Last time Harry and the others examined the crime scene were two muggles were murdered in the same way as several other wizards had been; their heads had exploded for no apparent reason. Just as our heroes began to get to work, a new factor was added to the equation in the form of Patricia Walker and Travis Bachman, special agents of The Bureau Of Paranormal Research and Defense. The BPRD had also been working on the case, and it was decreed that both wizards from The AMA and muggles from The BPRD would work together to solve this gruesome mystery. On with the show!
Chapter 5: The Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense
After being driven halfway across the city, Harry and his companions found themselves next to an ordinary office building.
"Doesn't look like the headquarters of a top secret organization to me," said Ginny.
"That's the idea," said Travis Bachman as they entered the building, "we wouldn't be a top secret organization if we advertised it where everyone could see it."
"He's got a point," said Ron.
The inside of the lobby looked just as ordinary as one found in any other muggle office building They reached an elevator off to one side, partially hidden by several large potted plants that seemed a bit redundant; there were dozens of muggles in the lobby, but nobody was looking in that direction.
The elevator had two features that Harry and his family did notice; a keypad, and the same crest as on the car that brought them there. Travis Bachman then entered a long and complicated code into the keypad, then Patricia Walker entered one as well. A panel slid down revealing a machine that Hermione would later identify as a voice print identification and rental scanner.
"Bachman, Travis; Tango Hockey X-ray, 99851."
"Walker, Patricia; Foxtrot, Able, Baker, 72913."
"And guests," said Travis Bachman.
"We have to let the computer know you're here," said Patricia Walker to Harry and the others, "terrible things would happen if it thought you were intruders."
"What terrible things?" Ron asked.
"We'd probably be restrained as soon as we got out of the elevator," said Chris.
"Worse than that," said Travis Bachman, "you'd get into the elevator, but the computer would think that the elevator had been compromised, and a lethal dose of gas would be released, killing everyone in the car."
"You're kidding!" said Ginny.
"I don't think so," said Harry, "I mean, you are serious, right?"
"He's just pulling your leg," said Patricia Walker, "no, the real fun does happen at the bottom of the elevator shaft, where it compresses, and crushes everyone in the car."
"Ever feel like we're being taken for a ride, mate?" Ron asked in a whispered tone.
"They seem sincere to me," said Hermione, "but caution would be wise."
"They wouldn't kill us," said Samantha, "we'd just Dissapairate at the first sign of trouble."
"I've got a feeling they've anticipated Dissapairating," said Harry, "I'd keep your wands where you can reach them, just to be safe."
It was then that the elevator car reached the floor and opened. They got in; it was roomy enough for everyone and still had plenty of room for more. There were four buttons on the panel next to the door; Up, Down, Hold and Emergency Stop. Travis pressed the Down button, the doors closed and the car began descending.
"How far down are we going?" Hermione asked.
"300 feet straight down," said Patricia Walker, "down to the administrative level, where the boss is waiting. But the really fun stuff happens in the 'Work' level, another 300 feet down."
"This is the main employee elevator," said Travis Bachman, "there's two more such elevators in different buildings a few blocks up and down the street, as well as five supply elevators, and several emergency stair exits. The Work level has an equal number of entrances and exits, as well as a larger elevator for moving large equipment. Like Patricia said, the best stuff happen on the Work level."
"How come the muggles didn't notice this?" Ginny asked, "it's easy to set up a charm to make the muggles ignore something, but how do you do it?"
"You'd be amazed how convenient a 'construction work in progress' sign and others like that are," said Patricia Walker.
"You saw the logo," said Travis Bachman, obviously changing the subject on purpose, "I'm assuming that you know what the words at the bottom mean."
Harry, Ron and Ginny all admitted that they had no knowledge of Latin whatsoever. It was Hermione who translated the words, "'in the absence of light, darkness prevails.'"
"Truer words were never spoken," said Patricia Walker, "and our job is to keep the light going."
"You wizards are more than aware that there are things that go bump in the night," said Travis Bachman, "it's also our job to bump back."
The elevator stopped and the door opened unto a hallway filled with lots of doors, and between each door was dozens of framed photographs.
"Welcome to the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense," said Travis Bachman as they stepped into the hallway, "founded in 1943 at the height of World War 2 when Allied intelligence discovered that a group of Nazi scientists were dabbling in affairs that are best left alone by mortal hands."
"What kind of affairs?" Harry asked as they followed Travis Bachman and Patricia Walker down the hallway.
"The usual kind that mortals mess with without understanding," said Patricia Walker, "demon summoning, necromancy and the like."
"In response to the recklessness of the enemy," said Travis Bachman, "President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill ordered the creation of a special taskforce dedicated to combating this supernatural threat; The BPRD.
"For the most part, The Bureau was successful in combating the efforts of the enemy scientists desire to bring about the downfall of humanity. Then the war in Europe ended. When Germany surrendered, most of the corrupted scientists fled, and The Bureau perused. As World War 2 came to a close, a different war, a secret occult war, was just getting started.
"It took ten years before the last of the enemy scientists were either captured or killed. The First Great Occult War, that's what we called it, ended on November 8, 1955. Since then The Bureau has defended the world and it's people from various demonic incursions and walking dead outbreaks, as well as other supernatural dangers to humanity."
"What do you mean, demonic incursions?" Ginny asked.
"And what's this about walking dead outbreaks?" Hermione asked.
"All will be explained in due time," said Patricia Walker, "But there's more pressing matters to take care of first."
They made their way to a large meeting room where at one end of a large table stood the Assistant Director of the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense. David Callahan was a tall man in his early 40's. He had short brown hair and dark gray eyes. He wore a black suit over a white shirt and tie.
"At long last," said David Callahan as he held out his hand, "Harry Potter, 'The End of the Century Savior.'"
"The what now?" Harry asked.
"Oh don't be so modest," said Callahan, "everyone here at The Bureau knows you're the one who destroyed Voldemort back in '98."
"Makes you wonder if there isn't anyone in the world who doesn't know about Harry," said Ron to Hermione.
"I've been called many things, Mr. Callahan," said Harry, "'the boy who lived,' 'the chosen one,' 'the man who lived,' I've even been labeled as 'the heir of Slytherin' for a while, but nobody has ever called me a savior."
"Well that's what you are," said Callahan, "the BPRD tried to stop Voldemort and the Death Eaters back in the 70's and early 80's, that didn't go so well for us. And again, we tried to stop the enemy when they came back in the mid 90's, and that didn't go so well either. You succeeded where we failed, Harry Potter, and since you did it with less than two years before the year 2000, it only makes sense that you should be called The End of the Century Savior."
"Oh don't make him nervous, David," said another man in the room, a tall man standing at 6'4" with light brown hair, blue eyes and wearing a tan jacket over a yellow shirt and blue pants and black boots. He looked to also be in his early 30's. "Harry Potter isn't the only one who saved the world before the new millennium, and you know it."
"You don't have to remind me, Warren," said Callahan, "Harry, This is Warren Ulrich, another of our special agents, and I do mean special."
"What do you mean?" Ron asked.
Harry was curious as to this as well. There was something about Warren Ulrich, something that made him stand out, something that Harry had never sensed in another person, muggle or wizard. No, that's wrong, he had sensed something similar less than an hour ago when he met Patricia Walker. She had the same different…aura or whatever that Warren Ulrich had. He just hadn't noticed it at the time, but he did now.
"I think we should get down to business," said Callahan. With that he bade everyone to sit at the table.
"Now," said Callahan, "these murders where people's heads explode have been going on for several weeks now. It hasn't been in the news because we've been suppressing it so as not to cause a panic. However, the murders have been random, and only one at a time, until recently. The maniac behind this is escalating."
"Have you any suspects?" Harry asked.
"Oh we know who's responsible," said Callahan, "we've known for sure for several days now. The problem is catching the bitch."
"You know who the murderer is?" Rebecca asked, "and you're telling us this now?"
"Naming the suspect is one thing," said Travis Bachman, "apprehending the suspect is a horse of a different color altogether."
"Well you should have told us regardless," said Rebecca, "all those people dead. If you had come to us sooner with the identity of the suspect…"
"It wouldn't have made a difference," said Callahan as he pulled a file from his briefcase, "if this were made a joint BPRD/AMA investigation from the start, those wizards and muggles still would have died."
"Our people could have been warned that this kind of murderer was on the lose," said Chris, "we would have known what to look for and helped catch the killer."
"You still don't understand," said Callahan as he opened the file and showed it to Harry. At the same time a large television screen attached to a computer activated, showing a picture of a young woman in her late twenties. She had shoulder length brown hair, gray eyes and an expression of utter contempt at whoever was taking her picture.
"Meet Shannon Revek," said Callahan, "the killer."
"She's the murderer?" Ginny asked.
"She is," said Warren Ulrich, "Shannon is part of a group of humans who possess psychic abilities. The strength of these abilities vary, depending on the individual, but Shannon, she is quite possibly the strongest Scanner in the world, and that's only half of what makes her so dangerous."
"What's a Scanner?" Ron asked, he then looked at Travis Bachman and Patricia Walker, "you two said that word earlier."
"A Scanner is the classification given to people with the greatest strength in psychic abilities," said Callahan, "especially those who can 'scan' the minds of others. Scanners can examine memories, implant false experiences, erase memories, even take control of another mind, forcing the victim to obey every command."
"Like the Imperius curse," said Hermione.
"It gets worse," said Warren Ulrich, "a Scanner as strong as Shannon Revek, she has the power to create devastating pressure within the brain, leading to an exploding head. We're convinced that Shannon is the murderer."
"The hard part is finding her," said Callahan, "we have just about every law enforcement agency in the country looking for Shannon, saying she's wanted for information relating to 9/11, but it's like she's disappeared. Even in this day with satellite tracking and security cameras everywhere in every major city, Shannon Revek has evades us."
"There's more than one way to avoid being tracked," said Hermione.
"We've lived through one already," said Ron, "and I'd like to never experience it again."
"Finding someone who's off the grid isn't the only problem," said Patricia Walker, "we've reason to believe that Shannon isn't working alone."
"A hundred years ago," said Callahan, "someone like Shannon Revek would be described, at best, as an anarchist. Oh, she's also certifiably insane, did I mention that?"
"No," said Harry, "but thanks for telling us." Just what we need, thought Harry, another lunatic with delusions of world domination.
"Well she is nuts," said Travis Bachman, "and also very charismatic. She can force people to do what she wants, but Shannon has showed that she enjoys convincing people that her way is the right way."
"How do you know all this?" Ginny asked.
"I was hoping to get to that later," said Callahan, "but since things are getting worse with this case, then there's no time to waste. People with abilities like Shannon, Scanners, they're not alone in the world. All over the place there are people who have abilities of the mind and body that defy logic; levitation, cellular regeneration, enhanced physical strength and speed, precognition, enhanced intelligence, just to name a few.
"We call these people 'Meta Humans', and it's one of The Bureau's missions to seek out Meta Humans, study them and help them use their abilities to better the human race."
"It is the belief of some scientists," said Warren Ulrich, "most of them working for The Bureau, that Meta Humans are the next step in the evolution of the species."
"If that's so," said Ron, "then why doesn't the world know that it's evolving?"
"Let me answer that with another question," said Patricia Walker, "have you ever read 'X-Men'?"
"Uh…no," said Ron, "can't say that I have."
"Me neither," said Ginny.
"I have," said Harry, "a little." There was a time during Harry's 'time' with the Dursleys, when Dudley was obsessed with collecting comic books. But then he got 'bored' with them and threw them all out, but not before Harry scavenged a few issues.
"I know what you're implying, Patricia Walker," said Hermione, "Meta Humans are different from the rest of the human race, and people have an unfortunate tendency of being afraid of what they don't understand, and something different is easily misunderstood. And it's also an unfortunate tendency of humans to come to hate what they fear. If the rest of the world knew of Meta Humans, then the events depicted in X-Men would come to pass in the real world. So it's only natural that the existence of Meta Humans should remain a secret until the rest of the world has 'matured' enough for them to accept that the race is evolving."
"How do you know so much about comic books?" Ron asked.
"I was into a lot of things when I was little," said Hermione, "before I found out I was a witch."
Come to think of it, there was a lot that Harry didn't know about Hermione, and even Ron, his best mate and brother in law, Harry would bet that Ron had a few secrets from the past as well. And who knows what Ginny was up to before they first met at Kings Cross.
"Moving on," said Warren Ulrich, "we at the Bureau have had a lot of success in helping Meta Humans find their place in the world."
"You mean as weapons," said Rebecca. She had been silent almost since they arrived, but now she looked ready to speak volumes, "you're turning people into weapons."
"Not against their will," said Callahan, "every Meta Human who comes to the Bureau comes with the knowledge that they may never be accepted by the rest of the world, that their very existence marks them as outcasts, that they would be feared and hated by normal people.
"They come here with the knowledge that there is one place that can help them gain control over their abilities and help them use those abilities for good, to give them a righteous purpose."
"But every Meta Human is given a choice," said Patricia Walker, "we were told that if we didn't liked what we saw at The Bureau, if we didn't want to become weapons for justice, then we can walk away. Sure, we would have had our memories modified, thereby forgetting The Bureau, but it was our choice to make."
"You're a Meta Human," said Harry as realization dawned, "and so is Warren."
"Too true," said Warren Ulrich, "Patricia and I came to The Bureau in the early 90's. We'd tell you our full stories, but that'll have to wait."
"Here's the other part that makes Shannon Revek so dangerous," said Callahan, "when we said that she wasn't alone, we hadn't gotten to the part about whom she is with."
"Not every Meta Human who chooses to walk away walks away," said Travis Bachman, "some of them run before we can modify their memories; those who are frightened of what they see here and what they learn about themselves. Many of these 'Rogues' wind up causing all sorts of trouble later on, and it's up to us to make sure they don't hurt anyone or cause any more damage then they've already caused."
It was then that another realization dawned on Harry, "you believe that Shannon Revek has gathered a host of Rouge Meta Humans."
"We're not sure how many she's converted to her ideals," said Patricia Walker, "but any group of Rouges is a potential disaster waiting to happen."
"What are Shannon Revek's ideals?" Ron asked.
"It's a bit complicated," said Callahan.
"Any more complicated than things already are?" Ginny asked.
"Good point," said Callahan, "anyway, you have to know where Shannon Revek came from in order to understand her ideals."
"Shannon came to the Bureau in 1994," said Warren Ulrich, "immediately she believed that she was a Meta Human, and that she was meant for something great. She also took to heart that Meta Humans were the next step in human evolution. It wasn't long before she became obsessed with it, believing that it was the destiny of Meta Humans to become the dominant race of the world.
"She started collecting other Meta Humans, convincing them that they were the master race and that normals, which is what she called regular humans, were nothing more than sheep to be domesticated."
"This was a scenario that we at The Bureau are trained to recognize and anticipate," said Travis Bachman, "Shannon Revek was, is, one of the most powerful of her kind, and as I'm sure you're aware of, Harry, power corrupts."
"I know," said Harry. This bore some similarities to the initial rise of Voldemort.
"Anyway," said Travis Bachman, "we managed to separate Shannon from her followers. The poor fellows she brainwashed needed several months of intensive therapy before they could let go of what she forced into their minds."
"As for Shannon," said Patricia Walker, "by then she was hopelessly insane. She was a danger to herself and everyone around her. There was no choice but to lock her away where she couldn't use her abilities to hurt people."
"But she escaped," said Travis Bachman.
"Of course she did," said Ron, "typical."
"There wasn't anything typical about it," said Callahan, "we were up to our elbows in cleaning up the mess Voldemort caused during the second war, keeping the rest of the world from panicking and keeping the war itself a secret. It left us severely undermanned here at Bureau HQ, and those left here were stressed out to the point of carelessness. That's all Shannon needed to force her way into one tired mind. She 'convinced' a guard to unlock her cell and she just walked out and hasn't been seen since."
"And now she's causing these murders," said Harry, "but why? All the recent deaths are of wizards and muggles who were working on The Harmony Project. It's clear that Shannon Revek wants the project sabotaged, but why?"
"That's what we hope to find out," said Callahan, "as well as stop her before she kills again. So, Harry Potter, will you help us?"
"Of course we'll help you," said Harry, "no way we're going to let one insane woman destroy the best chance for peace between muggles and wizards."
"Bloody right!" said Ron.
"If there's anything I can do to help," said Ginny, "just ask."
"Same here," said Hermione.
"We're in as well," said Samantha, while Chris nodded in agreement.
"I might as well help," said Rebecca, "even though I have no love for The Bureau, nor do I approve of its methodsm and never will. Yet we are all on the same page in this situation; I'm in."
The end of chapter 5.
Next chapter, Harry and the others have a close encounter with a group of unsung heroes who might just be the best hope the world has for having a future. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!