Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Next Day: 12pm; Local Hospital

”Why couldn't I see it before?...

The signs.. If I wasn't too caught up on my own issues…”

Miss Faircroft grieves at her best friend's hospital bedside.

Bruised knuckles, bandaged and wearing a lot of clothing due to being outside last night.

Feeling soreness from the one sided fist fight.

Lucky rest of the innocents from Joe's Eatery, we're not hurt, just traumatized.

Reasonably so.

Emma has been staying at headquarters for now, plus visiting her friends wherever she can.

Sat in between Clouds and Leon, both in grueling and wrenching pain.

Both enduring injuries on which they were attacked.

Sized cuts to the necks, many bruises, they fought for their lives.

Now under a resting coma, until Clouds and Leon can get their strength back.

They're show cases of a warning from Ricky.

What he's capable of doing now, inhumane.

Fueling more hatred towards her ex-husband.

Emma lost her phone, so she communicates via landline phones in company buildings.

But almost losing people she had for a long time and one who she just first met, heartache.

”Leon probably isn't going to believe me..”

Emma's thoughts ran with fear for them both, attachments are a tricky thing to possess.

Hospital small tv, sat up, hanging on the ceiling.

Volume on low, but our beloved detective listens intently.

Channel 8 news station broadcasting a warning to the public.

“A killer struck hard again folks, this investigation has been going on for days now.

Just now a police report shows a new crime scene unfolding.”

News anchor person flips through the pages.

“Saying that 10 people from a local stock brokerage building, with serious life threatening wounds.

There will be a manhunt for this murderous criminal.”

They paused for a brief moment, saying their sign off.

“Goodnight and please stay safe out there, Yorkians.”

Tv goes commercial.

Emma mumbles, making her hands into a prayer and resting her elbows on the edge of the hospital bed.

”I promise you two.. I'll catch this fucker.

Soon. One way or another even.”

She leaves knowing there's 24/7 bodyguard protection, at the door of the two friends.

Offered by the Fang agency company, ordered by well known Agent Jewel herself.

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12:15pm; F.a.n.g. Headquarters

Back at the fearless authority, Emma prepares her evening patrol and gearing up

Strapping equipment onto her belt, full on dark black spy uniform.

Tracking down the murder, well, evil Ex-husband.

She never doesn't want to think about his name, scared of her own thoughts, manifesting.

As soon as Miss Jewel got ready, heading out into the big city of New York.

She even picked up a new burner phone from the Tech people at her job, Ash gray color case.

•

•

•

1pm; East New York

By using some drones, camera off of the surrounding buildings of New York.

Plus word of mouth information on her killer's whereabouts.

Agent Jewel has been focusing on tracking him down for 40 minutes.

She was getting tired from parkouring each rooftop building, one after another.

With a heavy sigh, she whips out a fruit granola energy bar.

One had, biting off the wrapper, the other hand on a small gps device.

Snacking as she scans the area around her and the mini led green screen map.

“..Hmm, he's been spotted more at this.. uh..”

She quickly peaks down onto the building's name she is standing on.

“Lumber Depot! Right, right.”

She finishes her little treat, stretches and finds her way down and into the store.

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•

Our beloved spy-detective, staking out across the Lumber Depot.

In a Cafe which had a library, full of books and magazines.

She pretends to be interested in some cheesy first date idea, from one Gossip Girlz issue #008.

Waited until Ricky waltzes out from the store that he so commonly goes to.

Bystanders look at our agent in a good but peculiar way.

Probably because there's never been a Fang detective agency person out in daylight.

A few moments went by and a couple of issue magazines later.

Ricky fast walked his way out with a couple of bags each in his hands.

Jewel jogged across the street, stalking behind the murder.

Far enough to not be spotted and closely she keeps an eye on him.

Seeming to be in a chirpy mood, in a superb headspace.

Dangerous to be near an insane person, pretending to be cheerful.

Ricky ducks into an alleyway, which Jewel blindly follows, crazed to even think of the danger.

”Huh.. he left his stuff on the floor.. It's probably a trap.”

Jewel taking a quick peek at what her ex-husband has bought.

And yes, apparently, he did have a decent amount of money left to pay for this.

$50 in cash, but how.

To figure out his next move and action, things which are;

-A few cleaning supply bottles and such.

-Materials for a set up dinner table for two.

“Curiouser and curiouser..”

Jewel then gets her fingerprint kit, getting all his grubby hands on the cleaning products.

”Great! Now I have his DNA and evidence.”

She puts it away in her side bag.

”I gotta get to the station to give it to them for safe keepings… As long as they're security got upgraded.. I hope.”

Before she can scatter away to the police department.

Jewel gets suddenly jerked backwards, an arm at her throat.

Her chin was the only thing that's helping her breath.

“Fucking hell-”

She squirms.

“Since when are you this strong?”

“Well.. well well!”

Ricky laughs heartily, he had a good left arm grip on Emma.

“Take a look at what the rat dragged in.”

Jewel scoffs,

“Mentioning yourself there?”

She smirks as she has her hand, hovering her weapon, just in case.

Ricky growled into her right ear.

“You know- I had a theory you'd follow me, dear.

Filthy play spy that you are- OW!”

Jewel didn't like that last comment, “I'd outta fucking beat you up again!”

She turns on her handheld taser, zip and zapping away.

“Ow- Shit.. Truce! Truce for now.. dear.. I'm still planning something~”

He giggles,

“Just you and me.

Besides, I need to get me more bandages from our last tiff.”

Emma was semi occupied with contradicting herself.

Should she go to attack him yet or wait.

Ricky picks up his bagged merchandise, rubbing his purple bruised face.

“But! I am a bit surprised you found me. I do hope you didn't spoil yourself a look inside my bags of tricks.”

He cackled with an eerie smile.

Jewel snares, stands up straight and puffing out her chest again.

“Planning what? You sick asshole.

I'm not ever want to be with you again, Ricky.

If *that's what you're thinking.”

Ricky smiled an awful grin, devious insane killer.

“Will see about that, Ems~”

Then he's on his merry way, down the alleyway and making a shortcut through the city.

“So- I'll see you soon then, my dear.”

He waves goodbye.

Jewel tried to follow behind but was gone in a flash when she turned the corner.

“Ggrrrrr, I HATE that man..”

She complained, still making her way to the NYPD department.

Before any more or the truce timer is off, by taking a taxi cab.

“I'll get my hands on him next time for sure… I should really focus and be more careful too.”

She makes mental notes to herself.

*“Clouds would've wanted me to be safe..”

•

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1:35pm; New York police department

Mr. Gordon was occupied with having a little snack of warm coffee and chocolate chip cookies.

“Good evening, Commissioner.”

Jewel’s pops into his office.

“I- uh- Hope I'm not disturbing you, sir.”

“Oh! Oh, Agent Jewels!”

The Chief of commissioner stands up, setting this food down at his desk.

“I'm happy to see you though, Miss Jewel!”

Miss Jewel smiled through her hazel eyes one more, “I have some evidence for you-”

“Mikey is back on the job now by the way.

I'd like you to see how he's doing.”

Mr. Gordon spoke with glee.

“And! He works with evidence items too.”

He winks, chuckling.

“Oh, I see then.”

Jewel laughed a bit as well, both walked and talked.

“I'll go see Mikey then, it's the fingerprints of the murder.”

“Oohhh?”

Mc Mullin was surprised indeed.

“Right! I've heard you came in contact with this trouble maker. Yes?”

Agent Jewel sighs heavily,

“A couple of times. I promise I'll get him off the streets.”

She continues to chat,

“Things are just starting to become more of a.. mental challenge.. Heh- Reason why I took a long break from this detective job..”

Mc Mullin listens, nodding in agreement.

“Exactly why I give my officers a long deserved break. Of course- hahaha, Mikey was determined to come back.

For a temporary week before I send him off on his vacay.”

Then both allies came up to the room filled over the years of items of criminal evidence.

“Helllooo?! Mikey? You have a guest!”

Mr. Gordon calls out, then pats Jewel’s shoulder.

“I'll be in my office, Miss. I'm sure he's coming out to help.”

Jewel nods, awaiting the door frame until she sees Mikey Dean amble up to her.

“Hey, how can I help? Er..”

“Miss Agent Jewel, sir.”

She held her hand out to shake a firm handshake.

“Ah! The Fang detective agency company!”

Mikey green eyes lit up like stars.

“Such an honour to meet someone who works there.

An inspiration even!”

“Daaw- Heh, thanks then.”

Jewel amused by Mr. Deans comments.

“So! Mikey, I have some of the recent murderers' fingerprints here.”

She handed them over to him as he listened still.

“They we're off some cleaning products.”

“.. Oh.. oh god-”

Mikey gets scared.

“You don't suppose he'd..”

“He.. might. Knowing the psychoanalyze of this killer.”

Jewel ranted.

“He'll strike again, highly plausible, I just don't know when.

I was too.. busy to realize he would strike at his old job..”

“Hmhmm, I'll put this into our database computer and store it.”

Mikey waltzes to his PC computer setup in the room.

Then he clocked in and looked back at Jewel.

“Wait- old job?”

“Oh- Uh..”

Jewel stutters briefly.

“Our killer used to work at a stock broker company really.”

“Ah, well- Thanks Jewels, for this and the info.

And well.. for checking up on me too.

W- When I was incapacitated.”

Mikey laughs.

“Hmm, not a problem at all.”

Miss Jewel bows for a moment.

“It's my job to protect my city, in my own way.”

Then she adds after Mikey sat down at his deck area, scanning each fingerprint into that system.

“Speaking of, I should probably get back to the hospital.

I have a couple of friends I need to check on.”

“Oh? Oh! Of course! Go, go look after you're friends then.”

Mikey smiles, reassuring Jewels.

“I'll be taking care of this, Miss.”

The Fang Agent nods once more, “Thanks again, Mr. Dean.”

Then she hurried back to the hospital.

•

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2pm; Hospital visitation

Emma Faircroft, only very few were allowed to enter in room 308 of course.

Inside her two friends, Clouds and Leon, still resting peacefully.

She had her mini late lunch and sat between them again.

A chopped up fruit bowl from the hospital cafe downstairs.

Silently eating, sounds of their lifelines beeping away every second.

Emma tears up a little, with every bite.

”I miss you guys..”

She mumbles.

".. Please. Get better. Soon.”

•

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5pm

Miss Faircroft awakes from taking a long nap, half her body laying on Leon’s bed end.

Always finding herself gently holding his cold hand, then she finally let go.

“Ough- My back..”

She stretches,

“I shouldn't.. sleep like that.. Ugh..”

As Emma sat back down, yawning, Leon began to stir up.

“... W- Wait.. wait hold up, what are you wearing Emma?”

Leon questions her uniform.

“!!!”

Emma got quiet, staring at Leon like a deer in car headlights.

“I- Uh.. well.. It's my uniform..”

She avoided any more eye contact.

Cloud's was awake as well but pretends to go back asleep,

"I’m NOT dealing with this… I just woke up.”

She laughs to herself.

Leon stares in fascination with Emma, until he asks,

“Who was that scary man? He had a scar and and- Oh! Blue eyes-”

“Relax, Leon, I get it.”

Emma gently pats the back of Leon’s hand, reassuring tone.

“It'll be alright. And… I know who's behind everything.”

“Huh? H- how?”

Leon figured it was a joke, a gag.

“You're not joking.. Are you?

Are you an undercover cop?”

He sat up, listening to Emma.

“Er- As much I'm not allowed to say either things.”

Emma pauses, taking a deep breath.

“I’m a spy-detective for Fang, Leon.”

Leon looked to be too shocked to speak but solely interested.

Emma continues, clasping her hands together.

“Long story short, I've been an agent for 12 years.

No family, friends, nothing but the Fang agency.”

She retells, sounding like her throat gets tighter.

“Ya know? It's uh.. a good gig I had it.

But in return.

I grew up too quickly, no childhood experience.”

Clouds laid on her side, listening to her bestie of course.

Despite her hearing this many times, never fails to put Miss Lockheart into tears.

“And that- Man.. This murder.. is my.. wretched Ex-husband Leon.”

Emma recounted flashes of memories, wishing it wasn't hers.

“Once.. I considered him my.. everything, now, I want him to rot in a cell more than anything in the world.”

For a long moment, the small yet empty silence room of three people.

Gots quiet, till Leon breaks it with a question again.

“Then.. Why aren't you going out there-”

Leon tries to wrap his mind around it all, scratching the side of his cream colored hair.

“I mean- It's.. Augh, this is contemplated.. You were.. Married?? But not now? And?- Ough."

He flops back onto his bed.

“Ugh! Because I'm worried! Duh!”

Emma’s anxiety and stress tension was getting the best of her.

“And I’m.. still brian storming a plan..”

She paces back and forth the small room.

“I can't just go out in the night to hunt down someone I don't want to see again.”

“I mean.. Fair enough then, Emma.”

Leon agrees.

Then so did Cloud's.

“Yeah! I hope that asshole slips on an oil slick out in this weather.”

She giggles.

Eventually the whole trio started to laugh, easing their emotions into a light hearted mood.

Of course it'll be cut short, Miss Faircroft's flip burner phone was ringing.

It's her boss.

Answering it, "Yes? Hello boss?"

"

Chief Jameson joined into the conversation and orders a plan of action.

Yes, he can still hack into the hospital cameras.

Still a watch full eye on his star agent, like a protective father.

"You'll need your lil food friend for this mission, Jewel."

Emma peers to Leon, both making eye contact.

"A- are you sure, boss?"

"What do we have to lose? And we don't have a choice per-say."

Jameson then gets to explaining.

"... Now, here's what we'll do.."

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