A/N: I just love any opportunity to borrow from "The Simpsons".  Can you spot the quote?

Disclaimer: The witchblade etc.. belongs to TopCow etc…

Chapter 6: Oblique

            Ian entered Iron's home office to find Dr. Immo examining the bruises on Kenneth's side.

            "Ah, Ian and where have you been keeping yourself?" he asked, not bothering to raise his head from the report he was reading.

            "I was in the study."

            "Since last night?"

            Immo prodded a little too hard, and Kenneth let out a very undignified whelp.  "Careful doctor," he breathed, "or I might be inclined to bite back."

            "How is this possible?" asked Ian, carefully changing the subject.  "I thought that after the periculum-"

            "My link to the wielder had been lessened if not severed?" Irons interrupted.  "Yes Ian, I had thought so too."  Dr. Immo finished his examination and Irons began to redo the buttons on his shirt.  "It would seem," he said "that the witchblade has not yet finished with me." 

            Ian stood there for a few minutes not saying anything. He was not sure how to bring up what he had learned last night without explaining his whereabouts.  Dr. Immo packed up his equipment and excused himself and Kenneth returned to his report.  After a short period of silence had passed Irons spoke.

            "Well what is it Ian? Or am I to believe you are waiting to be dismissed?"

            Ian struggled for the words.  "I have…discovered something."

            "Is that so?" Kenneth said plainly, "In the study?"

            "About the witchblade."

            "Truly?" Kenneth mocked.  "Pray tell."

            Ian paused, he could hear the thinly veiled anger in his father's voice; it was obvious he was aware that he had not spent last night at home.  "It seems to be…acting independently."  Kenneth looked up at Ian waiting silently for him to continue.  "Sara is experiencing missing time," he said quickly, "and I've come to believe that during these…blackouts the witchblade is controlling her."

            "To what end?"

            "I do not profess to kn-!"

            "You do not profess to know?!" Kenneth interrupted, raising his voice just a notch.  "And yet some how you have been able to deduce all this; and from the confines of the study no less."  Ian stared at his feet, mentally counting backwards to control the fear that was building in the pit of his stomach.  Kenneth rose from his desk and came to stand in front of him.  He placed his finger under Ian's chin and raised his head.  Cold blue eyes bore sharply into brown ones.

            "There are few things in this world that I fear Ian, and even fewer that fill me with doubt."  He let go of Ian's chin and turned to leave the room.  "Do not make your allegiance one of them."

            'That boy,' thought Kenneth as he walked towards the dining room 'he was becoming quite perplexing.'   "Never have children" he said suddenly to the maid attempting to scurry by him unnoticed.

            "Y..Yes sir Mr. Irons" she said quietly and doubled her speed.

            He'd had a mine to punish him, had his side been healed.   And had he remembered not to look directly into his eyes.  'He'd have been inhuman if that kicked puppy look Ian so often displayed didn't effect him' he thought bitterly.  He entered the dining room and took his seat at the head of the table.  It was the downside of instilling fear in a child.  If they feared you enough they might lie to avoid punishment.  Ian wasn't stupid enough to lie, but he had learned at a very young age that it might work to his advantage to be sparse with the truth.

            "Good evening Mr. Irons" said a servant, laying a napkin across his lap.  "May I start you off with some wine."

            "Yes please, what do you recommend?"

            "Well sir, we have just received a few cases of Petrus that is simply…I mean I've heard that it is simply… flawless."

            "Yes" said Kenneth unimpressed. "whatever, just bring a lot of it, I've had a-"  He stopped suddenly, and broke into a short laugh.  He stood and turned to the servant placing his hands on the startled man's shoulders.  "Had I been an overly generous man" he said, "I might have thanked you for the brilliance you have just inspired in me. Nevertheless," he said as he turned to leave, "the fact that I don't have your hands removed for stealing from my wine cellar, will have to suffice."  The servant gulped.  "I don't suppose I need to tell you the consequences of me seeing you again" he called as he left the room.

            "Hey Pez, you awake?"

            Sara opened her eyes and looked into the upside down face of her partner hovering above her.  "Just resting my eyes Jake" she said, sitting up.  "I mean who could sleep in this leftover set from Alien? I keep waiting for one of those face huggers to jump up and give me kiss."

            Jake laughed. "Will you settle for one from me?" he asked puckering up.

            "Eww gross," she said pushing him away, "I'll take my chances with the alien."

            "Oh ya," he wined, "well my mom says I'm handsome". He checked himself out in the reflection of the two-way mirror flashing his Colgate smile.

            Sara sneered.  "Ya well I'm sure she also told you about the Easter bunny McCarty."

            "Man I've missed you Pezzini," he said sarcastically, "it's been like 3 days since someone called me a loser."  She took the file folder from his hand.  "Or a putz, or a dumb blonde," he continued, "or useless."  She flipped it open and saw that another murder had been committed in the same M.O of the ones her and Jake had been investigating.  "Or that my breath smells or that my clothes suck or that I'm wet behind the ears"

            "Alright, alright," she interrupted "I get it.  What's up with the case?"

            Jake beamed "We've finally got a lead."  He pulled a group of photographs from the back of the folder and laid them out on the bed.  "It all started, when Vicky found paint on the heel of the last victim." He pointed to the photo of the dead man's foot.  "I went back to investigate the scene further, and that's when I found it."

            "Found what?"

            "The rune."

            "The what?" asked Sara not quite following.

            He pointed at another photograph and pulled a piece of paper out his pocket.  "Someone painted an ancient rune underneath the body.  It translates to…"  he looked at the piece of paper."

            "War" the witchblade whispered and Sara echoed.

            "Ya that's it" said McCarty, how'd you know, I had to look it up on the internet."  Sara didn't answer.  "Anyway after I discovered that one, I got a team to go back and re-photograph and test the previous crimes scenes.  I mean I know it's been raining a lot but Vicky assures me that we should be able to find some sort of residue if the paint was able to dry even a little bit.  Cool huh?"

            Sara stared at the rune in the photograph and was suddenly pulled into a vision from the witchblade.  A man in a dark robe, chanted quietly to himself in the attic of what seemed to be an old church.  Sara strained to see the man's face, or at least what it was he held in his hand, but it seemed just then that he realized he was being spied on and quickly raised his hand, throwing Sara out of the vision.

            "You alright Pez?" Jake asked, a puzzled look on his face.  "I mean I was just kidding about the whole kiss thing you know."  She shook her head and realized she was holding tightly onto Jakes arm.  She quickly let go and took a couple steps away from him.  "But hey if you want to get closer I mean-!"  Sara shot him a look that just dared him to finish that statement.  "Alright, Alright" he said in mock defense, putting all the photos back into the file folder.  "Well I know it's not much," he continued "but at least it's something to go on right?"

            "It's great Jake really," Sara said.  "'Especially since we've had nothing up to now."  Jake nodded.  Sara smiled. "Good work partner"

            "Hey I learned from the best."

            "True," she conceded.

            A nurse entered the room,  "I'm Sorry Detective, but it time for Ms. Pezzini to get some sleep."

            Jake looked at his watch, "Ya I've gotta be leaving anyway."  He turned to Sara.  "So how are the tests going?" 

            Sara shrugged.  "Well so far I've deciphered ink blots, delved into my unhappy childhood, and drawn a picture of my feelings."  She held up a brightly coloured picture of a house and family. "This happy character is the sun" she said pointing at the yellow smiley face in the corner, "he shines down on the house."

            "I'll put it on my fridge" said Jake taking it from her.

            "Oh wait first let me sign it" she said, grabbing a pencil crayon off her tablet and scribbling something along the bottom of the drawing."

            "Thanks Pez" said Jake as he was escorted from the room,  "I'll talk to you tomorrow."  Sara waved, hoping Jake would get the message.