Canary Contract: Prologue
Content warnings: description of injury resulting from implied violent non-con, referenced child abuse, implied/referenced torture, referenced criminal activity, insensitive discussion and treatment of trauma
3 minutes into scrolling mindlessly on his phone, a file smacks onto Theodore Bishop’s desk, sending a loose post-it attached to the laptop drifting to the floor.
“Cap, new case just arrived. Apparently it’s a big long one too, so there’s a discussion session in 5 minutes downstairs.”
Theo lifted his head, meeting his coworker’s serious gaze reluctantly.
“Seriously? Didn’t we just conclude our last case this morning? There’s more than one capital felony investigation unit for a reason.”
“Yeah, well, Team Theta compiled this file, we’re working together on this case. Come on, meeting time, let’s go!”
A case requiring more than one unit? Theo raised an eyebrow in surprise. With crime rates as high as they were, investigation units tended to work separately to try and divide the sheer amount of cases they had to deal with. Just how serious was this case?
“We’ve traced criminal activity by the Potestas back to the Archambault Industries, and we suspect the Archambault heir to be one of its executives, or even higher up in position.”
“Aren't they obsessed with metahuman experimentation and their powers?”
“Holy shit, we’re going after the mafia?”
“Finally, some progress on stopping them!”
Commissioner Gray clapped sharply, silencing the flurry of whispers in the room. She stood up to face the screen, switching the slides to display two faces.
“We’ll be conducting our investigation in several aspects. Caspar Archambault’s affiliations with the Potestas, or lack thereof, is our main focus. Further operations will depend on our findings. Investigator Bishop!”
Theo straightened in anticipation as her eyes locked onto his figure.
“Your team will be stationed undercover as his neighbours. Observe his daily life, and if warranted, plant surveillance devices into his apartment. Aim to get close to his lover, Lucas Ainsworth.” She gestured to the black haired man on the screen.
“His lover is a registered mnemokinetic, and may be responsible for the traces of psychic manipulation we’ve found. Or he may be entirely innocent. Either way, he should be one of the keys to this case.”
Back in his office, Theo spread out the file on Archambault's lover for everyone to read.
“So, Lucas Ainsworth. He studied in one of the most prestigious secondary schools in this country with a full ride academic scholarship, just to go to a run of the mill university and drop out after a year. According to his employment records, he's been unable to keep a job for longer than 4 months, and hasn't had one for years. His father was incarcerated and is now deceased, and his half sister currently lives with her birth mother. No background, and obviously no media training or any other experience with elite society to speak of. Interesting choice of a lover for an influential heir to a large scale company. Why choose someone so……unremarkable?”
“His ability definitely isn't unremarkable. Memory manipulation is rare and dangerous, even if inhibited. If the rumors are true and Archambault is in Potestas, Ainsworth could use his power fully. That's an asset if I've ever heard one.”
“Oh, his looks aren't anywhere near ordinary either. That face is model material. Weren't Ainsworth and Archambault in the same school for a year? I'd remember a face like that long enough to – Ow!”
Theo smacked his coworker in the arm hard. Ainsworth was extremely pretty, albeit a little too thin for comfort, with his delicate features, slim build, and big violet eyes, but…
“Dude, Ainsworth was 12 that year, and Archambault was already 18! Their relationship began when he was 20, read the file!”
A tentative voice sounded from Lily, who was holding up another paper.
“Guys? I think you should look at his medical file.”
The first thing that stood out to Theo, other than its unusual length, was the amount of pictures included in the file. According to regulation, photos of patients were prohibited from being displayed on their medical file unless they were for legal purposes, such as being used for evidence in court.
There was an overview of Ainsworth’s condition, such as his healing, strength and stamina factor compared to a baseline human, anecdotes of mild anemia and unhealed fractures, and a measure of his mnemokinetic ability, yet Theo’s attention was held by the two compilations of pictures.
The first pile of pictures depicted Ainsworth in what was probably his late teens, obviously malnourished and covered in cuts and bruises, scars in varying stages of healing scattered all over. Theo had been an investigator long enough to recognise the tell-tale signs of abuse, even if there was little to no legislation to protect children from their guardians.
According to the file, Ainsworth’s father had been charged with assault, and Theo would bet his overtime bonuses that the victim in question was Lucas. It was much easier legally for abused children to sue for assault once they reached adulthood, especially if they were employed and therefore part of the workforce, than to report their guardians for abuse when they were still a minor, and the former route was probably what Lucas had chosen.
The second pile of pictures doubled in both amount and brutality. Theo skimmed the summary in horror, suppressing the urge to vomit. Severe tearing, internal bleeding, broken pelvic bones, severe contusions and lacerations all over, a shattered ankle….. the list went on.
“Shit …” Arthur, one of the most senior members in the unit, mumbled.
“I think I recognise this case. This was a kidnapping and extortion case 4 years ago. Archambault called after his lover went missing after an argument, and apparently Ainsworth was taken by members of some rogue gang working under a company Archambault Industries had just taken over. They started out with extortion, and when that didn’t go so well, it became blatant torture in the name of revenge. It took more than a week for us to find them, and it’s a miracle Ainsworth survived mostly intact, if only physically.”
“So that’s why Commissioner Gray said Ainsworth is our best way to get information at this stage. She’s betting that he’s too mentally vulnerable to keep any secrets.” Theo mused. It was an extremely cruel method, yet it had the potential to be just as effective.
“Or he might be too broken to give us any useful information.” Arthur retorted.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
Taglist: none atm but if anyone wants me to do one tell me :D
