Alright, now that we have the idea established, let's determine which BAU agents we're dealing with. On this story's roster we have the cast primarily as they were in Season 10 of the show, specifically taking place sometime after one of my absolute favorite episodes, Mr. Scratch, but before the season finale. So, as such, the cast is going to be David Rossi, Derek Morgan, Spencer Reid, Kate Callahan, Penelope Garcia, Aaron Hotchner, and Jennifer "JJ" Jareau. And before any Prentiss fans come after me, I wanted to put her in as well, but my script has the Replicator and... another tragic event which I will not recount here due to how spoiler-y it is for this tale, having already happened, and Prentiss left after the Replicator case ended. And since she didn't return until Season 12, I couldn't put her back in without taking out Morgan, who I really wanted to put in this tale. Then I remembered that Season 10 was one of the most enjoyable seasons for me, so I decided to set it all at that point. Okay? Glad we cleared that up. Now let's get started, this intro's dragged on long enough.

Dragon of Mystery Presents:

A New Psychologically Thrilling Tale

Starring Spyro, Cynder, and the Agents of the Behavioral Analysis Unit

From The Fairest

(Enjoy the Show)

(Our story begins in pitch darkness, but as things begin, we can see the faintest outline of a figure, chained to the ceiling and floor, wriggling about as if to escape. And from this outline, we can see the figure is a dragoness, with scales appearing ebony and crimson, but as she attempts to escape her bonds, we can see this isn't who we think it is, as the eyes are wrong, not the classic hue of emerald green, but rather an almost terracotta brown, but reddened from tears, no doubt from cries for help, or of pain. And based on what appear to be fresh burns across her body, the latter is most likely. Within a few moments of entering the silent atmosphere of this scene, the faint sound of a record scratching can be heard, though when the music starts playing, we can't make out what it actually is, as it appears to be distorted, as if the record is extremely old or warped in some form. But as the seemingly distorted music plays, a cloaked figure emerges, apparently dancing to the tune, but not to the point where the cloak would reveal their identity in some way, while piling wood beneath their captive. Immediately, the captive dragoness starts to cry out in fear, but her cries are drowned out by this strange music as our focus shifts to the almost trance-like state her captor is in. As the track ends, the figure approaches their victim, shushes their cries, only to place a few final pieces of wood beneath their victim, before taking a torch from the wall, as well as a strange orb-like object from the table the record player is on.)

?: This should teach you...

(With that the figure crams the orb-like object into their victim's throat, and leaves it there, causing their victim to begin struggling to breathe, until ultimately giving out and breatjing their last. With their murder complete, the killer uses the torch to light the wood surrounding the now dead victim aflame. Then as the blaze reaches it's maximum height for the amount of wood put in, we cut out and resume the following morning, where a familiar violet and gold dragon is standing over the body of the dragoness from earlier, on a busy street, behind crime scene tape.)

Spyro: (Under his breath) By the Ancestors.

(As Spyro makes his comment, a very familiar ebony and crimson dragoness emerges, and this time, it is who you're thinking.)

Cynder: (Seeing the body) Well, so much for getting a facial ID.

Spyro: Got that right, burnt beyond recognition. Thankfully, the teeth are intact. Once we finish here we're sending for dental records.

Cynder: This is the third one this week. This creep is escalating.

Spyro: And there's almost nothing linking the victims. How're we supposed to figure this out?

Cynder: (Thinking of something) I think I know someone.

(With that, we transition to what appears to be an office of some kind, otherwise known as the halls of the Behavioral Analysis Unit, where we focus in on one of the desks, seated at which is Special Agent Kate Callahan is working on a report of some kind as her phone rings.)

Kate: (Answering the phone) Special Agent Callahan. (Recognizing the voice) Cynder! Good to hear from you again! How long has it been?

(Now we see Cynder talking on the phone on her end)

Cynder: Good to hear from you too, Kate. How's Meg?

Kate: So far, so... teenage. What about your little bun in the oven?

Cynder: Egg's due at the end of the month. Spyro and I are both over the Celestial Moons and back. But, this isn't why I called.

Kate: (Realizing something's up with her friend) What's up?

Cynder: I know you're working with the FBI, the Behavioral Analysis Unit specifically. We've got a real doozy of a case here. Think you can convince your team to come out here and help us out? Details are in your inbox.

Kate: (Checking her desk computer, and finding the details Cynder mentioned.) I'll have to run this by Hotch, but I think we can make it work.

Cynder: Thanks, Kate.

Kate: (Hitting a few buttons on her computer) Just sent it. If I know Hotch, we'll be able to take the case. It won't be the first time we've taken a case on a personal request from an agent.

(Just as Kate says that, the scene pans up to reveal Spyro and Cynder standing at the entrance to the BAU)

Cynder: (No longer on her phone) Sounds like we've got some hope then.

(At this point, Kate turns around and sees Cynder standing in the room, just as Hotch walks in)

Hotch: (Seeing Spyro and Cynder) Am I seeing things right now?

Kate: (Noticing Hotch is in the room) They're old friends of mine, Hotch.

Spyro: Agent Hotchner. (Shaking Hotch's hand) I've heard so much about you, only good things, I can assure you.

Hotch: Kate, what's going on here?

Kate: Cynder called me with a case she needs our help on.

Cynder: (Picking up from Kate, as if to introduce herself) We're the head homicide detectives in the Dragon Realms. And there has been a series of murders that have perplexed our investigators. And remembering Kate now works with you guys, we figured you might be able to help us out.

Hotch: (Pondering it for a minute) Can you get a briefing ready quickly?

Spyro: Finished it before we got here. Agent Callahan has the details already.

Hotch: Alright then. We'll brief the team in 20 minutes

Cynder: Thank you, Agent Hotchner.

(With that, Cynder walks over to Kate, embracing an old friend)

Kate: Well, that was easier than I expected.

(As the two friends catch up, we transition to the BAU roundtable, where the entire team has gathered to hear this new case)

Hotch: I know this case is a little out of the ordinary.

JJ: You can say that again. Never expected the Dragon Realms would call on us.

Rossi: You know if they have to call in outside help, it's going to be a tough one.

Reid: Rossi has a point. The average IQ in the Realms is an astonishing 145, though they don't subscribe to the traditional psychometric methods of IQ testing, favoring Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences.

(As Reid starts into his usual speech, Spyro and Cynder enter the room)

Spyro: Given how it allows everyone to be intelligent in their own way, how could we not?

Rossi: That is one thing I've always loved about the Dragon Realms, there's so little hatred there.

Garcia: (Finishing up the case briefing) As little hatred as there may be in this fantastical land, the rate is rising quickly, based on this case. Pull out your inner Agatha Christie, because this one is a doozy.

(With that, Garcia pulls up the photos of three young dragonesses: one Electricity, one Ice, and one Earth, with the last one having the same piercing terracotta eyes as the victim we saw burned alive.)

Cynder: Over the past six days, three young dragonesses have been abducted and murdered in increasingly devastating ways. First, Electra Volterran, local college student, found frozen solid by use of liquid nitrogen. Second, Glacia Cryonus, single mother of 3, found crushed underneath a pile of rocks. And lastly, Terra Harvestra, member of a local symphony orchestra, found immolated.

Morgan: MO is all over the place, and there's no mind to element as a factor.

Spyro: And the really strange part? None of those methods killed them.

Rossi: Wait a second, if they didn't die from being frozen, crushed, or immolated, what killed them?

Garcia: Asphyxia.

Kate: They all suffocated?

Cynder: We've found indications that something was forced down their throats, and then removed before these dastardly ends were applied post-mortem. As of yet, we haven't found the murder weapon. Probably something they keep

JJ: Sounds like they could be a forensic countermeasure.

Cynder: Then there's this little detail.

(With that, Garcia pulls up the photos of each of the victims as they went missing, and then as they were found, indicating a notable change in scale color)

Spyro: Each victim had their scales painted both pre and post-mortem, as indicated by the multiple layers of paint found during autopsy.

Morgan: So this UnSub is painting their scales black? JJ might be right, this definitely sounds like a countermeasure to delay identification.

Reid: Or it could be to strip them of their unique identity in some way, given how the paint was even applied to the insides of their mouths, physically rendering them as almost a shadow of who they were.

Kate: There could also be some sort of sexual component to this. Maybe they saw these three simply as objects for their own desire, yet disposable, so they wiped away anything that could identify them as actual sentient dragons.

Spyro: We've got a team working that angle. So far they've come up empty.

Rossi: I hate to bring up the elephant in the room, but this could be some sort of supremacy issue. So far all the victims are of different elements, this could be the work of any one of the remaining 5.

Reid: That could be. Despite the Realms appearing to have an image of equality and openness, there are still dragons who believe their element is superior to the rest. And so far all of the targets have been of the elements most often seen as "light" in the public eye, Electricity, Ice, and Earth. Though if I had to guess, if the perpetrator has an element at all, we're likely looking at Shadow.

Cynder: We thought the same thing. They make the victims look like a shadow, as if to say "I control your existence". We're looking into known Shadow supremacy organizations, and so far nothing's come up.

Spyro: But our most likely hypothesis is that this is in fact a hate crime.

Hotch: Which means based on their kill time, we've only got 24 hours before they strike again. We need to get out to the Realms ASAP. Wheels up in 30.

(And with that, the team gets ready to hit the ground running as our tale ends for today)

Okay, things are getting strange already. Now I know a lot of you are probably noting the title seems... odd... for this case as it appears. Don't worry, that's the intent. Criminal Minds episode titles always relate to what's going on in the case in some way. Just... keep it in mind as time goes on. It'll make sense by the end. So, what's going on here? Some sort of elemental supremacist on the run? Or is there something... more... to all of this? I will tell you this, nobody will be able to see this ending coming, unless they can decipher the clues I've given you. There should be enough to figure it out in this chapter and the next, if you know where to look, and of course, what you're looking for. I won't give it away yet, but I look forward to hearing your theories. So, now that the BAU is on the case, how is this going to go down? Tune in next time to find out! Same time... same channel!