Three Down, A new Future Awaits
"Noah? Wasn't he supposed to be at the entrance waiting for us, right over at the doorway?" Crane spoke in a hint of annoyance at the thought of losing one of their companions to the bomber, though Cody seemed to not show that kind of sentiment nor considered that possibility standing uneasily on both feet trying to move around the fountain just to eye the place they last left Noah, now vanished into thin air. The doctor grunted as the weight of Courtney on his back dragged his light movement down to that of him carrying a stone, the man could only incline his head up for a few seconds before he bent back down to heave the woman securely. Cody couldn't believe this, he stamped on the floor muttering and murmuring about his own stupidity to leave Noah there…he didn't see it but if Katie and Sadie were murdered and strung up there, it occurred to him the bomber could have spirited him away somewhere else and with the current mental breakdown as well as the added fact Casteon knew how to torture his victims so efficiently and brutally the time seemed to be like sand running through the detective's fingertips, he could not save the BFFFs from danger leaving Heather to drown…all the stress started to take its toll on him in the form of a slight ache in his forehead forcing him down on his knees as Crane lowered Courtney down onto the ground observing the doorway for clues leading to anything that might lead to the way their friend would have disappeared to. Even the doctor had to admit, things were going quite steeply by the looks of things that he couldn't imagine with Casteon killing the two girls and also for drowning Heather indirectly this will start to cause problems for the families wondering where their children have gone or worse how they all perished in a madman's hands. The search for their partner went on for a while but Crane could find no clues of a scuffle nor the sight of scratch marks at the doorway that led him to believe Noah may have gone off with some account that they were dead, or he was taken by surprise really quickly…the doctor sighed in defeat as Cody bashed the doorway with his fist unable to take the personal attack of his friend's safety gritting his teeth.
"This is a bunch of crap, I couldn't even kill the bomber and three died because of my stupid assumptions! Damnit!" He yelled as he kicked at the door venting all frustration out onto the wooden barrier, cursing and almost fighting the urge to scream at the bomber for it. Crane knew the anger and stress imposed on the detective right now, Casteon should be applauded for the damage he has done so far to Cody's mindset right then and there: firstly, he made personal attacks in order to wear Cody down to a shadow of his own self which was the perfect way to twist a man's nature, and secondly he picked up instantly that although both men were on both sides of the law there was one difference standing out giving the doctor some chills just thinking about it.
Cody had morals; Casteon had none at all to live by. Cody was cold but still cared for his fellow contestants, while Casteon on the other hand had the most absolute apathy that showed through the entirety of his career…laughing at interrogations, spitting at officers, threatening them with bomb packages which he mostly fulfilled, and even using the protective law against them with using human hostage bombs blowing up innocent men and women even children in some cases. Crane could sum the man in many words, but one would stand out as clever in the man's own personality if you thought of it logically by using strategic kidnappings of key people close to Cody and killing them, what was he trying to prove to them? That he was much more smarter than Cody, or was it just way too personal for his own liking the detective never stopped to think about? The doctor right now went with the latter, because he could not imagine such a person with zero apathy and complete psychologically unstable attitude exist in their time…he had seen his share of interrogations and usually it took a few days of guilt for the criminal to crack under the pressure and pour out every last detail, but when he went to observe the man in a police interrogation the bomber just smiled through the session it brought a disturbing look to his eyes…
Two days earlier"Is he still under surveillance?"
"Yeah, that bastard ain't getting out of here for his trial…we made sure of that." The police chief spoke as he slammed his thin raking fingers on the table to the tiny interrogation room, Crane stood beside him with a nervous expression on his face. It was to come to no surprise, he was about to observe the mental conditions of the most dangerous serial killers or arsonist that ever lived in this century which brought a hidden excitement in it too for medical reasons. If someone like this ever comes around again they would know how to deal with them, but Crane suddenly turned his attention to the man sitting patiently dressed in a suit smiling broadly at the screen that separated them from him with an empty chair where the interrogator would sit and start asking questions. For Crane he had spent the last few days listening to the gruesome details of how he went over his murders, almost ready to go outside the room and spew to the extent he armed himself with a small paper bag behind his hands just scrunching it nervously while the police chief sternly glared through the glass, a click of the doorknob was heard as the two investigators a man and a woman strode in tossing a large brown folder containing some photographs and information about the man's crusade to get some guilt out of him no doubt. However the doctor could find himself surprised when he found no absolute feeling on the man's face as he stared blankly at the folder, his eyes flashing some emotions Crane somehow couldn't even pick up as it disappeared from his face as quickly as it showed itself the same frown spread across his lips as the woman interrogator spoke up first her voice threatening, she was not in a good mood today especially with such a frustrating character.
"Mr. Casteon, what did you do on 15th February 2009?" The question was answered by complete silence, the bomber merely giving the interrogator a puzzled look like he did not even understand what he was asked for. The man then walked over to Casteon leaning his head near his ear, speaking loudly for the criminal to hear the question eyes showing some tiredness and irritancy by Crane's own experience whenever he dealt with suicidal patients back in the institution. Crane seemed to think the bomber was much too relaxed for someone in his position facing interrogators for crimes against humanity, he was just folding his arms and didn't respond accordingly to a question of his deeds though the chief could keep silent fists clenched in the embrace of his muscled arms.
"C'mon you bastard, what did you do on 15th February?" The bomber gave a slight chuckle as he spoke in a rationalized tone, his eyes just gleaming with a sort of enlightened look responding with an abnormal sense of calm.
"I thought you would know, after all…you're the ones carrying the files." The interrogators could keep silent, the woman now then went on to open the file fingers skimming and flipping through various cases before she came across the intended evidence against him, her index finger and thumb in a pincer movement drew the case review out and pushed it towards him a stern face on her young face. The bomber just picked the file up and began to read, his eyes perking up at every detail a frown now deepening as his eyes began to soften up just to the silent joy of the interrogators who found a soft spot in his tough personality for the last three days, taking the opportunity to attack them.
"So, you do remember the time you invaded a couple of banks in Chinatown due to the fact they were enjoying a holiday. Aren't you feeling some sort of guilt you want to let out?" The woman asked trying to make the question sound so innocent, her smile was both that of masked sincerity and taunt at the man's apparent weakness for his crimes while the bomber's hands shook and trembled holding the paper before he leaned back on his chair suddenly bursting into laughter, a smile erupted on his face stunning his interrogators and the chief who cursed from the separate box Crane on the other hand could not believe what he saw as a daring figure just boasting his crimes and admitting them to fits of joy and reveling in his victims' pain, a tear shedding from his eyes as he had a joyful grin.
"Thanks, that was the one where I apparently did my best artwork! So that was what it was about, I completely forgot…I could give you a prize for helping me so how about a nice smile on your face for free! That'll be a riot!" He laughed again at his own twisted joke making the pair unnerved by his action clapping his own thin palms against one another sounding his approval. Crane was utterly shocked, he had never seen such a man so unstable and apathetic which was the same applied by the youth of the day who didn't care much about the deaths of people until they saw it in front of their face. The chief continued to share his disgust and irk as he swore and muttered the word 'Bastard' under his breath before the doctor took it as his cue to leave, he had seen all he wanted to and the asylum will no doubt want that report.
"Crane…Crane!" The man snapped out of his thoughts as he turned to meet Cody's own eyes of worry and concern as the two tried to think of a plan, but they were suddenly caught by the shuffle of feet down on the ground as the two eyed Courtney standing up straight a hand over her own forehead checking her temperature. She was very concerned, hair was messed up and ruffled around while her eyeliner became streams from the bottom of her eyelids down her cheeks from evident crying under the strain of torture the bomber had done to her, Cody now had someone else to worry about as he went up to Courtney a dark look replacing his worried expression. This was one of the contestants who verbally abused him during the three seasons since the whole of Total Drama and the detective clenched his fists feeling an old wound reopen inside his mind, like a nerve of his swelled and snapped at the mere sight of his verbal tormenter and the girlfriend of Duncan who was going to leave Gwen for her, a word going through his mind at the moment their eyes met Courtney had a gasp of the disheveled man in front of her clamping a hand on her mouth at the bruise on his cheek from the punch sending him skidding across the floor. Cody looked different to the ex-CIT who could look up and down at his figure unable to believe it was the same scrawny weak nerd with the bucktooth and the cheesy hairdo, now replaced with a fair skinned face alongside a more formal wear that struck a chord with her as she kept shut unable to speak to the detective in the eye her own dark orbs fell towards the floor, she was at the reunion glaring at Gwen and Duncan seething with hatred the woman could recall before Chris showed up reading them all the email that Cody had sent in a refusal to the party stunning her but the hatred at just seeing Gwen with Duncan made her hope that the nerd would pick himself up and go to the damn reunion so she could use him as a ledge to get the newly joined couple to break away. However, her initial plans for the man were thrown right off when the video of Cody going nuts on Owen gave way to pity for him and she could not believe that the man snapped out of his goofy smiley attitude but like salt in her wounds with her double-crossing boyfriend, she had tried to use Cody so it made the CIT feel even worse…
"Cody, I…"
"Don't even try to apologize, you bitch. Just shut up and let me think." He snapped immediately without a second glance at the young woman, hurt by his brash outburst before Cody turned back to figuring how to catch Casteon at the next game. If Courtney and Heather were the next victims, it meant something to the detective as he tried to figure it all out with the murder of Katie and Sadie when Heather drowned leading to obvious deaths but the numbers seemed to pile up each time, first it was Noah then Heather and Courtney then the dead BFFFs were found along with a missing bookworm that if Cody counted his fingers went in a one, two, three perspective.
So. The numbers are slowly increasing the body count, the bomber was slowly but surely raising the stakes of his game by throwing more lives in…the detective clenched his fists at the prospect of a mass murder hanging in the air. Crane on the other hand knew the man's attitude towards the other contestants, so he could understand the reasons behind it but seeing Courtney's face of hurt and quietness the doctor had to be the person to reassure her for now, the man laid a hand on her shoulder as she looked at him concerned for Cody's mumbles inaudible under the palm that covered his mouth.
"Do not try to worry, he is still holding quite a few grudges against some of you…it'll pass when he sorts out his feelings." Courtney couldn't say much about the situation, considering the reasons known and left unknown she can't protest nor talk to Cody at all. He had changed, she noticed his eyes were as black as an abyss uncaring and hate still poured and seeped constantly out of them filling her with dread at the sight making her want to close her eyes but she found herself unable, drawn to it as though her guilt forced her into seeing what she had created with the seasons of constant taunting and insults to hurt the man's feelings, all consolidating together to laugh at her now as she saw the broken figure used to be the 'light' of the show with his humour and other attributes now snapping outright at her. She didn't tell him about Duncan but then again, something inside her stomach told her that he had known the situation easily as he looked at her.
"Hello, Detective. Ready for your next challenge? I really wanted to tell you, while you were brooding over the whole number thing…yes, I'm raising the stakes to new heights! Don't you just love the excitement in the air, I would love you to see what I have in store for you starting with a little presentation of your challenge in the Morgue. Enjoy what I have in store for you!" The cheeky voice of the bomber echoed through the hallways, the three now standing there chilled by the man's message of certain death looming at the morgue where dead bodies lay in bags…Crane's expression however seemed to be the most shocked of them all, his eyes wide in terror as a strike of realization swept his thoughts like a tidal wave. Cody noticed this change, but was suddenly cut off by the beep on his communications device in his ear the detective hurriedly put a finger to the receiver and tapped it down to allow himself a listening aid to what was being said most likely Valen on the orphanage.
"Valen, you have the information on the orphanage? Listen, I need new information about something…"
"Cody, it's me." The heavenly woman's voice poured into his ears like a sweet melody, the detective instantly looked concerned at the floor aware of what he was about to hear next. The two others stared at him, now realizing he had a communicating line outside of the asylum and new hopes were raised as Cody spoke softly his tone changed to an almost reprimanding one.
"Gwen? You weren't supposed to know Valen was helping me, how did you get this line? Did you…" His suspicions were knocked aside when Valen's voice spoke through the communicator giving the detective a sigh of relief.
"Don't worry Master Cody. She just wants to speak with you, and by the way…I have no idea what the name of the orphanage was, the records of his adoption is scattered and the area happened to be involved with a fire wiping out most of the information. I do however have a small detail about the adopters, I'm sending one of my old friends to go there right now to ask them about it." Cody smiled slightly, he could always trust his fellow butler with the most heaviest of tasks but now he had to concentrate on the goth's own words as he heard the shuffling of the frequency going back to Gwen.
"Listen, Gwen. I'm sorry but I had to…" Cody started but was silenced when the goth interrupted his words with her own.
"I heard. All about the news and how you were going to face off with the criminal, but I just wanted to say that you should be careful and…maybe, if you gave me another chance." The words struck a chord with the detective who stood there stunned by the subtle invite, he was shocked to say anything really. He had dreamed of the day she would say the very words he wanted to hear, even when he was sulking he heard those words circle his mind everyday from the start of his distancing from Total Drama to now he had tried to keep himself clear of thoughts regarding her…but he soon spoke his reply with the warmest tone Cody could muster since the time he spat at Owen and a miserable life a smile lighting up his face.
"Yes, I would love that." Gwen on the other line felt her cheeks fluster at the calm controlled tone, his answer was very much like the one he had years ago. The situation didn't call for it but then she knew Cody needed all the support he needs and she would be there to help him get through it. The silence was cut off by her soft voice speaking again with a bit of a stutter, obvious by her embarrassment at the silent confession that Cody picked up to his joy.
"Thanks, I-I like you Cody."
"Yeah, I do so too." Cody spoke in reply as he switched off the communicator; his face was warm as well with the flushing he had during the talk. It refreshed him to tell the truth, the girl of his dreams had asked him for a date! What more could he ask for, in fact her words didn't just spur him on but it gave him another reason to keep on living when earlier he had lived a life where he put himself in danger hoping to die by someone else's hand but now…it was so different like his world was turned right around. He turned to Courtney instead of showing her a hated snarl or look, he had a smile on his face as he hung his head in a silent apology the CIT had a confused look on her face.
"Courtney, I'm sorry for yelling at you. I was just too eaten up in my self-hatred all those years, and taking it all out on you was just not right in my mind." The girl seemed to shake off his earlier outburst with a comforting smile of hers, trying to focus now on the current situation than the obvious threat.
"It's alright, Cody. In fact, I should apologize to you for trying to use you in breaking Duncan and Gwen up at the reunion…it has been sticking in my mind with guilt, and this is the only time to say I'm sorry." Cody could just look at her with a raised eyebrow, but he shrugged it off with a light warning about the delinquent as the doctor waved to them to hurry down the hallway.
"Duncan might cheat on you again, you know that right? What would you do then?" Courtney did not have time to answer as Crane yelled at them to hurry it up to the morgue, the two didn't wait to comply as they both saved the conversation for later when they got out to a new fresh start.