The African female lay in a fetal position upon the sidewalk. Her arms wrapped around her legs, her eyes vacant and staring off into the distance. Her teeth chattered, as her body shivered. Tears streamed down her face. The Shadow Chancellor stood above her.
Icarus Sidewinder landed next to him and shut off his pack. Removing his helmet, he looked at the limp form before him. "Perry. . .what did you do to her?" Sidewinder's eyes grew wide at the site, as a shudder crept down his spine.
"I merely allowed her to experience a brief instance within the shadowlands." Gaunt answered nonchalantly. "William has gone to a great deal of trouble with the authorities to allow us to investigate this matter. The last thing we need right now is some garish metahuman wrestling exhibition."
"How come. . .how come that didn't happen to me?" Ozzy Baxter looked at Gaunt. "When you brought me to meet the group, why wasn't I affected like her?"
"Because, Mr. Baxter, I chose to keep you safe." Gaunt turned and began to move into the dark shadows cast by the building behind them. "Now I have real work to get back to. Work that was rudely interrupted by that drunken sot, Mcgregor and this little escapade." Gaunt's form began to sink into the wall. Briefly he popped back out and looked at Ozzy. "Unless you'd like to travel back with me?"
Baxter could swear that Gaunt was smiling, even though he couldn't make out his features. "I'll. . .I'll take the stairs, thanks."
"Suit yourself." Gaunt disappeared back into the darkness.
"Stairs? Who needs stairs?" Icarus locked his helmet back down. "You're riding with me!"
"Oh, no, seriously, I have issues with flying. . ." Baxter begged off. . .
***************************
Back inside, as Mcgregor and Adem continued looking over the scene, Gaunt returned to his prior position and returned to his search. Within this room, he thought to himself, is a psychic impression of the violent attack upon this girl. I felt the killer's mind before. Vaguely. But I felt it. And it was. . .familiar. . ."
