Double Homicide

Two chalk outlines on the ground. Drops of blood scattered on the ground. The last place Mr. and Mrs. Goldsmith, aged 57 and 54 respectively. Met their demise at the business end of a .45 caliber pistol, the husband with two shots to the chest, the wife with a single bullet to the head, execution style.

Someone touched down behind Cad, but from the sound of it, he was in no danger. Thunderbird was unlikely to start any trouble.

"Terrible business," he muttered, looking around the scene. "Men who do this shit should get a one-way ticket six feet under.

"Only if it has to be done," Cad growled, crouching down. The winged hero scoffed at that, walking over to get a better look. Wearing a very conspicuous blue and white outfit, Thunderbird was one of the more brutal heroes in Monarch.

"It always has to be done," Thunderbird shot back, static crackling about his suit. "Or else they do it again." Not wishing to further a pointless argument, Cad's eyes scanned the ground, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Anything identifying, anything accidentally discarded.

"Swarm already looked the scene over with her drones," Thunderbird continued, leaning against an alley wall. "She didn't find anything. No motive or nothin'. Bloke didn't even take their cash."

"She doesn't always find what she's looking for."

"Yea, she is a bit of a cunt," Thunderbird laughed, even though that wasn't what Cad meant. "Cute cunt, but doesn't know how things work. Not surprised her work is sloppy."

Finally, Cad found what he was looking for. A peppermint candy tucked away near a long-abandoned crate. Holding up and inspecting it briefly, Cad tossed it away and prepared to leave.

"What's a sweet got to do with anything?" Thunderbird asked, wondering if Cad had finally gone mad.

"Mr. Goldsmith kept peppermints in his wallet, according to reports from the policemen on the scene. The suspect went through the man's wallet and dropped one."

Thunderbird scratched his head, his feathers looking a bit ruffled. "But I thought they weren't robbed?"

"They weren't," Cad replied, donning hood. "But there are other things to be gained from a wallet. Namely, his address."

"Need a lift?" Thunderbird asked, to which Cad begrudgingly nodded. Grabbing his arm, he flapped his powerful wings and, static electricity filling the air, shot them both up to the seventh story rooftop.

"Need to check out the Goldsmith's home," Cad informed the winged hero, setting off for the village. The Goldsmith home was only three blocks away from the address Phantom wanted him to check out. "They have a daughter. She could be in danger."

"I'll leave you to it then," Thunderbird replied, before furrowing his brow. "Y'know, Giantess and I got some business later tonight. Some dock gang needs thrashing. You want in?"

"No, got another address that needs checking out. Best of luck to you both. And give Giantess my regards."

"Oh, I'm sure she'll have something rude to say," Thunderbird chuckled before getting a bit more serious. "Y'know, we made a great team back in the day."

They hadn't.

"Yea," Cad replied, turning his head to give his old partner one last glance. "Yea, we did." Without another word he scurried away, melting into the darkness. Thunderbird stayed and watched his old friend go.

He let himself drift in the melancholy for a moment longer before flying off to meet Giantess.