Case File 2

Shadowy Trail

—.—

December 23, 2010.10:24 AM, Downtown, Brockton Bay Central Hospital.

Gumshoe looked at the hospital building, dark grey with discoloring on the edges and higher floors. Graffiti marks were present on the lower floors; some thug probably thought it would be a funny idea to start dirtying the place up. Dozens of cars filled the entire parking space to the brim. I never liked going to hospitals. Too much time wasted on parking and waiting. Gumshoe sighed and walked towards the entrance, pushing the doors open and stopping.

The Brockton Bay Central Hospital was bustling, as it typically was . Patients coming with a few scrapes or injuries from the misdeeds of the resident gangs were common. It was an unfortunate thing to become accustomed to, but it was what any resident of the Bay had to forge themselves to expect. The fight at Parian's apartment building was an example of how bad capes could get and escalate.

Victoria hummed, looking around. "So do you know this, uh, Aisha was it?"

Playing dumb, trying to coax information, knows there's a connection between Aisha and self, suspicious of relationship

Curious about Brian, curious about relationship, suspicious of Brian, thinks he's a cape

"Yup." Lisa started to push through the lobby and looked for where the girl could be. "Brian mentioned her once or twice in our practice."

"I thought you said he was pretty uptight with his private life?"

"He is, thing is that I'm a detective too. So I managed to deduce some things and may or may not have been spying here and there."

"Gumshoe…"

"Sorry mom, I promise I'll behave." Lisa made sure to sound as flippant as possible. Pushing past an elderly man carefully she looked back at Victoria with a deadpan look. "Are you proud ma'?"

"Hell no, you little brat, not with how snotty you act."

"Snotty!?" The indignation shocked the detective cape, making Victoria chuckle at her expense.

"I call them as I see them."

"You two sure are having fun." Lisa stopped at the familiar voice coming from behind and turned to look at Aisha. The dark skinned girl was showing far too much skin considering how cold it was outside and how the hospital walls were even colder. She cocked her hips, hands in the pockets of her ripped jean shorts-shorts and pushed out her chest. She sent a jeering smirk at the offended middle age couple looking at her with disgust. Lisa's face was mostly neutral as her eyes took in the girl's form.

Projecting bravado, legs are shifting weight from one to the other, nervous, tense, afraid

The mugging rattled her, the phone appearing in her position shook her, not trustful, shifting closer to Glory Girl for protection

Worried that culprit may still be nearby, worried for Brian, worried that culprit will finish the job

Wants to hurry, but wants to remain calm, confident, aloof

Victoria blinked, tilting her head. "Huh…?"

Brian's sister snorted, arms crossed. "Aisha's the name, and close your mouth. It actually makes it look like a glory hole."

"Fucking rude and unoriginal." Glory Girl sniffed, rolling her eyes as she regarded Aisha with annoyance. Gumshoe hummed and stepped closer to the younger girl.

"Got a place that isn't as annoying as a hospital lobby?"

Aisha looked at the two and shrugged.

—.—

"How'd you find us so fast? Were you waiting?" Glory Girl asked as she leaned against the wall of the hallway. Gumshoe craned her head to look at the patient room where Brian was currently resting in.

"Not that hard to find two costumed girls entering a hospital. And people here aren't stupid enough to start playing dress up." Aisha scratched the back of her head and groaned. "Though I did go down to the lobby just in case, thank god you two don't waste time."

Gumshoe nodded, looking at Aisha as the girl forced a smirk. Lisa's shoulders sagged and she rolled her neck. She would have to ask her a simple question in order to get the mood for questioning going.

"How is he?"

Aisha smirked. "What, worried? Didn't know my bro actually had the balls to get himself The Man as a girlfriend."

Victoria hummed and smirked at her. "I thought you had said that there wasn't anything between the two of you...or is the illustrious Gumshoe lying?"

"Shut it," Lisa huffed, taking off her fedora and scratching the back of her head. "As if I would ever get it on with that piece of cardboard. Guy is more flighty than a leaf on a storm and more insecure than you, Glory Hole."

The white costumed cape eyes twitched, smirk turning into a frown. "Insecure?"

Aisha rubbed her chin. "Hey Dick, you know who my bro is right?"

Knows identity, Brian told her, can't keep secret from sister, told her in retaliation from past actions

Aisha suspects me, thinks I set Brian up, hero cape vs villain cape, wants to insult you

Thinks you're a cunt, wants to scream your identity, compromise you, angry, revenge, blaming you

Will look for answers, will use own resources, will be in danger, Empire 88 still at large and angry

Black person asking the wrong questions, wrong people, danger

Looking for honesty, wants truth, wants ally, lonely, frustrated

Gumshoe blinked, focusing back on Aisha and nodded. "I do."

Aisha scoffed and looked at the door of the room where her brother was in. "He threw you down two floors though."

Gumshoe didn't need to turn and look to know that Victoria froze as the gears in her head turned and her suspicion took form. She very clearly avoided the deathly glare sent her way by Glory Girl and continued her conversation with Aisha. With a thoughtless shrug she smirked.

"I threw him down through the second floor. I was in a hurry and he was way too busy posturing and trying to show off his pecs. You know how he is."

The trashy girl looked at her with a raised brow, crossing her arms and expression relaxing into a mocking one. "Yeah, bro can be pretty uptight."

Still feels animosity, doesn't trust me fully, doubts, consideration

Appreciates sarcasm, flippant attitude, calming nerves, getting on her level

"I'm actually surprised he kept my number after the whole thing to be honest. He was pretty frustrated with me. Wouldn't shut up about me needing to listen to him and give him what he wanted. Then he wanted to play in the dark, I had to make a little bit of light, so I used his big, strong, lean, muscled—"

Victoria coughed. "For someone who says she isn't into the guy, you sure are giving him big descriptors."

"Please, I'm just stating facts. You would be the one salivating at his chiseled body. I would be having too much fun poking fun at him for having said body."

"Don't make me sound like a drooling animal."

"With how much you liked to talk about your boyfriend, I should compare you to a humping dog in heat."

"Fucking why?"

"Because that reaction is worth it, Glory Humps."

"Fine, you don't give me the impression of someone who would order a hit or attack my brother." Aisha sighed, shaking her head and uncrossing her arms. She looked at the two capes with a more serious look. "This wasn't a normal fucking mugging, no way."

Glory Girl nodded. "I agree, especially if he is who I think he is, right Gumshoe?"

Lisa again ignored the glare and grinded words. "He was specifically chosen then. How about you tell us everything that happened from your point of view."

Aisha nodded, pursing her lips and looking down in concentration. "I was out yesterday night, staying with a mother who likes needles and has shit taste for men kinda makes being so late into the fucking night look like a good. Great thing is that I don't have to worry about curfew! And I'm not complaining . Anyways I was kinda hanging out with some guys, fucking around."

Victoria frowned. "Fucking around…?"

Aisha rolled her eyes. "Yeah with some guys and not fucking around as in fucking around. Just messing around, though not like that either, fuck...just hanging out."

Gumshoe nodded. "Any names for these guys you were just hanging out?"

Lying, not for Brian, for self, hiding true motive

Personal, doesn't want Brian to know, doesn't want us to know, familial issues

Frustrated, angry, at mother, issues with drugs, resentment for that, abusive men

Angry at us, doesn't want to talk, not about mother, men, drugs, abuse

Doesn't have anything to do with current case, mostly, culprit may have been aware of Aisha's movement

"Is it important?"

"No it isn't and it doesn't matter. What does matter is how you knew what happened to your brother. You don't seem like the type of girl to have the patience for reading newspapers and what happened to Brian was more of an afterthought than anything. An event that is so forgettable that no one would care."

Aisha nose crinkled. "Yeah, city sucks like that doesn't it. People don't give a shit about you at fucking all...fuck, whatever. I got a call that night telling me to come to the hospital and to call you with Brian's phone. I obviously turned and ran for the hospital. But...stuff kept happening and fucking me over! I got a cop following me, I don't even fucking know why, probably because I was way off curfew. When I finally managed to get here, I had to wait in the fucking lobby to ask for my brother and that took forever. I tried sneaking in and almost got caught and had to wait in the fucking line again, and when I finally got to know how Brian was he was already out of surgery and asleep. Then I remembered I had to call you but I didn't have his phone and I didnt know where to ask. Fucking everything almost had me wanting to punch someone, and when I went to sit down and catch my breath, I jumped because Brian's phone was in my back pocket!"

"Is it possible someone managed to sneak the phone into your pocket?" Victoria leaned forward, trying to get to Aisha's level and make her feel comfortable.

The girl snorted and shook her head. "For sure, freaked me out. I don't like people sneaking up on me and I've learned my lesson on the streets."

Gumshoe hummed, rubbing her chin. "What about the voice that called you? Anything distinctive you can tell? Female male? Old, young? American or foreign accent?"

"It was definitely male, and American," Aisha confirmed with a shrug. Victoria pulled on her blonde hair and looked at her partner.

"You think it could be the Empire Eighty-Eight guys?"

Lisa bit her thumb, eyes half-lidded. The entire mugging was premeditated, if they called Aisha and told her to inform me then it must be some challenge or something. Hmm. But could it be the Empire Eighty-Eight? Brian isn't dead and those asshats are tense as all hell…time to let my power connect the dots for me here.

Brian attacked, aware of relationship, left alive, attack to get attention, motive was me

Empire 88 attacked, revenge for fight, aware of relationship, aware of identity, sold, betrayed

Victoria, hates you, gave up on Parian, gave up on you, wants to hur—

Empire 88 attacked, revenge, planned, Brian sold identity, revenge for last fight, Aisha in on it, trap—

Third party, attacked, trying to get my attention, aware of identities, playing a game

Part of a plot, cape, attack to overwhelming, to precise

Gumshoe grinned and shook her head. "I don't think so, but considering how things are? There's a chance that's the case anyway."

Victoria nodded, Aisha sighed and scratched the back of her neck with a grimace.

"So how much for you to find the guy? I mean I'll go after them anyway but I don't feel comfortable leaving my brother alone with some sneaky fucker who touched my butt."

Glory Girl cringed at the wording. "That's...even worse when you put it like that."

"Don't worry about payment for now." Gumshoe waved her off and started heading out. Victoria grunted in surprise and went after her. Lisa stopped midstepped and turned towards Aisha. "Oh yeah, I guess you could an advancement with this."

Aisha perked up with a raised brow. "Hmm?"

Lisa grinned. "Tell Brian that we're even and that he better start getting ready, because he'll owe me now."

With that the two walked away, leaving Aisha with both her words and reassurance. Turning the corner they headed towards the elevators. Victoria turned towards her.

"Always need to have the last word don't you."

"It's how I roll."

"And how you hide stuff too. Why didn't you tell me who Brian was!?"

"Keep it down," Lisa shushed, hitting the elevator button and looking up at the screen showing which floor it was on. "And I didn't say anything because it would be disrespectful."

"Since when do you care about respect?"

"Fine, since it would be a dick move revealing his identity."

"You've made it your literal job to reveal the secrets of others. Especially those who have wronged you, and do I need to remind you that we've gotten into fights with them on more than one occasion?"

"I wouldn't hold a grudge for something as small as a fight."

The doors opened and the two capes entered into the elevator. Victoria made a weird face. "You ruined a woman's entire career because she bumped into you without apologizing—!"

"She made me drop my coffee!"

"You ruined her standing on her job, revealed she was having an affair and that her son was from another man! All because of a fucking coffee!? And you didn't tell me about Brian? Why?"

Lisa groaned as the elevator doors opened and she stepped out. She looked at Victoria's somewhat hurt expression, and Lisa couldn't stop herself from cringing. Keeping secrets was something she was good at, but she didn't think it would hurt Victoria this much. Pulling in her hair slightly she sighed.

"I don't know why...I guess it would make me feel like shit, okay?"

Victoria nodded. "Yeah, it just caught me off guard, sorry. It's just...well, you know that if you had told me I would've kept it a secret. I get how important secret identities are, trust me on that."

"Hrm…"

The two stood there in awkward silence, looking down at the floor at the crowd of patience around. Some were gawking or pointing at Glory Girl, who sent a small wave at them. She then sighed and walked towards Gumshoe, standing shoulder to shoulder with her and looked at her with a raised brow.

"So where off to now? The police station? This is a civilian assault case perpetrated by a civilian as far as anyone knows."

Lisa eyes focused on her and she scoffed, smirking slightly. "Let's get going before this thing gets complicated. Let's just hope you can put a nice smile and pull those daughter of a lawyer privileges to see the report and whatever evidence they managed to get."