MMPRJLA revised Chapter 38: Rock & Roll Murders 4, a power rangers fanfic

Note: 'That's Me' is by ABBA; 'Soul Deep' is by Roxette. Alone is by the Bee Gees

4: SOUL DEEP

"You look like you just had someone tell you the world is about to explode. What's up?" Samantha Dean asked Tommy Oliver on the flight to Stockholm, Sweden. They were an hour out.

"Well, how would you react if you found out your cousin is now the Green Puma ThunderCat?" Tommy asked her.

"Wow. Your old color, too. Might be a family thing. Green was always your color."

"Ha ha. Sam, I didn't think Will would follow in my path. This is serious stuff we do."

"Man, look at it like this: Isn't it better that he's doing something for the good of the world? I mean, look at how you came to be here." Jackie Burkhardt asked him.

"That's right. If Jason hadn't broken Rita's spell, you'd be one of the worst villains out there. Thank God it turned out the way it did." Steven Hyde reminded him.

Black Canary added "We've all had close calls and weird things happen to us and our families. This is one of the better things to happen.

Kris Munroe brought everyone back to why they were going to Sweden. "Guys, Gideon's team from the BAU is meeting us there. I also heard that Sherlock Holmes & John Watson are joining us there."

The Flash added "I heard that Holmes is good enough to give Batman a run for his money as the World's Greatest Detective. I'd like to see him in action."

Julie Rogers grinned. "Maybe we can take some time when this is solved to check out some of Sweden. I've heard it was a great place to take a vacation."

Dan Aydelott thought to himself –Sherlock Holmes. I hope I don't do or say anything stupid.- Aloud, he asked "You said that the members killed were part of a ABBA tribute band?"

Kris mused on this. "Yeah. Funny, during their time, they were the top pop group in the world, but in the U.S.A., they had a few hits, but nothing major. I wonder how that is sometimes the case?"

"Being a scientist, I couldn't tell you, I'm more into facts and equations. Music is something I never really was a part of." The Flash told everyone. "Hang on, we're almost near the airport."

Samantha was listening to one of the Bee Gees later hits. "I'm not quite sure why I was listening to this, it somehow just seemed to fit."

I was a midnight rider on a cloud of smoke
I could make a woman hang on every single stroke
I was an iron man
I had a master plan
But I was alone

I could hear you breathing
With a sigh of the wind
I remember how your body started trembling
Oh, what a night it's been
And for the state I'm in
I'm still alone

And all the wonders made for the Earth
And all the hearts in all creation
Somehow I always end up alone
(Always end up alone)
Always end up alone

So I play (sha-la) I'll wait (I'll wait)
'Cause you know that love takes time (Livin' love between the lines)
We came (sha-la) so far (so far)
Just the beat of a lonely heart
And it's mine
And I don't wanna be alone

Well, since I got no message on your answer phone
Since you're busy every minute.
I just stay at home
I make believe you care
I feel you everywhere
But I'm still alone

I'm on a wheel of fortune with a twist of fate
'Cause I know it isn't heaven, is it love or hate
Am I the subject of the pain
Am I the stranger in the rain
I am alone

And is there glory there to behold
Maybe it's my imagination
Another story there to be told

So I play (sha-la) I'll wait (at times)
And I pray it's not too late (tears that you cry)
We came (sha-la) so far (so far)
Just the beat of a lonely heart
And it's mine
And I don't wanna be alone

And all the wonders made for the Earth
And all the hearts in all creation
Another story there to be told

So I play (sha-la) I'll wait (I'll wait)
And I pray it's not too late (Livin' love between the lines)
We came (sha-la) so far (so far)
Just the beat of a lonely heart
And it's mine
And I don't wanna be alone

Gone, but not out of sight
I'm caught in the rain and there's no one home
Face the heat of the night
The one that you love's got a heart that's made of stone

Shine and search for the light
And sooner or later you'll be cruising on your ocean

And clean out of sight
I'm caught in the rain and there's no one home

On a plane enroute to Stockholm, from Quantico, VA:

Aaron Hotchner was telling his team of profilers about why they were heading for Stockholm. "The Justice League needs our help in finding this killer. He started in the 60s, and continued until 1990. Recently, they have started up again."

Emily Prentiss asked "Where do we begin? I mean, it's not like we're empathic to why he would kill musicians and singers.""

Dr. Spencer Reid begins "Actually most feel empathy just fine, which makes me think the rest of our profile is still accurate. Loner, invisible, outcast, boiling rage…" at this time, his phone rings…apparently again. "SON OF A BITCH!" He then answers angrily "Hi, this is Doctor Spencer Reid. I actually can come to the phone right now with a very special message that your mother is a—"

Hotch stops him. "Reid."

Reid hangs up. "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I don't know what got into me. Where were we?"

Jason Gideon begins "Why would someone want to kill members of an ABBA tribute band?"

Reid, noting Morgan's smirk, continues "Sees himself as a failure, and those on the verge of success as unworthy... most likely, it's probably caused by an external factor.

Gideon asks "Like a bomb going off next to him?"

Reid gets an accusing tone, directed at Darryl Morgan. "Yeah, like a bomb going off next to him." Whispering to Morgan, he says "I will crush you."

Morgan looks innocent. "What?"

The plane landed in Stockholm, and Tommy was still stunned about Will's becoming the Green ThunderCat, when a voice asked "Tommy Oliver?"

Tommy's thoughts returned to the present as he said "That's me. Who are…"

"Agent Aaron Hotchner." Hotchner began to introduce his team. "Emily Prentiss, Darryl Morgan, Dr. Spencer Reid, J.J. Jareau, and Jason Gideon."

Prentiss took over. "We're studying the members of this group…and the members that were killed and why. There seems to be no reason or connection to your other murders."

"But there is never a random circumstance. If you overlook the nonsense, the clues…and the answer are obvious." A British voice answered then.

The Flash turned and said politely "Holmes."

Sherlock Holmes turned to the Scarlet Speedster and said "The costumed adventurer they call the Flash. And I assume this is the Behavorial Assessment Unit and other members of the Justice League. I do think some of those outfits are a bit…garish."

"Watson's right about you." Flash frowned.

Holmes turned and looked at his companion. "What? It's the truth!" Dr. John Watson told him.

Flash continued "We're looking into a killer of musicians…he seems to be active involved in murders from the 60s to the 80s…then started up again recently." Flash frowned.

Sherlock Holmes turned to the Flash and all the others assembled there and answered "We've got a serial killer on our hands. Love those, there's always something to look forward to."

Morgan looked at Holmes and thought to himself –We've got a rare one here.-

Holmes looked over at the BAU team with the heroes. "Profilers. Going to analyze the murderer into submission?"

Jareau frowned. "I'd rather have the Batman here."

Holmes sighed and looked at Jareau in disdain. "Really? Do you want the murderer caught?"

"Yes, and why not have the World's Best Detective on this, but instead of Batman, who do we get? An egotisical, rude, arrogant, obnoxious…prick!" Jareau finished.

"From what I've heard about this 'Batman', you've just listed his best qualities…agent Jareau. Or, do you prefer JJ?" Holmes asked with slight sarcasm.

"My friends call me JJ. You're not my friend. You can call me Jennifer. Actually, in your case…Ms Jareau. And you are…"

"I'm Sherlock Holmes, the world's only consulting detective. I'm not going to go into detail about how I do what I do because chances are you wouldn't understand. If you've got a problem that you want me to solve, then contact me. Interesting cases only please. This is what I do:

1. I observe everything.

2. From what I observe, I deduce everything.

3. When I've eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how mad it might seem, must be the truth."

-Morgan's right. We've got a real piece of work here, makes Batman look like Prince Charming.- Tommy thought to himself as he chuckled slightly at this as Hotchner introduced the rest of his team. "Aaron Hotchner." He continued to introduce the profilers. "This is Derek Morgan, Emily Prentiss, Dr. Spencer Reid, and the guy who sometimes forgets his manners is Jason Gideon."

"See, there is someone you have something in common with." Watson chirped.

Holmes glared at him, then looked at Reid, asking "Doctor? You seem too young to have gotten into medical school..."

Reid states "They're PhD's, three of them."

"Are you a alleged genius?" Holmes asks.

"I don't believe that intelligence can be accurately quantified, but I do have an IQ of 187, an eidetic memory and can read 20,000 words per minute." Reid then gets a weird look and finishes "Yes, I'm a genius."

The heroes took over. "Black Canary. You've met the Flash. The others are…"

Holmes then took over again, naming one by one… "Thomas Oliver, a/k/a The White Tiger Ranger, Steven Hyde, the White Jaguar ThunderCat, his girlfriend Jaqueline Burkhardt, the Purple Lynx ThunderCat, Samantha Dean, the Purple Stegasaurus Ranger, Daniel Aydelott, the Shadow Panther ThunderCat, and Kris Munroe and Julie Rogers, the Yellow and Pink Power Angels. You each wear your Ranger colors in your normal identities, which should be a dead giveaway, plus there are several minor little personality quirks that give you away if someone was paying attention."

"In any case, we'll stop them. They're evil, we're the good guys, Good triumphs over evil. Simple." Samantha speaks.

Prentiss then corrects her with "Not always. Besides, there is an old Russian proverb that reminds us 'There can be no good without evil.'"

"I do believe they should not be involved in this, in fact this is a waste of manpower and time." Supervisor Erin Strauss snapped as she walked up to the team.

"Strauss, I don't give one tenth of one damn about budgets, your higher ups, and whose ass you kiss, people have been killed, not that you care one bit!" Tommy snapped back. Holmes looked at the White Ranger, respect growing.

"Young man, I think it is a disgrace, superheroes solving ordinary murders, why don't you…" Strauss began.

"Oh, shut up, Strauss!" Black Canary, Gideon and Tommy snap.

Jackie shouts "Hey, to hell with her, let's keep our minds on why we're here."

After a long pause Gideon, Black Canary, and Tommy mutter "Apologies."

"Thank you." Strauss sighs.

Holmes continues "Though do in fact shut up."

"And go home." Black Canary finishes.

2 hours later:

"Looks like this time, the killer here wanted to send a message to the group this musician was honoring…this being an ABBA tribute group, calling themselves 'Dancing Queen'. It seems we're looking for a failed musician, with ties to the industry. This person is most likely female, resentful of people who she feels don't or didn't deserve their success, and feels they stole it from her." Prentiss observes from the clues found at the scene.

"And from the eras of music the victims were part of…60s, 70s, 80s…and from 1954 on, she feels rock was the death knell of what she perceives as good music." Gideon sighs. "I prefer classical myself, but not enough to kill for it."

Tommy observes "This time, the killer left a clue. Some kind of oily residue on the body."

Flash and Black Canary walked over, but Holmes beat them to Tommy's side. "How fresh?"

"Very recently, I'd say about not more than an hour ago." Flash spoke. "Smells like our killer used an accelerant. Let's start with the riding crop."

"My thoughts exactly." Holmes began, then started whacking the corpse with the crop for 3 minutes.

"WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Jareau shouted. Sherlock Holmes did not make a good impression on her.

"Listen, you silly woman, we need to know what bruises form in the next twenty minutes. The surviving members of this group's lives depend on it." Holmes bellowed.

"Look, smartass, I know that, do you have to be such an uncaring bastard. At least have a little respect for the deceased!" Jareau shouted in his face.

"Looks like Holmes may have met his match in a woman." Watson spoke. "Anyone want to bet when's their first kiss/" Hyde, Jackie, and Prentiss giggled, Samantha smiled, and the others smiled, but Holmes and Jareau glared at Watson and shouted "ARE YOU COMPLETELY MAD?!"

Meanwhile, Morgan makes a call back to Quantico, VA. "You've reached Penelope Garcia in the FBI's office of supreme genius." Garcia spoke over the phone.

"Hey, baby girl, it's Morgan. I need you to work me some magic here. I got an ABBA tribute band called Dancing Queen, something called Deadbolt Defense, and the remaining members of said group with only a couple hours to live. So what do you know?"

Garcia sighs. "For the tribute group, it make take some time to find out about them, and as for the other thing, then you've got a problem. Deadbolt's the number one password crack resistant software out there. You're going to have to get inside this guy's head to get the password."

Morgan chuckles slightly. "I thought I was calling the office of supreme genius."

Garcia smiles as she says "Well, gorgeous, you've been rerouted to the office of too frickin' bad."

Morgan smiles and looks at Prentiss just as she walks in. "Next time show a little leg!" then winks at her.

Prentiss smiles at him, then realizes what he said. "Morgan." He turns to face her, as she says "The only time you'll see a little leg from me is when I'm about to kick your ass!"

Morgan smiles as he quips "I still teach hand to hand combat back at Quantico if you need a little brush up training!"

Black Canary walks in just them. "AHEM. I found out the names of our victims. Astrid Bergen and Andreas Mueller. They were the main voices of our group. There were several former members of Dancing Queen, some have connections to ABBA. 98% of the former members have no reason to kill them, but 2 have major grudges with the group."

Garcia has heard every bit of conversation since Prentiss' arrival and adds "Ah, the Black Canary. Glad to be of service, I'll see what I can find out. Okay, you know how on Star Trek when Captain Kirk asked McCoy to do something totally impossible and McCoy says, 'Dammit, Jim, I'm a doctor, not a miracle worker!'?" she says, talking to Morgan.

"Hey, what are you telling me? Not to expect a miracle?"

Garcia smirks and replies "No, I'm saying I'm not a doctor."

"That's my girl."

Hyde and Reid walked in, Hyde speaking "Jackie found out that one of them is now one of their Parliament members. She, Dr. Reid & I are going to talk to him now. One of the victims was killed by fire with a chemical accelerant. That could mean our killer was a chemistry student."

"Reid then spoke up "It could also mean chemistry professor."

"Sorry, Dr. Reid, but I say student. You need self-confidence to lecture in front of a classroom full of 30 college kids. Arsonists are socially incompetent. This guy doesn't go on dates, doesn't go to parties, doesn't feel comfortable in front of groups…" Hyde quickly shuts up when Reid looks at him, realizing he fits the description." "And of course he's a total psychopath who hates musicians and singers."

Reid looks at Hyde. "Of course."

Jackie looks at Dr. Reid. "It's amazing that you knew about their one hit ballad in the USA.

Reid then looks at both Hyde & Jackie. "Do either of you think it's weird that I knew that ballad?"

Jackie looks at him and says "Dr. Reid, I don't know how you know half the stuff you know, but I'm glad you do, and according to your teammates, they're glad you do too."

Reid looked at both the White and Purple ThunderCats and asked "Do you think that's why I can't get a date?"

"Have you ever asked anyone?" Jackie asks as the trio walk out the room.

Reid shifts his eyes and tells them "No."

"That's why you can't get a date." Hyde tells him.

Kris, Julie, and Dan walk in and find Gideon about to put on a cassette of ABBA. "I figured that to catch this guy, we need to get into his head…and what better way to do that than listening to why he wants them dead."

"Interesting theory, we were about to do the same thing. Do you ever get frustrated with some of this endless evil and murdering of man against his fellow man?" Julie asks Gideon.

Gideon looks at the three and answers "Yes, and when it does, I remind myself of what James Reese once said, 'There are certain clues at a crime scene which, by their very nature, do not lend themselves to being collected or examined.' How's one collect love, rage, hatred, fear...? These are things that we're trained to look for. And with that, that keeps me in perspective." as the tape begins…

Are you sure you wanna hear more
What if I ain't worth the while
Not the style you'd be looking for
If I'm sweet tonight
Things look different in the morning light
I'm jealous and I'm proud
If you hurt my feelings I'll cry out loud
I'm Carrie not-the-kind-of-girl-you'd-marry
That's me

Are you sure you wanna hear more
Would I be the one you seek
Mild and meek like the girl next door
Don't you realize
I may be an angel in disguise
It's lonely to be free
But I'm not a man's toy, I'll never be
I'm Carrie not-the-kind-of-girl-you'd-marry
That's me

I don't believe in fairy-tales
Sweet nothings in my ear
But I do believe in sympathy

That's me, you see

Are you sure you wanna hear more
Won't you have a drink with me
Just to see you're not really sore
I can't help my ways
I'm just not the girl to hide my face
I'm Carrie not-the-kind-of-girl-you'd-marry
That's me
I'm Carrie not-the-kind-of-girl-you'd-marry
That's me

There's a special love
Like an eagle flying with a dove
I'll find it in the end
If I keep on searching, but until then
I'm Carrie not-the-kind-of-girl-you'd-marry
That's me

Arriving at a dilapidated recording studio, Jackie, Hyde, and Reid look over the place. "Whoa, someone decided to have a fire sale here." Jackie mused.

Hyde looked around. "No recordings, nothing. Our killer was thorough, didn't leave any trace to follow."

Reid walks over to a burnt out synthesizer and muses "Hmmm. When Robert Moog created the synthesizer, he said that it wasn't intended for music, rather as a communications tool. However, due to extrenuating circumstances, the Moog synthesizer soon was one of the first widely used electronic musical instruments. Early developmental work on the components of the synthesizer occurred at the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center, now the Computer Music Center. While there, Moog developed the voltage controlled oscillators, ADSR envelope generators, and other synthesizer modules with composer Herbert Deutsch."

Hyde was now hooked. "How did he create the synthesiser?"

"Moog created the first voltage-controlled subtractive synthesizer to utilize a keyboard as a controller and demonstrated it at the AES convention in 1964. In 1966, Moog filed a patent application for his unique low-pass filter U.S. Patent 3,475,623, issued in October, 1969. He is a listed inventor on ten US patents." Reid added.

Jackie added "Anything else?"

"Moog had his theremin company (R. A. Moog Co., which later became Moog Music) manufacture and market his synthesizers. Unlike the few other 1960s synthesizer manufacturers, Moog shipped a piano-style keyboard as the standard user interface. Moog also established standards for analog synthesizer control interfacing, with a logarithmic one volt-per-octave pitch control and a separate pulse triggering signal. The first Moog instruments were modular synthesizers. In 1971 Moog Music began production of the Minimoog Model D, which was among the first synthesizers that was widely available, portable, and relatively affordable." Before Reid could continue, a crash came from the next room. Hyde & Jackie ran in and saw someone jumping into a car. The smell of gasoline wafted into the room.

"Dr. Reid, let's go, NOW!" Hyde yelled. In seconds the trio were out just before the studio went up in flames.

Back at the hotel, Dan & Kris were looking over the sample of gasoline accelerant that Hyde had discovered and were using the crime lab on the ShadowThunderCycle to analyze it. "Whoever used this obviously didn't want anyone to find him…but what's his connection to this 'Lorelei'? the Yellow Power Angel wanted to know.

"Kris…this isn't just gasoline…it has a time released booster for maximum fire acceleration. This 'Lorelei' obviously…" Dan started.

"This 'Lorelei' wants to gain her perceived fame by destroying the people who she feels stole it from her. She also wants to destroy Lex Luthor. He is the key ingredient in her revenge against the world of music." Jason Gideon took over.

"This 'Luthor' obviously had more than illegal music deals going on. He found one of these so called 'Lazarus pits' and used it on Lorelei, which most likely unhinged her. We are dealing with a functioning psychopath here." Holmes continued.

"Functioning psychopath…takes one to know one." Jareau muttered to herself.

-JJ.- Hotch chided her, then spoke up "From what we found out about the man who killed our two singers and torched their studio also has a failed music career, which is how Lorelei was able to get him to do this. He got into male stripping and crime, and as a result calls himself the 'Stripping Bandit.'"

Prentiss frowns "Stripping Bandit. That's terrible. That makes it sound like the bandit's doing nothing but stripping and stealing, not killing the victims.

Reid looks at everyone. "What would you call him?" The responses are swift and various…

Jareau: "Pervert."

Jackie: "Creep."

Hyde: "Slimeball."

Tommy: "Garbage."

Samantha: "Sick."

Julie: "Vermin"

Kris: "Scumbag."

Dan: "Bastard."

Black Canary: "Waste of air"

Morgan: "I'd call him an ass."

Watson: "Filth."

Hotchner: "I wouldn't waste my breath calling him anything."

Gideon, Flash, and Holmes bring everyone back to base: "Hey, focus, please."

"Namely, how do we nail the son of a bitch." Reid finished.

Hyde looked at Reid and asked "Man, why don't you have more of a social life?"

Tommy and Samantha looked over the beach. "I hope Holmes knows what he's doing." Samantha frowns.

"From what Watson tells me, he's sure this should nail him. Former bandmate who felt they wronged him, wants revenge by destroying the group he was once part of, no way is he gonna pass this up." Tommy tells her.

"He's here." Prentiss whispers over the comm. Unit.

A balding man, Claus Vastraud, walks up to Holmes, Morgan and Hotch. "I heard that you have something for Lorelei & me." He asks.

"1st of all…why are you doing this? What did they do for you to want our help in destroying them?" Holmes asks.

"I was a serious artist…I would have been spoken of in the same breath as Hendrix, Morrison, Presley…but then, they went in the direction of a…so called tribute band…my mates sold out! They cheapened what we stood for…I couldn't take it. So, I terminated my partnership with them…and decided that wasn't enough. Then Lorelei came into my life with the solution, she knew what I was going through, and we ended the group's reputation…and decided to finish them completely."

"Well, that's all we needed to hear. You're under arrest." Prentiss snapped.

Hyde, Tommy, Samantha, Jackie, Dan, Kris, Julie, Jareau, Watson, Gideon, and Reid joined them as Morgan cuffed Vastraud, Hotch snapping "That wasn't your call."

Flash & Black canary frowned slightly. "The one thing about this case…we hardly did anything." Black Canary sighed.

Morgan is about to relax after the case before the team heads to a concert. But on his MP3 player, there is a recording of Reid. "We interrupt your regularly scheduled music selection with an important announcement: Never wage a practical joke war against an MIT graduate because we have a history of going nuclear. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the dulcet sounds of the Brady Bunch's 'It's A Sunshine Day'!"

The song begins, then Morgan gets a sickened look on his face, yanks off headphones, and turns to Reid. "Ok, kid, that was cute, but is that all you got?

Reid snores loudly, then smiles when Morgan's phone rings and he answers "Hey, baby girl—"

Through the phone, the Brady Bunch 'It's A Sunshine Day' starts again. "AAAAAAUUGHHHHH!" Morgan screams.

Gideon waves a white napkin and offers it to Morgan, who refuses to accept the white flag. "Uh, huh. All right Reid, it's on. Just know that paybacks are a bitch."

Reid snores loudly once again. Tommy chuckles and asks "You guys coming with us to the concert?"

"Who's playing?" Jareau asks.

"Roxette." Samantha tells her.

"Why couldn't it have been a Led Zeppelin tribute band we were investigating?" Hyde frowns.

"And you say my musical horizons need broadening?" Jackie giggles.

Soon, the team is at a club where Roxette begins to sing…

Save a prayer for a sinner and a saint, my baby's coming back
Say a prayer, hide hide away yea yea baby's coming back
Hey hey hey ride on the soul train now I'm too close to hide
Gonna take on the time to find out if my love is

Soul deep - spinning the heart round a wire
Soul deep - a heavenly wave
Soul deep - heating the heart like a fire
Soul deep is taking my breath away-ay-ay

Save a tear till the curtain will fall, well I'm saving them all for you
Knock on wood, is it understood that I'm saving it up for you
Hey hey hey, love is a hustle just a moment behind
Gonna walk on the line to find out if my love is

Soul deep - spinning the heart round a wire
Soul deep - a heavenly wave
Soul deep - heating the heart like a fire
Soul deep is taking my breath away-ay-ay

Soul deep - spinning the heart round a wire
Soul deep - a heavenly wave
Soul deep - heating the heart like a fire

Soul deep is taking my breath away-ay-ay

In the states, a red haired woman frowns to herself. Luthor is not going to escape her revenge. The heroes have gotten too close. Time to get even more deadly…

Next: 5: TURN TO STONE

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