Quoted By:
An ashen face watched on somberly at the scene below. It was quaint; the sense of longing, of affection, was tangible. The man almost regretted what would come next, but he knew better than that. He shoved the lifeless body off the industrial catwalk before turning tail and escaping towards a fire door.
Still supple and pliant, the caramel skin glowed as it passed the incandescent bulb illuminating the Priestess and Investigator. It met the marble floors with a sickening smack.
The Priestess jolted in shock before spinning to find the sound's source, while the Investigator did not hesitate in drawing the weapon at his thigh.
"Who the—" he began before fully comprehending the scene before him.
"No!" cried the Priestess. He dashed to the limp elven body sprawled beneath the dim lighting. It was a figure familiar to both of them.
"Wait!" the blonde yelled. A trace of the culprit's coat slipping away into the darkness above was the only thing he managed to see in such dim lighting. "Damn it!"
The Priestess frantically checked the body for some evidence of life. The Investigator quickly knelt at his side.
"Is he...?"
"I think so..."
The Elf's glassy eyes were gently closed by elegant hands. Both sat quietly for a moment of pause before the Investigator abruptly stood.
"I'll be damned if whoever did this is going to get away with it. I need to make some calls."
But before he moved to take a step, shadows shifted in the far corner. Like tendrils, they undulated irregularly and gave way to a pair of familiar figures.
"What are you two doing here?" the shorter of the two Reapers asked apprehensively.
"I could ask you the same question," returned the Priestess, still knelt beside the Elf's body.
"We're here to do our job," the taller Reaper began, "and because someone tipped us off—"
"—To what we thought was a suicide," added the other.
"Suicide? Someone threw him from the catwalks!" shouted the Investigator. "We need to get a move on if we want to catch this bastard!"
"You can do that after we check the body," was the short reply. "An investigator should gather evidence, no?"
The Investigator deflated slightly. "Right." The Priestess, having regained his composure, took the opportunity to stand and stride to the still shadowy corner.
"Where are you going?" his companion asked. The Reapers stood aside in surprise, allowing the Priestess to pass.
"To the Consortium chamber," he answered swiftly. "This is too timely to be a coincidence. It's a threat. An example." He turned upon reaching the edge of the familiar darkness.
The Investigator responded in bewilderment, "What are you talking about?"
"Don't worry, Mr. Investigator," he started in a sweet but commanding tone, "you will have the Group's support. But try not to get in our way."
With that, he pivoted and vanished as the black tendrils welcomed their Priestess back to the void.
