It feels surreal to be back at the police department. Seven months away with nothing but your playing cards and liquor could do that to you, Finn supposed. Walking in with Seth by his side didn't change a thing when all the eyes of the department fell upon him. Finn didn't care if they were happy to see him again or not, though. He was only here for the case.

"Follow me," Seth muttered. "Charlotte wants to see you before you begin."

Finn almost got an instant headache with the loud knock on the boss's door, overhearing Charlotte giving them permission to come in.

Charlotte never changed in the months that Finn had been gone. She always took pride in her role as the chief of police, always donning her uniform, hat seated neatly on the table. She loved her job, as stressful as it was. Criminal justice practically ran in her family, as her father was a former-now-retired officer. Much like Finn as an investigator, Charlotte Flair was damn good at her job and she knew it. The only difference between her and Finn, however, was that people respected her on a greater scale. Finn, not so much these past few months.

But Finn had always respected Charlotte and her passion for the job. Though she could be a bit demanding and frustrating at times, it was only because she cared about the city and the people living in it. She cared for her whole department too. That, to Finn, was a leader others could look up to. Someone who never abused their power.

She smiled gently when she locked eyes with Finn again and shook his hand. "Detective Balor. Rollins said you agreed, but I had to see it to believe it. Welcome back to the team."

"No need for formalities, Charlotte. What happened to just calling me Finn?"

She breathed out a chuckle. "Finn. It shocked me when you actually agreed to return. I'm sure Rollins has given the gist of why we needed you, yeah?"

"Wouldn't be here if he didn't."

"Good. I apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused for pulling you out of your leave of absence early, but what we're dealing with now is an investigation that is worsening with every new victim."

There it was. The serious Charlotte Flair that he knew. Finn honestly missed it.

"Whatever kind of person we're dealing with, they're good at covering their tracks. For the past year we haven't even came close to figuring out a suspect. Luckily, that's why I can depend on you and Rollins for the job. My officers and I can't do this without your expertise in crime and based on your history with the case, Finn, I knew you were the best option to finally putting this killer behind bars."

"-But only on my agreement," Finn added.

She nodded. "Yes, Rollins here already told me that you prefer to work alone and I respect that. If there is any aid you might need, though-"

"No thanks, Charlotte. I think I'll do fine on my own. I know this case like the back of my hand."

"Very well. I know there's no stopping you once you've made up your mind." She clapped her hands together. "I'd love to reminisce, boys, but there's work that needs to be done. Seth, escort Finn to your office so he can go over the case files to decide what to do first. I know you say that you know the case, Finn, but it doesn't hurt to look at the files after all these months. You're dismissed."

"Yes, Chief Flair!" Seth exclaimed as he led Finn out of her office. He noticed Finn staring at him. "What?"

"Why do you call her Chief Flair when we're in front of her but Charlotte when we're away? That's something I always wondered with you."

Seth shrugged it off. "Because I don't have the same relationship with Charlotte as you do. In her eyes, I'm still a rookie detective. That's part of the reason why she had me go looking for you. I don't know, man." He sighed. "Besides, it's respectful. She's still my boss."

"Maybe I can convince her not to be so hard on you."

"Heh. I'd like to see you try."

Truthfully, Seth knew why Charlotte was so tough on him. With the death of Elias and the absence of Finn, Seth was the only detective left on the force and he supposed Charlotte acted the way she did towards him because she didn't want another dead investigator added to the list of countless victims. One day Seth wanted to prove Charlotte wrong and that he was ready to be treated as an equal to not only Finn, but to her too.

"Wait in my office. I'm gonna go pick up the files."

While waiting by the offices open door, Finn caught a glimpse of a familiar face from last time he was at work.

"Bayley?"

The young officer stopped in her tracks and eyes widened when she saw who was sitting in Seth's chair.

"Finn Balor? Is that you?"

She smiled wide and immediately ran towards him to pull him into a hug. Finn forgot that she was affectionate.

"Oh my gosh! I heard rumors that you were coming back to work but I never thought you'd come back so early. It's great to see you again. How've you been?"

"Oh, you know. The usual. Drinking and reading. What've you been up to, Rookie Martinez?"

"Nope, not a rookie anymore. I am now known as Lieutenant Bayley Martinez!"

Finn's eyes widened. "You're kidding. You run your own team now?"

"Sure do. I'm growing in the ranks, Finn. But some things around here just never seem to change."

"They sure don't."

"But you're here to stay, right? You're gonna help us with the serial killer, I heard."

Finn exhaled softly. "It won't be permanent. After this I might go back to my leave. I don't plan to stay here for long."

That response seemed to cause Bayley to lose her smile. Before Finn could explain himself further, Seth was walking back with the file folders in hand.

"Well, you men look like you have a lot of work to do, so I'll just leave you to it." She smiled back at them but Finn could tell it wasn't as real as the smile before. "And welcome back, Detective Balor."

Detective Balor. Ever since the Elias's death, Finn hated to be called such. He failed to protect his colleague and solve the case, he didn't deserve the right to be called a detective anymore. And yet, here he was. Sitting in an office, unfolding files he had gone over many times before. He noticed that Seth kept the file labeled "Samson" tucked in his lap. Elias.

"Which is the file on the most recent victim?"

Seth looked through the folders. "Let's see. Let's see," he mumbled. "Oh! Here you go."

Most of the folders of the victims looked stacked but seeing is how this was the most recent case, it was only a few pages thick. The folder was labeled "Ambrose," the surname of the victim. Opening up the file brought back bad memories for Finn.

The first thing he sees are the pictures of the victim as she was found at the crime scene. Seth was right when she said she was killed the same way as the others. A gruesome scene.

She appeared to be found at the side of a road. Her body was covered in dry mud and bloodstains. Finn could clearly see where the knife cut through her torso, looked as though she had a broken ankle as well. The most haunting thing Finn saw in the photo, however, were the eyes. The eyes were wide open, still in shock. Blue eyes that once held life were now drained of all light. As if Finn could still see the pleading agony in them.

It looked too much like how he found Elias. Finn was close to throwing the file across the room before Seth spoke up.

"She was found by some local truckers passing by. You can't see it in the crime scene photos, but the autopsy photos on the next page shows where her head was bashed in."

Finn definitely saw it now. Her eyes were now closed and skin ghostly pale, almost like a modern day Snow White. The back of the skull was bashed in hard. Finn felt his hands begin to shake.

"Any...Anything found at the crime scene?" Finn asked as he flipped through the autopsy report.

"Not really. If there was any evidence of our killer like footprints, the rain wiped it out. She was half submerged in mud when the truckers found her."

Finn scanned over the autopsy report. The conclusion was that she broke her ankle prior to being murdered. Then, like the past victims, was stabbed before the fatal blow of the head.

Finn was feeling a bit lightheaded. He tried not thinking about it, but the memories of finding his partner that day kept swarming back. He needed a drink to forget.

"You alright, man?"

Finn swallowed hard. "I'm fine. Just a headache. Where, uh, where did you say she was seen last?"

Seth gave him a concerned look but carried on. "She was seen downtown spending time with friends. They visited a local club before her friends noticed she was missing. They tried calling her phone, but no answers. They called her brother to ask if she was with him, he said no. A few days later, she was found dead. Her friends all share the same story."

Finn flipped through the files some more to learn about the victim. "Did the victim have any other family?"

"By what her brother told us, no. Father is in prison and mother died over nine years ago. If they had any other family out there, the mother never told them. Her brother seems to be the only one she had."

"And you said you guys were still in the process of questioning him?"

"At the moment, he could still be a potential suspect. The family history, plus the friends calling him when they couldn't get a hold of the victim? Plus he seemed a bit peeved that he kept calling him back in for questioning. He lives with a roommate that says he was with him the day his sister went missing, but we're still showing suspicion."

"Name of the brother?"

Seth had to think about it for a moment. "Dean Ambrose, I think it was. Don't know much about him, but I think all you need to know has already been written in the file."

There was a sudden knock at the door and an officer peeked their head in. "Sorry to interrupt, but Detective Rollins? Chief wants to see you real quick."

"Ah, crap. Tell her I'll be right there." He looked back at Finn. "Case files are free for you to browse. You sure you'll be good on your own?"

"I'll manage just fine. Thanks, Seth."

Seth smiled and nodded before leaving Finn alone. Flipping through the files, he decided to read more about the victim. She was young, which made it more tragic. Turning more pages, he found the information on the brother known as Dean. The picture of him definitely showed the resemblance between him and the victim, but Finn caught himself staring at it for too long. Must've been the similarity in the eyes. Reading over it, Finn didn't find anything that seemed too suspicious, but with murderers he's learned that not everything is crystal clear.

The file said Ambrose lived in an apartment downtown with a close friend. How convenient that it was in the same area that his sister disappeared.

Looks like it was time for a stakeout.

Finn decided to wait until nightfall to park across the apartment building. His camera and notepad sat in his lap while his alcohol sat in the cup holder. As luck would have it, there was no sign of Ambrose yet, but Finn never took his eyes off the entrance doors. He sat in the car for another twenty minutes before he noticed someone coming out.

Jackpot.

Finn saw how Dean stood outside his apartment building for a good minute, occasionally looking behind him. Almost looked as if he was making sure nobody was following him out. Finn steadied his camera and zoomed in on his suspect, hearing the click. Then Dean began to walk off in a quick pace.

"Where are you heading off to at this hour?" Finn whispered.

Finn needed to follow him, but also had to make sure not to get caught in the process. It's been a long time since he performed a stake out and he used to think of these as sort of fun. But now, he no longer knew the fun in it. This was serious business.

He waited until Dean was far enough to start driving. He saw him walk into what appeared to be a local bar. Finn cursed when he could no longer see what was happening. Making sure no one was looking, Finn hurried out of the car and into the alleyway, finding a window of the bar by sheer luck. Climbing up the dumpster, Finn ignored the smell as he and his camera took a look inside. He was able to locate Ambrose easily.

Dean appeared to be talking to a redheaded woman at a booth. Whatever they were talking about, they both had serious expressions. If only Finn could hear them.

Click, went the camera.

The two talked for three more minutes before Finn saw the woman hand Dean an envelope. He took another picture.

As soon as she gave him the envelope, Dean shook her hand and rushed out of the building.

"Now what the hell are you up to?"

Maybe it was now time to gather answers from the woman inside. Tossing the camera in the car, he made his way into the bar where he saw the redheaded woman cleaning up.

"Sorry, bud. We're closing up. If you want a drink, there are a few pubs nearby."

"Actually, I'm just here to ask if you've seen a friend of mine, um…"

"Becky."

"Becky. Has he been here? His name is Dean."

She raised her eyebrows at him. "You know Dean? I don't think I've ever seen you before."

"I'm an old friend."

Becky continued cleaning the tables. "You just missed him. If you are a close friend of his, call him up. I need to close."

This was going nowhere and he was wasting precious time. He groaned as he took out the badge from his leather jacket.

"Apologies, Becky, but I'm not going anywhere. I'm here for some answers."

"Shit," she muttered. "What the hell do you want with me?"

"All I want to know is why Dean Ambrose was just here. And what was in that envelope you gave him. I have reason to believe he is a suspect in my case."

"If you think Dean hurt his little sister, you're just as clueless as the rest of your buddies in the department."

"Please, Becky. I just need straightforward answers. You're not in trouble so far. Unless you'd feel more comfortable answering questions at the station. There are lives at stake, after all."

She frowned and crossed her arms. "Well, first of all, screw you. Second of all, he came here for answers too."

"Meaning?"

"He's looking for someone. But I'm not telling you who, even if you are a detective. Unfortunately, the place he tried to find said person, wouldn't let him in. But...I knew a way Dean could find them. I'm just not sure if it's the safest option."

"Is this person he's looking for dangerous?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

"What kind of a person you are. And I don't want to be held accountable for where I sent Dean. I don't think where he's going is considered legal."

"Can you be more specific? This is important."

Becky sighed and took a pen out of her pocket. She wrote what looked like an address. "Take this. This was written in the envelope I gave him. It's the address to an underground...club. When you get to the door, the password is 'Monstrum.' Got that? Dean will most likely be there. Although...I hope he'll be okay."

Finn stared down at the napkin. "How do you know about this?"

"I'm the owner of a popular bar. I get bizarre customers who want to invite me. Never been there, but I know it's bad. And if they found out you were working for the cops, you'd be dead on sight."

Finn nodded and stuffed the napkin away. "Okay. Thank you for your cooperation, Becky. Time to see if this friend of yours is as innocent as you say he is."

It was underground all right. But it was far from a club.

How an underground fighting circuit went under the noses of the department, Finn will never know. The smell of liquor and blood filled his lungs as he maneuvered through the roaring crowd looking for any hint that Dean was around. Then he spotted him.

He was sitting in a lounging area, but it looked as though he was just in a freak car accident. Bleeding from the face and bruised knuckles, he was having a hard time wrapping the bandages around them.

Finn patted himself down and slowly made his way over to the other man. "Need some help with those?"

Dean looked up at him. "Uh...yeah."

He pointed to the first aid kit next to him and Finn sat across from him, picking out the necessary items.

"Those cuts look bad. Did you just finish a fight?"

"...Yeah. First one I ever did down here, but it was the only way I can make an appointment with him."

"Oh? Who would this man be?"

Dean only stared back at him and kept quiet. Finn shrugged and handed him a rag from the kit.

"Wipe off your face with this. Give me your other hand."

Dean hesitantly took the rag while Finn took his other hand and cleaned it up, grabbing the needle and thread to sew up the open skin.

"You must hit hard."

"...Why are you helping me?"

"A man can't be a good-natured citizen?"

"Not in a place like this. Could you at least give me a name?"

"I'm...Fergal."

Finn noticed those blue eyes stare back into his which made him pause. He raised his eyebrows like he wasn't buying the false name. Dean was searching for the lie, but Finn wouldn't let his shell break so easily.

"What about you? You have a name?"

"...It's Dean."

Nice to see one of them was being truthful so far.

"Well, Dean, it's nice to meet you. Give me the other hand, this one's all wrapped up."

"Think I can do the other one by myself this time, thanks."

Dean moves his hand away and begins to wrap the bandages, but Finn noticed that the cuts on his face were still bleeding.

"You could at least remember to fix your face."

"Excuse me?"

Finn slapped a bandaid on his forehead and before he knew what he was doing, he was wiping the blood off of his cheek with the pad of his thumb. Finn didn't know what caused him to do it, but if Dean noticed, he didn't seem to care. Or he was too preoccupied with wrapping up his hand.

Finn tried to forget about it. "So...what possessed a guy like you to come to a place like this?"

"What possessed you?"

Finn pursed his lips. "Friend of a friend. Wanted to see what the big deal was. Now it's your turn, smartarse."

"Came to see my guy. And I like the rush I get when I'm in a fight."

"Rush, huh?"

"Yeah. But maybe tonight's wasn't such a smart idea."

A woman suddenly made their way to them and whispered something in Dean's ear. Finn could faintly make out what she was saying.

"Braun is ready to see you," she whispered.

Dean made a long exhale. "It was nice chatting with you, Fergal, but unfortunately I have to go. You have a nice night."

Finn said nothing as he watched Dean walk away. His investigation wasn't over just yet, but it certainly got more interesting. Making sure Dean didn't see him, he followed him to find out who this Braun was and what he had to do with his suspect.