SSV: Project S.T.A.T.I.C. Part 1

Chapter 8

Jake, Beth, and Pam appeared outside of the MPD. A young female officer nearly jumped out of her skin when they stepped out of the shadows. "Nothing to see here," Pam said, casually as she followed behind Jake, "I believe we have an appointment, though."

"Uhm, they do," the officer said, gesturing to Jake and Beth, "I don't think that even with Mr. Blackridge's authorization that you need to speak with-"

"She's with me," Beth cut her off, "If Dr. Murray wants to speak with us, then she's coming in too. She's got talents that will prove useful in getting the good doctor to open up."

"Uh, I'm just not sure that's such a good idea," the officer said.

Pam rolled her eyes and used a fraction of her abilities on the girl. "Janey, dear, who are you to argue?" she asked, startling the young woman, "I understand that you're trying to do your job, and that you're just trying to follow the rules. This won't get in the way of any promotion for you, I assure you. You still have the chance to do something important, but let us work and do our jobs."

"How did you-" Janey started.

"As The Feral said, I have certain talents that will prove invaluable to this case," Pam answered, "Now, be a good girl and resume your patrol."

The trio walked past her and left Janey standing dumbfounded. "Did you have to read her mind?" Jake asked once they were a short distance away.

"We don't have time to argue," Pam replied, "I didn't look too deep into her mind, just enough to get her name and her biggest hope. Honestly, I wasn't even looking for the last part."

"It just seems so invasive," Jake said.

"This isn't the time for standing on moral principle, or have you forgotten the serial killer and an undead sociopath waiting for us?" Pam countered, "I made a choice, it worked, and we should move on before something else goes awry."

"Can you two argue after we've gotten what we need from Dr. Murray?" Beth asked as they approached the steps, "Not for nothing, but if we're talking morals, we can always debate Alexis."

"Okay, okay," Jake said, "You're right, we don't have time to waste."

The three of them walked into the lobby of the MPD. Detectives, officers, and analysts moved about the room or sat at their desks pouring over files. Zoey was in the back talking with a couple of detectives. All eyes turned to the three of them as they entered, and there was a bit of tension that crept into the room that none of them could explain. "What the hell are you all staring at?!" Zoey demanded, noticing the three of them and the silence that was creeping in, "We've still got criminals to catch, work to do, and you're not getting paid to stand around and gawk!"

Almost immediately, the room returned to the prior hustle and bustle from just seconds ago. Zoey shook her head as she crossed the room to greet her friends. "I take it that not everyone is happy with the current state of affairs," Pam remarked as they approached.

"They're on edge after what happened at the Tower last night," Zoey sighed, "Seeing all those bodies, all that blood, it reminded a lot of them of the way things were when Goth took over. Demons, witches, and now zombies running around everywhere. You'd think we were living in some trashy horror movie or something. It was bad enough when the Babydoll killer returned, but now we've got a woman back from the dead eating civilians. A lot of the team was spooked when they saw what became of the only survivor."

"How is Allison?" Beth asked, "Any improvements?"

"She's in a padded cell scared of anything that moves," Zoey replied, "Doctors can't seem to isolate whatever is causing her to react the way she is. Toxicology is still waiting on a final analysis, but the doctors seem to think that it could be a lifelong psychological issue for her. Whatever she was given, it's going to always be a problem for her."

"Shit," Beth said, "We need to find out where Courtney is, and what she's planning before more people fall victim to her."

"Agreed," Jake said, "Where is Dr. Murray?"

"Interrogation room three," Zoey answered, motioning for them to follow her, "Come on, I'll show you where the lunatic is."

The three of them followed Zoey into the back past the holding cells. They came to a large metal door at the end of a hallway. Zoey shook her head as she unlocked the door and they walked in. Dr. Murray sat with her hands cuffed to the table. A nurse's outfit on, shorter than necessary, and long blonde hair that was tied up in a bun. She turned her baby blue eyes to the four of them and flashed a confident smirk, "I see you finally came to your senses, commissioner. It's so nice to see old friends, isn't it?"

"Cut the shit, doc," Beth snapped before turning to Zoey, "Give us the room, will you?"

"Sure thing, just try not to kill her," Zoey replied before looking at Dr. Murray, "I suggest you cooperate, doctor. Our cameras are known to malfunction, and I can't guarantee that we'll be able to intervene in a timely manner."

"The MPD having poor response times, imagine that," Dr. Murray mocked, "I'll do what I please, but I appreciate your concern. I've been simply dying to speak with these three."

"You may come to regret that word choice," Pam said as Zoey left the room, "I'm not a patient woman, doctor, and I strongly advise you to lose the glibness that you have."

"Ah yes, the new girl," Dr. Murray said, her eyes landing on Pam, "I've heard so much about you, and your work is truly something to behold. I'm curious, what makes someone change their position so dramatically? The woman who served the Goth Goddess so faithfully suddenly turns to the so-called heroes to lend them her aid."

"That's none of your concern," Pam said, crossing her arms.

"Isn't it, though?" Dr. Murray asked, leaning back as far as her handcuffs would allow, "When one of our own decides to defect, it affects us all, little girl. My, but you do have a pretty face. Hmm, I wonder what I could do with those lovely little eyes of yours."

"Shut the hell up!" Beth snapped, stepping forward and slamming her fist down on the table.

"A little protective, aren't we?" Dr. Murray asked, her smirk growing wider, "Perhaps you want a consultation instead of your pretty little friend. Tell you what, take off that ridiculous helmet, and I'll give you my medical opinion on what we can do to fix whatever deformities you're covering up. I'm anxious to see what made the illustrious Catgirl take to such a dark and misshapen change."

"Catgirl died," Beth said, putting her hands on her hips and flashing her pistols, "I know you've been under a rock lately, but surely even you've read the news."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, lying is such an unflattering trait, little kitty," Dr. Murray chided, "You can put on another outfit, change your tactics, and give yourself a new name, but I know a cat when I see one. You have no idea how long I studied you and that insufferable Birdboy. As dreadful as those costumes were, I often dreamt about cutting away those masks. More importantly, though, I dreamt about what you two might be like were someone of my talent swap some of those strong and nimble limbs."

"Too bad you won't get the chance," Beth said, "Like I told you, Catgirl is dead."

"Ah, my mistake," Dr. Murray said, rapping her fingers on the table, "I suppose one has to change themselves when they come out of the closet."

"What was that?" Beth said, her hand itching for her gun.

"To think that you're not only a lesbian, but a bottom to boot!" Dr. Murray laughed, "Then again, you both did spend an inordinate amount of time being dominated by this city's greats. I suppose it shouldn't come as a shock that the great Catgirl turned out to have a penchant for pussy. Although, I think your little girlfriend there could do better."

"That's enough, doc," Jake said, "You know what we came here for."

"Ah yes, the famous Bird-Brain of Metropolis," Dr. Murray mocked, shifting her focus to Jake, "All business and no pleasure, right? Well, at least not since Goth died."

Pam watched in anger as the doctor continued to manipulate their encounter. She felt Jake's anger surge at the mention of Rebecca, and he was on top of Dr. Murray before either she or Beth could stop him. She watched as he grabbed her by the collar and lifted her up as far as she could go. "Don't talk about her," he warned, his tone growing much darker.

"Or what?" Dr. Murray asked, her confidence continuing to infuriate him, "The last I checked, Catgirl was the one who turned into a killer. Oh wait, you were the one to kill Goth! Silly me, it's so easy to forget the people that never mattered."

Jake growled as he suddenly slammed shifted Dr. Murray and slammed her head onto the table. "Shut up!" Jake shouted.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Dr. Murray cackled, "Did I ruffle your feathers, little bird? How utterly inconsiderate of me."

Jake was about to throw a punch when Pam shouted, "Raven, don't let her get to you!"

"Yes, don't let the big, bad doctor rile you up," Dr. Murray mocked, "However will this look to your adoring fans? Oh, that's right! Nobody in this filthy city gives a damn about you three!"

"I've heard enough," Pam said sternly, stepping forward before Jake or Beth could react, "You called us here because you have information about Courtney Tellar. I've been merciful so far, but do not test my grace, Anna."

"Oh, is this the part where you read my mind, witch?" Dr. Murray asked, flashing another toothy grin at Pam, "Should I be screaming for mercy? Begging you to spare me? I've had dealings with the real Goth Goddess, girl, and I'm not afraid of some cheap knockoff."

"Comparing me to Goth is a fatal mistake, Anna," Pam warned, her eyes beginning to glow along with her palms, "You'll find that the two of us differ on several fundamental levels."

"Yes of course, you're barely a fraction of the woman she was," Dr. Murray said, feigning boredom, "Even at her worst, Goth could command fear and respect. You, my dear knockoff, are little more than a dog begging for scraps."

Pam frowned as she stepped closer and placed her palm on Dr. Murray's head. "I'm through listening to your grating voice," Pam said, "Let's see what you're hiding up there."

"Oh no, my mind!" Dr. Murray yelled, "It's…utterly underwhelming."

"What?!" Pam demanded as Dr. Murray looked up at her.

"I survived Goth's takeover, girl," Dr. Murray said, "How exactly do you think I managed to avoid her influence? It takes a rather skilled hand to operate on one's self, but you're looking at one of the best, little girl. It's amazing what you can find lying around unattended in a billionaire's warehouse."

Pam furrowed her brow as she realized what she was referring to. "You implanted one of the minerals into your head," she said, "You're more insane than I thought."

"It's funny how often genius and insanity are confused with one another," Dr. Murray said, smirking, "You're a smart girl, though, and I bet you've got a lovely looking brain. I bet it's much nicer than those morons I practiced on that followed Goth."

"You didn't," Beth said, her fist clenching.

"I had to ensure that the procedure would work, didn't I?" Dr. Murray asked, "I wouldn't be much of a scientist if I didn't test my hypothesis. It took a while, about a dozen I believe, but I eventually perfected the procedure. Your precious MPD hasn't even managed to find one of their bodies, either. I bet they're looking quite grizzly by now. Of course, if the walking corpse followed my instructions, there probably isn't much left to find."

"You fucking monster!" Beth exclaimed, grabbing one of her knives and rushing over to press the edge of the blade against Dr. Murray's throat, "What the hell are you two planning?!"

"You think I'm working with that rotting flesh eater?" Dr. Murray asked, her smile never fading, "She and I may have dealt with one another, but I'd hardly call the two of us partners. Although, that concoction she's gotten her hands on is remarkable. I wouldn't exactly call it a sedative, but what it does to the mind is incredible!"

Jake put a hand on Beth's shoulder, "Feral, she's not worth it."

"If she's not gonna talk, then we're wasting our time!" Beth snapped, pressing her blade closer and drawing a bit of blood.

"Go ahead," Dr. Murray sneered at Beth, "Give into that blood thirsty rage you've got. You think you're above people like me, but at least when I kill it's in the name of science. You kill because you enjoy it. You're just as sick and deranged as every other villain in this city."

Beth was about to retaliate when her arm was suddenly pulled away by Pam's magic. "Don't prove her right," Pam said, walking over to the doctor, "You might be immune to some of my magic, but I have plenty of other spells to loosen your tongue."

"Oh dear, whatever shall I do?" Dr. Murray feigned fear as Pam's hands continued to glow, "You know, I can't help but wonder if your abilities can be transferred to another. It's fascinating to think about, don't you think? Is your magic innate, or is it due to some neurodivergent pattern in that pretty head of yours? I can't wait to cut you open and find out."

"This isn't a game, Anna," Pam said, beginning to grow frustrated as darkness began to flow from her body, "I can make the next few minutes last an eternity for you, and it will be a waking nightmare that you beg to escape before I'm through."

Dr. Murray continued to smile at Pam as the room started to grow dark. She looked around as the shadows grew longer, "You two really make quite the pair," she laughed, unphased by Pam's display, "Honestly, a murderer and a witch, it's a match made in hell! You don't scare me, girl. Cheap parlor tricks and empty threats won't rattle my cage. Oh, now that's funny! I hadn't even considered the pun there!"

Pam raised a hand as the shadows overtook the cameras and the two way mirror. She closed her fist and chains burst from the ground to wrap around Dr. Murray, strangling and silencing her sadistic laughter. "Is this an empty threat?!" Pam hissed, yanking her arm back and tightening the chains around Dr. Murray, "I can heat those chains to the point of branding your pale skin, chill them until the cold seeps into your bones, or I could strangle the life out of you with just a thought!"

Dr. Murray gagged as she forced another smile and locked eyes with Pam, "I can see why The Feral is so fond of you, my dear. Such a unique ability, I bet it does wonders for your sexlife!"

"We're getting nowhere," Jake sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Let her go, all we're doing is wasting time. At this rate, we'd be better off looking for Courtney on our own."

"Ugh, fine," Pam seethe, relaxing her hand and dispelling her magic, "This self-righteous and arrogant blowhard probably doesn't have a clue what's going on anyway."

"Yeah, she's clearly in the dark," Beth agreed, "I'm not going to stand here and be insulted by someone with nothing to offer."

"Is that what you think?" Dr. Murray asked, her glib attitude finally breaking, "You think that I'm in the dark about what's happening out there? The three of you are so blind that you can't even tell where the real threat is! Foolish little children scraping by and playing pretend, completely oblivious to what's really happening in your city."

"Unless you've got something to offer, I suggest you shut up," Jake said, stopping at the door, "We're done here, and I think it's high time that we let the MPD take it from here."

Dr. Murray let out a much darker chuckle than she had previously. "You think that the real threat is that walking corpse, but you don't have a clue what's coming," she said, narrowing her eyes as her laughter died down, "That rotting meat sack is only the appetizer for the banquet of chaos around the corner!"

"What are you on about?" Beth asked, stopping and staring at Dr. Murray.

"Oh, so now I have your attention," Dr. Murray scoffed, "Typical, you so-called heroes are all alike. Selfish, childish, and arrogant to a fault. By the time this is all over, the world will see you all for who you really are. Behind those masks is little more than the same evil that you claim to oppose. The three of you are pawns in a game that you don't even realize you're playing!"

"Who said I was a hero?" Pam asked, moving closer to the table, "I'm just a woman who got tired of people like you hurting others."

"More like a woman who abandoned her values in favor of lust," Dr. Murray chided, "You're no different than either of them. The Bird who left his home to pursue an unrequited love, the Cat who turned into a killer, and the witch who forsook her teacher. The three of you are at your very core more selfish than myself or any other power hungry person! You'll all be exposed for who you are before the game concludes!"

"You are trying my patience, Anna," Pam said, her anger starting to get the better of her, "If you want to see who I really am, then keep running that smart mouth."

Jake stepped between Pam and Dr. Murray, "You said this was some game, so who all is playing?" he asked, "What aren't you telling us?"

"Finally, one of you starts asking the smart questions!" Dr. Murray exclaimed, "And here I thought that the witch was supposed to be the smart one. You're all so easy to manipulate, do you know that? Pathetic little pawns in someone else's game, flies unknowingly trapped in the spider's web. Even that repulsive bag of bones doesn't have a clue what's really going on!"

"So enlighten us," Jake said, his own frustrations beginning to get the better of him.

"Oh, I would worry about your current dilemma before trying to tackle anything else, Bird-Brain," Dr. Murray said with a chuckle, "I'm afraid our time is almost up, but this has been deliciously fun. I look forward to us doing this again."

"What are you-" Jake started before alarms began sounding, "Shit, what now?!"

Zoey burst into the room with a disgruntled and worried look on her face, "Courtney is outside the precinct with a small army of those things! We're mounting a counterassault, but she's demanding The Raven!"

"Goddamnit!" Beth exclaimed, stomping her foot and drawing her pistol, "Let's show this undead bitch what happens when she tries to fuck with our city!"

The four of them rushed out of the room leaving Dr. Murray alone and unattended. "Let's do this again sometime, heroes!" Dr. Murray yelled after them as she erupted into a fit of maniacal giggles.

The alarms continued to blare as they reached the main hall of the police station. "Will somebody shut that damn thing off?!" Zoey demanded, "I want to hear if any of those things manage to breach the perimeter! Anders, Gonzalez, McDowell, get to the armory and secure as many weapons as you can carry! Michaels and Gomez, I want you two covering the main entryway! Nobody gets in or out without my express consent, do I make myself clear?!"

"Yes ma'am!" a chorus of voices called in unison.

"You three, take whatever positions you need," Zoey said as the alarms finally went silent, "Pam, it looks like the time has finally come for you to show who you really are. We're going to need every ounce of power we've got to stand against these things."

Beth moved to the forefront of the room with her pistols drawn and at the ready. Pam sighed as she moved close behind Beth, "I suppose it was inevitable. Farewell anonymity, it was nice while it lasted."

"Don't be dramatic," Beth said, rolling her eyes behind her helmet, "Odds are most of these people won't say a word once we're through. Raven, I'm hoping you've got a plan in the works."

"These things are strong, fast, and heavily mutated, but they're still people," he said, addressing the entire precinct, "Do what you have to do, but aim to incapacitate rather than kill. Whatever happens, don't let them bite you!"

"Ma'am, we've lost sight of Courtney!" A female voice came over Zoey's walkie, "Those things are mobilizing for some kind of assault, but she somehow managed to slip away!"

"Fuck me," Zoey grumbled as she grabbed the walkie, "Take out what you can, but try to find that lunatic before she somehow makes it into the building!"

A symphony of gunshots could be heard from outside as an uneasy silence settled over the room. Heavy footfalls from the officers who'd rushed to the armory returned, and they began dispersing weapons as quickly as they could. As they handed out the guns and ammunition, a cacophony of snarls and growls could be heard near the entryway. "We've got incoming!" one of the officers shouted as they opened fire.

"Everyone, brace yourselves!" Beth ordered.

Jake grabbed his grappling gun and fired it upward to pull himself to the upper level. He readied some of his stun birdarangs. He didn't have a clue if they would work against the infected, but it was his best plan he could think of on such short notice. He waited and watched as the two officers at the front tried to hold their ground. It wasn't long before they had to fall back, and a group of infected rushed through the entryway. Jake threw a series of birdarangs at the ones in the front, and they staggered as they began convulsing. Beth and other officers opened fire, aiming for their legs in hopes of halting their advance, but more continued to rush in. Their numbers were unknown, but Jake was left wondering just how many of them there were.

Pam held up her right hand as she muttered an incantation. A bright light burst from her palm before a blast of fire filled the room, startling everyone present. The flames washed over everyone and everything, but none of the living were affected. Howls and screams of pain erupted from the infected as their bodies were engulfed in strange white fire. "Don't just stand there!" Pam shouted, "The spell won't kill them, it's only going to stun them! Keep shooting, you gawking morons!"

Insults aside, the officers and Beth did as they were told. The infected slowly started to push through their pain, but their movements were slowed considerably. Jake growled as he dropped down to stop a pair from tackling a young detective. Zoey had pulled out her sidearm to join in the firefight. "Damnit, shoot to kill!" she ordered, "It's like these things can't feel pain, so aim for the head!"

Jake was engaged in fending off an infected man and woman when Zoey gave the order. He didn't have time to argue against her; he was too busy fending off their attacks. He used his escrima sticks to deflect an incoming swing from one of them. He slammed the steel rod against the man's elbow. The joint snapped upon impact, but he barely flinched outside of a guttural growl. These things were completely unphased, and all Jake could do was shove him away from the officer and try to fend off the woman. Skill didn't matter when your opponent couldn't feel pain, though, and Jake was forced to try to figure out a way to stop her before she sank her teeth into someone. A hard jab to the stomach gave him an opening to spin around her and deliver a powerful kick to her back. She was knocked onto her stomach, but she wouldn't be down long.

The second she went down, Jake watched as a bullet penetrated the skull of the infected man he'd just fought. "No!" he yelled, but it was too late.

The man stumbled and fell down, seemingly finished for good. Gunfire continued to fill the room alongside the snarls and growls, but Jake felt frozen in time as he watched the man fall. His hopes of saving these people were swept away at Zoey's orders to kill. Another gunshot close beside him, and the woman he'd knocked down had a bullet in her head. The kill count continued to mount, but Jake couldn't bring himself to look away from the two bodies before him. Then, he saw something that made his blood run cold. A sickening gurgle came from the body of the man, and Jake's eyes went wide as he watched him slowly push himself up. A bullet hole could be seen in the side of his head, but he got to his feet as though nothing had happened. The officer beside Jake was in shock, and he couldn't react in time as the man lunged at him and dragged him to the ground. He screamed as the infected began chewing on his throat. Jake couldn't do anything other than watch and step backward as the officer was helplessly turned into lunch for the undead monster.

"They can't be killed!" a woman screamed as others slowly started to get back to their feet, "Shooting them in the head isn't doing anything!"

"Nothing is unkillable!" Beth argued, reloading her pistols with some of her special magazines, "Fall back until we can figure out how to finish these freaks!"

"They're coming through the back!" another officer yelled, panic beginning to overtake everyone in the room.

"Pam, get everyone to the second floor!" Jake ordered, trying trying figure out a way to fight back, "Get back down here once everyone is out of the way!"

"Fucking hell, everybody brace yourselves!" Zoey ordered as Pam slowly spread her arms and summoned her teleportation powers.

It took longer than she would have liked, but Pam had to concentrate on pinpointing everyone living to avoid transporting the zombies as well. Shocked gasps and exclamations of fear could be heard as she enveloped everyone of the officers and detectives in darkness. They fell into the shadows, and rematerialized at the top of the stairwell leading to Zoey's office. "What the hell just happened?!" a young man demanded, shaking after his first experience.

"Marshall, I'll explain later," Zoey said, getting to her feet, "Right now, I need everyone forming a defensive line on the stairs! Let the three of them work, and we'll do what we can to stay alive!"

Pam nodded her thanks as she sank back into the shadows and appeared in the center of the room. Beth was unloading everything she had in hopes of bringing down the infected horde that continued pouring into the room. She'd loaded her incendiary rounds into her pistols, and the fire seemed to be having more effect at stopping their advance. "You two, get behind me!" Pam ordered, deciding to try something desperate as she yelled up at Zoey, "Sorry in advance for this!"

Jake and Beth hurried to get close to Pam. Pam, in turn, raised her hands to summon as many of her chains as possible to slow the approaching horde. Once Jake and Beth were behind her, Pam brought her hands together to begin charging a massive fireball in her hands. Beth watched her back while she worked, and Pam's cloak began to billow outward as she finished her spell. The heavy fabric spread out and wrapped around her friends to shield them from any backlash from her spell. The infected were slowly breaking through her magic, so she hurled the large ball of flame at the bulk of them. The explosion that followed was devastatingly massive, and many desks, chairs, files, and other items were engulfed in sudden fire. The smell of burning flesh filled the room as the zombies screamed and howled in agony. A dozen of them fell to the ground in an unmoving heap on the ground.

They waited to see if they would get back up, but not one of them moved after falling to the ground. "Fire seems to be the key," Pam said, her cloak removing itself from her friends, "If you have anything that burns, use it while we can. I don't know how many there are, or how long we can keep this up."

Beth nodded as she grabbed a couple of grenades with red casings from her belt. She threw one at the back entrance, and lobbed the other at the stairs where several infected were trying to climb to the police force. She handed one off to Jake and said, "Make it count, I've only got two left."

Jake stared down at it before looking around. There were too many of them. Even if they could kill fifty or more, the cost of the lives of everyone at the precinct was too great a risk for him. So, he made a decision, the only decision he felt he could make. "Courtney!" he yelled as loud as he could, "I know you're here, and I know I'm the one you want! Call off your dogs and I'll come quietly!"

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Beth demanded, reeling around at him, "We don't negotiate with lunatics, and this is a stupid plan, even by your standards!"

"Raven, think this through," Pam warned, "There's no guarantee that she'll stop even if you go along with her. More than that, we cannot afford to lose you."

The infected suddenly stopped in their tracks, albeit continuing to leer at everyone still drawing breath. "This is all because of me," Jake muttered, "I made this mess, and it's time I pay for my mistakes."

"So, you're going to lay down your life?!" Beth demanded, "Are you out of your fucking mind?!"

A bit of static feedback sounded over the intercom system before Courtney's sadistic laughter filled the room, "A little bird wants to do the right thing for once, imagine that! I want everyone in the room to take a good look at the three heroes you've put on a pedestal. Go ahead, take a moment to look them over. The lives of your fellow officers that died today are on their hands, and I want all of you to think about that. It's because of people like them that people like me exist! The big bad villains that this city loves to hate only exist because The Raven and The Feral force their hands!"

Jake, Beth, and Pam looked up at the crowd of police that stared down at them. They were muttering to themselves as they looked down. Some of them agreeing, some of them arguing against Courtney's proclamation. "We only do what we do because of people like you!" Beth shouted, "Someone has to take a stand against monsters like you!"

"Is that why Goth ripped this city apart?" Coutney countered, "How many of you brothers and sisters in blue are even aware of the woman standing beside those two? Do you realize what she is, who she is?! The former right hand and magistrate of Goth herself! That vile woman was instrumental in Goth's first enslavement of our city! She was the one who brought those terrible collars into our lives!"

"I was a victim of Goth's whims, just like the rest of you!" Pam argued, stepping forward, "It was follow orders, or end up as a mindless slave and puppet! I stood against her tyranny in the end, but that doesn't make what I did right! I fight, not to be a hero, but to atone for what I've done!"

"You and those other two hypocrites left this city to fall under Goth's thumb!" Courtney hissed, "Where were they when Goth came to power?! Where were they when your loved ones were being taken, beaten, abused, and turned?! You want to atone, little witch, then kill yourself! You're nothing but a blight on this city!"

"And what does that make you?!" Pam demanded, "You steal the lives from people, and eat whatever is left of them!"

"I am a byproduct of heroic neglect and abandonment!" Courtney screamed over the intercom, "I'm the consequence for your actions, and I am the price that you three have cost this city! Ask yourselves, officers, are you truly better off in the hands of these idiots?! A murderer, a coward, and a woman who served the monster that stole the lives of thousands! Is this who you really want defending your city?!"

"That's enough, Courtney!" Jake shouted, "Leave these people out of this! I'm the one that you want!"

"I want you all to suffer!" Courtney snarled, "You're only the start of something grand, little bird! The people of this city deserve to see you as you really are! Am I the villain in this story, or is it the charlatans parading as heroes?! How often we overlook the fact that selfishness lurks in the hearts of every man, woman, and child, so why would these three be any different?!"

"Jake," Beth whispered, "You can't do this, you can't! We can stop her, but we have to do it together."

Jake shook his head and stepped forward, "You say that we're the reason you exist, that it's because we turned our back on this city! If that were true, then we'd have let Goth stay in power! We'd have run from her, hidden away, but instead we fought with everything we had! We lost more people than anyone realizes, but their sacrifice meant victory for us and the people of our city! We're not perfect, far from it, but I'm giving myself over to you so that you'll leave these innocent people alone! Do what you want with me, but tell your monsters to stand down! This has nothing to do with them!"

"The lies we tell ourselves are often the harshest," Courtney said calmly, "I'll let these people live for now, but the blood already spilled is on all of your hands. Lay down your weapons, keep your hands at your side, and go to the unmarked car outside. To the rest of you, this isn't over. All the pain and suffering that you're going to go through is because of these three. Remember that when you're begging for death, and don't forget who put you in the situation you're in. Move, Raven, before I change my mind!"

Jake sighed and unclipped his utility belt, removed his weapons, and marched out of the main entryway. The infected watched him as he passed by, and he could feel his friends and the eyes of the MPD staring at him as he gave himself over to Courtney. Whatever she had planned, he had a better chance at stopping her if he could get close. Maybe he could convince her to let him help her, or at the very least give up her plans to hurt the others. He hadn't forced the parasite on her, but he'd hurt her and caused her to pursue vengeance. His choices had led to this, and it was time he paid the pride for his hubris.

Beth and Pam stood still and ready to attack the infected should they go rogue. However, they followed after Jake, and soon the precinct was only filled with the living. "Goddamnit!" Beth screamed, kicking a nearby chair in frustration, "What the hell is that idiot thinking?!"

"His mind was made up," Pam replied solemnly, "There was nothing we could have done to stop him short of restraining him."

"It's about time one of you tool responsibility for your bullshit," a young beatcop remarked as the police made their way back downstairs.

"What was that?" Beth asked, glaring behind her helmet, "We put our lives on the line for this city, and we did everything we could to ensure you all were safe! The Raven just handed himself over to save your asses to boot!"

"Coming for the vigilante who kills criminals and the so-called private investigator who's really a witch," the officer countered, "We should lock the both of you up alongside the doctor."

"My past might be checkered, but I am not your enemy," Pam said sternly, "Yes, I served under Goth, but it's because of The Raven and The Feral that I chose to seek redemption. Had I not made that choice, then Goth would still be in control of this city. The abilities I learned have given me an edge in fighting for good people, and my efforts toward helping this city and stopping Goth were the reason Jake Blackridge chose to give me a second chance. Right now, we need to focus on stopping Courtney Tellar. To do that, we are going to need every resource at our disposal. My magic, The Feral's talents, and your help if we have a chance at standing against her."

"All she wants is for you three to pay for what you've done!" another officer argued, "You want to stop her, then hand yourselves over like you feathered friend!"

"Didn't you hear what she said?" Beth asked, "Even if we did that, she'd still make everyone in this city suffer. She wants to make us watch while she burns this city to the ground, and The Raven just bought us time by giving himself up! It's not much, but I will not let his idiotic sacrifice be in vain! Even if that means Pam and I have to do this alone. Go ahead, turn your back and shun us, blame us for everything that's happened, but we'll still fight for you. You can hate us for what we are, but that won't stop us from trying to help."

"This city was better off before any of your kind showed up," another officer spat.

"That's enough, all of you!" Zoey yelled, storming to the front of the crowd, "Do I need to remind you all that The Feral is the reason this city doesn't have to worry about Megabutt? I fought side by side with all three of these people to stop Goth, and I watched them get beaten, berated, and nearly killed while doing so. Never once did any of them consider giving up, and these three were willing to give their lives if it meant stopping her. If it weren't for Pam, we'd have lost more of our own today. Condemn them on your own time, but right now we've got a missing person case to solve, a lunatic to process, and a legion of undead somewhere out in our city."

"Uh, commissioner," a detective said, "About that middle part, Anna Murray is gone."

"Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me!" Beth said, stomping her foot in anger, "The Raven is on his way to his death, we've got a herd of zombies on the loose, and now a serial killer back on the run!"

"Put out a BOLO on Dr. Anna Murray," Zoey sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, "Sweep the city and try to find her, but he on the lookout for any more of those undead monsters. I want security footage outside of our building to see if we can track the car that took The Raven, and anyone who has something to say better get it out of the way now. Pam, Feral, do you think you two can stick around a bit? If we've got a lead here, I'd rather you two be in person to follow it."

"Of course," Pam said, "We'd be happy to, and I'll see if I can concoct a tracking spell to trade Anna. It's a slim chance, but it'll he better than nothing."

"Excuse me," a female detectove said timidly, "Is there anything I can do to help you with that? If not, is it okay if I watch?"

"I don't see the harm in it," Pam said before looking around, "I can sense that many of you have questions and reservations about my help. If there's anything you wish to get out of the way, this is the time to do it. Let's get this out of the way, but let's try to do it while I work."

A crowd of officers and detectives separated to follow Pam as she prepared to return to the interrogation room. "Have fun with that," Beth remarked, "I'll be around when you're done. Come get me if you come up with anything, yeah?"

"Always," Pam said half heartedly, "I'll see you soon enough. Try not to let your temper get the better of you."

"Yeah, I think I can manage," Beth said as she followed Zoey back to her office.

They went their separate ways, and several officers followed after Pam. The rest returned to their work, trying their best to clean up and resume their jobs. There was an air of apprehension and unease that filled the precinct after everything that had happened. It was clear that the MPD was divided on their feelings for our heroes, but for the time being they were willing to put that aside. The threat of Courtney's grand scheme was enough to force them into cooperation. Whether they liked it or not, they would have to work with our heroes to stop whatever plans Courtney had in store for them. Beth and Pam just hoped they could get to her before anything bad happened to Jake.