The Investigation Continues ....

[reducing-ray.livejournal.com]

I shouldn't be wearing the suit, thinks Ryan Choi as he prepares to be beamed up to the Watchtower. It's disrespectful.

The news came to him quick, and he nearly collapsed under the weight of it. Ray Palmer had been his hero since he was a child ... and had honored him greatly by choosing him as his successor. But now, it felt like he was wearing his dad's suit -- metaphorically speaking -- and it didn't fit right. It was too big on him. Even with the alterations the science staff at Ivy Town had made, it still felt like Ray was looking down at him, and finding him wanting. He's not The Atom. Not yet.

He looks to his right and left at the transfer station -- Isaiah Crockett, the former Teen Titan known as Joto, and Ronnie Raymond, the former Justice Leaguer known as Firestorm. Both former teammates of Ray's, now both his students at Ivy Town University. He feels like a fraud.

And as the teleporter activates, transporting them to the Watchtower, all Ryan can think is I can't believe Ray's gone, followed fleetingly by I can't believe I'm going to the moon.

Comments

[reducing-ray.livejournal.com]

There's a flash of light, and before any sensation can be registered, the trio are in the Watchtower.

"Man," says Joto. "That's a lot easier than the last time I went into space."

[reducing-ray.livejournal.com]

"You've been in space before?" asks Ryan, once again feeling more and more like the amateur in this equation.

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"Don't sweat it," says Joto. "You get used to it after a while."

[reducing-ray.livejournal.com]

"Right," says Ryan, disbelievingly.

[jla-extras.livejournal.com]

"It's true." Firestorm logged countless hours on the Justice League satellite, back when he was the team's rookie.

His fists are clenched - his reaction to the news was anger, more than anything, and he's still feeling hot under the collar.

[reducing-ray.livejournal.com]

Ronnie may have been the rookie then, but right now, Ryan's looking at him like an old-pro. Not exactly wide-eyed and awe struck -- he really only got that with Ray -- but having someone with actual experience that he's actually come to know around for this is ... steadying. It's keeping the whole "JLA on the moon" thing from being overwhelming.

"I guess I'll have to take your word. I feel like I've gone down the rabbit hole. Things have stopped seeming real."

[itsastretch.livejournal.com]

Ralph wheels in. He's still in the wheelchair, with his legs all bound up in odd looking casts to accomodate his rubbery frame. He's dry eyed - after recent events, he ran out of tears, even for a friend, a long time ago. But his mood is clearly serious, even dour.
He wheels in to greet the newcomers, giving each a glance over and a nod. On the desk of the wheelchair are a trio of notebooks, and two file folders, one containing the suicide investigation files, wherein Ralph has crossed out every mention of suicide with the word 'murder', including the label, and in the other is Ray's psyche eval files from J'onn and others.

[reducing-ray.livejournal.com]

"Mr. Dibny," says Ryan, bowing his head politely as the detective enters.

[reducing-ray.livejournal.com]

Joto, likewise, nods at Ralph. They don't really know each other.

"Thanks for spearheading th einvestigation, Mr. Dibny. Ray talked a lot about you."

[itsastretch.livejournal.com]

Ralph nods. "Ray was a great man and a good friend. I just want to make sure whatever monster did this pays. I owe it to Ray... and I'm glad you're all here."

[reducing-ray.livejournal.com]

Ryan steels himself -- quietly taking a breath before continuing.

"Can we ... can we see the body, before we continue?"

It's the tone of voice from someone who's not going to entirely believe someone's dead until he sees for himself.

[itsastretch.livejournal.com]

Ralph nods with a small sigh. He didn't want to believe it himself, not after all the man had survived.
Even so, he starts to turn one wheel to turn the chair. "This way."

[jla-extras.livejournal.com]

Firestorm moves to help Ralph with the chair, and speaks in an undertone. "You just find me the name on whoever did this, pal, and we'll bring him down hard."

[itsastretch.livejournal.com]

Ralph nods. "I'm working on it. Gut instinct would lead me to the prime suspect - Jean Loring, motive, opportunity and ability... but I don't want to overguess and miss something." he says as he lets himself get wheeled towards their all-too-used morgue.
"And while there's a lot of people who'd certainly like to be in the line of making sure the killer gets brought down hard, I certainly won't be in your way. The one thing I am sure of at this point is that there is a killer, it wasn't a suicide."

[reducing-ray.livejournal.com]

Ryan's stoic as he follows the Ductile Detective to the observation window of the JLA's med lab theater, where Dr. Mid-Nite is currently preparing to examine the body.

Ryan's face turns pale at the site of Ray Palmer's cold body, and he staggers backward a step from the glass.

[reducing-ray.livejournal.com]

Joto catches his friend by the shoudler before he staggers too far -- Ray's boys have obviously all become tight -- but he looks stricken, too. Small flames actually light in his eyes.

[itsastretch.livejournal.com]

Ralph winces inwardly. He wishes he never had to see that reaction again. Bad enough the veterans who lost friends... but to see young heroes lose a mentor is even more heartbreaking.
He glances over the young men, giving them some time before he even considers trying to be clinical about this.

[reducing-ray.livejournal.com]

Ryan is silent for a second ... two ... three ...

Finally, when he speaks, it's with the cool detachment of a scientist. One he's coming too from effort, certainly, but it's there. In fact, he sounds a bit like Ray.

"There are ... procedures Dr. Palmer left it place. His equipment and notes must be secured. They're too dangerous to be left unattended."

[itsastretch.livejournal.com]

Ralph can appreciate that. He's having to do this as a detective, after all.

"I'll leave you to that. I wouldn't know the first thing about any of that. But you're definitely right. Let me know if you find anything unusual."

[reducing-ray.livejournal.com]

"I will," he says somberly. "I will take an inventory when I return to Ivy Town, and of course, I assume that the Justice League took custody of his size-changing belt?"

[itsastretch.livejournal.com]

"They did, which is odd. He wasn't wearing it, but the notes suggested he was using size changing. I was hoping you'd know something about that, or could find something in his notes."

[reducing-ray.livejournal.com]

Ryan shoots Ralph a curious look.

"That's impossible. Dr. Palmer had internalized his powers at one point, but they've long since reverted. He's been dependendant on the White Dwarf Star matter to change size for several years now. We had been working with my sub-space and tesseract theory to create new storage units for him -- an alternative to his old method of having his costume be sort of being there but intangible when at full height -- but no, he shouldn't be able to have done that."

[itsastretch.livejournal.com]

Ralph nods. "Precisely my point. Which means that either something was odd, someone took the belt from him mid-change, or someone else shrunk him or reversed the shrinking. Any of which are possible, in theory. But its another hole in the suicide theory."

He pauses, giving Ryan a throughtful look. "Take a look at his notes, and keep in mind he wasn't wearing the belt when found, but evidence suggests he was using size changing, intentionally or not. See if you can come up with some hypotheses."

[jla-extras.livejournal.com]

"Ralph.." Firestorm clears his throat. "Is there anything I can do to help with the investigation?"

[itsastretch.livejournal.com]

Another nod. "Come up with a list of the Atom's enemies. Anyone he's encountered. Cross reference it with a list of people who have, or potentially could have shrinking capabilities, technological, magical or otherwise. If Ray didn't have his belt, we need to look at other potential causes... or people who could figure out his belt enough to use it on him on short notice. Then, with the remaining names that show up on both lists, come up with a list of their current status - deceased, known to be incarcerated, on the loose, and so on. We can't eliminate anyone yet, but expanding the list of prime suspects, or knowing for sure that names that might be high on the list are deceased, known to be incarcerated and so on might help us. You have the computer skills, JLA access codes, and the scientific know-how to come up with a realistic list."

[jla-extras.livejournal.com]

"One name at the top of my list. Chronos. He was always Ray's worst enemy, as far as I knew. No shrinking, but with time manipulation.."

Firestorm shakes his head. ".. I'll see if anyone's seen him lately."

[itsastretch.livejournal.com]

Ralph nods. "Check the computer records, Brainiac 5 should be able to give you any access needed, and might have some insight. Give him the information we know for sure and see what he comes back with, and where he suggests looking. Mid-Nite might also be a good source for forensic analysis and might be able to rule out a method or two."

[reducing-ray.livejournal.com]

Ryan turns again to look at his mentor's body, laid out cold for autopsy. He bites his lips has his brow furrows.

"Can I see what posessions he had on him? I want to see if he was carrying the sub-space containment unit."

As he speaks, he can't take his eyes off Ray.

"It's not right."

Finally, he breaks it off and looks at Ralph.

"I agree he didn't kill himself, but I swear, it's like he saw it coming."

[itsastretch.livejournal.com]

Ralph nods, pulling out the list of possessions. "I think maybe he did. No sign of a struggle, but everything is consistent with him being hung, which is why it was classified as a suicide initially. But nothing else fits. Its definitely not right, but it makes me wonder. That's also why I wanted to get a list of who else might have been able to shrink him, because he definitely was size changing."

[reducing-ray.livejournal.com]

"The device itself is pretty simple to work ... there've been a couple others who've used it. But interrupting its workings? That would take some sort of metahuman force, I'd think."

[itsastretch.livejournal.com]

"Which means we're missing something here. There's metahum... hmm."

He glances towards Firestorm. "It was mentioned that Chronos was Ray's biggest enemy, if anyone would know what kind of force could stop the shrinking, or bring it about, he would. Get some folks together and see if you can find him and bring him into custody. I don't think he did it... would have been signs of struggle, and seems the wrong M.O., but he's still a suspect... and more importantly, he's going to think he's a prime suspect. If he thinks he's under investigation, he might be willing to give us some clues."

[jla-extras.livejournal.com]

"I'm on it. Keep me posted, Ralph..."

[itsastretch.livejournal.com]

"Believe me, I will. For now, bring Chronos in and be careful, that's not an easy task. And don't do anything that'd suggest to him that he's not our #1 suspect. I want to see if what he knows plus what your friend here can find out going through the notes comes up with any clearer answers."