Venus POV
We all decided to be in Temps new car as she drives us to the crime scene. She then says, "Notice how I'm not tailgating? Adaptive cruise control." I smile sitting in the back looking at the two as Booth says, "Mm-hmm. Yeah, well, right now I'm more worried about a safe distance between you and us." He points at himself and me as Temp asks confused, "Why?" I then say, "I think it's because we're going to a church Temp." Booth nod adding, "And you tend to get blasphemous in churches." Temp then asks, "What, you're afraid that if God smites me with lightning, you two could get hit?" "Yeah. We're usually standing right beside you." "The Greek god Zues also used lightning to incinerate his enemies. Although... Zues apparently had better aim than your God."
I just chuckled at her honest bluntness as Booth looks at her, "Exactly. Stuff like that. Just don't say stuff like that. All right? Are we- What's going on here? Are we going the right way?" I smile leaning a bit towards between them, "Yes. It's a really cool new feature Ranger. All we have to say is 'Saint Dominic's Roman Catholic Church'..." the GPS starts calculating the route as I finish, "into the voice activated G.P.S." I sit back as Booth says, "Car, could you please get us there a little faster?" Temp then says not getting it was a joke, "No. The accelerator is not voice-activated. It's foot-activated like a normal car." Booth nods, "Right." I chuckle again as I say, "Temp... he's joking..." Temp finally understood as she laughs, "Oh. You're joking." "Yeah." "That's funny."
We arrived at the church as we make our way down the ail. We then see the priest coming our way as Booth says, "Father Patrick, I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth. These here's my partners, Dr. Temperance Brennan and Dr. Venus Brennan." Temp shakes the father's hand as he says to us, "I have no idea what I'm going to tell our congregation. He has horns." Temp then says, "Yes. That would have great meaning for your superstitious followers." I just smiled as Booth whispers pointing over to himself and me, "Yeah, like us." I start putting my gloves on as Booth asks, "Was the, uh, sanctuary locked?" The father nods, "Yes, but doors and windows mean nothing to unclean spirits." Temp then adds, "Many cultures since the dawn of humanity have explained evil as the work of mythical, supernatural beings." "Evil is not mythical, Dr. Brennan. It emanates from the opposition. From Satan and his minions." He then walks away as we go towards the body as Booth then says looking at the body, "Bones, Blueberry, that looks like a demon."
I do a small cross and then go up to the body as Booth starts kneeling as he continues, "All right? You understand?" Temp then says, "Booth, if your superstitions are getting the best of you, Ven and I can continue our examination alone. Even she isn't bothered by it." I then say, "Oh, it's not because I'm bothered by it, Temp. I sure do believe the idea of demons and other supernatural stuff, it's just that it's still a body in the end that we have to solve. Science first then supernatural second." She nods as Both then says, "I am just saying a prayer for us to protect us from the evil. You understand? I mean, come on. Even you believe in evil." Temp examines the body with me as she says, "Well, I believe in genetic anomalies and aberrant behavior. Also, accidents. Unfortunately, prayers do not have much effect on the physical world."
Booth then points to the horns, "Those are horns." I nod, "They are. The smell indicates the remains were doused in some kind of petrochemical accelerant- which also explains the fire didn't spread past the table." He nods, "Right. And you just blew right past the whole horn thing. Have either of you seen this before?" I shake my head as Temp says, "No. It's fascinating." "Fascinating.' Can't be real, right? It must be some kind of plastic or something, right?" I check the horns as I shake my head, "No, they appear to be composed pf actual bone." Booth looked very disturbed as he asks, "Those are real horns?" I nod as Temp asks, "You okay Booth?" "Yeah, I'm all right. Let's just, uh- What do you two say we just get Hellboy wrapped up and back to the Jeffersonian?" He looks at some of his men, "Come on, guys. Let's go."
We are back at the lab going up to the platform as Cam says, "I've been a coroner a long time. I've seen a lot of bad things." Temp then asks, "Define 'bad things." "Murder, mayhem, torture, catastrophe, suicide, explosions- you know, the usual stuff. But this? This gave me a chill." "Because of the demonic symbolism of the horns?" "Well, I just don't want to end up hovering above my bed... with my head spinning around, 360 degrees." "That would not only be impossible, but fatal." I nod patting Cam's back, "Even so, if it were to choose out of the three of us. I'm more than likely sure it would come for me first before you." Cam then says sarcastically, "Right, how comforting..."
Temp then looks at Arastoo, "Preliminary findings, Mr. Vaziri?" "Well, victim is human- mostly." Cam then says putting on her gloves as well, "Oh, he's only half joking. This extension of cartilage here-" We look down at the victim as I say, "It's a tail." Temp asks, "The victim had a tail?" Arastoo then says, "Unmistakably devilish." Temp then says, "Believing in fallen angels... and living by the tenets of empirical science are mutually exclusive." I then say, "Temp you got that mixed up." Arastoo nods, "Islam teaches us that Shaitan was not a fallen angel, but a jinn. Angels are created from light and have no free will. Jinns are created from smokeless fire and use their free will to defy Allah."
Cam then says, "Not an angel, not a jinn, and yet, not your run-of-the-mill man either." Arastoo then adds, "The victim is Caucasian and judging by the partially fused... epiphyseal union of the clavicle, 19 to 24 to years of age." Hodgins then comes up over to us, "Accelerant was common motor oil- available at any gas station." Cam then says, "Well, at least it wasn't brimstone- available only from hell." "I can't get much off what's left of his clothes. It's just a generic mixture of cotton and man-made fibers." Temp then asks, "What do you make of the horns Mr. Vaziri?" Hodgins then says, "Whoa! Hey! Horns fall under my area." I smile a bit, "Only if they aren't made of bone." Arastoo then says, "But they are made of bone." Hodgins then says, "Really? Huh." I then ask, "You already delt with the horn, didn't you?"
He nods, "Of course I did. I took a sample of your horns... and ran it through the mass spec. In addition to calcium, potassium, manganese and silica-" Temp adds, "Bone, as Mr. Vaziri stated." "I also found calcium carbonate in the crystal form, aragonite, which is better known as coral." I nod as I then say looking at the victim, "Likely, the horns were cosmetic implants, but as a result of biocompatibility, the remodeled bone grew within the coral." Cam then asks, "What about the tail? Do you think it's a cosmetic implant as well?" "Vestigial. It's a vestigial tail." "Well, that's extremely rare for a child to be born with one." I nod as Temp then says, "There is a man in West Bengal with a 33-centimeter-long tail... who some believe is the reincarnation of Hanuman." I nod agreeing.
Angie then comes up the platform, "Hey, I got an I.D. on our victim." Cam asks, "Is his last name Lucifer?" Hodgins then says, "Can we please call him 'Hellboy' until we find out otherwise?" Angie goes to the computer bringing up the information, "Oh, we found out otherwise." We see the image of the victim as she explains, "Neal Lowery. Turns out Neal's the only missing guy with horns. Go figures." I then ask, "Where was his last known residence?" Arastoo then says, "I'm guessing Mr. Stephen King's basement." I smile trying not to laugh as Angie answers, "Havenhurst Sanitarium, where he's being treated for schizophrenia." I nod, "Alright, let Ranger know what we've found so far." They nod as we all get back to work.
We were in Temps car again as we brought Sweets along to go to the mental health facility as he sits next to me in the back as he says to us, "Oh, hey, did I mention that I interned at a mental health facility in Philadelphia?" Booth then says, "Interned'? You mean lived in?" "You know the old thing about how all psychologists need psychological help? It's not true." "Is there any chance that Hellboy wasn't crazy, but actually possessed?" Temp asks, "You mean by the demon?" "Well, listen. If the Pope believes in demonic possession, then, you know, I at least gotta ask." Sweets then says, "I spoke briefly to the victim's psychiatrist. Neal Lowery didn't show any symptoms of demonic possession." "Okay. Growing horns isn't a sign of possession?"
Temp then says, "You mean you spoke seriously on the matter to a man with a University education?" "Evil is out there, Bones. There's just more than one explanation." I nod, "I agree with that one right there very much." Temp then says, "yes. Chemical imbalance, poor role models, ignorance." Sweets then says, "Neal Lowery was a simple schizophrenic living a simple delusion." Booth then says, "See that? Simple question, clear answer. Thank you, Sweets." "Mm-hmm." Temp then says, "You could have asked him that on the phone." "I brought Sweets along... so I could sift through all the crazy-asses at the loony bin... and see if any of them are homicidal." Sweets then says, "I'm an excellent loony bin crazy-ass sifter." I chuckle a bit nodding, "You sure are Sweets and the only one."
We are walking at the side of the facility arc where we wouldn't get wet as we see a patient outside in the rain as a worker brings her back inside. Booth then asks, "Shouldn't these patients be in a straitjackets or rubber rooms?" Sweets explains, "Well, some of the patients are here of their own free will. There will be a more secure locked down section for those who've been committed." I then see some flowers as I say, "Ranger? Look over there. That's hellebore." "The question is, did Hellboy trample on those flowers before or after he was dead?" "Well, Hellboy couldn't have trampled on them after he was dead." "Sure about that?" I nod as Temp says, "Even I am certain." We then see one of the staff coming down asking, "Agent Booth?" "Yeah?" "Hi. I'm Lloyd. I'm one of the nurse practitioners. Dr. Copeland's expecting you."
We follow him over meeting the doctor as he then starts guiding us in the building as we go up some steps as he explains, "Neal disappeared the night before last. He didn't show up for his morning meds." Sweets then asks, "So, you thought perhaps he bolted that night?" "Yes." Booth asks, "He's escaped before?" "Escape implies incarceration. We prefer the term AWOL." Temp then says, "The man was committed to your insane asylum... because he believed he was the mythical embodiment of evil. Escape seems accurate." "Neal was genius at finding nooks and crannies where he'd hole up for days. We were hoping he'd done that again, that he'd show up when he got hungry." Sweets then asks, "Well, we'd like to ask your patients and staff if they know anything."
He stops turning to us, "Oh." Booth repeats him, "Oh. Is that a problem?" "Staff- I'm good with that. Patients? These are damaged people, Agent Booth. Their hold on reality is tenuous." I nod as I then point to Sweets, "Well, that's why we brought our own psychologist." Dr. Copeland looks at Sweets, "You're Dr. Sweets?" "Mm-hmm." "You sounded more experienced on the phone." Booth begins laughing as Temp says, "He means you sounded older." Sweets nods, "I know." Booth then says, "Love it." "It's not that funny, Booth." "I think it is." We start walking following Dr. Copeland as we enter an art room, "This is the arts and crafts area. I look at one of the art works, "Well, the work is quite-" Dr. Copeland cuts me off, "Disturbing?" "I was going with Fascinating." Booth then adds, "Yeah, fascinating. So, did, uh, Neal Lowery have any enemies here? Seems the whole presence of the devil, the tails... and the horns- that must have been quite disrupting."
Sweets then says, "Actually, schizophrenic hallucinations can be way worse than that." Dr. Copeland nods adding, "Way, way worse. Yes, one boy with horns would barely register." Booth then asks, "Well, why didn't you just have the horns removed as part of the cure?" "I thought this would be a significant and visible breakthrough for Neal... if he made the decision without being forced." "Oh. What do you think, Sweets?" "Oh, I buy it." Dr. Copeland says, "Thank you, Dr. Sweets." "Yeah." "You don't think Neal was killed on the grounds here, do you? That would not be good." Temp then says, "I'm quite certain it wouldn't make any difference to Neal." Booth then asks, "Neal- did he have any, um- I don't know- fights with, uh, fellow... people?" "Uh, physically, no." I ask, "Arguments?" "A case of competing delusions, yes, that deteriorated into shouting upon occasion, but nothing more." He then looks at one of his patients, "Neviah, these people have some questions for you about Neal Lowery. Do you feel up to speaking with them?"
She comes out from her painting as she looks at us, "God warned me you'd be here with questions." Sweets asks, "God warns you?" "Of course. How else would I have known to have this ready for you?" She turns her painting of Neal on the cross as she stabs him to the stomach as we go up to look at the painting as Sweets says, "Oh. Okay. Wow. That's uh- I'm gonna need another word for fascinating." Booth suggests, "Creepy?" Sweets just looks at him then back at the patient, "So, what are we to learn from this, Neviah?" Booth then says, "You are very- Um, you're talented. You're-" I nod as Temp says, "Obviously, she's replaced the face of Longinus- the soldier who drove his spear through Christ's side during the crucifixion- with her own face."
Dr. Copeland then says, "Neviah believes herself to be earthly manifestation of the angel Uriel." I nod as I then say, "She's put the murder victim's face in place of... the crucified devil." Temp then asks her, "Are you confessing to murder?" Sweets then says, "You mind if I conduct the, uh, conversation, Dr. Brennan?" "No. No." I then say, "But it would help to know that the placement... of the lance here in the victim's side... exactly matches the location where the victim was struck in real life." "Oh." Booth then asks, "So, this is true?" Neviah then says, "I only tell the truth. As Dr. Copeland told you, I'm an angel."
We had to put Neviah in a cell down at the facility as we go down as Sweets says, "I just don't think it's wise to have Dr. Brennan present when we question Neviah." Temp asks, "Well, why?" Dr. Copeland then asks, "What if Neviah told you that she's an angel? Something she believes with her whole heart. How would you respond?" "Well, I'd tell her that angels don't exist, except, of course, in works of fiction such as the Bible and in children's books." Sweets then says, "Right. After which all we'll get from Neviah is argument, no answers." I pat Temps shoulder, "He's right on this one sis. You would be better not going in." Booth nods agreeing, "Bones, you're out." She sighs as she looks at Neviah, "I have to admit, it's eerie the way when I move, she follows me as though she knows exactly where I am." I then say, "That's because she can see you Temp..." Booth then says, "It's a window, Bones. It's not a two-way mirror." "Oh." "Right."
We watch Booth and Sweets go inside as Temp then asks Dr. Copeland, "Perhaps we could wait in some other part of your facility?" He nods, "Yes, certainly." "This isn't really a good use of our time." Temp and I are watching everyone in the common room area as we watch staff pass out the people's medication as a man comes rolling over to us smiling, "Hello. Can I offer you two juices, cookies, uh, perhaps a nice serotonin reuptake inhibitor?" Temp then says, "Uh, thank you, but we just ate." I nod, "But thank you for the offer."
He then introduces himself, "Hi. I'm Dr. Philip Womack." He shakes our hands as Temp says, "I'm Dr. Temperance Brennan and this is Dr. Venus Brennan. Temperance would be fine." "Beautiful names. Unfortunately, most of the patients here don't exhibit much temperance, hence the need to fill them with drugs." I nod a bit seeing something a bit off as I say, "Well, I would probably medicate as well..." Temp nods, "I would to if I was forced to interact with psychiatrists all day. No offense." "Well, none taken. Ours is a subjective profession that often marginalizes the importance of empirical data."
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DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN "BONES". IT IS OWNED BY JOSEPHSON ENTERTAINMENT, BY HART HANSON. I ONLY CLAIM MY CHARACTER VENUS BRENNAN. I ALSO DON'T OWN ANY OF THE IMAGES. THANK YOU.