Hey everybody!
We are back for another chapter!
This is a really short update but I hope you don't mind too much!
I've gotten pretty busy with school,
we just had the literacy test and I literally didn't finish one of my short
answer questions and now I'm worried.
All in all my writing was very bad on that test so yay for me!
Anyway sorry again for the delay in my updates.
Enjoy!
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'Never know who you can trust, how far hate is from love-'
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Chapter 5: Evidence left behind
~QOoOQ~
"Natsu?" Gildarts' voice came through his cell phone, "we need you and Lucy down here now." Natsu frowned and shut his eyes tightly, the sun was just beginning to rise and he hated the light early in the morning. He glanced to the side as Gildarts spoke to him, checking on his partner as she slept.
"What do you need us for?"
"There was another bombing."
Natsu tensed, "Where?" After Gildarts gave him a brief explanation of what was happening they hung up and Natsu turned to Lucy, using one arm to wake her up as he started the engine. "Luce, you need to wake up, the perp bombed another building." She seemed to jolt awake at his words and looked at him curiously, her brown eyes not fully focused on anything as she yawned tiredly, this was the most defenseless she's looked since she came to first unit. "You know, you look a lot cuter when you aren't as aware of your surroundings."
"Shut up," she grumbled, sluggishly pulling herself up in her seat with a grimace. "I feel gross, I want a shower." He guessed she as more than a little affected by the heat, although he couldn't really disagree-he would have liked to freshen up a bit too before they went back to headquarters. "Anyway, what's going on?"
"There was another bombing at Oscar's Art Store, Gildarts sent out Erza and Gray when a threat letter was received at 7:21 AM but they didn't get there in time." He flicked the sirens on and stepped on the gas, following the coordinates Gildarts had sent him. "Apparently there were some eye-witness accounts that claim to have seen a suspicious male lurking around the abandoned hotel near the store."
"Where there any injured?"
"Not that I know of," Natsu shook his head, sharply turning a corner on a red light. "The owner of the store had followed instructions from the bomb squad and put a safe amount of distance between himself and his store, although we don't know if there was anyone near the building when the explosion occurred."
"And you think this is linked to our last case?"
"I'm assuming so, there is the possibility that another person could have made a bomb but I have doubts." Natsu sighed, "There were similar aspects to this bombing just like the last although no hostages were held there was still a letter sent to the building. Forensics should have the details soon, if it's our perp than we know that the zoo incident wasn't just a onetime thing."
"We'll have a serial-bomber."
"That's right," Natsu nodded. "It's likely that our suspect used the same method as last time, a pipe bomb."
"It's more than likely that the suspect was an arsonist at one point then." Lucy folded her arms over her chest, "Most criminals don't just suddenly jump into bombing things, they usually start from someone who's familiar with starting fires and chemical products, things like that."
"Although that's not the only option." Natsu reminded.
"No, of course not," Lucy nodded, "It could be a group organization motivated by religious beliefs or an act of revenge." She looked out the window, "Suicide bombing is out of the question if this is the same suspect…"
"Okay, however there's little information about who this is." Natsu glanced at her, "There's the eye-witnesses who saw a male in the area acting suspicious but was he part of an organization and was hired? Or is this based off his own motives?"
"Well it certainly doesn't seem like an organized crime," Lucy pondered, "Based off the last bombing that took place, it seemed quite disorganized to me considering he had really portrayed much of a message last time…"
"What do you mean?"
Lucy looked at him, "I mean that most times the person will state what they want and although he had asked for a ransom it didn't seem to be his motive. Why go through the trouble of planting so many bombs in a zoo and holding so many hostages when he could take a child of a wealthy aristocrat or business man and hold them hostage for ransom."
"Yeah, it doesn't make much sense now that you say it." Natsu nodded his head, "the ransom money wasn't guaranteed when we came to the zoo but had he taken a child or a spouse to a wealthy person the money is most likely to be given to them."
"However, if it's not an organized crime motivated by money then what the hell could this person want?"
"Well we don't know who this is, right?" Lucy nodded and he continued, "Well his motive could be revenge or there could be something physiologically wrong with the person behind these bombings."
"All things considered, these crimes don't seem very well organized- and there isn't a clear motive behind them." She sighed, "If it's revenge he wants then who is his target? People in general? It can't be a hate crime considering the many different people at the zoo, every one of different religions and races were there and I doubt that they would do it against people they are sided with. So then who would be the target of their revenge and just what did they do?"
Natsu didn't answer, either way the reason behind the crime didn't seem like it would be justified-not that taking any life can be justified but he doubted there would be any sympathy that came with the suspects confession and motives.
…
"Laxus!" Natsu called out immediately after they arrived at the scene and the elder male turned to him and his partner. "What's the situation?"
"The perimeter of the hotel has been secured along with the crime scene, if the suspects still in the building there's a low chance that he would escape without being caught." He handed Lucy and Natsu a vest and some ammunition. "We aren't sure whether the suspect is in the building or even armed so the bomb squad and Mystogan will be accompanying the both of you while the rest of us check for any evidence of who this guy is."
"Do you know if it's the same person as last time?" Laxus shrugged,
"McGarden is almost positive that were looking at the same guy as the last bombing crime but she wants to get Jellal's and Erik's opinion on the matter, just in case." Lucy nodded and finished strapping her vest on. "You guys be careful in there, you hear me? If you think you're in danger I want you both out of that building-I'm not going to let you guys send yourself on a suicide mission." He nodded towards the abandoned building and sighed, "Alright, go on, everyone's waiting for you."
"Right." Lucy and Natsu quickly joined Mystogan and the bomb squad at the front entrance of the building and immediately got into position, guns raised and guards up. Mystogan looked at them and made a sign to tell them to go forward and silently turned his steely gaze forward as he followed behind them. Lucy kept herself aware of her surroundings and tried to hear anything other than the shuffling coming from behind them. It seemed eerily quiet but it was to be expected that the suspect wouldn't make his presence very well known.
They did a thorough sweep of each floor, checking behind furniture for anything out of the ordinary and old papers left on desk and shelves. It didn't seem anything had been touched in a long while considering how much dust had built up on everything, although Natsu paused when he saw one of the doors to the third floor open a crack. He glanced over at his friends and whistled to get their attention. He gestured toward the door and carefully checked for any signs of someone being in the room as they quietly walked up to him.
Natsu opened the door and waved his weapon around with practiced movements and slowly walked into the room, not allowing his guard to go down until he was sure there was no one in the building. "This rooms clear," he told the bomb squad, "I want to look in here a bit more thought, it looks like some things have been moved and the window is open-go check upstairs for anyone." They nodded and left Mystogan, Lucy and himself to check around the room.
"Natsu," Mystogan's quiet voice sounded loud in the quiet room, "there's a map here." He walked over toward his friend, glancing at Lucy as she radioed for a forensics worker to come up and collect evidence. His eyes skimmed over the map, large letters placed in different place on the map-two of which being crossed out. "He's crossed out the zoo and Oscar's place; it seems like these other places are his targets."
He nodded, "we should take this back to first unit with us-do you think you could take a look at it when we get back?" Mystogan nodded as a few forensics investigators began to walk around the room, dusting for fingerprints and checking for any DNA left behind by the suspect. "Luce, come on, let's head back now-we've got something to look at when we get back to first unit." She nodded mutely, a hard look on her face as she glanced at the map he carried in his arms.
"I'll be there in a bit, I need to stop by the hospital and check on the twins you saved from the zoo bombing." And with that, she left.
…
"Ms. Lucy!" She smiled slightly when she heard the two familiar voices of the twins as they scurried towards her. It had been awhile since she last visited them, a week at most and one of the three visits she had provided was for questioning. She felt a little guilty for not coming sooner, seeing their bandages wrapped around their bodies but large smile son their faces made her heart ache.
"How are you both doing?"
"Good!" Gem responded, he move his leg a little to show her his improvement. "The nice man said I can go home soon!" Lucy laughed and nodded,
"Wow, you're very strong Gem-I think that I would still be really sore after that bad of an accident." He smiled with pride at her words and she turned to Mini, "And how is your chest doing Mini?"
"Okay," She breathed-Lucy could still hear a bit of an odd sound coming from her as she took in small breaths, it didn't sound as loud or nearly as painful as it did during her last visit, "It doesn't hurt anymore, I got magic from the doctor to help make me feel better."
"That must be some really good magic." Lucy smiled and glanced at the social worker in the room who had been staying with the two since the accident, she was a social worker with child services who was sent to watch over the twins until they had a secure home. She signaled to Lucy with a gesture of her hand if they could step outside and she nodded, "Well I'm going to be right back, I'm going to speak with Ms. Karen for a minute- why don't the two of you pick out a game you want to play and when we're done I'll come back and play with you for a little?"
"Yay!"
She smiled as they ran back to their beds and quietly walked out with the social worker into the hall, "So, how are they doing?"
"Mini is doing okay, still a little frightened by her own shadow but that is to be expected after what happened." Lucy nodded at the woman's words-any child would be traumatized by the explosion, they lost their only remaining parent in the explosion and almost lost each other in the midsts of it. Just the thought of losing one of her brothers or even her father-no matter how much she thought she despised him- was devastating. "Although Gem, he's been having night terrors since the incident-Mini says that Gem has been acting different- a little too cheery for what he would usually be like."
"Well what do you mean?"
"Gem was always one of those little boys who, although acted very brave around people, liked to be quiet and sit alone to read a book or something." Ms. Karen explained, "Mini was usually the one who was more outgoing, loved to be surrounded by people and yet now her brother is acting as she usually would have, an extrovert."
"So Gem is basically putting up a brave front?"
"Yes, it's evident by the lack of sleep he gets because he is so terrified of falling asleep and getting a night terror but he will not say anything to anyone about it, just carries on and acts really brave." Lucy could understand trying to act tough and keep things to yourself-she does that on a daily bases but she didn't like the idea of Gem doing it at such a young age. She knows he and Mini will never be the same considering what they have been through but she also didn't want Gem to grow up being like her. "That's not all though…"
"What's wrong?"
"Their Grandmother is not fit to take care for them so I fear they may have to go through foster care until they get adopted…" She sighed, "Their grandmother is quite ill and can barely walk, she cannot take care of two young children, especially if they are both dealing with mental trauma form the incident." Lucy bit her lip at the news, it was one devastating fact after another-first their remaining parent dies, then they are stuck in a hospital where they have to deal with their horrific memories of the explosion and now they may have to go into foster care.
She thought a moment, "Ms. Karen, do you think I would be able to foster them for a little while until I can find someone more suited for taking care of them?"
"Ms. Lucy, I do not think that would be a good idea-"
"My mother was killed by someone, I've had to live with the sight of her dead body for years, I think I can help them a bit with their problems…" She looked through the window of the door as the twins excitedly spoke to each other and giggled as they started playing a game, "Besides, I know someone who may be able to take them in once they are a little more stable, if possible I would like to watch over them until then."
Ms. Karen hesitated, "Ms. Lucy, you do know this will not be easy, two children who were involved in a horrible crime will be hard to deal with especially with your profession," she sighed, "With all due respect to you past, I'm unsure of how this would turn out."
"That's why I want to be there for them," Lucy insisted, "I've experienced the loss of a parent in a brutal way and have been close to death many times because of my profession-my line of work is not easy and I will not always be able to come home for them but when I am I can help them and when I am not, the people I know can start getting to know them and get comfortable."
"I suppose," she agreed, "…Are you sure you can take care of them even with your line of work."
"I'm not saying it will be easy-because it won't but I want to try and give these to something I didn't have, someone who could relate to me and help me get through the memories." Lucy smiled, "And I don't like the idea of them going to some strangers house while they are like this, they know me and I think they are comfortable around me enough that they won't mind staying with me, I'll take a few days off to get them settled and get used to things before I go back to work."
"Will it not be dangerous?"
"It will be dangerous either way," Lucy glanced at her, "The bomber was within that building and even then we don't know if he's just doing this because or if he will later on come back for the ones who were not killed. The twins are in danger either way and at least with me they will have some protection."
"And what of your friend?" She questioned, "if your friend agrees to take care of Gem and Mini, do they know of the dangers and can they prevent any harm from coming to them?'
"His girlfriend is a scientist and he was a former bodyguard-now running a shop, they are both well prepared to keep people safe." Ms. Karen stared at her for another moment before sighing,
"I will put in a request for you, I'm sure there will be questions for you to answer but I think that it is most likely you will be able to watch over them." Lucy nodded, she damn well hoped she was approved to watch over them-she knows there will be doubts that come with her line of work, whether she will have enough I'm for them or provide stable life for the two. If she was being honest, she wasn't sure, no her hours would not always work out and there very well is the possibility that someone may give them a visit but she was capable of providing them protection and help them through their loss.
Although, Lucy was a little terrified. Sure, she had nieces and nephews but she had never taken care of them for longer than a few days- to think she would be acting as a foster mother for two young children was scary, could she be there for them, make them feel safe, make them comfortable enough to actually open up to her? Maybe not but she wasn't going to simply abandon them and allow them to go to a strangers house. She felt better knowing they were with her and Lucy promised herself that she would protect the two while they were under her care the moment she saw the look of trust and love in their eyes when she told them they were going to be with her.
Lucy herself would not learn how to trust another person with her life until the case suddenly took a crippling turn in an unsightly way that would force her to go against all the promises she had made to herself all those years ago. For once since her mother died she would have to learn to trust another person completely and succumb to the painful desires she carries deep within her. And maybe, just be killed as result of her own mind.
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'Turn on you before you turn on us, were all just savages.'
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ALaViola: Hey guys, sorry this took so long for me to update and that it's so short. I've been a little stuck on this part lately but the next few chapters I've already got planned out so this was just the one I was struggling with. Hopefully this wasn't too boring for you, the next chapter will be more exciting, I promise! Thank you guys for reading!
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