Look At This Photograph

[Sara Pezzini]

Sara was sitting at a local coffee shop; she was sipping on a vanilla espresso. It had been a long night for her last night and she was in desperate need of caffeine. In front of her was a small stack of pictures of a recent victim that was murdered. It seemed that New York had another serial killer on her hands. It was strange all the victims were female and all had one thing in common. They had a grin from ear to ear. She continued to look through the pictures of the dead female. It was pretty gruesome sight most women would’ve been able to handle the pictures. Good thing she was one of the females that had a stomach that could handle it.

“Another wanna-be Joker probably”

She muttered to herself. She picked up a manila envelope and fished inside it. She pulled out another stack of pictures. They were basically the same pictures that she was previously looking at except the fact it was a different woman. She picked up one picture of the new woman in her right hand. With her left hand she picked up a picture of the other woman. She sat at her small little table comparing the pictures trying to catch something that might give her a clue as to where to find the killer or maybe have a good idea when he or she would strike next.

[Benjamin Weiss]

Ben's bright green jacket set him apart in the crowd of business black, gray, and blue. He was not any kind of businessman, and hadn't the slightest of the normal mentality possessed by most New Yorkers. If you were in New York, you see something crazy, you walk away, simple as that, really. Ben was different, maybe it was because he grew up watching Hal Jordan save the day every time there was a monster in town, or maybe it was because of the crazy life he'd had, but when Ben saw something bad going down, he damn well tried to stop it.

As he approached he felt the thrill of the hunt come upon him. The thrill of that news story that was gasping to come out from the pounds of red tape it was buried under. Ben Weiss was a reporter, Ben Weiss was a news anchor, Ben Weiss was a Vic Sage journalist. He didn't care about ratings or the people behind the TelePrompTer, he cared about the people at home, who trusted them to give them the straight facts. He cared about the news.

"Ben Weiss, local thirteen news." He said slamming down a recorder on the table, cooly sliding into a seat across from homicide detective Sara Pezzini. "What can you tell us about the recent killings? Rumor has it there's a Joker on the lose. Can you comment as to the authenticity of the threat? Has the Bat's number one rogue come to the Big Apple? What are the police doing to keep it under control? What should the people know about this killer to keep themselves safe? What aren't police forces doing to make the public fully aware of this danger to their lives?" Ben started, the barrage of questioning usually led to something useful. Most police let something slip under the consistently invasive lines of inquisition. Most did, there was no guarantee. Ben wasn't even sure why he had started this story. A part of him said it was because he wanted the public to know the truth. The honest part of him said it was because he wanted to let the Terror loose on the freak.

[Sara Pezzini]

Sara was lost in her own world observing the pictures. This was the part of her job she hated. Not being able to find the bad guy. She continued flipping through the pictures until a recorder out of know where slammed on the table. Slightly jumping a bit from the scare and being force away from her world to the real world she was soon attack with a million questions. Frowning she quickly gathered the evidence pictures and stuffed them back into a manila envelope. The man was obviously a reporter and she had gotten the big no from the office to not letting any information out about the killings.

She gazed at the man with a raised eyebrow and a look on her face, one of the “if looks could kill” faces. She placed the manila envelopes in her lap, protecting them. No need on taking the chance for the reporter to steal them and run. She stayed silent towards him after her was finished with his questions. She was one of the cops who couldn’t be fast talked into accidently leaking some info unlike some of her nimrod co-workers. She shrugged her shoulders at him.

“No Comment.” She told him.

[Benjamin Weiss]

Ben frowned. The dreaded "No comment" stuck in his mind. Silently the Terror fumed, deep within him, it rather than he wanted retribution. The Terror wanted vengeance. The Terror wanted blood. Getting a quick glimpse of the pictures before the detective stashed them in the folder, he memorized them. What evidence they had at the scene, the exact methods of killing. Anything he could get before it was locked away from his prying eyes.

"Ah. The totally neutral 'No Comment' how lovely." Ben said, smugly. "Alright, I can play it that way." He paused for a moment. "What do you want me to say on my newscast tonight? That the NYPD is so unflinching in their policy on non-discretion that they'll totally refuse to release any kind of information or warning signs? Either way, you lose."

[Sara Pezzini]

"What do you want me to say on my newscast tonight? That the NYPD is so unflinching in their policy on non-discretion that they'll totally refuse to release any kind of information or warning signs? Either way, you lose."

She frowned at the reporter but she had to admit it was a smooth move on his part, most she encountered just went their own way after the ‘No Comment’ reply. She glanced down at the recorder that was sitting on the table between the two. She gently picked up the recorder. Turning it side to side she made sure that the recorder was turned on and ready to record her voice once she spoke to it.

“I strongly recommend to the people of New York to lock their windows and doors at night and never let someone they don’t know enter their home. If anyone is the least bit suspicious of anything I advise they call the police department immediately.”

With a simple press of the button, Sara stopped the recorder from any further recordings between her and the news reporter. She dropped it on the table in front of Ben. The killer may not have been found yet but Sara was going to find the killer and soon. From what evidence she gathered she had a sneaking suspicion that tonight she was going to meet the infamous wanna-be Joker.

“I wouldn’t worry too much, sir. The killer will be found… soon.” She said.

[Benjamin Weiss]

"Oh, I don't doubt he'll be found." Ben said, grinning slyly. "The condition of his health may be different than expected though." He muttered under his breath. Choosing to change the subject before too many questions arose from his admittedly overdramatic mumbling, he changed the subject. "SO how goes the search for this killer? Can you, a surprisingly attractive police detective comment as to the progress being made?"

"Surely, this is the most important case on the table back home? I mean, something like this horrible business, it has to stop right?" He paused. "I'm not criticizing your progress, I'm just saying, the police are devoting most of their attention to this current problem right?"

[Sara Pezzini]

“Yes.”

She reply was very simple and didn’t reveal too much about the case. However she was a little curious about the mumbling. She raised an eyebrow at the male seated across from her but let it roll off her shoulders. The man didn’t seem like a threat for right now. She’d know since the witchblade wasn’t reacting to anything. Rising from her seat with both manila envelopes in hand and gave the man a polite smile.

“I’m sorry I need to be going.”

She told the young man. She turned around walking away from him as she headed back to the police station. Tonight she was determined to find this new serial killer that was on the loose. One way or another.

(Wanna fast forward to night time?)

[Benjamin Weiss]

(Yeah, I'll handle it.)

The Technicolor Terror. A silly name, but the individual was not silly at all. He stood atop a building across from a police station, waiting in the dark. Ben's meager questioning had provided enough information. The police were obviously close to ending the investigation or they wouldn't have been so tight-lipped about it. The Terror just needed to wait until someone went out to look into it. This new Joker was a wanton killer, soon enough, the police would lead the Terror to the scene of his next attack. From there he would attempt to solve the crime, and then proceed to deduce the identity of the murderer.

So he sat atop the building, cautiously waiting for someone to begin the search. The Terror wanted someone's blood. This "Joker" was obviously not the real thing, but was a murderer just the same. Justice needed to be served. No, not justice. Vengeance needed to be carried out, in the names of all the victims. Whoever this killer was, they deserved to die painfully and slowly, sadistically if at all possible. Who better than the Technicolor Terror to bring about the killer's demise? He stood suddenly, he thought he saw a familiar face exit the building.

[Sara Pezzini]

“Have a good night boys! Any news on the serial killer, call me!”

“Later Pez!”

Sara Pezzini was off work as a police officer now but not off work on finding the infamous new serial killer that was on the loose and tearing it up in New York. She instantly pushed hard against the front doors of the station forcing it to violently swing open. Making her way through the door into the outside world Sara Pezzini was on a mission tonight. Pulling on the zipper of her jacket so that it soon drew to a close and hid her shirt that was underneath she stuffed her hands into the pockets of the jacket.

Taking long strides as she walked along the pavement ground the hairs on the neck of her neck began to stand up. Also the fact that the witchblade had seemed to react to something. Just because she had the witchblade to give a spider sense didn’t mean she didn’t have one. Working for the police for several years gave her, her own spider sense, the witchblade did help too in a way. Turning around she scanned the area behind her, nothing…

“I know you’re out here…” she yelled out the darkness of the streets.