A/N: Longer description from summary: With the Unsub's timetable growing shorter, the team and LVPD race against him to determine his identity, before another child is abducted. During the case Garcia makes a startling connection between one of the BAU and a potential victim, the lead detectives nephew.

I do not own any thing in the fic that is directly connected to Criminal Minds, the original characters and the plot is the only thing I take ownership of. This was written back when the show was in its second season and I decided to upload it to see how it is received by the fan-fiction community. Enjoy!

"God help the outcasts hungry from birth, show them the mercy they don't find on earth, lost and forgotten, they look to you still, god help the outcasts, when nobody will…I don't know if there's a reason why some are blessed, some not. Why the few you seem to favor; they fear us, flee us, try not to see us. God help the outcasts, the tattered, the torn. Seeking an answer to why they were born. Winds of misfortune have blown them about. You made the outcasts don't cast them out."

God Help the Outcasts- Bette Midler, Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Friday March 3rd, 2006

2:55 PM

Hoover Middle School, Northeast Las Vegas, Nevada

Grant Dennerson slammed his locker shut and glared at the metal door as it bounced back open at him, he had to duck to avoid getting hit with the backlash and heard snickering erupt behind him.

Clenching his fist, Grant began counting to ten under his breath, trying to ignore the continuous snickering. He knew what was behind him, Mitchell Jones and his thugs, they knew just what buttons to press with Grant and he was determined not to give in; not that it mattered once his foster parents found out about the fight he had gotten into that morning, he was as good as grounded, one more fight really wouldn't do any damage aside from physical and he was already sporting a black eye and a split lip, what more could they do?

He was tempted…so tempted to turn around and attack, but for the first time, Grant managed to keep control over his anger, he had already been in his guidance counselor's office once today, seeing him again so soon would not be the highlight of the day for either one of them, considering how hard his guidance counselor had to work to convince the principal not to suspend him for the earlier fight.

Sighing with the thought of NOT disappointing Mr. Cramer, Grant just pushed past Mitch heading for the front doors of Hoover Middle school.

He had just reached the door and he felt something cold and very wet hit the back of his head, reaching to his neck as whatever it was slid down, seeping beneath his shirt, Grant made a disgusted face as he realized what was on his hand and his back, a partially dissected frog from biology; the liquid that kept the frogs fresh for class was what was dripping down the back of his neck while the frog's guts clung to his clothes.

The words retard and SPED floated down the hall mixed with hideous laughter as Grant furiously wiped the back of his neck clean, not that it helped, he could still feel the slim and frog guts seeping down his back and he felt like he was going to be sick.

Feeling the sting of tears in his eyes, Grant pushed open the doors and bolted down the steps; his plan? To head for his one sanctuary, his one place of acceptance, an arcade about four blocks from his 4th foster home in seven years.

His foster mother was going to kill him for not calling and letting her know where he was, but he figured he'd deal with that later, maybe he could see if Paris wanted to go, give his younger buddy a good butt whopping at their favorite game, 'Cruisin' USA' a game that even genius Paris had yet to beat him at, he was three years older than Paris, but they had been best friends since Paris was four years old and Grant was seven…

Grant sighed, but then again…hanging out with Paris would mean the kid figuring out that something was wrong, that kid excelled at reading people, and even though Paris wouldn't pry, Grant didn't want to ruin what could be a good time at an arcade with his best friend; he was better off going to the arcade alone, he'd take Paris on during April vacation…it was coming up, maybe get someone to take them to Game Works or Grand Gamers Domain, the two biggest arcades in Vegas, if neither one of them had done anything to get themselves grounded in that time span that is. They had both been to the GGD tons of times, but only Grant had been to GameWorks, the largest arcade in the state.

He glanced across the street at the elementary school, where all the younger kids were loading onto the busses, being picked up by parents, or walking home with friends, he saw Paris sitting on a school bus, sitting by himself as usual, also as usual, absorbed in a book. The younger boy looked up and saw Grant standing on the steps, he started to stand up to wave to his friend, but the bus lurched forward and headed down the street, leaving a cloud of dust. Adjusting his backpack, Grant made his way towards the arcade, fully prepared to lose himself in as many games as he could afford.

March 9th, 2006

11:50 AM

Quantico, Virginia. FBI Headquarters.

JJ took a deep breath as she clicked the remote for the next image to fill the screen; just an hour before, she had received a desperate, desperate being the exact word, call from a Captain Eric Williamson of Las Vegas. Williamson, whose territory reigned over the Northeast area of the city, had practically begged for the BAU's help in solving a total of five homicides in different areas of the city. Williamson, along with captains of the other districts had grouped together and come to the conclusion that they needed extra insight on the case, mainly because of who the victims were.

After seeing the photos and reading the reports that had been sent to her, JJ quickly let Agent Aaron Hotchner know that the team had a new case and thus a team meeting was called.

On the screen, the image of a boy about 13 years of age appeared. The boy was sitting on the floor and by all appearances, was simply sleeping, but of course everyone knew that wasn't the case.

"This is Grant Dennerson, 13. He was last seen just outside his middle school on March 3rd; he was found three days later, at the Grand Gamers Domain, one of the largest arcades in Vegas. He was found sitting off in the corner of the arcade on the floor, his wallet full of ones, his pockets full of tokens, and a brand new PSP in his hand. He had been given a lethal dose of Phenobarbital and left at the arcade. He is the fifth child in six months to have gone missing from the Vegas area only to turn up in random locations around the city, dead from lethal doses of Phenobarbital"

"Five kids in six months? How did it take five kids before LVPD realized something was up?" Morgan spoke up a bit of resentment in his voice, not towards JJ of course, but towards LVPD.

"It wasn't until the fifth victim did they realize the one thing all the kids had in common." JJ paused "aside from all of them being under fifteen, all five were victims of bullying, either at home or at school. But even this wasn't picked up on because it is literally the only thing the kids have in common, all of them are of different ages, races, come from different parts of the city, different family situations, even different schools." Another click of the remote brought up ten images, photos of the kids before their abduction and police photos of the crime scenes. "Philip Carlson, 7, he was the first victim and the youngest; seized by the state when he was six months old, he was adopted by his foster parents when he was a year old. At home he was a happy seven year old, but at school he was the target of teasing due to a severe learning disability, he went missing from Hartke Park just off of East Tonopah Avenue and McDaniels Street, when Mrs. Carson looked away set out their lunch, he was found in the same park three days later," the image of a covered slide filled the screen, "sitting inside the top of this covered slide, as if he was hiding."

"So he kidnaps the kids, holds them for three days, then euthanizes them?" Elle said more to herself than anyone as she studied the photos. "any sign of sexual or physical abuse on the kids?" JJ shook her head

"Each of the kids were found clean, well fed, and wearing brand new clothes, none of them minus Philip Carson had a mark on them, apparently he had a skinned knee, which he received at least 22 hours before his death, it was treated with antiseptic ointment and covered by an Incredibles band-aid" Reid looked up, his face twisted in confusion

"Incredibles?" he asked Morgan laughed a bit

"It's a kids movie Reid, computer animated; y'know Pixar?" Reid's blank look just gave Morgan more reason to chuckle "Man you do need to get out more; they've been around for what ten years, eleven years?" JJ looked at her file and looked at the team

"Coincidently or not, The Incredibles was one of Philip's favorite movies, he watched it constantly, he loved the idea of superhero's coming to save the day, the Incredibles and Batman were two superheroes that he really looked up to."

"But aside from that there were no marks on the kids?" Morgan asked leaning back in his chair

"The kids trusted him enough that he didn't need to restrain them," Reid noted to no one in particular "they knew him,"

"And he knew them," Elle replied

"But it's what the M.E. found that has LVPD baffled," JJ replied, handing everyone a copy of each child's coroner report, "and that is their stomach contents,"

"Chips, soda, pizza, cheeseburgers," Morgan read aloud "sounds typical for any American, especially kids, most kids would live off this stuff if someone let them; I know I would've when I was a kid."

"Food that a kid could easily get anywhere in Vegas, but what about prime rib, Caesar salad, and a Shirley Temples, those you unfortunately you can't just pop into McDonalds and order." Hotch noted as he flipped through each child's paperwork.

"Not only were those listed as her favorite foods, but those foods are the last thing that Gracie Newton ate." The image of a nine year old girl filled the screen, she was smiling, though it was obvious she was looking off camera at something that was distressing her, but wanting to look happy for the camera she maintained a pleasant smile. "Gracie went for a hike in the woods just behind her house, she never came home. Three days later hikers found her, leaning against a tree, in Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, as if she had been there the entire time watching the wildlife."

"Guys, Spring Mountains is a part of Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, it's about 35 miles from downtown Las Vegas, we're talking about over 316,000 acres that's 1.2788 kilometers of wilderness. How is that these hikers found her so quickly?" Reid pointed out, "and what's more, why so far from the city itself." Morgan looked over at the young genius and rolled his eyes amused, Reid shrugged his shoulders,

"That would be the other commonality with the victims," JJ stated, "according to the ME, all the kids were found within one hour of their death. And surprisingly, Gracie was found just 15 minutes after the ME determined her time of death to be." Gideon, who had been studying the photos intently, looked up at the team,

"He's leaving them at sites they would always feel safe, in well traveled areas…so they will be found quickly" He finally said, "an arcade, the forest, a playground…it's the imbedded wish of all human beings, to die where security and comfort seems to last forever, where nothing can bad can ever happen where we are the most happy."

The others looked at one another, then stared back at the photos of the five children, each one with a story to tell about their brief life, each one with a future that would never happen, each one whose life had been snuffed out.

"Its possible that we have a self proclaimed Angel of Mercy on our hands," Hotch noted, before looking his team over, all of them seemed anxious for this case, cases involving kids always took a heavy toll, but this one seemed to scream out to them. "Wheels up in one hour people," with those words, the team dispersed, to prepare for the long flight to Vegas and the anticipated stressful case ahead.