Chapter 2
"Look, I have decided that this is our best course of action. Considering our lack of progress the past two weeks, you should realize this as well."
In all her years working with the Piltover Police Force, Caitlyn had never been so frustrated by Chief Linkon. After she and Vi had returned to the station after visiting the crime scene, she headed immediately for the Chief of Police's office. Vi had a strong dislike for the man and opted to stay behind. I'd probably just end up kicking him in the face again, she'd said after Caitlyn had tried convincing her to come. Unfortunately, the truth to that statement forced Caitlyn to leave Vi behind.
However, for the first time, Caitlyn could see why Vi found the man so infuriating. She couldn't help but glare as Linkon slammed a stubborn hand on his desk. "If I have to tell you no one more time sheriff, I'll take you off the case! That...thing should be left to rot." He pointed an accusatory finger at her, his eyes narrowing in irritation. "I'd have vetoed your choice to keep him here if I didn't know half the force would resign if I questioned your judgement."
Flicking a lock of her dark hair over her shoulder angrily, Caitlyn snapped back. "Yes, he is a dangerous criminal. But he is only a tool, and a useful one at that. It would be foolish-...no, downright irresponsible if we did not use him." She pointed out the window, where the glow of the hextech star rods illuminated the city streets. "Your people are getting butchered out there, Linkon. I need to do this to put a stop to it, however I can." The chief look at Caitlyn hard as a silence fell between them. She could almost feel the reluctance radiating off of him. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed a bit, taking on a softer demeanor.
"You know I do not like this any more than you do. But the safety of the people is worth it. If my dealing with him can save dozens of lives, I will gladly do that." Linkon turned his head and looked out the window, his gaze turning pensive. He motioned to the door of his office, where Vi presumably stood waiting."...What about the delinquent?"
"I have already spoken of this to officer Vi. She is in agreement." The chief ran a hand through his greying hair and cursed softly. He sat in his chair, silently shaking his head for several moments. Then, he sighed defeatedly and made an ambiguous gesture Caitlyn took as his official approval. "I hope you know what you're doing sheriff." Satisfied but unhappy, Caitlyn turned and strode out of the office. Chief Linkon wasn't entirely sure, but he could have sworn he heard her mutter "So do I…"
Vi leaned back in her chair with a groan, draping a booted foot haphazardly across her desk. Her hextech gauntlets lay against the wall by the door of her office, having been taken off as soon as she stepped inside. The past week had been pure hell, dealing with Jinx, the murders, and the restless citizens. Vi couldn't remember the last time she'd gotten more than a few hours of sleep, let alone a decent meal. As if on cue, her stomach growled in protest and she swatted it weakly. "Shuddup...I'll feed you later." She was too tired to move, let alone eat. She closed her eyes and sighed, grateful for the moment's peace. Despite her exhaustion, sleep still seemed to elude her. The violent images of the victims swam before her tired eyes, their dead faces forever frozen into expressions of terror and pain.
"Dammit…" Abandoning her attempt to get some rest, she opened her eyes wearily and sat up. She ran a hand through her dyed hair and stood, walking over to her gauntlets. Maybe tinkering with them would relax her a bit. Plopping one down on her desk with a loud thud, she pulled out her Thousand Tool Toolbox (a birthday present from Heimerdinger) from beneath it and went to work. Hours seemed to pass by as Vi dissolved herself into her tinkering. A loud knock on the door broke her concentration, causing her to start and burn herself with the compact fusion torch.
"OW! Son of a-"
The door opened and Caitlyn walked in only to be greeted by an enraged Vi, who screamed "THE HELL YOU WANT?!" Caitlyn was startled by the outburst, reflexively putting her hands up in a peaceful gesture. "My apologies...Am I intruding?" Vi rubbed the burn on her hand and examined it. The skin had darkened and started to peel, and the burn smarted quite a bit. She'd had worse. Cursing as she put the fusion torch down, she turned to face Caitlyn, shaking her head and giving her a tight smile. "Nah. Just startled me is all. What's up?" Caitlyn's demeanor turned grim, and Vi knew what she was about to say before she even said it. "Grab your gear. We're headed below."
Vi shivered against the chill as the she and Caitlyn made their way down a dark hallway, the star rods that lit their path seemingly appearing out of the darkness like the legendary blue flames of the Shadow Isles. She hated the cells underneath the station. They were the containment units only reserved for the worst criminals Piltover had to offer. She herself had spent a few nights in one after disobeying an order from Caitlyn that resulted in a collapsed building and several injured officers. Ever since then, she began disobeying Caitlyn less. The end of the hallway appeared before them, a large metal door with two guards stationed on either side. Both stood at attention as the pair reached them.
"Madam Sheriff, Officer Vi. We were told you would be coming down here. Which prisoner are you here to see?" Caitlyn nodded politely to both of the guards in greeting as Vi simply jerked her chin upward with a casual "'Sup."
Caitlyn held up a small electronic card, the numbers 102 displayed by hologram on the front. The guard's faces paled and they glanced at each other."I didn't ever think we'd have to open this vault again…"
Nevertheless, both guards turned back to the door. They each pulled out a very strange looking key with several dozen teeth jutting out at odd angles. They simultaneously inserted their keys into holes on either side of the door and turned. Several loud clicks sounded as the bolts on the door slid out of their locking mechanism. A panel slid open on the center of the door with an electronic keypad in the center. Caitlyn stepped forward and pressed the card against the keypad. The interface glowed briefly, then the numbers 102 entered themselves into the keypad. There was an affirmative chime and the panel closed. Caitlyn stepped back as the large metal door began to open. Vi had almost forgotten how thick the doors were, remembering Caitlyn first describing them "as thick as her head." The doors were at least five feet thick, with dozens of large metal rods as locks. Vi had also heard they were strongly magnetized, but she assumed the contraption was disabled for the time being. Beyond the massive doors was another hallway not unlike the one they had just traveled. However, this one was much shorter, as they could see the end of it. At the end was a small room, smaller than Vi's office upstairs. While it seemed to only have three walls, there was a slight shimmer in the air that was the tell-tale sign of a Malcon Barrier, a see-through yet nigh impenetrable barrier named after a prominent Piltie scientist. As the duo neared, the strains of a classical score would reach their ears. The cell itself was relatively bare, consisting of a bed accompanied by a small night stand in one corner, a toilet and sink in the other, and a small kitchen table and a chair in the center. A record player lay on the table; the source of the classical music. A rather chubby man with blond hair and dressed in uniform grey clothes sat in the chair with his back to Caitlyn and Vi, his head swaying with the music. The pair reached him as the song ended, and the man raised his hands and applauded softly. He spoke, his voice smooth and jovial, yet there was a strange chill to it.
"Ahh, there are few artists who can create such stirring pieces as Jean DeLafforre." Vi glanced over at Caitlyn and saw her partner's jaw clenched. She spoke harshly, barking the man's name as if it was a vile curse.
"Simon."
The man turned his head to face them, and Vi stiffened. Visually, there was nothing extraordianry about him. He had very plain features, a stubby nose, slightly puffy lips, and large circular glasses. You wouldn't glance twice at him walking down the street. But it was his eyes. His deep electric blue eyes were windows to a void. There was nothing inside him, no compassion, no emotion, just a vacancy that threatened to swallow Vi whole. He smiled widely at the pair and rose from his seat, his arms extended towards them as if welcoming old friends. Vi wanted to punch him until he stopped moving.
"Aha! Visitors! How splendid! Welcome to my humble abode, my fair ladies. I would ask you to make yourselves comfortable, but, well…" He clasped his hands together apologetically, chuckling lightly. "There is not much comfort down here." He turned his chair around to face the two and sat down once more, crossing his leg over the other and folding his hands neatly in his lap, his smile widening. "So, what do I owe the pleasure of entertaining the esteemed Sheriff of Piltover and her faithful officer, hm?" Vi wanted to be sick. While he was captured before she joined the police force, Vi had heard his story and had come to ask for his assistance a few times before. The man was a monster.
His official name on record was Simon Gemeinhardt III, yet the public had given him the nickname "The Gentleman" due to his incredibly polite and proper personality. No one had ever heard of him before he was apprehended by Caitlyn, but after that point, everyone know who and what he was. Simon was one of the most notorious serial killers in Piltover history. A complete psychopath with little to no regard for human life, Simon became fascinated with the idea of murder at an early age. He had a difficult childhood, with an emotionally abusive nurse for a mother and an work-obsessed absentee inventor for a father. Most blamed his home life for turning him into what he was. However, Simon displayed no aggressive behavior and was actually very successful in school. Despite his academic success, he was a favored target amongst the school bullies, the worst of which mysteriously disappearing. He was dismissed as a suspect as several eyewitnesses placed him elsewhere at the time of the disappearance. No one knows when Simon first started killing, but he himself has admitted to having killed his seventh victim by the time he was twelve. He prided himself on never being caught, and his victim's bodies never being found. He called himself a perfect artist. He remembered hearing about other murders on the airwaves, newspapers, and by word of mouth. It infuriated him that those who would be sloppy enough to let themselves get caught call themselves "killers." He considered them all failures and couldn't stand to have the title of "serial killer" be slandered by such people. He abandoned his hobby of murdering indiscriminately and begun a career of hunting other serial killers, but only the ones that had their victims discovered. He claimed felt an unyielding need to "educate the lost and share his knowledge of true art." Eventually, Caitlyn deciphered his method and caught him in the act. There was an intense struggle, and Simon emerged the victor. However, he was so impressed that Caitlyn had managed to catch him, that he decided to reward her with his capture. During his trial, Simon cheerily confessed to the murder of sixty four people, but refused to give the whereabouts of their remains stating "It's my little secret." Simon has been incarcerated ever since, and has even taken to assisting Caitlyn in particularly difficult cases in exchange for several minutes out of his cell. When Caitlyn at first refused, Simon showed her the terms were non negotiable by breaking out and leaving a note promising his return in five minutes. Sure enough, Simon was found back in his cell five minutes later. Caitlyn finally agreed to Simon's terms, but in return he was moved to the specially constructed cell he currently resides in, to ensure that he could never escape again.
Vi looked on at Simon's incredibly realistic grin and had to try very hard not to punch something. Caitlyn, her eyes cold and voice stern, answered his question. "There have been a series of murders within the city. The killer has left no trace of himself, yet left the bodies in plain sight."
Simon raised a finger to stop her, a knowing smile dancing on his lips. "Let me guess, the little subjects have been torn asunder?" Caitlyn's eyes narrowed and her tone sharpened. "You know who they are, don't you?"
Simon laughed loudly as if Caitlyn had told a very funny joke. "But of course I do my dear! They are a very dear friend of mine."
His tone of amusement turned to adoration as he went on. "Now, normally I would abhor such a rough artistic view, but they are just so majestically brutal you can't help but appreciate-" Vi felt her emotions reach the breaking point. She raised a giant fist and sent it careening towards Simon. Her gauntlet collided with the barrier, blue energy surging forth where the kinetic energy was quickly reversed. Vi's gauntlet was thrown backward with twice the force, sending its owner with it. Vi dug in her boots and slid across the stone floor several feet, but managed to stay standing. Simon looked on with a brow raised in intrigue. "Careful now." Vi spat a string of curses at him. Simon whistled, chuckling jovially. "Oh ho, how I did miss your colorful vocabulary." His eyes flicked over to Caitlyn, and his tone adopted a flirtatious lilt that made her want to shudder. "However, I did miss your fine visage even more, my dear."
Caitlyn ignored his jibes and remained poised. She knew the best way to deal with Simon was to not let him get under her skin. That was how he manipulated you. She spoke again, her voice still stern and steady.
"What do you want in return?"
Simon hummed thoughtfully, tapping his chin with a finger. "It would really be a shame to assist in the besmirching of such a fine artist, but…" He lowered his finger and smiled pleasantly at Caitlyn. "Since you're such a pleasure to work with, I will offer you my services...for one hour."
"No way in HELL are we giving you an hour!" Vi spat, but Caitlyn interrupted her. "Done. We'll be back for you." She turned on her heel and walked past an incredulous Vi, who stormed out after her. Simon waggled his fingers at the retreating pair. "Toodles!" As the door began to close, classical music began to drift through the darkness, along with Simon's cheshire smile.