero, the least trustworthy of the team, and yet she knew exactly how to keep him in check, he was a gamble but a necessary one, he could move igneous rock around and create it from normal rock, he could create walls of heated metal and rock as well, a powerful meta on all accounts. A needed one.

Miriam Shar, she was a different type of person and the most unusual of the team, a journalist, a good one at that, she was registering everything with proper proof and a promise of being able to release it all, she was excellent at hiding cameras and other devices around, a needed addition despite not being very strong or bringing security, great at bringing ideas as well for collecting info.

She got up and grabbed her coffee as she went towards a window there, looking into the docks calmly ahead, she had gotten a secret apartment close to the docks, one of the few areas where Marconi had not the control, mostly because of the infamous port mafia, she liked those even less, but they were far less disruptive and violent than her.

"Good way to choose a lesser demon" she closed the window curtain and walked to finish changing clothes and going into the main war room they had organized, she even had got herself one of the new personal computers around there. She turned on the computers and waited for the boot then walked to the table and got the pieces and documents up.

Erin Reed woke up soon after, the room had a table in the middle that they used for briefings and a couple of tables around that were used for other stuff, like eating, she approached Beatrice and gently pressed her shoulder against Bea's, Bea smiled softly. "Hey you" she said gently looking at the board she had set up. Reed responded "Hey, so, what is new?".

Bea had to think for a second before answering, she looked at the board for a while "Well, Johnson had a meeting with me a couple of days ago but never returned after that, unsure of what happened, he said he had big info. Now I am unsure... Regardless, we are close to a breakthrough, but we are taking time..." she leans gently back on Reed, who looked around through all their evidence before speaking "We have a few calls, a few witnesses but none willing to go to court... The big shots are spending money here, they want something soon?"

Beatrice nodded, squeezing her eyes for a moment "We got to have something... anything to show them... But just going after some small fish or even some middle guy would be a big problem..." - "they would just get replaced" Reed finished.

She taps the table slightly, thinking a bit more on what to do, there was a tension hanging in the air there after all that, she sighed "We might have to go after Olive Riley" she said and Reed raised an eyebrow "he is ... a dangerous one... even with two wannabe heroes taking down Riley will be hard" she was skeptical.

Olive Riley was not just some underling on Andrea Payroll, some goon, he was smart, and he was big in the city, he was much more like an associate of Andrea than her underling, all the meth in Chicago came from him and a good part of legal amphetamines also did. The only thing they knew. He had a lot of vices.

Beatrice nodded "yeah, and he is more vulnerable than her, we go after him... We weaken her so much and maybe even make her do something reckless, or even if not... he is the most vulnerable chip around her, and a big one, we take him down... It is a huge hit onto her, even if somehow they can't keep the investigation"

Reed thought about it for a moment "Yeah !" she smiled and gave a small light punch on her shoulder "Let's do it"

...

They were discussing it with the others when a fax arrived, it was from Johnson, he needed a meet with Beatrice to explain a few things and say the next steps. Reed was the one who read it "I don't trust him... let us go with you" as she responded "No... he is one of our bigger supporters, a whole team will be a problem...".

Reed looked at her "At least take guiding star with you " she looked at him, he perked up immediately "he can protect you from a distance", Bea sighed "alright, no campy clothes, alright?"

...

The meeting happened at a café close to the Hilton hotel, lots of people around, Beatrice waited for Johnson, she had ordered a small cup of coffee as she looked at people, people walking, coming and going, looking about, she looked at a few couples there and wondered about her own life, what might she do once that investigation was over, if she was even alive at the end of it, would she want a family? Maybe... she just didn't felt like much now, she had too much in her mind. Her mom would pester her for sure about this sort of thing.

An attendant, a meta woman with long sharp fish like ears and sharper teeth approached "Miss may I get you anything else?" she said, Beatrice looked at her and gave her a soft smile "No, thank you" she held her cup and drank it, she still remembered the world before, the world before it went crazy, almost 8% of the population, or was it 9% ? She couldn't remember now, she looked at her cup.

Things were sure getting crazy with the new hero stuff and registration talk, there was a whole discourse and talking points around it as well. She was not sure that she liked the idea of registering a lot of people like that.

Johnson approached and sat down, he looked around and gave a nod to her "Sorry for the delay, I was held up at the precinct" he raised his hand and asked for a coffee himself. He was very cordial to the meta lady, he sighed heavily, she looked at him "so... what did you want to talk about that was important?"

His eyes darted around for a second before focusing on hers "See there is a serial killer around" it was said in a hushed tone "Something very nasty, very nasty one indeed. Very gruesome... And I was put in the investigations of it... I couldn't refuse, so I won't be able to be helping you for a while, but I will be giving you the number of a buddy of mine that-"

She interrupted him, he laid a lot on her at once, a serial killer, really, her mind was racing for a moment before she looked about to him once again "okay, calm down, A serial killer appeared and... they put you in charge... haah... the hell is going on Johnson" she looked at him.

He stumbled a bit and shrugged "I don't have any idea... Look we found this dead mutie guy with a lot of blood around him, they killed him up good, I mean hella good" he said and drank his coffee "All ritualistic and stuff... and that has all the markings of a serial killer all around so yeah, I will be out for a while, but I will still try to help with whatever I can"

Mutie, a slur for the metas, was something accepted, but she did not like it, still it was very concerning "Hate crime perhaps?" and he responded "no, not this time, was nothing personal... was crazy, like they wanted him to be found. Whoever killed him must be a mutie as well"

"Why?" she rose an eyebrow

"Because whoever did this exploded his heart and drew out all the poor boy blood and painted it around in a cross and in demon ass symbols and ... it was too precise... too... " he shivered just remembering the scene.

"Damn..."

"That's right... I will be out for a bit... while we find this guy you know? You talk to my buddy... He will help you while I am away" he drank his coffee. She crossed her arms "Alright... I will try to help ... maybe our investigations meet at some point" she gave a small smile.

"Doubt it. But once I am done I will be right back!" he smiled

She nodded and got up, leaving the bill for him to pay. She was a bit aloof sometimes. He was not pleased.

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