[center][i][h2]The Penrose Independant[/h2][/i]

[h3]Police Appeal for Witnesses After Latest Serial Killing[/h3]
[i]By Eden Campbell[/i][/center]

Dark days have been plaguing our city as of late. Penrose may have been a strange city prior to these past months, but it can't be said that such occurrences have any lessened throughout them. The city has seen its fair share of hardship, if not more so, and nothing seems to be alleviating any time soon. The world is indeed dangerous, but Penrose feels to be a beacon for those kinds of issues.

One of these dangers are the serial killings in recent times. Horrific acts of violence against innocent people, both in the middle of the night and broad daylight. Without witness reports, there is no evidence for what kind of culprit could be behind them, but something terrible is going on in regards to them. Even in a city such as this, plagued with oddities and abnormal events, innocent civilians should feel safe to wander the streets, no matter the time of day, and yet they are robbed of the right to do so.

The Police recently released the details of the latest murder. From their analysis, it would appear to match the MO of its predecessors. According to their report, the victim was seventeen year old Elisabeth Lockwood, who was found dead in an alleyway on the East Side of Penrose by passersby. Much like the past victims, her corpse was mangled and torn, seemingly flayed from the inside, and left against the wall surrounded by blood.

This killing is one in a long line of similar violent crimes that have occurred within the past two months. At least fifteen victims have been found and identified by authorities, though there have been rumours that a number of even more vicious murders have been kept from the public. Each victim shares a similar circumstance - their bodies torn to scraps by their attacker. Bite and claw marks have been found, suggesting some kind of wild animal, but some wounds found suggest contrary due to their precise nature. Due to their repeated occurrences, the Police are treating these attacks as serial killings, rather than accidental deaths at the hands of wild animals. 

Despite previous attempts, it would appear no one has come forth with evidence to suggest any culprit. With this newfound attack, Police have made a direct video recorded statement addressing the killer, requesting them to turn themselves (Below), and have once again pleaded for any eye witnesses to come forward with their accounts and evidence. The kind of person who could commit such violent and depraved acts, more closely resembling an attack by a wild animal, is an unthinkable one, and so it is unknown whether the statement will have any effect, however the people of Penrose are hopeful.

At The Penrose Independant, we urge anyone to come forward with any information regarding the crimes, or someone who could be in any way connected. If anyone is uncomfortable reporting it directly to the authorities themselves, we will send an anonymous tip on your behalf. Similarly, your identity and the identities of anyone named in your report will be kept anonymous until publicly announced in either a public or court statement by the authorities.

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~ [i]A New Day[/i] ~[/center]

At the top of a building, looking down upon the world, was a girl. She had blond hair, sharp, intent green eyes, and a set of casual, relatively mundane clothes. At the top of the building she sat, wielding a pair of relatively mundane binoculars. They were far some anything special, and much closer to a modified pair of bird watching goggles than anything truly practical for her job. That said, they were indeed modified; a larger focus, better lenses, a sturdier case. In reality, it was just something minor she had requested some days back, on the hopes of staying out of the firing line. Despite the eyesight she possessed in monstrous form, it was better to stay disguised for the time being. So the saying went. She was watching. And others might have been watching too.

Below on the street, a scene of chaos had unfolded, and the girl had quickly taken up a vantage point to better take in the ensuing events. She had purpose, yes, but at least a modicum of her being as intrigued by the others that would show up, and what they would do amidst the running and screaming humans. The fact that such a scene had erupted in both the middle of the day and in the middle of the street, at least on some levels, baffled her. Of course, it wasn't her first time witnessing a girl destroying the street and buildings in front of civilians, but the fact that it continued to happen left her with the question: is there some kind of benefit to fighting in the day?

[center][sub][colour=2E2C2D]Three.[/colour][/sub][/center]

Adjusting her own body a small degree, she positioned her gaze away from the scrambling magical beings over towards another person. A Monster Girl, so it seemed.
[colour=DodgerBlue]"It'll be better to deal with the monster first."[/colour] she said aloud, no nobody in particular, not that there was anybody in the vicinity to hear it. Her finger rolled across a dial to the side, steadily increasing the focus to properly observe the scene. Information wasn't necessarily the most important in the moment, but with three people in her vision, she'd need to watch and isolate where they moved to.

[center][sub][colour=2E2C2D]And the other two?[/colour][/sub][/center]

[colour=DodgerBlue]"The Ebon Vampire will be too difficult to track. Have the web follow the other one, and see if they have a base of operations we can exploit."[/colour] the presence addressing her in her own head dissipated, seemingly, like a fine mist vanishing. Her gaze shifted across the street towards the others, as they scurried among the wreckage's and rubble to find the bodies of survivors. She knew little of The Beacon, nor their methods, but such a task seemed like something they would undertake. Saving the lives of innocents and such. With how many girls had shown up in such a short time, she was surprised. Penrose truly was bustling.

Finished taking in the rescue forces, she once again turned to her quarry, only to find them alone by the accident. What company she had had already left, it seemed, leaving her vulnerable and open. Perhaps it wasn't the perfect chance to interfere, but they were nearing it. There were too many girls around to reliably strike. Of course, they were preoccupied saving lives, but there were many of them; a one versus five or so fight was far from her best interests. Instead, she continued watching, waiting for the girl to leave, move, or do something.

A simple buzzing drew her attention, forcing her hand into her clothes for the source. From out within she drew a simple, disposable flip phone, ringing with a withheld number.
[b]"The Web has failed to locate Target Two."[/b]
[colour=DodgerBlue]"She was just here, how could she have disappeared so quickly?"[/colour] she replied, the slightest note of annoyance creeping its way into the comment,
[b]"Her method of escape is unknown."[/b]

[center][sub][colour=2E2C2D]When she returns, The Web will find her.[/colour][/sub][/center]

[colour=DodgerBlue]"Understood."[/colour] as the voice crept its way back into her skull, she turned her attention back to the binoculars. Ending the call, she set the phone down against the concrete roof she sat upon, before adjusting her own sitting position for a better view. This was far from the kinds of missions she usually took on for The Lady, but it was a necessary one. The city was bloated with girls of all walks and kinds, and she had a bone to pick with a certain organisation.

But it wasn't a job for her to run in and attack its members at random. There was a certain finesse and delicacy that she needed to take to ensure the completion of the job in a satisfactory way. She could remember it - the things she was taught, the ways that they taught it, and the punishments for failure. The Ebon Mint was an organisation of shadows and ghosts, after all. Shadows would be the only way to deal with it from the outside.

And so she sat at the top of a building, watching. Waiting. And prepared to move at the first moment her target began to as well.