The moon shone through the wispy clouds of the early morning sky, peering over the towering spires of Gotham City. It's eerie brilliance was reflected off the water of nearby Gotham Bay, where, about a mile off shore, a single freighter sat like a duck in the water, waiting for permission to leave for its destination. Two small dark vessels lurked beside it, like leeches preparing to latch to a host. In the dark, several shadows slid from the freighter into the smaller boat.
Seconds later, with a roar that split the apparent silence of the Bay, a massive explosion flowered from the stern of the ship, launching metal barrels and shards of shrapnel into the ocean. It was followed by a second explosion, like a chain reaction, that burst out the port side.
As the vessel began to take on water, the two small boats rumbled away toward the city, avoiding falling debris, while sailors dove off the ship, or fell to the water to escape the flames.
It would be a half hour before any first responders got there, but by then the leaking chemicals and the fire had left nothing to respond to but the spill. Noone had survived...or had they.
As the sun rose that morning, Detective Saoch had risen with it, like he had since bootcamp. It'd been 10 years since he'd been in the army, but he'd refused to give up the routine, even when he had a day off. Especially with how Gotham was, it helped to have a bit of normalcy in his life.
As he finished brushing his teeth, however, his phone rang.
"Hello?" he said, answering it.
"Liam," said the voice of his rookie partner, Nick Smith, "The Captain wants you in now."
"Why, what's up?"
"What, haven't you seen the news? An ACE chemicals freighter blew up last night!"
Liam blinked in surprise.
"Wait, what?!" he exclaimed as he walked to his bedroom and started getting dressed in his suit and tie.
"Don't worry," came the reply, "They've managed to contain the spill, but everyone on board was dead. They think it might have been sabotage." As he said it, Liam could hear Nick's voice starting to take on a grim tone.
"I'll be right in." Liam said, sliding on his jacket, then hanging up, and grabbing his keys.
When he got to the station, he was met outside the captain's office by his anxious partner, who followed him in.
"You wanted to see me, sir?" Liam said, standing in front of the desk.
"Yes, close the door." came the reply, as Captain Gordan looked up from the papers on his desk. The younger man had only recently been given his position at the 14th precinct by the mayor, after the previous Captain had been found dead in an alleyway, but he still acted like he had been there for years.
Though he wouldn't say it out loud, aside from the drinking, he'd liked the old Captain better. He'd known Gotham. He had been relatable. But, Gordan and his "by-the-book" attitude...Liam's feelings probably weren't helped by the fact that he had been at the 14th for 10 years, and had been passed over for the position.
Gordan stood, pushing back his chair, and moved to the side of his desk.
"I assume Detective Smith gave you the short version of what happened. Well, here's the rest." handing a thin file to the detective, who opened it. "Last night at 3 am, a freighter of chemical containers exploded. We don't know how, but based on what was left of the crew, it's a reasonable assumption that it was purposeful."
Inside the file were pictures taken of the bodies of several crew members. In several could be clearly seen, the slashes of a bladed weapon, on the throat of the body.
"Unfortunately, as far as we can tell, everyone on the ship died...or was killed. We--"
"Wait a second." Liam interjected, tearing his eyes from the photos in the file. "Your telling me someone sabotaged a freighter of chemicals, and we have noone who saw what happened?"
Captain Gordan looked Liam in the eyes, answering in a quiet, but firm voice.
"I don't appreciate being interrupted, detective. As I was saying..."
Guy can't even handle being questioned. Liam thought, a tad bitterly.
Gordan continued, speaking regularly.
" Officers have recovered several of the bodies for forensics, all dead, and are studying them now. However, we do have a possible witness..."
Liam tried not to show his embarrassment as Gordan emphasized the last part by giving him a look.
"He's currently in recovery at Gotham Memorial Hospital, but I was just notified half an hour ago that he woke up." Gordan moved back to his chair and started looking at one of the papers that littered it.
"I want you two to start by getting whatever information you can from him about what he saw before the explosion, if he knows anything. Good luck."
As the Captain sat down, Liam took the hint and headed out the door, Nick trailing him. As they walked through the precinct to the parking lot, Nick spoke up,
"I wish I could get a look at those bodies. Maybe the blade marks could tell us something about who killed them."
Nick had always wanted to go into forensics, but with his father being a former detective, and pushing him to go into the academy, he ended up here, working with this old cop. Liam, however, sometimes found it useful to have a partner with those interests...sometimes.
As he unlocked the car and got in, Liam answered,
"Maybe after we finish talking with mister castaway, they'll let us into the morgue."
Nick nodded, and got in, Liam starting the car.
As they walked down the hospital hallway to the room where the castaway was being kept, Liam and Nick were accompanied by one of the officers who found him.
"So, any idea who this guy is?" Liam asked the officer, who shrugged tiredly.
"Name's Jonas Randall. No previous medical or criminal records." the officer let out a breath. "Apparently he was on the ship, but we haven't been able to find out if he was part of the crew, or what. Now he's awake maybe we can."
The detective grunted in agreement.
"You could also try and check with the ACE Chemicals HR, see if they have him listed as an employee." he suggested.
As he said that, they arrived at the door to the room.
"I think I'll try that." the officer replied, then seeing the door added, "Good luck."
Detectives Saoch and Smith exchanged handshakes with the officer and entered the room as he left.
On the bed sat a lean, brown haired man, and as they entered, he turned his dark green eyes on them.
Other than his eyes, the man seemed extraordinarily average. If they had met him on the street they probably wouldn't have given him a second glance.
The injured man watched them as they walked to the foot of the bed.
"Good morning, Mr. Randall. My name is Detective Saoch, and this my partner Detective Smith." Liam announced, him and Nick both showing their badges. Putting them away he continued.
"We're investigating the sabotage of and mass murder on board a freighter early this morning. A freighter we were told you are presumed to be the only survivor from."
Liam noticed a flicker of recognition light on Jonas' face at that, along with a look of nervousness.
"We'd like to ask you some questions." Liam said, as Nick pulled out a notepad.
"Let's start with, why were you on the ship, and what happened?"
When he eard the questions Jonas glanced at the door, and seemed to be uncertain about whether to say anything. He looked at the two detectives and it seemed like he made a decision.
"Can you close the door?" he asked.
Nick and Liam glanced at each other, then back at the obviously unsettled Jonas, before Liam, curiousity playing in his mind, moved to close the door.
"Thank you. I just...what I'm about to tell you is going to sound crazy," Jonas said, as Liam and Nick both took a chair.
"I was on the ship as a chemist's assistant, but that's besides the point."
He paused for a moment.
"What happened...what I saw...who I saw.." he sighed, "It's crazy...but I think we were attacked by ninjas!"