Mao Mao

⌠𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄 ╼ 𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋⌡𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋

@StarLordess. Here it is.

⌠𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄 ╼ 𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋⌡𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋

---

its hard to find an image

𝗝𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗘𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝘁𝘁

Jake Elliott grew up in Colorado in a lovely foster family after his mother lost her battle with cancer and his father disappeared. Jack eventually felt like his foster family was his actual family. He was fairly popular in school and even made a few friends along the way. His love for photography earned him a place as a respected wedding photographer. And after getting his degree in photojournalism, he was hired by the Denver Post as their newspaper photographer. But, it only lasted a few years before he decided to quit and moved to Washington.

Jack grew tired of working on a deadline and wanted more freedom in his life. His friends and family supported his decision and the big move to Baltham. After settling into his new apartment, he found work as a simple clerk in a small thrift store in the historic downtown. As for his photography work, he got some work that paid decently enough that he could save it. So far, however, life is going good.

---

Physical Traits

Jack is a British-American man that was originally born in New York City. He’s the shortest person in his family with his 5’5 height and he can be often mistaken as a teenager. Despite his small height, he only weighs around 136.3 lb. That’s because he would often go on a run each morning and go to the gym if he isn’t working on his job. He got his mother’s hazel eyes and his father’s black hair. Often enough, he would most wear dark color clothes. He doesn’t go anywhere without his jacket no matter the weather. He also takes his beanie with him as well. Besides those two things, Jack wears jeans and casual t-shirts to places besides work. At work, he wears a white collared t-shirt with decent-looking pants and Converse shoes. In addition, he wears the store’s dark blue apron.

Full Name

Jake Raquel Elliott

Gender

Male

Ethnicity

Caucasian

Sexuality

Homosexual

Age

Thirty

Motives

Elliott is always looking for the groundbreaking story of the year ever since going independent from the mainstream. Being a freelancer isn't the best paying job and he had to make several sacrifices like moving away from Colorado and leaving his friends behind. But he does get to do what makes him happy which is photography.

Occupation

Freelance Photographer
Clerk

---

⌠𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄 ╼ 𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋⌡𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋

---

_{"And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts // And I looked,
and behold a pale horse // And his name that sat on him was
death, and hell followed with him."}

𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘇𝗲𝗿𝗼

---

WIP

---

⌠𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄 ╼ 𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋⌡𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋

---

𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐳𝐞𝐫𝐨
spooky shit happens

---

⌠𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄 ╼ 𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋⌡𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋

---

𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭
𝖩𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝖤𝗅𝗅𝗂𝗈𝗍𝗍 – 𝖥𝗋𝖾𝖾𝗅𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗋 𝖯𝗁𝗈𝗍𝗈𝗀𝗋𝖺𝗉𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖢𝗅𝖾𝗋𝗄. 𝖯𝗅𝖺𝗒𝖾𝖽 𝖻𝗒 𝖬𝖺𝗈 𝖬𝖺𝗈.
↪ 𝗇𝗉𝖼𝗌 (𝖿𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗌, 𝖿𝖺𝗆𝗂𝗅𝗒, 𝖼𝗈𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗄𝖾𝗋𝗌, 𝖾𝗍𝖼.)

𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 (𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐧𝐩𝐜𝐬)
𝗍𝖻𝖺

---

⌠𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄 ╼ 𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋⌡𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋

_{Inspired by Containment, Outbreak, REC, The Division, Contagion, and The Walking Dead}

𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐓
Humanity has been living in their comfortable lifestyle in a world that has become overly dependent on technology for decades. As bacterias and viruses adapted to antibiotics at an alarming rate, some people began to question this dependency. Then, a deadly virus infected thousands and killed hundreds in a matter of three months. Two Red Cross volunteers were unknowingly infected, causing it to spread into North America. Despite them being contained, the news caused widespread panic and fear across the continent. The World Health Organization developed a vaccine after four months of researching and testing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a preparedness guide for combating outbreaks. It was adopted by the United Nations shortly after its release.

The United States of America was concerned that a possible outbreak was able to cripple the nation. That was when a presidential directive was quietly signed into law as a response to the entire situation. It's known as Directive 18, a directive that puts forth several plans from the US government and military in case of an outbreak in the country. The public never knew of the directive and its plans to safeguard the country. In the public eye, the American government partnered up with both WHO and CDD to issue their own preparedness messages. It told people to watch for the warning signs of any known and unknown symptoms. Meanwhile, the US Military started several programs of their own about health and maintaining law and order during an outbreak.

It had been seven years since the last major outbreak to occur in the world. The world handled itself during minor outbreak and illnesses, but what if the world was introduced to a different kind of virus? A virus that has the ability to kill and revive its target. No one has the answers or the cure to this question, but it will happen. Either in a small town or a large metropolis, the virus will spread and slowly wipe out its target. In doing so, the virus will cause fear and selfish intentions to take over the avenge person. Will the government be able to deal with the most powerful virus that mankind ever face? Or will it be another chapter of mass extinction of man? Can people manage to save civilization?

Or will it be too late to save it?

𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐌 ℇ 𝐁𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐆𝐄 𝐈𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃
Baltham, Washington was founded two days after the state had become the 42nd state on November 11, 1889. The city is a part of the Bainbridge Island metropolitan area, which has a population of 130,000. Bainbridge Island has 304,000. The increased in population landed in the second largest city in Washington, beating Spokanea. Baltham was named the fourth-best place to live in the United States in 2020. Both cities are becoming an increasingly affluent bedroom community of Seattle, a 35-minute ride away on the Washington State Ferries. Tourists often found themselves spending time on the island and the city used that to make a profit. They spend more time at Baltham than Bainbridge Island.

Baltham is home to the headquarters of many small and large businesses, many of which are technology companies that started in the 1990s. The city has numerous thriving commercial districts, including one shopping center: Zemreaft Mall. It has one small hotel located in the middle of Baltham and Bainbridge called, Sweet Bay Hotel; Bainbridge has three hotels. Myriad development of major retail, residential, and revitalization projects are amidst planning, in construction, or have been successfully executed in both cities. The growth has resulted in the city council to start construction on a waterfront boardwalk and marina in the late 1990s. The boardwalk was just finished a couple of months ago and it expands to both cities' coastlines. A waterfront multimodal bus/ferry terminal soon opened in 2002 and allowed people to travel to Settle in thirty-five minutes.

Both cities are still continuing to grow as more people moved away from small-town to large cities. It's expected that in five years, Baltham will reach 200,000 and Bainbridge Island will hit 350,000. Both cities have high standards of health and cleanliness for its citizens and tourists. There are five different hospitals in the city and they are capable of handling any outbreak that happens in the region. Bainbridge is currently the healthiest city in America, following by Baltham and Dallas. And unknowingly will become ground zero for a new kind of virus.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

_{Chicago, Illinois}

Present Day

---

^{1.01 // His Majesty}

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗥

>>file = open ('russo, william.mp4')

William Russo. That's the bastard that murdered Cole Willis in broad daylight. With my remaining contacts, I was able to piece together information about him. Born to a family of addicts, Billy Russo was placed into the system after his mother and oldest brother got arrested for drug possession and fraud. His father overdosed shortly after losing his whole family. Russo lived throughout various foster homes before placed in the Rosas. His foster family loved and cherished him as if he was their son. It was enough to earn him a spot in their crime family.

Of course, before I tell you more, you need to know the Rosa Crime Family. For almost a hundred years, this family was able to maintain a grip on organized crime across the midwest. Their reach went as far as New York City. However, it was before the government launched several assaults against crime families across the country. And in the aftermath, Don Albert Rosa rose up to rebuild the crime empire. He even managed to reestablish communications with several families in New York City and Gotham City. During all of this, Albert met and eventually married Cecilia Arlotta after having their first and only child, Vincent Rosa.

Unfortunately, Cecilia became infertile after being in a car accident that nearly killed her and Albert. That was the reason why they adopted William Russo.

Now that you know a bit about the Rosa family, it's time to wrap up Russo's background. He joined the crime side of the family at fourteen, then became the family's hitman at eighteen, and finally went international at the age of twenty-one. It was when he gained a reputation for being effective but messy at his jobs. One of his infamous works was the assassination of Toby Dixon, a war journalist featured in the Daily Planet and New York Times. Dixon obtained information of a known dictator that caused him to become Billy's target. Obviously, he was successful at the mission; but, he started a fire that spread several blocks and killed dozens.

Years later, Billy went back to the states to help out his foster family during a tough time. He decided to stay permanently and stood side-by-side with Don Albert and Consigliere Vincent. However, my contacts said that he worked with dozens of crime families across the country. Even worked with a rival family about a few weeks ago. It means that there isn't a clear motive for the shooting. That's where you come in.

Head over to His Majesty Club, a nightclub that Billy frequently visits, and find out why he tried to kill you. Then, you can kill the son-of-a-bitch. I will be heading over in a day or two, depending on the traffic. I should be able to help you with getting the... necessary equipment.

>>file.delete ('russo, william.mp4')

Pierce approached the nightclub and saw the long line of eager customers wanting to take a break for their lives. He knew that the place was going to be busy since it was a Friday night. But, he needed to get inside as quickly as possible. That was when he noticed a group of well-dressed elites walking towards a nearby alley. Pierce carefully followed them and saw them talking to the bouncer. There were about five people in the group, looking forward to celebrating; however, the bouncer stood in front of the door and told them to leave. It was a perfect opportunity for Piece to take.

The bouncer put his right hand up and said in annoyance, "Look, you have to wait like everyone else. It's that simple."

"Come on, dude!" the young man cried out and attempted to convince him. "Tonight, we are supposed to celebrate my friend's twenty-first birthday! You have to let us in, mate!"

"I honestly couldn't care less. Now, if you could just-" the bouncer looked behind the group and saw an older man approaching him. He took a moment to examine the man, wondering if his name was on the list. Based on his attire, he seemed flushed with enough cash to afford VIP membership. The bouncer pulled a fake smile and pulled out his tablet. "Welcome. How could I help you out, sir? Are you looking to join our VIP program?"

Pierce avoided the bouncer's attempt to spend more money than needed and turned his attention towards the group. "Actually, I was wondering if there was any way of letting the birthday squad in and me?"

"Sir, as I said to them moments ago, there isn't anything that will convince me."

"Oh? Are you so sure about that?" Pierce questioned while he got his wallet out and pulled out two one-hundred-dollar bills slowly. He made sure to shake it for a bit before the bouncer grabbed it. Then, he looked down at his tablet to see if there was an unoccupied room. He faintly smiled. "Actually... there is a room available. But, are you sure you want to take them with you?"

Pierce nodded. The bouncer looked over at the ground and sighed, "Tonight's your lucky night, gentlemen. Know the rules next time, and this will not happen again."

Pierce and the group entered the nightclub and saw a waitress waiting for their arrival. She greeted them with a warm smile and guided them to the available room. But for Pierce, he had to find where William was spending the night before it was too late. During the walk, the birthday boy thanked him for paying off the bouncer and even offered a free drink. Pierce couldn't help but smile at the young man's energy. "It's no problem. You only celebrate your twenty-first birthday once."

"At least let me give you a free drink."

"Nah, I have enough cash to buy my own drink." Pierce insisted. "Besides, you should be more worry about having fun!"

The birthday boy chuckled. "I would feel bad for not paying back your kindness... Um, what's your name anyway?"

"Aaron." Pierce properly introduced himself. "Aaron Paulson."

The birthday boy tried to say his name, but his friends and the waiter were waiting for him. "Oh shit! Look, I will make sure you're paid one way or the other, Aaron. I hope you have a good night."

"You too." Pierce murmured to him as he ran over to rejoin his friends. As soon as the waiter escorted them into the VIP room, he went down to the dance floor to start his search. There were dozens of people dancing to the latest trending song about summer love. It brought back memories of Cole and it hurt. He tried to block out the music while making his way to the bar. Taking a seat, Pierce asked for a Blood Orange Jalapeño Whiskey Cocktail and the bartender nodded and began making it. From the corner of his eye, he saw a waiter talking to someone on the phone.

The music made it impossible to hear him, but he could hack into the conversation with his modded phone. It used to be a standard Samsung Galaxy until David got his hands on it. He installed a program that granted him the ability to hack anything connect to one of several systems. As far as the government, they thought that it was one of their dozens classified projects. So they didn't ask too many questions. Pierce looked at the waiter and pulled out his phone. And in a matter of seconds, he was granted access to their phone and allowed him to listen in.

<...did noticed him being paranoid. Even told his guards to fuck off before entering his room.>

<Why?>

<Could be the fact that his face was on the local news.>

<I am surprised the owners allowed him to come at all.>

<You shouldn't be. He helped build this place, after all. Anyway, you shouldn't keep him waiting any longer.>

<Right...>

<Don't tell me you forgot the fucking code again.>

<Your ass is lucky that this is only your third night here. Otherwise, one of the owners would have fired you on the spot. Give a sec to get it... Here it is. Five... three.. zero-eight.>

<Got it.>

<Don't forget this time. I will see you after work.>

Pierce left the call shortly after getting the code and finished up his drink. The waiter grabbed Russo's drink and headed towards a door near the entrance. After entering the code, he pushed the door open and went inside as the door shut behind him. Then, he reappeared a few minutes later and disappeared into the kitchen. Pierce immediately got up and went towards the door. He entered the code and went inside before anyone was able to see him. It turned out that it was an elevator that automatically went down. The ride lasted about thirty seconds before the doors slowly opened, revealing something unexpected.

---

Mao Mao's Test & Stash Zone

_{Chicago, Illinois}

Present Day

---

^{1.01 // His Majesty}

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗥

>>file = open ('russo, william.mp4')

William Russo. That's the bastard that murdered Cole Willis in broad daylight. With my remaining contacts, I was able to piece together information about him. Born to a family of addicts, Billy Russo was placed into the system after his mother and oldest brother got arrested for drug possession and fraud. His father overdosed shortly after losing his whole family. Russo lived throughout various foster homes before placed in the Rosas. His foster family loved and cherished him as if he was their son. It was enough to earn him a spot in their crime family.

Of course, before I tell you more, you need to know the Rosa Crime Family. For almost a hundred years, this family was able to maintain a grip on organized crime across the midwest. Their reach went as far as New York City. However, it was before the government launched several assaults against crime families across the country. And in the aftermath, Don Albert Rosa rose up to rebuild the crime empire. He even managed to reestablish communications with several families in New York City and Gotham City. During all of this, Albert met and eventually married Cecilia Arlotta after having their first and only child, Vincent Rosa.

Unfortunately, Cecilia became infertile after being in a car accident that nearly killed her and Albert. That was the reason why they adopted William Russo.

Now that you know a bit about the Rosa family, it's time to wrap up Russo's background. He joined the crime side of the family at fourteen, then became the family's hitman at eighteen, and finally went international at the age of twenty-one. It was when he gained a reputation for being effective but messy at his jobs. One of his infamous works was the assassination of Toby Dixon, a war journalist featured in the Daily Planet and New York Times. Dixon obtained information of a known dictator that caused him to become Billy's target. Obviously, he was successful at the mission; but, he started a fire that spread several blocks and killed dozens.

Years later, Billy went back to the states to help out his foster family during a tough time. He decided to stay permanently and stood side-by-side with Don Albert and Consigliere Vincent. However, my contacts said that he worked with dozens of crime families across the country. Even worked with a rival family about a few weeks ago. It means that there isn't a clear motive for the shooting. That's where you come in.

Head over to His Majesty Club, a nightclub that Billy frequently visits, and find out why he tried to kill you. Then, you can kill the son-of-a-bitch. I will be heading over in a day or two, depending on the traffic. I should be able to help you with getting the... necessary equipment.

>>file.delete ('russo, william.mp4')

Pierce approached the nightclub and saw the long line of eager customers wanting to take a break for their lives. He knew that the place was going to be busy since it was a Friday night. But, he needed to get inside as quickly as possible. That was when he noticed a group of well-dressed elites walking towards a nearby alley. Pierce carefully followed them and saw them talking to the bouncer. There were about five people in the group, looking forward to celebrating; however, the bouncer stood in front of the door and told them to leave. It was a perfect opportunity for Piece to take.

The bouncer put his right hand up and said in annoyance, "Look, you have to wait like everyone else. It's that simple."

"Come on, dude!" the young man cried out and attempted to convince him. "Tonight, we are supposed to celebrate my friend's twenty-first birthday! You have to let us in, mate!"

"I honestly couldn't care less. Now, if you could just-" the bouncer looked behind the group and saw an older man approaching him. He took a moment to examine the man, wondering if his name was on the list. Based on his attire, he seemed flushed with enough cash to afford VIP membership. The bouncer pulled a fake smile and pulled out his tablet. "Welcome. How could I help you out, sir? Are you looking to join our VIP program?"

Pierce avoided the bouncer's attempt to spend more money than needed and turned his attention towards the group. "Actually, I was wondering if there was any way of letting the birthday squad in and me?"

"Sir, as I said to them moments ago, there isn't anything that will convince me."

"Oh? Are you so sure about that?" Pierce questioned while he got his wallet out and pulled out two one-hundred-dollar bills slowly. He made sure to shake it for a bit before the bouncer grabbed it. Then, he looked down at his tablet to see if there was an unoccupied room. He faintly smiled. "Actually... there is a room available. But, are you sure you want to take them with you?"

Pierce nodded. The bouncer looked over at the ground and sighed, "Tonight's your lucky night, gentlemen. Know the rules next time, and this will not happen again."

Pierce and the group entered the nightclub and saw a waitress waiting for their arrival. She greeted them with a warm smile and guided them to the available room. But for Pierce, he had to find where William was spending the night before it was too late. During the walk, the birthday boy thanked him for paying off the bouncer and even offered a free drink. Pierce couldn't help but smile at the young man's energy. "It's no problem. You only celebrate your twenty-first birthday once."

"At least let me give you a free drink."

"Nah, I have enough cash to buy my own drink." Pierce insisted. "Besides, you should be more worry about having fun!"

The birthday boy chuckled. "I would feel bad for not paying back your kindness... Um, what's your name anyway?"

"Aaron." Pierce properly introduced himself. "Aaron Paulson."

The birthday boy tried to say his name, but his friends and the waiter were waiting for him. "Oh shit! Look, I will make sure you're paid one way or the other, Aaron. I hope you have a good night."

"You too." Pierce murmured to him as he ran over to rejoin his friends. As soon as the waiter escorted them into the VIP room, he went down to the dance floor to start his search. There were dozens of people dancing to the latest trending song about summer love. It brought back memories of Cole and it hurt. He tried to block out the music while making his way to the bar. Taking a seat, Pierce asked for a Blood Orange Jalapeño Whiskey Cocktail and the bartender nodded and began making it. From the corner of his eye, he saw a waiter talking to someone on the phone.

The music made it impossible to hear him, but he could hack into the conversation with his modded phone. It used to be a standard Samsung Galaxy until David got his hands on it. He installed a program that granted him the ability to hack anything connect to one of several systems. As far as the government, they thought that it was one of their dozens classified projects. So they didn't ask too many questions. Pierce looked at the waiter and pulled out his phone. And in a matter of seconds, he was granted access to their phone and allowed him to listen in.

<...did noticed him being paranoid. Even told his guards to fuck off before entering his room.>

<Why?>

<Could be the fact that his face was on the local news.>

<I am surprised the owners allowed him to come at all.>

<You shouldn't be. He helped build this place, after all. Anyway, you shouldn't keep him waiting any longer.>

<Right...>

<Don't tell me you forgot the fucking code again.>

<Your ass is lucky that this is only your third night here. Otherwise, one of the owners would have fired you on the spot. Give a sec to get it... Here it is. Five... three.. zero-eight.>

<Got it.>

<Don't forget this time. I will see you after work.>

Pierce left the call shortly after getting the code and finished up his drink. The waiter grabbed Russo's drink and headed towards a door near the entrance. After entering the code, he pushed the door open and went inside as the door shut behind him. Then, he reappeared a few minutes later and disappeared into the kitchen. Pierce immediately got up and went towards the door. He entered the code and went inside before anyone was able to see him. It turned out that it was an elevator that automatically went down. The ride lasted about thirty seconds before the doors slowly opened, revealing something unexpected.

---

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

_{Chicago, Illinois}

Present Day

---

^{1.00 // A Favor}

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗥

"I'm sorry, but he died on the way."

That was what the doctor told James Pierce after his surgery. The news left him feeling numb. He had thought that he was going to break down and start crying loudly. Just like in those sappy movies that Cole always watched. Then again, Pierce wasn't normal, unlike his lover. Cole never deserved to be gunned down in broad daylight. He worked hard to achieve a bachelor's degree in English while working. And his friends and family loved and cared about him. In fact, his entire family was at the hospital, grief-stricken over the news. Yet, they still took their time to visit Pierce.

He felt like he didn't deserve vistiors.

Only forty-eight hours since he woke up that the authorities planned on releasing footage of the shooting. Pierce was glued to the small screen waiting for something significant to be revealed. After a lengthy press conference, the footage was shown briefly of Pierce and Cole walking together in the downtown area. He remembered how Cole was so excited to be outside. Then, the murder appeared behind them with a pistol hidden behind him. That was when the fucker's face was shown. Just before he fired several shots at them. Before he killed... Without thinking, Pierce grabbed his phone and took a picture of that scumbag.

Then, he got out of the hospital and started getting undressed. Both the doctor and nurses protested the decision, but nobody was going to prevent him from leaving. Pierce left the hospital without trouble and immediately dialed a number.

<"Hey, I need a favor.">

<"Pierce? Is that you?">

<"Yes, it's me. Look, I need you to look up someone from me. Can you do that?">

<"I thought you were getting married to that fellow down south?">

<"I'm not in the mood, David. I will send you a picture of someone. And you will search for everything about him, got it?">

<"Sounds serious. Let me see how you're doing over there. I heard-">

<"David.">

<"-it's a great place to start a family. I mean, it was rated number-">

<"... David?">

<"I didn't know... I'm sorry, James. I.. I will get on it now.">

<"Thanks.">

The call ended in silence for both of them. David was a good person, but he didn't know when to shut up and listen. On the bright side, it meant that he was going to get his info quicker than usual. But, he had to wait back at home. Pierce spent fifteen minutes walking home alone with his thoughts. Of course, he was trying to make sense of Cole's death. Of all the people in the world, why did it have to be you, Cole? I should have died instead. Nobody would have missed me. Hell, my family never cared. But I will be there for your family, and I will kill your murder. That's a promise.

After walking for an extra few minutes, Pierce looked up and saw the home that Cole wanted to live in. It cost a fortune, but it was worth every cent. A front yard with the white picket fence and the perfect backyard for birthday parties and BBQs during holidays. Better than a cramped apartment. Now, it was a haunting reminder of the future that Pierce will never have. He unlocked the front door and slowly entered the house. The quietness felt out of place. Cole never was the one to enjoy the calm, always planning some kind of party or gathering. And he was good at it.

Pierce sat down on the couch and pulled out his phone. The lock screen was a photo of him and Cole at a friend's dinner party. He already missed him. Once the phone was unlocked, Pierce checked on new messages for friends that were filled with heartfelt condolences. He tried to read every single one of them. But then, David called. Pierce knew that he had found something on the killer and answered without hesitation. He heard some laughter coming from David. Next, he announced much needed good news.

<"Found the fucker.">

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