---

---

Paloma tilted her head and cocked an eyebrow in surprise as the creature that had been valiantly and pathetically trying to murder her started to plead with her instead. She was even more surprised to see a streamer of golden light thread around the face flap of David Smith, the Samaritan apparently buying right away that the creature was in desperate need of some help. It gave her a pause as the taunting smile fell from her face, replaced by a look of concentration as some rusted gears started churning.

Paloma never fancied herself as having a particularly high intelligence. She had been a below average student who went to an abysmal school. One of the highlights of her job was that she could completely shut her brain off and still do it. Still, she liked to think that growing up most of her life in South Cloverfield helped boost her wisdom score up a pip or two. After all, she had made it nearly three decades as close to unscatched as anyone could be who lived in one of the more dangerous neighborhoods in the area without the Samaritan by her side and while, yes, technically she had achieved this by largely being an indoor kid, she had still done it.

So, when the doppelganger started its “I’m actually a nice guy” routine Paloma could see the string attached to the bait. It also helped having the body of what remained of Caleb oozing out dark blood in her periphery, as well as the fuzzy shape of Vin moving in to strike the doppelganger from behind. Paloma flinched reflexively as the tiger bit down on a limb of the creature but kept one eye open. It was funny, seeing blood and viscera did almost nothing to her but an act of violence still shook her. The numbness of being in the medical industry, even in a role as small as her own. She was used to witnessing the aftermath.

The tiger must’ve overheard her; they offered to help lead an interrogation before being sent crashing through a wall alongside the doppelganger. Now there was a small conundrum. Technically, as long as she found out her information she was fine, and right now the tiger looked to be getting its ass kicked. She could play along with the doppelganger, knowing that whatever game it was trying to use on her that she still held the trump card. But Paloma had already been vaguely responsible for one death and the tiger had protected her. There was a budding kinship right there. How could she possibly hinder someone so sweet that they would protect a total stranger?

“Please, please girl, make her stop. I think I can fight this. I can come back,” cried the creature in David’s voice, reaching out to Paloma with its hand.

“Just an I think? Mm, not very promising,” said Paloma, crossing her arms and turning up her chin.

She had already made up her mind, but perhaps if the doppelganger kept trying to play its mind games it would allow for Vin to sink in a few good blows. Her eyes widened as Vin called out about it being an Apparition, the retort of I know dying on her lips as they revealed that they were somehow aware of the Samaritan. She looked towards Malik, who was beckoning to her to follow him out the exit, and nodded. The man was right. She would only just get in the way. The body of Caleb proved that. She turned to follow Malik out the door, pausing to look back at the vicious fighting just enough to say to Vin, “Try not to kill it.”

Paloma stepped outside and was immediately assaulted by a choir of voices from maybe a dozen or so people who had been within earshot when she had screamed. “Are you okay?” “You’re hurt!” “Let me call you an ambulance.” “Here, let me give you my coat.” “Do you need help in there?” “What happened?” Some in the crowd just stared and gawked, while others began to come closer to the house. Paloma gave Malik a side eye, hoping that he wouldn’t realize that they were only addressing her.

Malik, assuming he had an Emotional Field, would feel nothing more than a brief itch on his skin as she activated her Good Influence aura, but he would see the crowd of Blind onlookers stop as one as Paloma held their rapt attention. Without saying a word, Paloma sent a vibe through the crowd that it was dangerous here and that they should swiftly and carefully go somewhere safe. As one the crowd would turn and leave the scene in a hurry without any further questioning. Paloma turned to Malik, gum nearing falling out of her mouth as she gawked at him with faked confusion.

“That was weird. Sorry that your friend got…” Paloma voice, which had been solemn, sparked with curiosity as she noticed that Malik was on the phone. “Who ya calling?”

The Cozy Bakery
Downtown North District
Interacts: Freya and "James"(@NoriWasHere),

---

Today just got interesting, in the bad sense, Elijah thought as he watched the scene in front of him. The crying child, James acting more weird, the lights going out, the door locking, and now James, clearly a monster, is after their lives. Starting with him, Elijah could feel the adrenaline surging in his veins as he dodged backward from the doppelganger's attack. Barely avoiding the monster's claws and Elijah yelled at Freya, "Hide, this is going to get messy, and that is not James." He reached for his pen and uncapped it. It transforms into the Spear of the Hunter, an ancient spear made of bone and hardened steel. A weapon made to hunt and kill monsters like James, and Elijah knows how to use it.

"So a monster and I very much prefer to live in chaos you call life," Elijah said defiantly and held the spear in an attack position. While the Cozy Cafe is not the ideal place to fight with a spear, it was big enough inside for him to fight in here with it. He just has to be careful, is all.

As Elijah readied himself for a fight and gripped the spear with both hands with determination in his eyes, he could hear a child crying near him and realized who else was in danger. He would have to make this quick or risk others dying by this monster.

But Elijah waited for the doppelganger to leave the counter as attacking with the spear while it was behind there made attacking it a bit troublesome for Elijah's liking. So, he switched his stance to a defensive one and prepared for what came next. Hoping the doppelganger will come out into the open.

This would be his first fight with the spear, and it is time to see if his training is enough. Elijah hoped it will not just for his sake but for the rest of the people in this place as well.

---

Quill waited a beat after Lorenza left. It paid to be cautious. She was a mystery girlie through and through and as an avid lover of all things mystery you could never discount the person who hired the detective as the culprit. Granted she doubted the woman would hand over that much money if her intention was to mislead Quill. No there were things at play but $10,000 was $10,000.

But she needed information on this Varnan character. Which means she needed help.

---

Nico was constructing a post on Reddit that was going to make some people cry. Worth it. As much as he loved the internet it was also a minefield of idiots who thought they knew better. It was like a message board for pompous jack-offs to either pretend they were experts in their fields or be outright racist/homophobic/sexist bigots and hide behind an anime profile picture.

Before Nico could finish constructing his well-worded essay his phone vibrated and nearly fell off his desk. Nico glanced at the screen and rolled his eyes, though he did so with a smile. She never called him unless she needed help and she needed help a lot. He swiped the call and put it to his hear. "What do you want now?"

"Oh hey Nico. I'm fine actually, thanks for asking. How are you?" she said in response, jokingly.

"About to make some boys pretending to be men cry online. Hey Quill."

"I'd ask what for but I've learned not to get you on your soapbox. I remember the Fortnite incident."

"If you are going to be homophobic on a game meant for children you need to do a better job camouflaging yourself on the internet."

Quill chuckled. When Nico was on he was on. No one was safe. She considered herself to be technologically sound but he was something else. She was surprised the government hadn't snatched him up at some point. But maybe they had bigger things to worry about. "Anywho, enough social niceties. I need a favor."

"That was you being nice? Damn I'd hate to be on your bad side."

"Yeah that would not end well for you. I need you to look up information for me on a man named Varnan Ingram. I got a case put in my lap I couldn't say no to."

"Ooooh intrigue. What did this Varnan do?"

"It's more what this Varnan knows that I am curious about. Some crypt keeper lady with an impeccable fashion sense came in wanting me to speak to him. More than likely there's weird things involved."

Nico was aware of magic and its existence in the world. Even someone as chronically online as him was aware of its impact on the world and even on the internet. He actively stalked conspiracy theory sites to check on validity of claims. Aliens in the ocean? Bigfoot getting married? Weirder things have happened. "All right, let me take a look here."

Nico got to work. A cursory search revealed the same information Quill got. Varnan worked at a bakery and lived in North Cloverfield. There wasn't much else about the man which made Nico's ear twitch.

Typically if someone had that small of a footprint online it was for one of two reasons: either that person was just born or they had something to hide.

Nico got to work deep diving. Quill waited on the phone and could hear Nico typing furiously. Credit given where it was due, Nico did work fast. He could find information on someone faster than she could standing in front of the person asking them the same questions.

"Ok I have something though what there is on here is still small. Varnan doesn't have an online presence before the events of the Cataclysm. It's like the dude didn't exist before that day which is impossible because, I mean, people don't just appear do they?" He wasn't asking for an answer, just piecing together information he had.

"I mean I wouldn't discount it, but I would imagine no. Anything else?"

"Besides his place of work which I imagine is most likely a front as this dude is magic. Like literal magic. I don't know what this dude's deal is but he had to have done something to hide himself."

Quill bit her lip as she put some pieces together. If Varnan had nothing in his history before the events of the Cataclysm maybe he was able to hide his records. Or manipulated something to make it that way. He was here for a reason.

"Right. Thanks Nico. If anything else comes up for him can you shoot me a text?"

"Course. I'll set up an alert for his name and any other connections I find. Just...I say it every time you call but be careful. There's weird people online but there's even more offline."

Quill smiled. It was nice having someone in her corner. "You too." Quill hung up and stood from her chair, cracking her back. First things first: she needed to see Varnan and the only lead she had was the bakery he worked at.\

---

Quill parked a few blocks away, which she may regret, but she preferred to walk. She took in the surrounding area and noted there wasn't much foot traffic. She mentally prepared what questions she would ask and what she may have to do to get the answers she wanted. If what she found out was true Mr. Ingram was a powerful magic user. She checked her pocket and felt the heft of the gun she carried. It wouldn't do well in most situations but bullets still hurt.

Quill neared the bakery and was about to open the door when she looked inside. She saw a few people in there but it wasn't your typical scene inside a bakery. There was a...heaviness. A tension one could cut with a knife. Something was happening.

Even if she wanted to get in the front door seemed risky. Instead she moved around the side street until she got to the back. There was another door thankfully. Quill tried it and found it unlocked and open. Whoever owned the place was either too trusting or trusted themselves to handle any trouble.

As Quill made her way inside she could make out some voices. Things were coming to a head. This was not what she signed up for but if Varnan was one of the people here she needed to speak to him anyway. Or speak to whoever owned the bakery since they knew him.

Quill checked around the corner to the front and made out the people. She didn't recognize anyone but the man, if he could be called as such with a menacing presence, behind the counter appeared to be the instigator. Quill stepped back, took a deep breath, and moved around the corner.

"Gods don't you just love the smell of freshly baked goods. Heard the croissants are out of this world." She looked at those around her, hoping to catch someone's eye as a trusted ally in this moment. "Is there a problem here that donuts can't fix?"