𝐁𝐀𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐔𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍, aaron hotchner

I.

"CONFERENCE ROOM, NOW." Hotch tells the team stiffly, ruining their fun. Before they can question Hotch any further, he disappears into the room without another word, leaving them confused.

"What was that about?" Derek questions, turning to Emily who was sitting on top of his desk. After finishing a case in California, they were expecting a rather unexciting day filling out paperwork but judging by Hotch's sour mood and the tone he used, today would be far from boring.

"I don't know," Emily answers, staring at Hotch from the bullpen, "but it sounds serious."

JJ, Penelope, and Reid file out of Penelope's cave, harbouring the same confused expression as Emily and Derek. None of them had the slightest idea what was going on, but they were about to find out.

Stepping inside the conference room, the profilers are greeted by two unfamiliar men standing beside Strauss and Hotch. Their suits were pressed, free of any wrinkles or imperfections. Their posture told the profilers everything they needed to know about the strangers, but Strauss took it upon herself to introduce them to the profilers anyways. "This is Agent Wellington and Agent Donovan. They're here to represent the Associate Deputy Director."

"Have a seat." Strauss motions to the empty table, waiting for them to get settled in. They glance at each other, more confused than ever.

"Given the time sensitivity of the situation, I'll make this quick." Strauss clasps her hands together, taking a seat at the head of the table. "We have reason to believe that The Kingpin is back."

The mention of his name sends chills down their spines. The Kingpin was singlehandedly one of the worst unsubs the team had dealt with in the past. Not only was he brutal—he targeted each member on the team and made it very personal.

Penelope gasps, shaking her head at the news. "T-that can't be."

JJ wraps an arm around Penelope in an attempt to comfort her. Penelope was no exception to the Kingpin's treatment—she suffered from his brutal mind games too.

"How is that possible?" Spencer asks, completely baffled by the news. "He's supposed to be locked up in a maximum security facility."

"The wardens didn't notice his disappearance until they were doing annual health checkups." Agent Wellington, the man beside Strauss, explains. "The only reason why they discovered he escaped was because his blood type didn't match his record—meaning he swapped places with a convincing lookalike."

"So you're telling us that you didn't notice someone impersonating a serial killer? Unbelievable." Derek scoffs.

"You think we wanted a mass-murderer on the loose?" Agent Donovan asks, returning Derek's sarcasm.