DEAN STRAKEN
"It's not looking good for Mrs. Harvick right now. Her husband and lover are both dead," Quinn comments as she takes a box of food out of the bag.
Sitting at a third table near Dean and Calvin's, she and Dean discuss the case as they have lunch at their desk.
"Tarkins dies a couple of hours before Malloy. But I don't see why she'd kill her lover and then her husband she was divorcing," Dean says in return.
"Maybe she decided she wanted to save the marriage. A drastic act to show Malloy she was back, but it backfired?"
"Or perhaps it's someone else we're missing completely?"
"There's nothing nor no one in Malloy's life, so that leaves Tarkins. What if he had someone who didn't appreciate him getting with Mrs. Harvick? Dean says, thinking out loud.
"Dean's phone begins to ring, prompting him to place his food aside and answer the call. "Straken," He answers. "What?! Okay, we'll be right there!"
"What's up?" Quinn asks curiously.
"There's been a fire. Mrs. Marvick and her sister have been taken to the hospital."
"Unbelievable!"
~
"Alright. So a fourth party who wants them all dead. But Mrs. Marvick 's sister..." Quinn says as they watch the charred remains of the home.
"Collateral damage or two birds one stone?" Dean pipes in, finishing her thought
"Exactly."
"We have to hope they make it," Dean sighs.
"So?" Quinn asks the firefighter, approaching them.
"Definitely arson. There is no doubt about it. There's also something you should see," He says to them with a gesture for them to follow him.
The two detectives follow the firefighter to the back of the home, "Point of origin here," He begins pointing to the back door. "Accelerant," pointing to the empty half-charred remains of a gas canister, "And this."
Dean and Quinn walk up carefully to the marking on the ground. "Classic large spray painted 'X'.
"So this begs the question. Was it personal, or do we have some sort of vigilante killer on the loose?" Dean questions.
"We need to find out what these three had going on. What could be a motive for this."
"You know, I truly thought this would've been a simple open and shut case. You know, an easy day!"
"Like if our work could ever be easy."
~
ARROW BERLIN
"What's your take on hunting? Arrow asks, beginning their conversation as she and Ezra stroll through Hargrove Park.
"In what way, sunshine? What kind of question is that?" Ezra replies, looking at her.
"As in... what's your stance on the whole thing? What we do, how we do it...how we should do it..." Arrow elaborates.
"Okay?" Ezra says with a raised brow of confusion. "I think what we do is necessary and important. Without hunters, Lycans would be out there wreaking havoc and hurting innocent people. As for how we've been doing it... I think our methods are pretty efficient and effective. Surveillance, mission, clean up," Ezra answers with a shrug. "Why? What's got you asking these questions? You second-guessing hunting?"
"A run-in I had," Arrow begins. "These hunters attacked a Lycan and her son. Just because. They didn't do anything wrong, they weren't a threat. But these guys went after them. You know, when my dad would train me and teach me about the Lycans - He always made a point to say that they were bad people. Or tell me the horrible things they've done..." She trails off.
"Not everyone sees the grey areas in the matter," Ezra begins. "Hunting wasn't always like this. There wasn't anything like surveillance or missions. It was hunter against Lycans, nothing more, nothing less. Some people tend to stick with that way of thinking. Seeing all Lycans as monsters."
They walk in silence for a bit before Arrow strikes up the conversation again. "I'm going back to the organization," She begins.
"Oh?"
"Things need to change," She says with a nod. "Have you heard about the drug going around? L-XV, I think it's called."
Ezra tells Arrow all he knows about the drug and what it does to Lycans, detailing some of the ones he'd seen.
The two continue their conversation a little longer before Arrow announces she has to leave.
"You busy tonight?" Ezra asks as Arrow opens her car door, placing his hand on it.
"Kind of, why?"
"I was going to suggest dinner."
"I -"
"We didn't get a chance to talk about the keys and all that. What were your plans?"
"Packing. I'm moving out soon."
"Really?" Ezra says in surprise. "Well, how about this. I bring some food over, and we eat. Then I'll help you throw your things into boxes while we chat. Win-win situation "
Arrow stands there for a moment, thinking it over, "Sure," She replies with a shrug.
"Great. Text me when you leave the organization."
"Alright," Arrow replies as she gets into her cat, Ezra, closing the door for her.
"Later, sunshine."
~
Stepping into the organization, Arrow heads straight to her uncle's office. Thinking to herself, she acknowledges that there would be no coming back from this. She'd have to see it through to the end.
"Surprise to see you here," A voice says to her, stopping mid-stride.
Looking behind her, she sees the guy whose name she still doesn't know walking toward her.
"What's that?" She asks, gesturing at the two vials of purple and cleat liquid in his hands.
"New and improved," The guy answers with a smirk. "This one knocks them out immediately...and this one is useful in interrogations. A painful hallucinogen," He explains, holding the two up.
"You going on a mission?" Arrow asks curiously.
"No. But you never know what you'll come across."
"Hmm." Arrow hums, turning to leave.
"You know!" The guy shouts to her, getting her attention and making her stop once again. "There's a story going 'round," He says slowly.
"Get on with it, I don't have the whole day."
"Story is a little hunter girl... interrupted a group from taking care of some Lycans. Kept them back so long, a couple of civilian police officers came by. One of them said she told the cops her name was Arrow. Care to comment?"
"It wasn't a mission, I didn't interrupt anything," Arrow replies, turning to walk away once more.
"You're too soft for the business! You'll never make it!" The guy calls out once again. Arrow angrily turns around, walking toward the guy. "What's that now?" She scuffs.
"You... are too soft for the business," He says to her. "People in the building know your name, Arrow. The walls talk. They talk about how you left after your father died, how your brother hightailed it out of the city. How you snuggled up with some hunters who got turned. Your arrest and now this... Stopping hunters from doing what we do. Defending the Lycans."
"We have a way to do things. We don't just attack every Lycan we see!" Arrow interjects angrily.
"And what good has that done?" The guy scoffs. "All this recon just to get blown up and kidnapped...and kill-?"
"You watch your mouth!"
"The time you take to do a recon on a suspected Lycan, people die. It's useless, and it wastes time and resources. You could recon and decide a Lycan is not a threat just for them to kill someone the next day. They're beasts, Arrow. Monsters. Creatures who give into their savage urges. Some of them can't even control themselves."
"So you think those people were right to attack a mother and her son while they were having breakfast?"
"There no such thing as an innocent Lycan, darling. If you're coming back to the family business, you need to get that in your head."
"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Arrow grounds out angrily.
"See you around," He replies as he turns and walks away, leaving a seething Arrow staring at his retreating figure.
Arrow lets out an annoyed huff before heading to Elmaan's office. She knocks twice, entering when ahead, hears him call out.
"Arrow," Elmaan greets happily.
"I've made up my mind. I'm coming back," She says to him firmly, watching a smile grace his features.
"Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. I am glad to hear it," Elmaan says happily. Pulling out his cell, he dials a number, muttering "My office...yes," I to the device.
"I am truly glad, Arrow," He begins hanging up the call. "We won't waste any time. You can move into your father's office, it's only right," He says to her. "It's been some time, and there's a couple of new things, so I'll just have Nicholas show you what you've missed."
"Nicholas? Who's that?" Arrow asks.
"What do you mean? You two have already met." Elmaan responds, looking at her weirdly.
Before Arrow could answer, a knock sounds at the door. "Come in," Elmaan calls. Arrow's neutral expression turns into one of distaste as she watches the same guy enter the office.
"Nicholas. Arrow here is rejoining us. I want you to show her what she has missed and what has changed," Elmaan instructs.
The guy, Nicholas, lets out a surprise scuff at this before turning to look at Arrow. "Are you really?" He asks, his tone conveying disbelief.
"Run along you two, I have a meeting to prepare for," Elmaan instructs with a dismissive wave, the two of them leaving the room as asked.
Arrow couldn't remove the scowl on her face no matter how she tried. Of all the people, she found herself stuck with this one. Nicholas. At least now she had a name to put to the face.
"Well, we might as well start now. Who knows how many things I'll end up having to show you," He says as he walks ahead of her.
"If you're going to have this attitude, I have no problem finding someone else, Arrow says to him coming to a stop. Nicholas stops as well, turning to look at her.
"You won't find anyone better than me, you know." He begins, "Why do you think your uncle called for me in the first place?"
Arrow rolls her eyes in annoyance at his antics. "I'm not questioning your abilities, I'm saying you have a nasty attitude, and I can't stand to be around you for more than three minutes." She says, giving him a pointed look.
"Yeah, I'm the one with the attitude," He scoffs under his breath.
"I'm getting someone else!" Arrow says, turning to walk away.
"No," Nicholas calls out, running and grabbing onto her hand.
"Remove your hand," Arrow says flatly, him doing so immediately.
"Look, if you do that, I look bad. So, let's just get this over with. No attitude, strictly work conversation." He pleads, poorly trying to hide the annoyance in his expression.
"Fine. But don't think I won't ditch you the minute you annoy me," Arrow relents. With a nod, Nicholas turns and begins walking away. "We'll start at the lab then head to the armory," He says out loud.
"Why can't things ever be easy," Arrow mumbles under her breath as she follows him.
~
YARA ROSEWOOD.
Yara watches the two paramedics leave Jensen's room, following the firefighter who came looking for them.
"Let me get this straight. She and Jensen are together... She's human, but she knows about Lycans... and she knows about you and Jensen being Lycans," Yara says to Dalton.
"Yeah," He answers with a shrug, not giving her more than that.
"How long have they been seeing each other?" She pries, wanting more information.
Dalton looks at her and shrugs again. The doctor and two nurses come into the room just then.
"Anything, doc?" She hears Clayton ask him.
"We've found some definitive substances from the blood we drew. We're going to combat those and see where we go from there," The doctor answers. Looking at Jensen as the nurses work on him, the doctor lets out a sigh. "He's not the only one you know. This randomized unprovoked attack. They're becoming more frequent. He's one of the lucky ones. We at least got a fighting chance with him. Many others weren't so lucky."
"Shit," Clayton sighs at her side.
"These hunters are getting out of control. Out of hand," Yara says angrily. No one says anything in response, but agreement was clear among all of them. "This is right. We don't deserve this." She says softer this time, a sadness in her voice. "We can't live like this either."
"I don't think life for Lycans will ever be easy in Tares. Not anymore."