Earth 23 (Re-editing process...)

C-15: Let The Hunt Begin

Cynthia's POV:

The moment I saw my mentor. I felt sad and remorse, I blame myself why did I choose to sleep rather than rescuing the old man. I close his eyes and dial the police number and call them. I waited for them from the crossing to stop them from ruining the physical evidence show that the intruders pass here. I saw Captain Singh which is a popular police officer and two detectives, namely Joe West and Eddie Thawne, which I figure out. I got the feeling they don't do well for each other and also a very cool speed car came to my vision, and it was the bachelor crush of mine, Barry Allen. I want to stare at him like how I stare at the stars at night because I also love astronomy and spaces, but it requires scientific knowledge of Physics so no, thank you!

"Captain Singh!" I greeted him.
"My deepest condolences on what happened to Sir. Jackson and this are my team who will investigate his death."
"I'm Detective West," the old guy introduce himself.
"Detective Thawne" the younger guy said.
"I know you know me but Barry Allen," he introduced himself with confidence.

He's handshake me and I was throwing a fit inside of me... Self-calm down you are known to break the boy's heart so don't be intimidated. I look at Joe West and Eddie were a little bit shock when they saw Barry, I think something happened between the three of them. Captain Singh and I break the tension.

"Bold of you to assume, I know you, Mr. Allen," I said back to him, but he just smirked on me.
"Barry is here because I hired him for rent," he explains not to me but to the two detectives.
"Wow, A son of a billionaire philanthropist tragedy is a hired for rent now."
"I have a PH.D. in Theoretical Science and master's in forensic studies and so, I will be helping investigate things,"
"Yeah... We need all the luck we could get," I say with exhaustion.

I start to tell what I did the last twenty-four hours, I told them that I came from the museum of Heywood university and watch a taxidermist that I needed for my thesis gave his number to the detectives, though Joe wants to see the body I told him in a minute, I told them that I have a piece of passport evidence that I went in east state, I sleep and my landlady who hold the keys to the apartment when someone is gone for a while she can provide a statement I was there the whole night so that she has her record who is in and out in the apartment and this morning I rush into professors office but he didn't show up there, I gave them Professor Margaret Claudette to confirm me that this morning that I was clearly in his office and she suggested to me to check on my phone to look if he calls me and he did I ride a taxi which is in my app and lastly, show them what I did when I came here.

"When I arrive here. This gentleman is what I saw standing in front of your big claw paws of animals?"

Barry immediately goes to work to examine carefully the paws.

"Maybe the killer has a Great Dane dog? They have a fabulous smell,"
"And you call yourself a Master of Forensic Studies,"

Barry looks at me like he wanted to throw a grenade on me.

"Because if you say a Scooby-doo is trying to kill my professor that's a big NO! first Scooby isn't real, nor the mystery machine. Though Winchesters is out of reach. Look at the trees and plants they absorb the amount of water in a time, meaning these marks are made while this dusty road is wet. Plus, I have three blankets when I go to sleep so, I know it rained, last night.
"Seriously, first you hurt my feelings about Scooby-Doo, and second, you could be a CSI!"
"I am a Historian, Mr. Allen. We should know everything, plus I love being extra,"
"If you know everything then you should know what killed Professor Jackson,"
"As I said I am a Historian, we should "learn everything". That's why I am helping you to crack this case because he is a well-known historian and an author and his death will be a hundred stories to tell and as his last apprentice, I think I should continue to contribute to society by honoring his name and the others on it and remember the humans greatest weakness is not flaws or mistakes, it's exhaustion when you overdrive yourself, you explode... you die... then game over,"
"She's not wrong."

We reach the gate where Barry, Captain Singh, and the detectives immediately shock at what happened in the gate. Barry reach for his gloves and removed the chain and put a separate plastic to see if there's anything on how it was ripped off. We went to the door and getting bigger scratch marks on it.

"Never seen anything like these, nor the house of the professor. I wasn't a good student," Captain Singh said as he remembers the Jackson.
"You've been taught by this professor?" Detective West ask.
"Oh... yes... always cutting in his class and get 3.00 flat," Cap said with a big smile on his face.
"At least I got 1.75 – 2.25"
"That's depressing. I wouldn't even go for 1.25 scoring."
"So, you are aiming for Magna or Summa Cum Laude?"
"What kind of genius person, who doesn't want a Magna or Summa Cum Laude hang on the wall inside of your house?"
"Yeah... I got your point"

I told them that the professor might leave some clues to find him and voila we reach the basement where he died in his blood. Professor Jackson has a weird room full of secrets of a hundred years of this family with the masonry have been keeping here. Detective Joe and Eddie look at the scribbling's on the maps and into the table but I stop them immediately because as his student, I felt there is more presence just me being a student to him, might know some juicy dark secrets that might lead me to the truth of this family. Why they are so genius and secretive and also why are they're suicidal? Wait! Did he just kill himself? I know for sure that he loves his life even though he didn't leap with his ex-girlfriend and now he was a legit old bachelor guy like the guy in ready player one and died too.
I open the book and to see what his last page was. It was the word betrayal. All over on it, like it was printed from a computer. Computer. Of course! I open his computer. I can feel captain Singh and Barry are at my back. I type the password but it didn't accept. Hmmm... if I am the professor what would I do? what would be my password. Birthday? NOPE. The day of? NOPE. Barry speaks up.

"I am good at tech, but I know someone better at tech, maybe we can ask for help to crack this out?"

I didn't answer. He was a historian, I said to myself, his family have been part of the Masonry and his ancestor shapes America's ass – I mean history – American's History that seems forgotten in a hundred year. I felt the button on the left side of the table and push the button. I thought it was an alarm, but it wasn't because I hear mechanics under the table, I immediately pack the books and notebooks to a proper higher place. The button releases the black leather in the middle into a more exclusive old non-existent tablet and the projector from the front table shows a Da Vinci code and how these family acquired to get it. The video states the living blood of the family can open all the secret accounts of this house and so his password. Of course, he did! A needle pops out where the button was, and it needed blood. So instinctively, I put my finger on the spindle of the spinning wheel – no! I'm just kidding – I put my finger on the needle and pour my blood on the old tablet immediately, it glowed. No one speaks at that moment. The numbers light up! Of course, that's the password. The longitude and the latitude of where Jesus found Mary Magdalene was the password.

"You got to be kidding me! The password is the coordination's where Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ meet for the first time."
"Where is Professor Langdon when you need him,"

Detective West looks at Barry with worrisome. Barry ignored detective West and Thawne. Instead, Barry immediately comes and clean my wound, we look at each other and I felt my heart is racing and dying so fast not because of the wound but because he was standing right next to me, breathing. He is my crush. Every time, I am in a science talk in the university to witness the historic day for our school, whenever his father speaks for the public, he was there shining like a bright star. I wonder what happen to him and the detectives? Before I collapsed like a neutron star, I pulled my finger and say.

Me: It's just a little wound. I mean I didn't sleep so, it's fine.
Barry: (Barely containing his laugh) I just don't want you to contaminate more of any possible evidence in this room.
Me: Sure. As if I didn't know that. (looking at the computer) Nada! Bunch of school grades. (then I saw the USB attach to it.) Of course! He doesn't use the hard drive memory. He only uses a USB.
Barry: Well, I can help you with that.
Me: I appreciate your kindness but I think you should begin the autopsy of the body, meanwhile I will call the lawyer about this, if I found some evidence that could lead to his justice, I would tell you immediately. So that you can add it to the profile folder. You still do that right detectives, Captain Singh.
Eddie: Absolutely.

After the fix, the ambulance is here and get away to bring it in the morgue and be autopsied. I call the lawyer first, Atty. Patty Spivot, The legal consultant of Sir. Jackson. Next, is the Dean of the school as well as all of his colleagues on his contacts, I got from his phone, which I borrow from Barry for a while.

Barry POV:

As I look at Victoria, I know she innocent but I wonder how much she will be affected by the death of her mentor. Poor girl, she needed to step up. She was calling all the people in the professor's contact. I know how it felt when I knew before my eyes my mother was dead. People were in chaos. The sound of the alarm, the sound of the ambulance didn't matter that time to me because what I heard is the cry of men who lost their loved ones, including my father. My mom was my foundation when I felt weak. I know how she feels in parallel form. I lost my mom, she lost her mentor. After the last call, she came to me.

Victoria: That's all folks.

I put the evidence in the bag to examine everything to match the last 48 hours of the Sir. Jackson.

Victoria: So are you a bad or good student?
Me: Well, I've been in five classes with him, my political science is 2.75 while American History got me 2.25 then the World History that I take for forensic science, he gave me different lessons than to my classmates which I truly appreciate because of it all about murders and mysteries around the world and how this detectives and coroners found the evidence and make history out of it. I receive 1.25 because I am always absent.
Victoria: Like the death of Cleopatra or the mummies that have been desecrated from their tombs.
Me: Kinda like that but not in actual, I am more on chemistry actually... that's why I am now trying to take Biochemistry subjects back in the Uni.
Victoria: Good.

Captain Singh called me as he goes where we stand.

Capt. Singh: Barry we got to get going. (looking to Victoria) Victoria, again my condolences, tell me if he has his own family.
Victoria: Me too. Capt. We want to know everything.

I put my hand to her shoulder and squeezed it then pat her back. Captain Singh looks back at the house and makes sure she went inside and the two detectives are already in the car and as they drive away. Out of the blue, he said.

Capt. Singh: You checking on her.
Barry: Boss! You know what you're talking about and no! I am not checking her out rather than being me as CSI investigator in this case, because maybe sooner or later it might be useful.
Capt. Singh: Yeah! Just like her number if it's in your contacts.
Barry: Stop! I don't like rebounds.
Capt. Singh: Just keep an eye for her. That's what I'm talking about!

I move my head in negative form and he laughs at my reaction. I got to my red sports car and get this over with. I drove through the city while Winn contacted me if Kara contacts me today and I told him all about it because she's weird plus she fired someone using her boss!

Me: Wow! Winn! That's an improvement in the wrong, wrong way!

Winn laughs at my reaction, well everybody does. What can I say, I am the Charming Speedster.

Winn: I know that's why I am here at the DEO to check her rage levels, she's going places though she asks her original team Supergirl to come to a club this evening.
Me: What does she plan?
Winn: I don't know it beats me!
Me: She always beats you!
Winn: Yeah... even you right?
Me: Hahaha... (then I felt guilty) Yes.

Another call cracks up in my earpiece.

Cisco: Ready Flash! On-standby! I got the feels that there will be another bad Meta-human again.
Winn: Ah... Superhero time. Alright! Jedi's peace out!
Cisco: It's that Winn?

Then it pings. I got my car on the public park space building on the top of it and put my nanotech suit gifted by Winn as my first year in Flash which Cisco was jealous of at that time, Winn got it cruising. Cisco told me it was an armed robbery with a hostage crisis everyone was being held inside at least a hundred people. It was the bank's busy days. It was easy as it sounds. I got everyone safe and the police take care of the rest. Or so I thought.

Cynthia's POV:

As soon as they get out of the courtyard, I immediately put on my gloves and went to his room. The first thing I noticed was his daily school bag that laid across the floor. I open the old recorder that I acquire from the antique shop together with the compass. I record all the things I noticed. I pick up his things and look at all the USBs that have all the grades of his students, exams, and everything of what the school does. Nothing no evidence here. Though I will check it still. I was startled when my phone rings to the tune of "The Man" by Taylor Swift. I calmed myself and I got Attorney Spivot on my phone.

Atty. Spivot: Hi! Ms. Artemis! Just thought of where are you?
Me: Here I am at the mansion still looking up for clues. Sir. Jackson always leaves a clue as he is an old guy.
Atty. Spivot: I know but the first term of Will and Testament of Sir. Jackson was everything he wrote about it, it's the Goldenshire Bank at it was being robbed a while ago, thankfully it was saved by the Flash but not before the bad news, which is the only thing missing in the vault was his original last Will and Testament.
Me: It was a diversion. Huh? Who would get those Will and Testament?
Atty. Spivot: I don't know. The CCPD is working with Team Flash to know who is it. Be careful darling it's dangerous now.

Team Flash? CCPD? Barry Allen? Hmmm... I wonder.

Me: I don't care if it's dangerous or not but if this... all of this was planned from a start. I need to end it. Sir. Jackson didn't deserve to die whether in the eyes of the one who did this, he is the villain of his or her story but for me, he is like a father to me. A role model of my own story.
Atty. Spivot: Okay! Just don't make yourself a vigilante, we had enough.
Me: Of course! Hehehe... me too... I had enough of them.
Atty. Spivot: I'll coordinate with Captain Singh.
Me: And give me some updates... (I look in the window) they might go back here after all this where it all started.
Atty. Spivot: Do you need protection?
Me: As much as I want to but if they saw a police car outside they might resort to another plan. If they are stealthy and so are we.

I am moving around to see if there is a wire that has been implanted for recording or something.

Atty. Spivot: and by the way if the CSI team is done in an autopsy of the body.
Me: I don't know who else he had a family. Every photo here was of himself and his sister who died at a young age. Rape. His parents are also in heaven. NADA. He did tell me he had a lover once but never leaped because she died with another man who another whole et cetera thing. Well, just contact the school to respect him... it the least we can do.

Suddenly, someone knocks on the door. I warn Atty. Spivot immediately. I get the nearest dagger and walk down slowly toward the door just to see Ma'am Margaret Claudette coming inside.

Me: Atty. I call you back it's one of Sir. Jackson Faculty Colleague. It's Ma'am Claudette.
Atty. Spivot: Okay, just say hi to me.

She ended the call and turn me toward Ma'am Claudette.

Me: Ma'am Claudette, you scare me.
Claudette: Well, to be fair, this house is too scary. No wonder you had a dagger in your hand.

I told her everything that happens this day. You can see on her face how shock and concerned is she.

Claudette: Well, at least you know how to use a dagger in your surroundings to protect yourself.
Me: Of course. By the way, I'll get the tuxedo that he will wear for his funeral. I was talking to the Atty. Spivot, if she can deal with this funeral thing especially I don't know the ways of you know.
Claudette: Oh... I understand my dear plus our dear old Dean Brian will make a school state funeral for Robert. (after a silence) I will miss the old hag.
Me: (Sniffing, trying not to cry)... We all do.

I bring the blue tuxedo where it was written on the hanger "When I die" Motto. I tell to my professor that he can finally wear his favorite tuxedo. I bring it down and gave it to Ma'am Claudette who bid a goodbye meanwhile this past few hours, I check on Atty. Spivot if she needs anything personal for the preparations of Sir. Jackson's funeral, so far so good. Whoever killer that is, I hope he's getting arrested.

Barry's POV:

This case was insane to even for me. Big claws and paws. I wonder if I could do it. I mean my multiversal twin did it but I don't know if I can solve this case. Ten years cases of deadly forensic scientist that was being murdered because of the cases they handle. Now I am in their shoes what will happen to me? I was thinking deeply when someone entered my office and scared the hell out of me.

Caitlin: Oh my god!!! Is that professor Jackson?
Me: Ahhh!!! Cait!!! Knock next time...
Caitlin: I did, but we don't have doors to knock and these delicate hands create money so it should be protected.
Me: (Defeated sigh)... Yes, this professor's body, I examined him to know why and how he died?

Caitlin handed me the autopsy report file paper for me to fill in especially it is needed as a part of the process in the death certificate.

Caitlin: These are big animal claw marks.
Me: Thank you, Caitlin. I never see that one.
Caitlin: Well, just so you know Kara is unavailable but hopefully her problem will end in the next two months. Red Kryptonite took a toll on her. unfortunately, the founding members are out in the space so, the DEO kinda rushed.
Me: Do they need help?
Caitlin: Since when DEO call for help?
Me: Yah... they don't but tell Cisco to look out for the news.
Caitlin: Sure.
Me: Caitlin, have you seen dad?
Caitlin: Not since, an hour ago, he has blueprints for a potential new land property.
Me: Of course! He has! Okay. Thanks. Tell Ronnie to visit his handsome best man.
Caitlin: Sure. I will.

Caitlin left the new workspace that I ask my dad to convert as my temporary office as a forensic scientist so that it wouldn't mix with my other work here in star labs as the vice president and lead senior theoretical scientist. Someone knocks on my door it was Captain Singh.

Me: Captain Singh! The man needed these papers. Here you go, (I hand him the papers)

Captain Singh looks at me funny.

Me: Right now, I need to make sure what case it is. All the people need to know is that (pointing to the paper). Unbelievable and yet it's the only thing we can come out with if some media in literature ask about his death, we cannot disclose it's a meta-human attack or a bear claw attack.
Captain Singh: All right but personally tell this to Atty. Spivot and Cynthia about this.
Me: Sure. Wait for a second... Spivot?
Cap. Singh: Yes, Any problem?
Me: I forgot I already broke up with Iris. No! not a problem.
Cap Singh: Huh? Now you might wanna watch TV and see what's happening to your Best Friend.
Me: Kara.
Cap Singh: So, Kara Danvers of CATCO is Supergirl. Damn.
Me: Oh... shit!!!
Cap. Singh: Don't worry, I won't tell anyone as you do.
Me: Nah! the DEO can handle her. They already did once. So this time they know what they're doing.

I was speechless and perhaps burned again by Cap. Singh as he caught me on my own words. I didn't intend to say in front of him the secret of Kara. She gonna kill my ass. Now, that's what I needed. PROTECTION. If she knew about this. Captain Singh says goodbye and brought the body to the funeral parlor for the embalming and schedules me to meet Spivot, Cynthia, and the new DA in town my old friend, Priya Levine. Oh... boy this is exciting.  I put on my suit and run laps around in the center like I always do when Dad told me to come home for dinner. I brought seven kinds of Pizza.
When I come home, my dad saw the pizza and his priorities are damn straight.

Dad: No, Pineapples?
Me: Nope! No pineapples!
Dad: Good!
Me: What did you cook?
Dad: The famous Glazed Ham and Carbonara Allen Recipe.
Me: Wow!

And as his son, I had also a damn priority straight.

Me: No, any kinds of peppers?
Dad: Nope! No peppers, of any kind.

A doorbell rings in the house and immediately thought it was Kara but the future Mr. and Mrs. Raymond and the two footmen Cisco and Hartley.

Dad: Are they there?
Me: Yes, Dad! King Charming and Queen Cinderella and the Two Footmen
Hartley and Cisco: Dude!!!
Ronnie: We brought Wine and Whiskey.

I ushered them inside. I had no idea what's happening but I got a hint.

Me: Are we celebrating something Dad?
Dad: Yes, We do.
Me: (Pretends to be shocked) Are you getting yourself a girlfriend? Is she coming? Did you invite her to our dinner? I'm gonna have a new mom? Wait did you get her pregnant? I'm going to have a brother or a sister? When will I meet her?

The others were laughing but my dad stares at me like crazy or more like I am Crazy.

Dad: Are you done, Bartholomew?
Me: No.
Dad: (Raise his famous eyebrow)
Me: Yes.
Dad: First of all, to the new venture of Star Labs.
Me: Yes.
Dad: Now as my closest partners in crime. What would be the name of our theme park?
Ronnie: like Disneyland?
Dad: Yes but we're not using that.
Ronnie: Copy that.
Caitlin: Cisco.

Cisco didn't answer and quiet. He was taking this naming thing seriously. So I decided to break the silence.

Me: Wonder Park. Total Recall. Terminator. Star Wars. Star Trek. Adventure Land. Race to the Witch Mountain. Fast and Furious. Pixar. Toy Story.
Hartley: Riding in Harlem. Ghost Rider. Avengers.

Hartley picks up what I was doing. We continue to give the names of the movies we watched. I can see the frustration in the eyes of my father on my child-like behavior.  Ronnie and Caitlin, we like "Oh my god, Here we go" it tries to give more but I open my mouth, Cisco gave me a death look.

Cisco: One more thing. I'm gonna make sure you'll never run again.
Me: Run again. A Run to remember. 
Hartley: The Notebook.
Cisco: Dash. Mr. Bean.
Caitlin: The Saving Park because it's a hero theme park plus you save the carnival itself.
Cisco: Not you too!!!

We all dig in our food and Cisco keeps on writing in his paper. Later on...

Cisco: Paragon Landmarks? No! Savior City Park? No! Paragon Central League! It sounded like a basketball game.
Dad: Relax.
Cisco: Fusion Park. No! you are better than this Cisco.
Dad: Relax, the words will come to us.
Cisco: Prime City Park?
Me: Ha! Transformers. I knew it!
Cisco: (Giving me a Diggle look)
Ronnie: City Prime Hub.
Cisco: Star Prime Hub.
Me: The Mystery Machine.
Caitlin: Barry! This ain't Scooby-Doo!
Dad: Everyone relaxes. Okay. How about Galaxies Ride Parks?
Me: Now that's deep. Why?
Dad: Look our earth is a home of the Aliens from the other worlds. They might be in National or Metropolis as their main hub or main city here to live that doesn't mean, we should leave them out. This park serves as a haven for both our race and their own and so Galaxy is a word that represents the forces outside of our world while Ride Parks are ours because with all the technology we hold, we always choose to do SIMPLE things in life and that's happiness. Are we done here? Do I get your seal of Approval? Or if you have better call why not to suggest. But right now that's what I gonna put in our new business permit.

Dad was right. We all agree to that even Cisco. We ate in peace and laugh, talk about the day and for tomorrow.

Third POV:

Flashback:

Two years ago, the day Central City experience the particle accelerator explosion. They were a few guys that have been smuggling wild animals into the city that is for a dark carnival process. While the explosion happens Timothy Amell (The son of Dr. Robert Jackson) was beating the animals for their aggressiveness when the wolf and the dog jump on him and bite him while the horse is at his back when the lightning struck him up and turn him into a half-human and half-horse 0r more like a centaur in the making and can transform into a wolf as a disguise. The worst was he can shapeshift in any size. But right now, he holds the last and will testament of his father from the robbery he sneaks on like a dog. It was written as that legitimating her lost granddaughter as a Jackson and all of his intellectual and physical property will be on her name: Cynthia Artemis or she will be newly known as Cynthia Artemis Jackson.

Present Time:

Cynthia has been working late to learn anything about Sir. Jackson death. When the cold winds enter the study room. She tries to close the windows but she saw a shadow close in the trees. Instinctively she reached her new dagger in her hands. He saw a man. That looks like 40 years old plus. Cynthia closed the curtains and take a deep breath, she got her phone ready to contact Captain Singh but on her phone, you can see Barry's name on her thumb. She looks again in the curtain the man wasn't there anymore but a sweet stray dog that must be lost and been hunting food and the gates were open. She breathes in relaxation and went outside. The winds get stronger and the thunder was created.

Victoria: "It looks like gonna rain. Do you? Ha. What's your name? Are you hungry little Fella? Oh... you're a boy. HAHAHA... come here to the house. Let's see if you got some food."

While Cynthia finds the food for the stray dog, his eyes glow menacingly. Timothy Amell, the metahuman, son of Robert Jackson, spoke into his mind with the words.

"LET THE HUNT BEGIN"

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