Later, at Dr. Rogere's office....

[jla-extras.livejournal.com]

The office is crowded with NYPD personnel, frantic patients, a hysterical receptionist, and building security.

Comments

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

And now, another arrival - though the uniform is different, his demeanor is entirely authoritarian, a grim expression on his face as he enters into the melee.

[jla-extras.livejournal.com]

The receptionist is giving a statement to a cop. "And he just broke in here, smashed the door--I told him Dr. Rogere was with a patient--then he went out of here with that young woman--"

[-nightwing-.livejournal.com]

He stops abruptly. Mar'i's been taken from here. He turns to address her directly, cutting into the exchange. He doesn't have to ask what happened - that much is plain from a brief glance through the office's open door.

Describe him.

[jla-extras.livejournal.com]

The receptionist blinks in surprise. The cop turns to deal with the interruption, then steps back.

"Uh, he was big. Very tall, very broad," stammers Natalie. "Bald. Foreign-looking. He's been here before, but I've never heard his name. He comes to take Dr. Rogere to see another patient. He never talks much, and I don't know what kind of accent he has ... Arabic?"

[jla-extras.livejournal.com]

"Hey, we got JSA on the scene!" shouts a detective to his fellow officers. "What the hell happened here to make it a cape case?"

[doctorfatejsa.livejournal.com]

There's a warm, yellow glow where Fate and Detective Chimp appeared. Fate takes a moment to clear their presence with the police.

"...thank you for your assistance, officers. My coleauges will be with us, shortly."

[jla-extras.livejournal.com]

The detective rubs the back of his head. "Yeah. Uh, mind throwing us a bone here? What's going on? Is this a homicide-kidnapping? We lookin' at a hostage situation?"

[doctorfatejsa.livejournal.com]

Fate glances around the office, and to Detective Chimp, who is undoubtedly searching for clues.

"I am in search of a coleauge, a young woman who was here -- the Titan Nighstar -- as part of a larger case. I fear she is in great danger."

His face turns toward the doctor's office, and he seems to be stiffen as he looks at it.

"I am hesitant to speak without evidence, but I fear this doctor was involved in something ... dangerous."

[onthecase.livejournal.com]

The Chimp approaches the receptionist.

"Did you see Dr. Rogere leave?"

[jla-extras.livejournal.com]

The receptionist stares at the chimp. "Leave? Before that big guy killed him, y'mean? No--he never left the office."

[onthecase.livejournal.com]

Chimp frowns, swearing quietly to himself. He turns to Fate.

"Hey, Fate. Think you can reach one of the Seven Siblings?"

[doctorfatejsa.livejournal.com]

"Not lightly," he says. "And I'd hesitate to try here. There is an otherworldly energy in this place. It has been touched by evil."

[jla-extras.livejournal.com]

Dr. Rogere's desk is relatively undisturbed. There is an expensive laptop plugged into a docking station, and all the drawers of the desk appear to be locked.

[onthecase.livejournal.com]

The chimp cracks his knuckles and steps to the computer.

"Hey, boss, I got your permission to touch the computer? I may be able to talk to it..."

[jsaboss.livejournal.com]

Fate and Terrific exchange a glance, and with Fate's nod, Terrific expresses his approval.

"Go for it, detective. Let me know if you need anyhting cracked."

[onthecase.livejournal.com]

The chimp hops into the chair facing the computer.

"Hi, computer," he tells it. "I'm Doctor Rogere. What files have I been looking at recently?"

[doctorfatejsa.livejournal.com]

That being under control, Fate turns his attention again to the altar. His first step is to seal it off in a mystic field, lest it be damaged or harm someone. Then, he opens his senses to the mystic device, to ascertain its purpose.

[jla-extras.livejournal.com]

Many beautiful works of art have been destroyed before this altar. Blood sacrifice has also been made: insects, small animals, the occasional child.

[doctorfatejsa.livejournal.com]

"The evil is corrosive. I can feel it in my blood."

He looks past his repulsion, deeper into the altar.

"Tell me, thing of evil. What purpose did you serve?"

[jla-extras.livejournal.com]

The body of Dr. Rogere lies stiffening on the carpet.

[jsaboss.livejournal.com]

By now, authorities will have come to collect the body, but Terrific gives it an inspection before releasing it.

[jla-extras.livejournal.com]

The doctor wears a surprised expression on his face. His neck has been broken. Postmortem lividity suggests that he was struck once and left to lie where he fell.

[jsaboss.livejournal.com]

After conferring briefly on Fate and the Chimp's discoveries, Michael Holt steps away from the scene as Fate redoubles his efforts to seal the altar.

To outsiders, he would seem deep in thought, but he's sending messages to all who need to know what they've found.

To: ORACLE
CC: BRAINIAC 5
RE: ROGERE INVESTIGATION

MESSAGE: WE'VE FOUND AND SECURED THE ALTAR. FATE'S MAKING ARRANGEMENTS. HE CLAIMS TO HAVE SEEN SOME AMORPHOUS, LOVECRAFTIAN FORCE, WHICH HE ASSUMES IS "CROUTEUX." DETECTIVE CHIMP HAS FOUND INFORMATION ON THE ENDLESS. CURRENT WORKING HYPOTHESIS IS THAT CROUTEUX DOESN'T JUST WANT THE POWER OF "DESTRUCTION," HE SEEKS TO REPLACE HIM. ALSO RECORDS ON IBN HEAD, WHICH IS CONCERNING. NIGHTSTAR STATUS UNCERTAIN.

To: JSA (ALL)
From: TERRIFIC
Re: ROGERE INVESTIGATION

ALL HANDS BULLETIN, WE NEED A TEAM TO MONITOR THIS OFFICE ONCE WE'VE GONE, AND A TEAM TO ACCOMPANY POLICE IN AN INVESTIGATION OF ROGERE'S HOME. WORKING FROM ASSUMPTION THAT HE'S A DIRECT LINK TO CROUTEUX. EVIDENCE OF MULTIPLE HOMICIDES.

[oracle-watching.livejournal.com]

Incoming text message:

INFORMATION ACKNOWLEDGED. NIGHTSTAR IN CUSTODY OF IBN HEAD, UNKNOWN LOCATION, CONDITION CRITICAL. CONFIRMATION IN PROGRESS.

[jsaboss.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU. FATE CONFIRMS ATTACK ON HER AT LEAST PARTIALLY MYSTICAL. SUSPECTS SHE WAS DRAINE DOF ENERGY, POSSIBLY TO FEED CROUTEUX. FILES FOUND BY CHIMP BEAR OUT HYPOTHESIS.