I want to thank Fenrir of the Shadows, AccessBlade, and Legend of Zelda 4 Life for reviewing last chapter. Here, you will finally see some action taken to deal with the mysterious poster known as Death Angel. The team will get major help from yet another Tales character making a cameo appearance. This time, it is Jade Curtiss from Tales of the Abyss. The editing of Jade was done by Fenrir of the Shadows, who I thank kindly for the input. So, let's get started!

Namco owns Tales of Symphonia. AccessBlade owns Cameryn Lachance. Fenrir of the Shadows owns Azul Kharlan. Legend of Zelda 4 Life owns Oni Sheikah. I own Cabalina Ashton and Robert Ross.

The shower hissed to a halt as a moderately muscular arm shot out from the curtain and snatched a white towel off the rack. The arm then made its way back through the curtain with the towel clutched around the fingers, like a sandworm devouring its prey in the desert south of Iselia. After a few scratching sounds later, the curtain was pulled back, allowing a teenager to appear through the fog like an apparition. "It's finally the weekend," Lloyd Irving murmured, rustling his unruly brown hair with the towel.

The spiky-haired teen tied the towel around his naked waist. Approaching the sink and peering into the mirror, he grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste. It had been another eventful week for him, to say the least. His father got himself in another complicated case, now dealing with three deaths that occurred under mysterious circumstances. Now Gil was swamped with a whirlwind of activities, not sure when he had to take off at instant notice.

Lloyd filled his cup with water and spread the toothpaste onto his toothbrush. Facing the mirror once more, he gave his mouth a rinse, stuck the brush onto his teeth and scrubbed thoroughly. Somehow, a poster on his website was the one to know the most about these deaths, forcing Lloyd to get involved in the most unlikely way. Lloyd found it odd that each time a death occurred, Death Angel was right there to comment on it, using spiteful language and almost like they were taking credit for each event. How this guy knew so much, Lloyd would never know.

After a few more rinses and brushes, Lloyd put his dental utensils away and preened through his hair with a comb. In the midst of all this, Gil had a crazy plan to keep Death Angel happy. He claimed this was the perfect time to track this mysterious figure, and quite possibly take them into custody. Initially, Lloyd promised to help Gil however necessary, including setting up a chat room to communicate directly with this person. But now, with other posters getting involved and commenting on Death Angel's posts, things were not getting any easier.

The cool air from outside the steamy bathroom chilled Lloyd's skin as the teen stepped out to the hall, holding his old change of underwear. He marched through the second floor and to his room, passing by Gil's door along the way. Inside, Gil was already awake, changed into his regular clothes, and typing away on his laptop. "Dad, do you want the bathroom? I'm done with it, so if you want to shower, here's your chance," Lloyd offered, peering at his father.

Gil lifted his head like a gopher peeking out of its hole. "Thanks Lloyd, but right now I'm a bit tied up," he responded, his eyes alternating between Lloyd and the laptop like a metronome, "I'm planning a meeting with Captain Noishe and the unit later today. They supposedly have this computer and IP expert that can track the posts on your website, so I want to get ready first."

Lloyd tilted an eyebrow, knowing an IP check might trace Death Angel. Hurrying back to his room, Lloyd tossed the towel on his bed and his old boxer briefs into the laundry bin. He then opened his clothes drawer, revealing pairs of clean white boxer briefs. He took the top one and slipped it on, adjusting it left and right before trotting back to his father's room. "So what will this computer expert do?" Lloyd asked, his thumbs dipped into the waistband.

"Based on the website, Death Angel and their cohort of fans posted quite frequently. That means they have pretty easy internet access," Gil replied, not even lifting his head while his fingers pecked away at the keyboard, "If we use when each post was made and track the IP location, we can pinpoint where exactly Death Angel was at that time. Are you with me so far?"

Lloyd nodded. He pressed his shirtless body against Gil's desk, to which Gil pushed the monitor sideways so Lloyd could get a look as well. Gil had each post by Death Angel noted on an extra document, with time and content all organized to a tee. "Are you just going after Death Angel for now, or will the other posters be investigated as well?" Lloyd asked.

Gil shrugged, knowing anything was possible. The internet made any communication between individuals pretty much anonymous. "That is also why we want you to set up that chat room ASAP, in case the IP search turns out inconclusive," Gil explained, turning the laptop back to himself, "If we can put a face to the name, then it will help us flush them out in person."

Lloyd nodded gravely, knowing his role in this operation just became that much more crucial. "I still have a few programs to set on the chat room, but it should be up and running by tonight," he reported, "I still think Colette's idea of trying to contact them in person may be the best way to get Death Angel to show up. What do you think?"

Gil shrugged again. There were still many details to be sorted out, especially with police providing Lloyd an escort should he truly plan to meet Death Angel in person. "It won't hurt to send the invitation first, just to test Death Angel's appetite for a meeting," Gil suggested, "I can bring this idea up in front of the team. Maybe Colette's plan is the one that works in the end?"

Before Lloyd could comment, a soft rumbling sounded off from his stomach. Lloyd lifted a hand from the wood and rubbed his abs, fingers dancing through each part of his developing six-pack. "I don't know about Death Angel's appetite, but I know my appetite is calling me," he stated with a sheepish grin, "Can I get some breakfast first, before we talk more?"

Gil smiled. His son's famous appetite surely got the best of him this time. "Just don't run off to get food in the middle of our operation if it truly involves you. You have to put in full concentration and effort, or our suspect will escape," he warned his son somewhat sarcastically while saving the document on his laptop, "Anyway, I will take a quick shower first, so give me a few minutes. Feel free to start breakfast without me, if your stomach can't wait."

Lloyd smiled back before turning for his room. He slowly rubbed his stomach, his digits somehow made their way to his navel. He rubbed the rim of the deep depression in a circle. "Is Genis starting to rub off me?" Lloyd muttered, remembering when he and Colette kissed on the beach in the evening in Altamira. Both sides had their hands near their navels, and both made comments about making sure Genis didn't see that. "Don't tell me Genis' belly button fanaticism is happening to me, or I'll never live it down."

Entering his closet, Lloyd went to find his usual clothing, laying out his baggy jeans and red T-shirt along with his dark open-fingered gloves on his bed before he got dressed. The teen was happy to just enjoy this short period of normalcy, given it probably would not last for long. Within even a day, things were about to get hectic, and Lloyd didn't know how deep a hole he would be in should Death Angel ever decide to meet him in person.

Another explosion rocked the Sage household as dust, soil, and gravel were shot into the air. Amidst all that, two silver-haired half-elves and an elderly human lady coughed hard and tried to wave the debris away from their faces. "Ugh, what's going on here?" a novice spell caster grumbled, squinting his eyes to see through the smoke.

Genis tried to peer back at Oni through the debris, seeing the rookie police officer with a huge frown on his face. "I've tried everything, but it doesn't seem to be working," Oni groaned, throwing up his arms in exasperation, "I'm following all the steps, I feel the mana in my body, I can kind of tell the difference between the types, but the spell always ends like that!" Oni's body slumped down into a squat, his eyes downcast and his head dipped close to the ground.

Genis bit his lower lip, tilting his eyes to his sister and grandmother. It had been over a week now, and Oni made little progress with actually casting a spell. It took Ricardo only a few days to get Genis to do basic spells, but Genis realized the same was not happening between him and Oni. Was Oni truly struggling that much or was Genis just an ineffective teacher?

"Why don't you guys just take a break for now, and we'll figure something out later?" Lynn suggested, sipping her tea from her seat at the back patio table. In the adjacent seat, Raine also looked on in worry. The two male half-elves were drained physically and emotionally. Nobody would have expected a morning practice between Genis and Oni to turn into such a stressful experience, and things were close to the tipping point for both mages.

Genis and Oni sat on the steps of the deck leading to the backyard, surveying the dust and debris now sprinkled across the lawn and wondering what truly went wrong. "I don't think it's because you used too much mana when you were casting. If you did, then you would have felt a bit dizzy afterwards," Genis stated, recalling his own experience of casting for the first time, "Maybe you were still having trouble sorting out the types of mana?"

"I don't know, and I don't think we're going to know soon," Oni sputtered, holding his head in his hands and shaking it in disappointment. All he wanted to do was to try out mana casting, to get in touch with his elven side, and to learn an art that was nearly lost through history. He did everything according to Genis' instructions, but why was he still failing?

"Is there another method that you can use to approach the actual casting step?" Raine asked, her tone filled with care and concern, "I know when I was learning healing mana, I had to go to the injured area and feel the mana there. That way, I can sense the mana balance in the body and see if a slight change to that will make things better for the person. Perhaps there is some other route through the body that the mana can go through before shooting out?"

Genis paused, tilting his eyes back and forth between his sister and his student. Raine's comment reminded him of his own strange experience with mana and spell casting, which let him create a unique technique that he could still use successfully today. Would Oni be better off to learn this method instead? Taking one more look at the blond half-elf, especially with his Loni-Kyle shirt, Genis decided to take a gamble. "Raine, I want you to help me get some stuff," he requested, "This may help Oni with his spell. Can we go inside the house first?"

Raine tilted an eyebrow at Genis. She slowly got out of her seat and followed her brother back into the house. Oni was left looking on confused as Lynn waved at the vacant chair beside her. "I wonder what they're up to," Oni commented, easing himself into the seat.

Lynn shrugged. Being Genis' lone parental figure since the boy was six, Lynn knew what Genis was like when a source of inspiration hit. "Once he figures out what to do and how to do it, there's almost no stopping him," she described, "It's the way he is with everything, not just with mana casting or schoolwork. It's quite remarkable to watch if you're around him."

Oni took a peek through the window on the back door, trying to peer through the drawn shades. Genis was still prancing around the house, with Raine hesitantly or confusedly following him. "So if Genis is like that whenever he's inspired, then won't some people find his personality too quirky to deal with?" Oni asked, turning to face Lynn again.

Lynn smiled and nodded. "If my grandson is convinced he can trust and respect you, he'll give you his unconditional loyalty. But if that trust and respect is lost, then good luck getting that back," she explained, taking another sip of tea and enjoying the cool spring breeze, "Genis may not have a hundred friends, but all the ones he bonds well with are those he'll probably keep forever. Lloyd and Colette are the best examples, along with a few other people in his school."

Oni nodded, seemingly understanding why the last incident when Genis offered to be a teacher to someone affected the boy that drastically. Not only did that girl betray Genis' trust and respect by refusing to listen, she also refused to take responsibility of her actions by blaming Genis for being harsh despite getting multiple chances. In Oni's mind, anyone, not just Genis, would see that as a huge blow to a friendship. It only solidified Oni's resolve cherish the many relationships he had, including friendships with Azul and Genis, and with his girlfriend at home.

Just then, Genis returned with Raine, both holding many items of interest. These included a lighter, a glass of water with ice cubes in it, a cellphone charger in which Genis asked Raine to plug into an outlet, and a small electric handheld fan. "What you're about to see is something I told you about at that scouts' camp," Genis stated, removing his vest, followed by his shirt, "If you get the idea behind this trick, then you'll be the second person in the world to cast like this."

Oni scratched his head, watching Genis fold up his shirt and placed it near his grandmother's teacup. The young half-elf then grabbed the fleece vest again, putting it back on but leaving it unbuttoned. Oni turned to Raine and Lynn, both of whom had sly smiles on their faces. Genis grabbed the lighter and lit it, placing the open, flickering flame right in front of his exposed navel. "Watch this," he announced to Oni with a smirk. Then, before Oni could even react, Genis rolled his belly once and shouted, "Fireball!"

To Oni's bewilderment, several balls of flame shot into the sky, coming right out of the round and deep depression on Genis' abdomen. Even though Oni heard about it briefly, never in his life had he seen something that unusual. "How did you do that?" he cried out in amazement.

Genis chuckled. "It's a trick a developed courtesy of a 9-1-1 call, a girl in distress, and my sister's rancid green curry," he beamed with pride, all the while Raine gaped at her brother's attempt to belittle her cooking skills. "It all happened about six months ago…"

Oni listened intently to Genis explain how mana external to the body might affect the internal balance. With the navel being the centre of the body, where all mana must go through, it was more sensitive to different elementals. "That's why another area that may feel tingly when a surplus of mana is around is the spine, which is on the other side of the body but at the same height as your belly button," Genis stated, gesturing at each body part, "If there is an overload of a certain type of mana around your belly button, you may cast a spell of that element without fully controlling it. If you can control what mana is nearby, you can control the spell."

Oni nodded thoughtfully as Genis demonstrated with the plugged-in charger. "Courtesy of my own cellphone," Genis declared with a grin, placing the other end of the wire near his belly button once more, "Now, Lightning!" Genis yelled, letting a bolt flare from his body.

The demonstration continued with Genis turning on the fan, blowing air around his uncovered stomach for casting Wind Blade. The final one was with the glass of water, which still had ice cubes floating in it. "Are you trying to cast both spells at once, Genis?" Raine asked her brother, taking the fan from him while handing him the glass.

Genis shot everyone a sly look, the grin of his face inerasable. He pressed the glass around his stomach once more while Lynn, Raine, and Oni watched anxiously. Right now, the young half-elf was trying to do what had never been attempted before, probably not even by the most skilled casters in the world. The ice cubes in the glass started clinking against each other, the ice mana squeezing together and the water rippling slightly. Genis felt perspiration dripping down from his mullet-like silver hair and his temples. He concentrated hard on separating not one, but two elements. If he could master this trick, he could very well be making history.

Then, taking a huge breath, Genis rolled his stomach once more and unleashed the mana. Tilting the glass outwards into the yard, three spinning water disks blasted out while a series of sharp icicles followed suit, flying a few feet before landing in the grass. Behind him, Lynn, Raine, and Oni applauded and cheered. "Way to go, Genis!" Lynn exclaimed.

Genis grinned sheepishly. "The spells could have been a bit better," he commented, placing the half-empty glass back on the patio table, "The water disks should have been more unison and the icicles could have shot out smoother. Not bad for a first attempt though."

"Not bad? You pretty much made history here!" Raine shouted, nearly jumping over the table, "You've got to do that again so I can study what the exact method was. If a mage can truly control more than one type of mana at a time, then…"

Before Raine could say more, the phone from inside the house rang, causing Lynn to excuse herself. As the grey-haired woman departed, Oni also whipped out his cellphone. "I was told to be on standby today," he informed Genis and Raine, "Apparently, Sergeant Irving may be holding an emergency meeting with an expert for our case, and we're to make our way to the station whenever that expert is ready. Who knows when that will be?" Oni ended with a shrug.

Genis shrugged as well. "Either way, I figure if you still have problems separating mana types within the body, then just pick the element before you cast and use your belly button," he suggested, "You can only cast a spell consistent with the element present, but I'm sure you're resourceful enough to find a way." From beside Genis, Raine's eyes twinkled like stars, relishing in the opportunity to study this unique spell casting technique.

Raine's hopes were dashed when Lynn called her granddaughter in, claiming the phone was for her. The older woman nearly had to drag Raine into the house, leaving Genis and Oni there gawking in shock. Oni had limited interaction with Raine, having done only one interview with her. But after hearing things about her by word of mouth from Azul and Genis, the blond officer now truly knew why she was labelled as the archaeology and history maniac.

Turning back to Genis, Oni saw the young half-elf hold up each item to him, gesturing to the Loni-Kyle shirt. "With your belly button always uncovered, I say it's the perfect casting method for you anyway," Genis observed, "Just make sure you keep your belly button clean at all times. The last thing you want is some lint or dirt in there making the spell inaccurate. It's also why I will never cast Stone Blast with my belly, given how much residue that would leave."

Oni winced again. He never really considered the navel as an area of priority. Besides, he felt touching the inside of the depression gave off a strange sensation up and down his abdomen, something he never quite got used to. Slowly standing up, he asked timidly, "Is there a third way to cast other than the traditional method and yours? It's just that, with how things are…"

Genis placed down the items and marched up to the taller half-elf, staring down the young man who towered over Genis by more than a foot. Within a flash, Genis' left hand clutched the black Loni-Kyle shirt and, in an unexpected move, jabbed his right index finger straight into Oni's navel. "If you do not clean your belly button, then I will not teach you any more spells. Got it?" Genis roared, sending a poke in with each word.

Oni could only squeeze his face in reaction to the strange sensation shooting up and down his body. Staggering off like a drunk, when Genis released him, the rookie officer rubbed his abs in an attempt to get rid of the weird feeling. From the corner of Oni's eye, he could see Genis returning to the table, taking off his vest and putting his shirt back on. "It's your choice, Oni," Genis warned, slipping his vest back on, "Clean it or no more spells."

Before Oni could respond, his cellphone rang, causing the blond half-elf to lean against the wall for support. Fishing the object out from his pocket, Oni took a deep breath before flipping it open. "Hello?" he greeted the caller weakly, his free hand still massaging his abs.

"Oni, it's Gil Irving," the caller responded from the other side, "Our expert witness will be ready to meet with our unit this afternoon, so please drop by the station after lunch. By the way, are you okay back there? You sound like you're being tortured or something, with the way you just answered the phone. Where are you and what's going on?"

Oni glanced over at Genis, who no longer had his attention on the officer. Genis now had a goofy grin on his face, lifting his shirt under his unbuttoned vest. Holding the shirt up with his left hand, the boy prodded his navel with his right, poking and wiggling it nonstop. What would Gil think if Oni told him Genis' fanaticism went overboard, making him the latest victim? "I'm at the Sage household right now, and Genis just taught me how to cast using my belly button. I think you know what happened next," Oni eked out, "Can I come to the station at one p.m.?"

The officers filed into their unit conference room, anxious to hear what this guest speaker had to say. From what Gil told them over the phone, the man was an expert with computer and communications technologies, and was willing to offer his services to the team for tracking IP addresses. "Captain Noishe and I independently identified a person on my novel's webpage that may be of interest, and we're pushing our investigation that way," Gil described to each member.

And there was the team on this Saturday afternoon, waiting patiently for Noishe to bring in the visitor. Gil was the last to step into the room, taking the closest seat to the right side of the speaker's podium. On Gil's other side, Presea was busy shuffling her notes around. She helped interrogate many suspects and went through mountains of evidence. But it was her knowledge in Gil's novel that made her insight particularly useful. Her progress in reading the book allowed her to make some eerie comparisons between what Gil wrote and what happened in real life.

Tilting her head to the left, Presea could see Gil rubbing his cheeks, his brows furrowed in anxiety. The usually unflappable staff sergeant was clearly suffering from the stress of dealing with this seemingly unsolvable case. Earlier, Presea informed Gil of her theory of how this novel fan was turning fiction into reality. In turn, Gil instructed Presea to report the similarities to everyone else, in hopes that this could at least narrow their search for this mysterious killer.

"Alright, can I have everyone's attention please?" Noishe's voice cut into the crowd as a newcomer followed the former Protozoan into the conference room. From the officers' angle, the guest was a bespectacled man in his late thirties, stood about six feet three inches tall, and had long brown hair that touched the shoulders. He had on a dark suit jacket and pants, while a light blue dress shirt was underneath the coat. "If we're all ready, then let's start the meeting."

The officers all pulled out their notebooks and pens, listening to Noishe recap the case so far. "We had three mysterious deaths in the past two weeks, and all seemed improbable," he began, "The first was at a scouts' camp, where the deceased, a campsite maintenance worker named John Walker, was crushed to death by a sign. When Azul, Oni, and Cabalina investigated, they found the chains holding the sign were cut, leaving a metallic residue in the soil. Azul, can you please elaborate on the findings from that case so far?" Noishe requested.

From the first seat to the captain's left, Azul flipped through his notebook. "We found that the deceased had a spat with his original supplier, which led to a fight between them," Azul listed, his eyes scanning down each line like a photocopier, "The deceased had an affair with the supplier's wife, which led to the supplier informing Walker's own wife. It led to the breaking down of both the contract between the supplier and Walker, and the relationship between Walker and his wife. Then shortly after that, Walker was crushed to death by the sign."

Noishe nodded, thanking the elf for the update. "While we got all that information back to go through, another strange case occurred, this time at the University of Iselia. Andy Linton, research assistant and graduate student of Professor Miguel Albane, was electrocuted to death by a fish tank. But this time, we have a couple of witnesses who pointed to the appearance of one individual. I'll let Oni tell us about this one," Noishe suggested, gesturing at the blond half-elf.

From between Azul and Cabalina, Oni flipped through his notes as well. "Azul and I went to the Sage household where we interviewed Raine Sage. She's the graduate student and research assistant in the Brunel lab, which is just next door to the Albane lab," he pointed out, "Raine did say someone with red hair was on the renovation team, which was consistent with the testimony the sergeant did with Sheena Fujibyashi, a visiting scholar. It seems like the redhead also visited the campsite where Walker died as well, and we're supposed to follow up on that case. I believe Cabalina did the interview with him, yes?" Oni asked.

The pony-tailed brunette to Oni's left nodded. "The man is named Frank Warner, and he's contracted to supply materials for the renovation job at the campsite. He was present on the day Walker died, but claimed not to have seen anything, courtesy of his van breaking down. Since Sheena and Raine only claimed to have seen Warner after I did my interview with him, I couldn't do a follow-up of that. However, he claims to have evidence showing why he was there at the time of death, but has yet to turn any of that in," she concluded with her lips pursed.

Noishe nodded again. "Cameryn tried to call Mr. Warner afterwards, but there has been no response yet, correct?" he asked the strawberry blond secretary, "But at the same time, you also noticed something unusual in the killings, as in there might be a pattern?"

"That's correct," Cameryn agreed to both of Noishe's points, "While I haven't had any luck with Mr. Warner, I was told that both deaths mirrored the killings in Sergeant Irving's novel. In fact, Presea, who had been reading the book so far, first pointed this out to me." Cameryn then turned to the pink-haired officer seated between herself and Gil.

Presea thanked Cameryn before explaining her comparisons. "The killings in real life are in the exact order as the killings in Gil's novel. The methods are quite similar too," she informed the group, describing each detail with pinpoint precision, "But the interesting thing is, we have a third death, this time occurring outside a martial arts dojo involving an escaped suspect from the Major Crimes Unit. And believe it or not, the details mirror the book's third death too."

The team paid close attention to Presea's idea. She noted that gas lamps were available in the past when electric lights were not as common. "Gil had his killer open a crack on a gas lamp, which the target lit every night as part of his job. When the target tried to light it, the seeping gas lit up the flame, and the target died via burning," Presea explained, her head alternating between her notes and the pages in her copy of Gil's book, "Forensics reports from the dojo death indicate that the gas lamp used had been tampered with, and the deceased was burned to death when leaking gas from the pumping caught fire. It's another murder that mimics the novel."

Noishe nodded once more. "Both Gil and I did independent searches on certain fan clubs that Gil might have regarding his novel, and it turns out that Gil's own son is running the biggest and most well-known club online." Noishe plugged the unit laptop into the projector, showing the homepage to Lloyd's website. "There is this poster going by Death Angel who commented on each death shortly after it occurred, each time using rather abusive language. Gil and I both decided that this may be a direction we can take the case, right Gil?"

"That's correct, and I've actually asked Lloyd not to delete this person from the website yet," Gil answered, his eyes glued to the projection screen as Noishe clicked on Death Angel's profile, "If we can do an IP search to locate the user's internet connection, then we can limit to where Death Angel usually hangs out, and potentially put a face to their name. I also went to the martial arts dojo with Presea, and the owner was kind enough to turn his security tapes into police custody. We actually caught a glimpse of what the killer may have looked like, so we're trying to find a way to connect the individual to the internet posts."

"I believe you claimed the culprit was a tall, red-haired man who picked the lock to the back door, right?" Noishe asked, "And you cleared everyone in the dojo already?"

Gil nodded. "They only have one red-haired fighter, and that's Reid Hershel," he replied, "I managed to get him to try picking a lock for me, and taped him with my cellphone. According to Azul, our unit expert in picking locks, Reid doesn't have a clue on what to do. He not only failed in picking the lock, he almost damaged it. Lucky for the dojo, the damage wasn't too great and I was able to retrieve the drugs from the locker belonging to the deceased. And lucky for my wallet, Reid's failure to pick the lock means I don't have to take him out to an all-you-can-eat buffet. Can you imagine how much I may have to pay if the restaurant charges me extra for how much Reid would have eaten, given his appetite?" Gil finished amidst laughter from the team.

Noishe tried to stifle his own laughter while introducing the man to his left. "This is Jade Curtiss from the SIU. He was hired a few months ago to oversee the unit's communications and technology after fifteen years in the military. To put it another way, he's like Presea's replacement in the SIU, taking over her role after Presea left the SIU to join our unit. Jade, the floor is yours," the former Protozoan concluded, stepping to the side.

Jade gave a weird smirk before approaching the podium. "Nice bit of storytelling from you guys earlier, at least in terms of summarizing the book and the current events. But to solve this case, it'll take more than an overactive imagination by our staff sergeant," Jade pointed out, gesturing at Gil, "I'll run an IP check on the website, isolating and identifying each post by Death Angel. If you please, Sergeant, can I see the posts?"

Gil handed Jade a set of notes containing all of Death Angel's posts, including time of posting and a short summary of each. "I also cross-referenced them to actual time of death and how long it would take the killer to possibly get home or to the nearest place with internet access," Gil informed the SIU technology expert, who read the page emotionlessly, "Do you think we can limit the area in which Death Angel may have been in when the post was made?"

Jade smirked again. "If we have enough information, we can even find out where they live and if they're online right now. Big Brother is certainly watching Death Angel now," he added with a chuckle, "Now let's see what this baby can do." With that, Jade turned to his own laptop. With squinted eyes, Jade typed in the data, trying to follow Gil's note closely. From around the conference room table, all the officers looked on with curiosity and anxiety.

Jade's fingers blasted through the keyboard, activating multiple systems at a time. "For anyone who is technologically deficient, I'm running the IP search right now," Jade explained, pushing his glasses back on his nose while waiting patiently, "This will look at where the poster accessed the internet and with what provider. Before the recent upgrades, the SIU can only run searches on one post at a time. Now, thanks to a system upgrade, we can input multiple posts."

Presea nodded thoughtfully. "I recall helping set up that system shortly before I came to this unit," she stated, thinking back to the short period of time between when she had the Cruxis Crystal removed and when she came over. After she was cleared of any wrongdoing, she spent a few more weeks in the SIU before coming to Gil's unit. One thing she did at that time was to set up the basics of this program. She didn't get a chance to see the finished product, but she was glad it worked out okay. "So are you now in charge of this whole program, Jade?" she asked.

"So you're Presea Combatir? Captain Burton keeps mentioning you in the SIU," Jade responded with a smile, "I heard all sorts of great things about you, although being controlled by a Cruxis Crystal can't be fun. Is everything going better now, with that thing removed from your collar?" Jade inquired, disconnecting Noishe's laptop while plugging his own into the projector.

"It's much better, actually," Presea replied, "At least I don't always have my emotions subdued, and I actually feel like my life isn't always at risk. I get to enjoy life a lot more than I could with that thing on, and that's why I'm picking up on my hobbies like collecting paw pads or reading Gil's mystery novel. Anyway, what do you think of the IP system so far?"

Jade tilted his eyes back to his laptop, which was now spitting out results onto the screen. "It's definitely better with the upgrades added after you left. You certainly left a good backbone for us to add the meat onto," Jade answered, clicking buttons and flipping through files in a mechanical pace, "Although for the same job in the unit, they sure found two very different people to do it, at least in terms of appearance. I'm what, two feet taller than you?"

Before Presea could even show her shock from Jade's comment, Jade announced the IP results. "We have several areas of interest here," he pointed out, transcribing the access points onto a city map, "A few posts came from this mall near the downtown area. I believe the mall has Wi-Fi or some station where people can surf the net. Does anyone know?" Jade asked.

Gil squinted at the map now showing on the screen. "I think that may be the mall where I held my book signing event," he stated, trying to recall the details, "I'm pretty sure there is internet access available there. Assuming Death Angel is associated with or is the actual killer, you think they might be a regular visitor to that mall?"

"Our great writer is a step ahead here," Jade complimented Gil somewhat sarcastically, "It's likely that the killer might have gone to that mall. Assuming they're a fan of the book, I won't be surprised if the killer got an autograph at the signing event. Are we sure the redhead from the security video is the killer, or am I a blind man leading a team of blind people?"

The team glanced at each other apprehensively, not sure if it was the confounding difficulty in linking Death Angel to the killer, or the somewhat off-putting attitude of Jade Curtiss that was bothering them more. Jade seemed like a mix of Gil Irving's brains and Robert Ross' sarcasm, making things awkward for the group. Why was it that of all the people they could have chosen to lead the IP search, they had to get one with such a dry sense of humour?

Despite the strange silence, Jade soldiered on. "We have a few other areas, although they seem to be all over town," he continued, pointing his mouse at various places, "I've got a ragbag of places here, including industrial areas, hotel and tourist areas, and some commercial buildings. I even have a building in the University of Iselia campus too. Anything sound familiar here?"

Suddenly, a round of chatter appeared from the officers, all of them comparing notes and locations. Sensing some inspiration, Noishe informed Jade of the discoveries. "We believe the killer is proficient in metallurgy, electronics, and probably lighting equipment. Industrial areas may have metal works, and buildings like hotels and businesses will be powered by lots of wires and other electronics. One death occurred in the university, so that may also be a lead. It feels like Death Angel may be related to this in some way," he commented.

Jade nodded. Clearing his throat loudly, he asked the group what their plans were. "It's obvious that you school kids want to track down this guy," he announced, "I want to warn you that an IP address may indicate where the person went at that time, but not necessarily their permanent location. While I can take a day or two to map where Death Angel posted from at each given time, seeing them face-to-face is still up to you. So do you have anything in mind?"

Just then, Gil raised his hand, silencing the room as he stared forward. "Captain, Jade, my son and I have been talking about this user. I think it's in our best interests to see Death Angel in person, if they are indeed making death threats and such on the website," Gil declared, "Lloyd sent an invitation to meet with Death Angel already, but if we can meet them at the mall shown on the IP search, then it may work to our advantage. It's an environment that Death Angel most likely feels most comfortable in, given the frequent appearances, but we also have the area narrowed down for a police operation. Is everyone willing to hear out my idea?"

"Okay Lloyd, here's what will happen at the mall," Gil explained, showing Lloyd a map of the area. By the time Gil returned home from the meeting with his unit, Lloyd already got a response from Death Angel agreeing to meet in person. Luckily, Death Angel offered to meet at the very mall where Gil had his book signing event, making life a lot easier for Gil and his team. After relaying the message to everyone, Gil turned to brief his son on the events.

"According to the location, the area where I did my signing was here. This is the main lobby of the mall that links directly to the main entrance," Gil pointed to the place on the map with his pen, "There are a few seats and benches along this area. Since you'll be carrying my laptop with you, I say plop yourself down onto one of those seats and keep your eyes peeled for the lobby. It could very well be that Death Angel will approach from the surrounding aisles."

Lloyd nodded with interest, trying to remember all the details. It had been nearly a year since he went on any undercover missions. The last time he did so, Gil was still a mole in Cruxis, and Lloyd was literally dragged along for the ride. Now, Lloyd was aware of the events, and even requested to be involved. That was when it dawned on Lloyd regarding how far he came.

But even so, the spiky-haired teen was still unsure of some details. "There will be a way for me to communicate with you, right?" he asked his father, "Won't it be clumsy if I have to hold your computer on my lap and my cellphone to my ear at the same time?"

Gil nodded. "That's why we're going to put a mike on you before you go into the mall," he answered, pointing to the parking lot area, "I spoke with Captain Burton of the SIU, and he agreed to send a few officers over to coordinate communications efforts. It doesn't hurt that Presea Combatir from my unit used to do that role in the SIU, so I think we'll be fine on that front. Do you want me to show you how that will work, or do you want to hear about that later?"

"Later is fine. We'll have another briefing with the team before the operation starts tomorrow, right?" Lloyd replied, rubbing his cheeks anxiously, "Anyway, what will happen once I get connected to the chat room? Do I just ask Death Angel to show up or something?"

Gil nodded gravely. "Unfortunately, internet communication often means both sides are anonymous. Death Angel has no idea you are Twin Swordsman, and vice versa. Because of this, the only thing you can do is to tell Death Angel your location and hope they can track you down from wherever they are," Gil described, scanning the map again, "Our team will be located in and around the lobby. It doesn't hurt that there's a second floor balcony overlooking it, so I will be somewhere up here to keep an eye on everything, as well as help coordinate my team," Gil concluded by drawing an imaginary circle around the area question with his finger.

Lloyd stuck his head into the map as he tried to figure out where everybody would be located. There were food courts, clothing stores, computer stores, even janitorial closets near the area. Assuming the police placed one officer at every second or third store, they would have enough people to surround the lobby. Would that be enough to scare off Death Angel? "What if Death Angel doesn't show up, and instead tells me to go to where they are?" Lloyd queried.

"We'll have officers around the main lobby area, so the idea is to get Death Angel to come to you, rather than you go to them. But if they aren't making it easy for you, then you'll have to use every means necessary, at least within a chat room, to get Death Angel to come over," Gil responded, scratching his goatee in thought, "Nonetheless, during police operations, anything may happen. If Death Angel chooses to disappear on you, then it'll make things harder for the rest of us. We'll have to make sure their IP location remains in that mall."

With that, Gil turned to a set of documents prepared for him by Jade Curtiss. Earlier, despite having to take a couple of days to sort through IP addresses, Jade did leave enough for Gil to track the IP addresses in the mall. "The mall has its own code in accessing the internet," Gil pointed out, flipping through the pages, "Jade told me that it's possible for the SIU to just focus on the chat room and check if the participants are logged in via that IP address. I spoke with Captain Burton regarding this already, so it shouldn't be a problem if Death Angel takes off on you. We just have to make sure this person stays within the mall."

Lloyd nodded. So far, the procedure seemed easy enough. He just had to do whatever it took to keep Death Angel within the mall. Even if Death Angel refused to go to the main lobby to meet Lloyd, the SIU could still keep an eye on things via the IP address search, notifying Gil whenever Death Angel planned on leaving. Plus, with so many sets of eyes watching the main lobby area, there was no way Death Angel could try anything funny, right? "So what will happen if Death Angel does indeed appear? What should I do then?" Lloyd asked.

Gil stared at his son emotionlessly, his dark brown eyes becoming a black. "If Death Angel does appear, then my team will proceed," Gil answered, spelling out each word carefully among the silence that now descended upon them, "Death Angel may try to escape or even use you as a hostage. This is why I'm reluctant to get you involved, as this is someone who may be involved, directly or indirectly, in several murders. If the situation gets out of control and anything happens to you, then I will never forgive myself. Do you understand?"

Lloyd stayed silent for a few seconds, leaning his forehead on his clasped hands which stood on his elbows. He was still confidant and determined to make a difference, but with things as unpredictable as Gil claimed, the risk was greater than he had anticipated. Was he truly ready to defend himself, if not get out of the way, when things got troublesome?

Shaking his head once more, Lloyd was adamant on making it work. "It reminds me of Emil and Ratatosk when they resealed Niflheim, and Emil wanted to use his own body to do it," the teen recalled, "Ratatosk split himself in half so that Emil could still live out the rest of his life with Marta, but it was Emil's determination that pushed this through. He knew the danger the world was in, and was willing to sacrifice himself. While I, and probably my namesake, would not approve of that, I can understand why Emil did it. And this is why I will take this task, just so we can put this serial killer behind bars and have not even one more person be harmed."

Gil pursed his lips. Maybe this was his son's attempt to show resolve, and to truly take on a more mature outlook at life. But still, knowing the immense pressure on every party, Gil had to make sure no one messed up tomorrow. Lives were at stake, and everything must be perfect. "I wish you and everyone involved the best of luck, because we may just require it," Gil stated.

"Colette, what are you doing here?" Lloyd asked in shock as the police prepared to place a microphone onto his shirt. Originally, Lloyd did not expect Colette to come, making it clear it was an operation that he was taking alone. Yet somehow, here was his girlfriend in the flesh, standing just to the side and away from the police team, but still close enough to get the teen's attention. So to see the blond girl standing nearby was certainly a pleasant surprise for him.

"Well, I did recall you wanting to take action against Death Angel, and you did tell me it's today, so I thought I'd come by," Colette responded, her tone positive but showing signs of worry, "I'll just stay outside the mall while you do your thing, so I won't be in your way. But I just want to wish you the best and hope everything will be alright."

Lloyd thanked the SIU officer who clipped the microphone onto the right lapel of the teen's red polo shirt. Lloyd then pulled a fleece jacket over that, covering the mike from open view. "Try to talk normally," the officer instructed Lloyd, who now picked up his father's laptop, "We have to see if everyone can still hear you with that jacket on."

Lloyd turned to face Colette as officers surrounding them left. Lloyd heard about Gil's team members many times before, but it was the first time to see everyone in action. Even the secretary Cameryn showed up to relay some messages regarding other developments in the case, but the strawberry blonde would not be part of the operation. "Colette, don't worry about it. With all these officers watching me, I'm sure I'll be fine," Lloyd assured his girlfriend.

Colette bit her lower lip and tilted her eyes away, strands of golden locks draping over the side of her face. "It's just I don't know what will happen when you do confront them. If this is really our mass murderer, they may not hesitate to hurt you. I can't possibly imagine what they may put you through!" Colette fretted, her body shaking slightly.

Lloyd tilted his head slightly, watching his girlfriend's blue irises glisten with moisture. "I still remember when I had that Cruxis Crystal on, and turned into a monster at that hospital," Colette recalled emotionally, "I lost control of my body and was about to go on a destructive rampage with Mrs. Sage. I somehow ended up at the front of the hospital, and the police arrived with their guns drawn. Then, before anything bad happened, you jumped in front of them and told them not to shoot. You even promised you would heal me, and made sure I would be alright. You do remember all that, right?"

Lloyd nodded. Even today, he couldn't quite explain why he did what he did. But when Lloyd saw the police ready to gun down Colette, something in his mind just clicked. "Even before that happened, I found it so hard being without you. I had to know that you were alright again," Lloyd described, recalling how he charged in instinctively, "So when you were being threatened like that, I jumped in without hesitation. I didn't want you to get hurt, if not killed."

"And that's the point, Lloyd!" Colette responded, her body tightening, her fists clenching, and her eyes coated with a steely determination, "You were so brave and strong back then, doing all that to make sure I was alright. And I know that strength comes from your kindness, since you were nothing but kind since I first met you more than ten years ago. But kind people also get hurt very easily, and I just don't want to see you hurt." Colette reached in and grabbed Lloyd's free hand, taking her boyfriend by surprise. "You made sure I was alright when I was a monster, so the least I can do is hope that you'll be alright when you face Death Angel in that mall."

Lloyd swallowed hard. He knew since the Cruxis fiasco that the bond between him and Colette was strong, but now it only grew stronger as they had to face imminent danger. "Thank you, Colette," Lloyd replied, nearly crying himself, "I promise you I'll make it out unscathed. I had a really hard time without you, and I know you feel the same way. I love you, Colette." With that, he pulled in and pressed his lips against hers. It didn't matter that Lloyd was in a police operation, and officers were being assembled even as they kissed. The two young lovers let themselves meld together as one, the whole world around them just turning into a blur.

It would be a few more seconds before a nearby officer told Lloyd to get ready. "Colette, I didn't know you came," Gil observed. His team arrived just in time to watch the two teens part ways. "I don't know how long the operation will take, so no one can give you a ride home for the moment. Do you want me to call Frank just before we start?" Gil suggested.

Colette shook her head. "Even though I'm not going into the mall, I still want to stay close, just to show Lloyd my support," she insisted, "Maybe I'll just find a spot at the far end of the parking lot or something. I think there are benches along the sidewalk, right?" Colette asked, gesturing at the wide lot now filled with the cars of Sunday shoppers.

Gil clacked his tongue. While he appreciated Colette's undying support for Lloyd, having her alone in such a dangerous operation was still risky. Turning around, he scanned the crowd for a moment before laying his eyes on the only person not involved in the operation. "Cameryn, are you going home yet? If you don't have anything to do in the next hour or so, can you accompany Colette, just to keep her safe?" he requested, waving the bespectacled secretary over.

Cameryn glanced at Colette, which reminded her of the last time she tried to protect another young lady. While Kate's incident ended in disaster, Cameryn was adamant that history did not repeat itself. "Of course, Sergeant," she answered, "I'll keep my eyes on Colette for the moment. We can help you observe the surroundings in case Death Angel makes a run for it."

Gil nodded in gratitude. Gesturing at the officers, he proceeded to getting the team inside the mall. Captain Noishe was waiting for them, just to put everyone in the correct position. "And regarding Mr. Frank Warner," Gil called back to Cameryn, "What exactly is the message he left on the unit line? Will he actually bring in his evidence?"

Cameryn nodded as well. "Mr. Warner claims he has all the evidence prepared and is willing to bring them in sometime next week," Cameryn stated, "The message was left just after we ended the meeting with Jade Curtiss yesterday. I picked it up this morning when I dropped by the unit to grab our operation plans before coming to the mall. Due to this mission, I didn't get back to him yet. If you can arrange a time by Monday, I can tell Mr. Warner when to drop by."

Gil thanked Cameryn before turning around and heading straight for the mall with his son. While Gil's unit and Noishe prepared inside, the handful of SIU officers boarded their van once more and drove off to a more isolated area in the parking lot. This was to stay out of sight, but also to limit distractions around them. That left Cameryn and Colette all to themselves. "Do you think they'll find what they're looking for?" Colette asked as they headed for the sidewalk.

Cameryn could only shrug helplessly. While the plan was edited and fine-tuned to perfection, there were still many things that could go wrong. Right now, the only thing they could do was hope and maintained their faith in the team. "Whatever will happen, there's only one thing for certain," Cameryn responded, "Death Angel is about to meet Twin Swordsman."

I included several references to TOS: DotNW in here, particularly Lloyd's comments about Emil and Ratatosk. Also, Colette's dialogue with Lloyd at the mall is similar to the one she has with him in Flanoir in DotNW. Other than that, the action will pick up right when the next chapter is posted. Thanks for reading and hope to see you then!