Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.
"Conference room in 5." JJ said as she walked past Prentiss and Morgan, who were working at their desks. So far, their team had the highest solve rate in the Bureau. She headed into the break room to inform Reid, who was getting another cup of coffee. How did someone as skinny as Reid consume so much coffee, anyways?
"Didn't we just get off a case?" Prentiss groaned, drawing Morgans attention to her.
"Yeah, I know." He said as he stood and she followed suit. They walked to the conference room together.
"Why are they pushing us so hard lately? I think we're due for a vacation soon." Prentiss said.
"We have the highest solve rate, of course they are going to milk it for all it's worth." Morgan said, taking another drink of the brown liquid he seemed dependent on now days. Prentiss grunted her agreement as they entered the room, sitting down. JJ, Rossi, and now Reid, who had just entered, were all there when Hotch walked in. What surprised the everyone except JJ and Hotch was that Section Chief Gideon was there.
"Lets get started." Hotch said, his voice all business. They turned on the tablets Garcia had gifted the team, the crime scene photos that showed on the T.V. now displayed on them.
"Young men in Temple Texas are being killed." She began, handing the remote to Gideon. He took it and pressed the button, new photos flashing onto the screen. It was the original crime scene photos. No one gasped, though a few of them wanted to. The men were in warehouses with vines growing out of the walls and floors, wrapping around their hands, feet and necks. It made the building look like a jungle.
"This is why you have been called in." He said. "We believe that this was done by a supernatural. Someone with control over plants." He said, clicking to reveal more photos similar to the first one. It looked like these guys seriously pissed off Mother Nature.
"More often than not, women have the power of plant manipulation. While that does not necessarily mean that the UNSUB is a woman, it makes it more likely." Reid said. The others nodded.
"All of these men have brown hair and light eyes. If it is a woman, it could be a scorned lover." Prentiss said.
"Let's not assume it is a woman just because the majority of plant manipulators are female. The majority of serial killers are male, but there are always exceptions." Morgan said.
"Whatever the case is, we'll figure it out. Wheels up in 30." Hotch said, effectively dismissing them. All of them left accept for Gideon and Hotch.
"I know this is your first case with the supernatural involved. I also know you'll do well." Gideon told him, clapping a hand on his shoulder before exiting the room. Hotch sighed and went to get his go- bag ready.
…
On the plane, the team continued to build the profile. Garcia popped up on the screen of the computer.
"What's up Baby Girl?" Morgan asked. Garcia gave him a slight smile before looking down at another screen.
"There has been another murder. Sending the details right now." She informed the group.
"You're the best." Morgan told her and she smiled wider.
"I know. Oracle out." She said, clicking a button with her pen. Everyone smiled at her antics.
"What've we got on victimology?" Hotch asked.
"The UNSUB has a type." JJ muttered, despite not really being a profiler she had picked up a thing or two.
"Yeah, dark hair, light blue or green eyes, well built, that's pretty specific." Prentiss said, pushing a curl behind her shoulder.
"Are they chosen at random, or does she choose these men for something other than just the way they look?" Rossi posed the question.
"Maybe they did something that set the killer off." Morgan suggested.
"They look like they are strung up almost like puppets." Prentiss commented.
"Ya know, the Greeks translated 'puppets' as 'neurospasta,' which literally means string-pulling. And throughout time they've been used as a method to tell king's a story so the subjects didn't have to speak directly to him." Reid said as if it were common knowledge. Everyone was mostly used to it by now and took it in stride.
"Maybe the UNSUB was rejected by these men, or someone who looks like them." Reid said. Garcia popped back up on the screen.
"I think I found a connection between the victims." She said. " I was doing a deeper dive into their histories, because that's what I do best, and I found out that they all signed up for the same dating site. It is for single, homosexual men who are looking for more than just a fling."
"Did any of them match with the same person? Or even just talk to the same person?" Hotch asked. She shook her head.
"They won't give me access to their accounts. It's their privacy policy, they won't let me see who the victims matched or chatted with until I get a warrant." She said sadly.
"Did they have anything else in common?" Rossi asked.
"Two of them shopped at the same grocery store frequently, three of them visit the same coffee shop sometimes, but other than that there's nothing. They ran in different social circles."
"Thanks, Garcia." Hotch said.
"You're very welcome, sir. I'll keep trying to get access to their accounts but it could take a while." She said before signing off again.
"Well," Reid said. "If it is a scorned lover, I think it is safe to say that they wouldn't be a woman." Everyone agreed.
A/N: I am most definitely not the best at case fics, so this may be a little weird. I feel like if Elle were to have a power, she would have plant manipulation. The power of plant manipulation in this story is sort of like Poison Ivy's power, just without the charm and poisonous touch. As always, I hope you enjoyed and please R&R!