Authors Notes: All properties are the rights of their respective owners, Marvel, Resapwn Entertainment, etc.

Got around to the Terminal List at long last, very much enjoyed that, definite recommend from me.

Now firmly into the final act of the story, it's time to start getting some answers to the mystery. For those of you curious about the ending of the last chapter, the Sin Eater is a real marvel comics villain that Yuri went up against, but I did have to take a few creative liberties to make it fit for this story. It's not quite a perfect 1:1 but I think it works, let me know what you all think.

For the title track, this is a certified Black Sabbath classic, the title cut off their 1970 album. If you don't know the song then I suggest you correct that. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Justice Without Compromise – Chapter 8: Paranoid

I need someone to show me

The things in life that I can't find

I can't see the things that make

True happiness, I must be blind

Make a joke and I will sigh

And you will laugh and I will cry

Happiness I cannot feel

And love to me is so unreal

From her perch on the rooftop overlooking her first target for the day, Yuri Watanabe could feel the metropolis around her come back to life, even if she was in Queens. Her feelings on that happening were overridden by the anxiety originating from what she saw on her phone. The article published by the Daily Bugle had spread through social media overnight, with other news outlets picking up the story and running it, or at least opinion pieces regarding it. In it, the author wrote on the rash of murders in the last week, and quoted anonymous sources to give some details of a few of the crimescommitted, from there, she put forward the theory that the killer was impersonating a police officer. At first Yuri had suspected that someone, meaning Early Smith, had talked, but that thought perished when she saw who authored the piece, Mary Jane Watson.

Yuri knew the associate editor by more than just her reputation, and so the Wraith was keenly aware that Watson had sources inside the police department. She was a genuinely good reporter and possessed the charisma to get a few case files or off the record statements. The secrecy she had advised Jean use on this case had just come back to bite them square in the ass. Somebody else had thought to connect the murders and, as most of the NYPD didn't know better, had now gotten enough information to support that theory as well as deduce that the serial killer had been impersonating a cop. Worse still, Watson had gotten her hands on information about the deaths of Prescott and Peddy, meaning she had put out that it wasn't merely a Maggia issue, but that the killers were targeting almost any criminal.

The reaction, as Yuri had expected, was bordering on apocalyptic, and it seemed as if the whole day would be nothing but damage control from every facet of the city government. Jean had sent her a curt message that amounted to 'Get this done,' and a metaphorical blank check. With that, Yuri had asked that the four cops be occupied all day, preferably on desk duty pending the investigation into the Palancio shootout, an investigation Jean had promised to stall as best she could. It was expected that there might be demonstrations, because even if Watson had not suggested the killers were police officers, many undoubtedly would. Jean would have her hands full preventing those from becoming riots, and had said she intended to ask Spider-Man to help curb any lawlessness. Watanabe wished she would be free to sit in the Mayor's office and watch that bitch fret and grovel as she tried to calm the furor that was no doubt filling the morning editions of newspapers and poised to plaster webpages of every major news outlet in the city, if not beyond.

Instead, she was outside the apartment of Phil Sweet in full Wraith gear, waiting for him to depart so she could search it and hopefully turn something up. Her patience was soon rewarded by the sight of a man in a police uniform leaving the front of the building and put her phone away. Activating her cloak, Yuri watched her hand vanish before her eyes and moved to the edge of the roof, engaging the magnified optics on her goggles, zooming in the on the face of the cop and confirming it was Phil Sweet. Satisfied the man matched the photo in the file Jean had sent, Yuri watched him walk down the street and out of sight before waiting a few additional minutes, using that time to let the cloak recharge.

With more people starting to wake up, and a greater chance of being noticed with each passing minute, Watanabe got moving. Unspooling a length of the adhesive strap she used, the Wraith activated her cloak and anchored the strap to the roof before jumping off, plummeting down fourteen stories before making the strap go taut and causing her to swing forwards toward her destination. Yuri ran along the wall as the jump kit hissed as it kept her pressed to the wall, the momentum from the strap moving her forward faster than her own feet. Swift but silent, the Wraith covered the next two blocks by jumping from building to building. Upon reaching the end of second building, Yuri planted her leg and pressed the button that disabled the adhesive, letting her leap across the street, throwing the now free strap across to Sweet's apartment.

Now hanging from the wall, Watanabe tugged on the strap before swinging around, working her way around the building's corner and pulling herself up to the window of the man's apartment. Engaging the magnetic mode on her goggles, the Wraith checked for any sign that the window was wired to an alarm and was satisfied the route was safe before she flicked out the pair of blades on her left wrist and used them to pry the window open, finding it unlocked. Yuri slipped inside just as her cloak faded, and she came up with her Python out just to be safe, sweeping the room as she closed the window behind her. Moving swiftly but treading lightly, the vigilante swept through the fairly diminutive one-bedroom apartment to ensure she was alone before holstering the revolver and beginning a more thorough search.

It didn't take very long, the apartment was sparse, cheap, simple Ikea furniture filled the small sitting area, along with the television. The only things hanging from the walls were a small display case of medals and photos of groups of men in different camouflage uniforms in different places. But there was nothing incriminating to be found, and so Yuri moved to the sole bedroom, noting that the bed was made with military precision before spotting the footlocker sitting on the floor at the end.

It didn't take long for Watanabe to undo the latch and open the lid, grimacing at what she saw. Reaching into a pouch on her gear, Yuri removed a cheap digital camera, and snapped a picture of the gun box inside, a rather large one bearing the horned bull emblem and name of its Brazilian gunmaker TAURUS. Carefully removing the black polymer case and setting it on the floor, Yuri opened it to find an absolutely colossal matte stainless revolver with the name 'Raging Bull' inscribed on the barrel. Yuri didn't need to take out her Python to see that this weapon dwarfed her own, and there was no doubt it could an even bigger bullet, a supposition confirmed when Yuri pulled out a box of .44 Magnum cartridges, taking note of its lopsided weight. Sure enough, opening that box confirmed that some of the big bullets were missing, and Yuri suspected that at least one of them was at the morgue.

Teeth set against each other, Watanabe reminded herself to not jump to any conclusions at the circumstantial evidence she had, and that only a ballistics lab could match this gun to any of the killings. That reminder, however, didn't quash the feeling in her gut that told her she had found something vital.

Once the gun and ammunition were photographed, Yuri turned her attention back to the footlocker, and the next thing she pulled out made her blood run cold, it was a half full bag of ¼ inch ball bearings. Ball bearings just like those used in the bombing of The Last Call, the bomb that had killed one of Yuri's friends. Gripping the bag tighter, Watanabe snapped a picture before replacing everything just as she had found it in the box.

Certain that she was on the right path, Yuri retreated from the apartment, activating her cloak as she slipped out the window to get moving towards the next of the four suspects.

DeWolff could feel the tension permeating 1 Police Plaza; the building was busier than normal, with the commissioner encountering more people in the halls as she made her way from the conference room up to her office. Dealing with the press was always the part of the job she dreaded the most, and they had been more insufferable than normal today, with the topic of the Daily Bugle's report on the lips of every single one.

Balling her fists, Jean wished she could tell them the truth, that yes, the case was being investigated, and yes, the similarities had been noticed and was a part of that investigation, but such action had been strictly forbidden. Rounding a corner, DeWolff nearly ploughed through a garbage can, but after coming to an abrupt halt, pulled the Mayor's office's note cards out of her pocket, promptly tore them in two, and spiked the shredded paper into the bin. The display didn't go unnoticed, but she didn't give a damn, not when she just had to spend a quarter hour spouting political slogans for the bitch up the road in City Hall.

The strategy was obvious, pander, and it sickened DeWolff to her core. She felt the best way to help the public feel safe would be for her to personally slap the cuffs on the stupid sonofabitch responsible for the killings, but that was not a sentiment shared by the politicians. So DeWolff had to say assure the public that there would be no racial profiling or police brutality committed by the NYPD despite the upswing in crime, because it was the police that people were afraid of after a rash of shootings and bombings.

Knowing what she did, DeWolff thought bitterly, maybe they should have been.

Making directly for the elevator, Jean entered it alone and pressed the button for the floor with her office, letting out a heavy breath as soon as the doors shut. Checking her phone, Jean was a bit disappointed to see that Yuri hadn't sent her anything yet, but knew she couldn't be distracted by that, not with how much she had on her plate. Even if the number of patrolling officers had been slashed drastically, many of those were in riot gear to watch over the protests taking place across the city. Thankfully those hadn't escalated yet, but the entire building was on edge for that possibility.

With a soft 'ping,' the elevator announced her arrival as it came to a stop, Jean stepping out the open doors to head for her office. Throwing open the outer door, DeWolff turned to the man waiting inside, "Captain Carter, sorry I'm late, come with me," beckoned the Commissioner as she led the older man into her office proper. "Take a seat," offered Jean as she went around to her side of the desk and sat down, "Alright Stan, don't sugar coat it. How bad?"

The captain of the Chinatown precinct grimaced, "I know we're having a rough go of it right now, but I think once the IA review board has completed its investigation, they'll clear them all without question. I just wish the board would quit dragging its feet. Is there anything you can do about that?"

"I can't touch IA stuff Stan. Especially with a case like this, the mayor'd have my ass," answered Jean, keeping her face neutral despite the half-truth. She was holding up the investigation, making it clear she wanted them to take their time under the guise of letting the public furor die down somewhat before they announced their findings. "I'm afraid they'll just have to wait."

Frustration was plain on the older man's face, "I'm all for doing things by the book, hell, I often do, but it's plain that these guys didn't do anything wrong."

Jean couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the man's insistence, "I've never known you to stick your neck out for anyone," observed the commissioner, "Why now?"

Carter shifted before his gaze hardened, "Cause it was one of my people out there they saved when they put Palancio down."

All the commissioner could do was nod at that, "It seems your position has changed you a bit Stan. People sure are different when they aren't just a file, eh?" she jabbed. Jean saw the way he tensed at that, but her eyes were drawn to the muted TV she had on the wall. "Hell, look at that…" she observed as DeWolff began searching the sea of papers on her desk for the remote, "Seems the mayor's chosen an interesting place to make her statement."

Both turned to the TV just as Jean unmuted it, letting the voiceover from some talking head fill her office. "We've learned just moments ago that the Mayor has left her office and is meeting demonstrators gathered outside City Hall." The screen showed the suited woman coming down the steps, seemingly ignoring the uniformed police officer walking alongside her as she stepped past the line of cops in riot gear and waded into the sign wielding crowd. "It looks like she's going into the crowd here, there seems to be some confusion from the police about this… We've just been informed by the Mayor's staff that she will be speaking momentarily."

"Nice of her to tell us," muttered DeWolff under her breath as she watched the security nightmare unfold before her. Hearing a grunt of agreement from Carter, Jean couldn't help but watch, "I can't wait to be blamed by her if something happens to her in that crowd."

Before the Chinatown precinct Captain could answer or DeWolff saw something else to snark at, the Talking Head cut in again. "For those of you who are just joining us, the Mayor is about to address demonstrators outside City Hall. We now cut to live audio…."

"This oughta be good," mused the commissioner as she leaned back in her chair and resisted the urge to put her feet up on her desk like she might if she were alone.

"My fellow New Yorkers," began the Mayor, eliciting a snort from Jean, who knew that the woman was from a wealthy family upstate, a fact she kept out of the press at all costs. "Since I was elected, I've worked to extensively reform the NYPD," Both Jean and Stan, along with, DeWolff imagined, every other cop in the city, rolled their eyes at that line. "And now, as then, I hear you when you demand action to achieve a more equitable reality." Cheers from the crowd came through the audio feed, with the mayor preening at the reaction. "I promise that I will deliver this. After yesterday's events, and the startling revelations we have all seen reported in the news, I plan to introduce more reforms to…."

"That's enough of that," declared Jean, muting the TV once again and tossing the remote back onto her desk just as her phone lit up, buzzing with the alert of an incoming text message. Before Carter could see who it was, Jean snapped the phone up and unlocked it, revealing the message from Yuri. Two apartments searched, found these the text read, and the attached pictures showed a pair of matching revolvers. Big ones.

Jean kept her face impassive, but couldn't help but tighten her grip on the cell phone as she tapped out her response. Anything else? Asked DeWolff, hoping for more but already fighting a twist in her gut.

"What is that?" asked Carter as Jean saw that Yuri was typing out a message.

Grimacing, Jean pursed her lips before finally giving the man a small update, "My friend outside the department is checking on some suspects. She might have found the killers." Carter seemed stunned into silence as DeWolff looked down at the next message. No. Will check other two. Talk later.

It seemed that Carter had finally regained his faculties, and he said, "That's…good news. Soon we can just… put all this to rest."

For the fourth time that day, Yuriko Watanabe slipped inside the apartment of an NYPD traffic cop, John Davis. The first three had yielded results, matching Magnum Handguns and ammunition, but nothing more concrete to link the men together, or to the murders. If the guns could be matched to the bullets from the shootings, it would be enough, but there hadn't been enough for Yuri to give Jean so that the commissioner could investigate the traffic cops for the killings.

Looking around Davis' apart, the Wraith saw it was much like the other three she had seen, sparsely decorated, mostly with mementos from Davis' military service. On alert, Yuri cleared the rest of the apartment, and once she confirmed she was alone went to investigate more closely. Like with the others, she started with the footlocker in the bedroom, and found the expected Taurus gun case and matte stainless .44 Magnum Raging Bull revolver along with a supply of ammunition.

Once that was photographed, Yuri reset it and went searching for more. Like the apartments before this one, Watanabe searched the few places something could be hidden, dressers, desks, closets, and cabinets, but found nothing amiss. Letting out a low growl of frustration, Watanabe prepared to leave, when she saw that this apartment had something the others did not, a utilities closet with a water heater, one that had clearly had the lock tampered with. A tug on the door handle caused it to open with a bit of resistance, and Yuri looked inside the darkened space before spying an odd shape behind the cylindrical hot water heater. Reaching out, Yuri felt something and wrapped her hand around something, pulling it out into the light.

It was a rifle, its black furniture and distinct shape made it an AR-15, but Yuri instantly recognized that its barrel was shorter than most such rifles, about ten inches long before the affixed suppressor was taken into account. Her breath hitched as Watanabe recognized this as the weapon that was used to kill Guzman, meaning that Davis had been the one who killed Detective Connors.

"You weren't at the memorial because you knew him from the academy," breathed Yuri as she almost dropped the rifle, "You were there because you killed him you sonofabitch." With shaky hands, Yuri placed the gun on the floor and photographed it before placing it back in its hiding spot. As the Wraith tucked the rifle back behind the water heater, her hand ran across something else, "The hell?"

It was a phone, a cheap, disposable flip phone that Yuri hastily opened and went to the text messages. There were four conversations ongoing, each with simple labels, RA, MG, PS, and CC. Watanabe recognized the first three as the other three officers, but the fourth and final one remained a mystery. Thumbing the controls on the old phone, Yuri opened that message string and saw that there were only a few messages left, the others, if there were any, having been deleted.

JD: All on scene. Who calls?

C.C: i will dont worry

JD: Yes sir.

Jaw setting in a scowl, Watanabe's mind raced as she tried to think of anyone who had the initials 'CC' before taking a picture of the messages and putting the phone back in its place.

Closing the door to the utility closet, Yuri made her exit, mind in conflict as it debated new questions and possible solutions now that the situation wasn't as straightforward as she thought.

Foot tapping impatiently, Yuri couldn't help but feel hints of nerves as she looked out from her spot in the corner booth of a small diner called Micks. Sipping at the small coffee she had ordered, the former police captain kept her eyes up, watching for any sign of the vigilante cops so she could go for the Python that was already half hanging out of her purse. That was why her eyes were already narrowing on the door when it started to swing open, even before the bell above the door rang to signal the new arrival. When a police officer did not come through, Yuri let out a sigh of relief, only having a moment's thought about what that said before refocusing on the woman who came in. The redhead was about the same height as Yuri, but a slimmer build, wearing dress slacks and a green blouse that matched the alert green eyes that quickly locked onto Yuri and gave her a nod.

The voice of the short order cook filled the small diner, "Oh Mary Jane, so good to see you again… where's Peter?" he asked with a small tinge of disappointment.

"Oh, he's hung up at work, it'll be a late night for him I think," replied the redhead before a slight pause. Mary Jane's eyes met Yuri's and the younger woman added, "It probably will be for me too, can I get a coffee?"

"Of course, you can. I'll bring it out to you," answered the old short order cook before Mary Jane made her way to Yuri's booth.

When the redhead set her handbag down on the table and sat down across from Yuri, she smiled at the ex-cop as Yuri pushed aside her half eaten chicken salad to give Mary Jane her full attention. "I must say that hearing from you was a surprise," began the associate editor for the Daily Bugle, "Should I be worried?" joked the redhead.

With what Watanabe knew, the Wraith was not in a joking mood. "Yes," said Yuri simply, watching Mary Jane's eyes go wide.

But before Yuri could continue, the old short order cook appeared at their table holding a saucer and cup. "Here you are Ms. Watson," he said kindly as he placed down the beverage, "Cream and sugar, just like you like it ." He then looked at both women with a cheerful expression, "Can I get you ladies anything else?"

Watanabe just shook her head tersely, and Mary Jane sensed her urgency. "We're alright Stan, thanks so much," replied the Bugle Editor sweetly, and the old cook smiled warmly before heading back to the counter.

When he was gone, the reporter seemed to refocus and turned back to Yuri, leaning in closer, "What are you talking about?" she asked lowly.

"That piece you put out yesterday? I've been working the same case for most of the week," revealed Yuri, her voice barely above a whisper. "The investigation was being kept secret to avoid causing a panic like the one going on out there," continued Watanabe as she nodded towards the large windows on the opposite wall of the diner. Mary Jane grimaced, but didn't respond, and so Yuri continued. "You were mostly right in your piece, but not entirely. I'm going to give you the parts you missed." Mary Jane's eyes widened, but Yuri cut her off, "But on the condition that you don't do anything what I'm about to give you… at least not yet."

One of the redhead's eyebrows raised, "Why would you give me something only for me to sit on it?" she asked before sipping on her coffee. It was an expected question.

"Insurance," answered Yuri matter-of-factly before mustering a weak smile. "I'll call you every day from here on out to tell you to if you can use what I'm about to tell you. You can use it when I close the case, or you don't hear from me anymore. Until then, don't tell a soul… not even him."

Confusion flashed across Mary Jane's face before she spoke, "He's not going to like this, is he?"

"No," answered Yuri before sipping on her water, "I suspect not." The words hung between them for a few long moments before Yuri broke the silence. "But if you don't hear from me, I want him to be the first person to tell. I want to handle this my way but… well if that happens then I probably won't be able to object to how he does things."

Watson bit her lip, a hint of nerves that Yuri felt herself, but didn't show. "That bad?" Yuri merely nodded once. "Shit…" breathed Mary Jane before reaching into her purse and pulling out a notepad and flipping it to a clean sheet. "Well, I'm all ears Captain, say your piece."

"I'm not a Captain anymore, Ms. Watson," corrected Yuri, more on reflex than anything. The editor wasn't fazed by this, and just smiled and nodded politely as Yuri took a breath and forced her thoughts to organize themselves. "I want this to be done anonymously, and for you to make it clear you got this from a source outside the NYPD, if you publish it." Yuri got a nod back, and closed her eyes for a second before starting. "It started with the killing of Carmine Ricca by this… what did you call him?"

"The 'Sin Eater,'" replied Mary Jane with a frown, "My boss insisted that he get a name. I don't like it."

"Well it isn't far off…" mused Yuri before getting back on track, "And the first thought was that this was a Maggia turf fight again. The killer was an out of town hitman, impersonating a cop, like you guessed. None of that is true." Mary Jane stopped writing, looking up at Yuri in surprise, "The second attack, that bomb at the bar, I had a… a source inside, watching the Maggia meeting taking place. She saw who placed the bomb, told me the guy looked like a cop."

"When did she tell you this?" interjected Mary Jane.

"Right before she died," replied Yuri lowly, "There was nothing I could do. But that's when I started looking into this. And soon I found that there were other murders, connected them by the weapon used in all of them, like you did. For a long time I thought like you did, that this was a sole serial killer dressed like a cop. After today, I know I was wrong."

"Well… who is it then?" asked the Associate Editor.

"MJ… what I'm about to lay on you, I can't even believe it myself. All the years I was on the force and I've never heard of anything like this," began Watanabe.

"Don't worry," assured the redhead with a slight, lopsided smile, "I gave up being surprised about nine years ago."

Yuri smiled slightly at that before taking a breath and pressing on. "What if I told you that the Sin Eater isn't one man dressed like a cop, it's a whole group of them?" Mary Jane's eyes widened slightly, and Yuri continued, "And that they don't just dress like cops, they are cops… a group of rookie traffic cops."

The mouth of the redhead fell open and tried to form words, but none came out of her mouth for some time. "I… uh… how… how can you be sure?" she finally managed.

Grimacing, Watanabe reached into her purse and pulled out a thumb drive. "On this is a copy of everything I have," she explained as she handed the USB over, "It's not a lot, but its records from the Electric Eye, showing at least one of the group in the area of each murder, but not at the scene. Probably a lookout for his buddy who took the shot in each case. I went to their apartments today, and I found that each had a matching gun that fits those used in the murders and some other evidence."

"Got it, I'll look it over and double check with my sources," replied Mary Jane before her eyes hardened, "Yuri, I need to know… who's doing this?"

Taking a breath, Yuri worked her jaw before asking, "What do you know about the shootout yesterday down at the docks? The one where Palancio was killed?" MJ raised an eyebrow, and but Yuri held her gaze, "Just answer the question."

"A little," admitted Watson, "I was working on this story so I didn't cover it, but I saw the byline. It was a clean shoot supposedly, Palancio fired first according to the bodycams and radio calls."

"Palancio fired first because he was tipped off," revealed Watanabe, "The four traffic cops? Those are your Sin Eaters. They answer to someone else higher in the department, someone who tipped off Palancio and provoked the shootout so they had an excuse to murder him."

"My god…" breathed MJ lowly, still jotting down notes.

Yuri found herself nodding in agreement. "I don't know how high this goes, or if anyone else is involved but…" Yuri trailed off, unable to comprehend that possibility. Shaking her head, Yuri turned serious once more, "Mary Jane, I want you to listen to me." The redhead's eyes snapped up off her notepad and Yuri met them. "These 'Sin Eaters,'" she spat out, unable to hide the vitriol she felt, "Killed one of my men, and old friend from when I was a captain. Killed him because he got to close. They saw it as a sacrifice, and if I'm right… they'll sacrifice me. If they figure out I've told you, you'll be sacrificed."

Mary Jane spoke on reflex, "I can take care of…" she began, only for her words to wither and die under Watanabe's hard glare, replaced with a hard swallow. "I understand."

"Good," replied Yuri with a pleased nod, "Watch your back. Have him watch your back," she suggested. "If something happens to me, go to him for help on this."

"Okay," replied MJ with a nod, "I will," she assured. She took a sip of her coffee, and Yuri knew that her shaking hands weren't because of the caffeine. When the editor put the cup down, she asked, "What happens if they get us both?"

Grimacing, Watanabe gave her an honest answer, "Then they win."

"I see," answered Mary Jane, slouching back in the booth. Yuri's eyes wandered back to the windows and door of the diner, checking for any cops when a sudden question drew her attention back to the redhead. "How did this happen?"

It was a question Yuri had kept asking herself, and while she knew the technical answer, mainly lax standards and highly trained perpetrators, she knew that wasn't what Mary Jane was thinking. No, the answer she wanted was something that Yuri understood all too well. Seeing criminals get off on technicalities or plea deals, or get a light sentence just to commit more crimes. The restrictions put on police, hamstringing their efforts to combat crime. The idea of taking the law into one's own hands could be… very tempting. Instead of saying this, Yuri merely shrugged and lied through her teeth, "I really couldn't say."

Closing Notes: Yeah, I know this chapter was light on action, there wasn't any really, it was all to serve as a set up for what comes next, I promise the next chapter will make up for it.

That will drop in a couple weeks, and it should be packing a bit of Demon Fire.

Stay Frosty, Misfit Delta out.