Hero's List

"Would you like a cup of water or would you prefer tea instead, ma'am?" Draco's voice was polished like a noble prince causing Ravi to chuckle.

In the entire Davenport, there might not be anyone who can boot lick more than Draco brown. Emily was shocked before she rolled her eyes and headed to the seat, the shorter male followed behind her and Draco hurried to pull out the seat for her.

"Could he be any less embarrassing?" Lisa whispered and she lowered her head not wanting to watch Draco anymore.

"Officer Brown?" Arlen coughed slightly causing Draco to recall that he was sent on an errand and he let out a soft, 'Ah!"

Arlen walked over to sit down and Draco took a USB. He looked at both Arlen and Emily and in the tone of someone who was presenting a thesis to the board of professors."This was very hard to get. The store opposite Garfield's neighbors did not have a camera outside, We searched and searched…"

"Get to the point." Emily said, her tone even harsher than the one she had used with Arlen.

"Right." Draco was not offended, if possible he smiled even more.

Ravi bent down to speak to Lisa, "You are right. This is embarrassing."

She chuckled, her voice loud in the quiet office, seeing everyone look at her, she blushed and whispered sorry.

In a few seconds, the image on the screen showed a signboard with a couplet, in spring the flowing water is green. In autumn the sunset at the ferry is red.

Ravi's eyes widened, he could recall seeing this couplet on the street this morning when they went to return Garfield. Draco adjusted the screen angle and zoomed in, a young man was standing there, he was slightly tall and looked very thin, and opposite him was the woman that they had known too well. Mrs Karen.

"Officer West, run this image against our facial recognition database." Arlen zoomed in and then turned to Emily, "Proof?"

"Not at all."

"Captain, that is not all."

The video continued as the woman left the frame, the thin man in his early thirties took out a phone and called a taxi. Mrs Karen walked back into the camera and the two of them entered the taxi.

Arlen zoomed in and the plate of the taxi was clear enough, he copied it down.

"Officer Johnson…"

"On it, Captain."

Everyone including Draco left Emily and the man with red hair as they rushed about. Lisa hurried to call the Taxi company and got the details of the taxi and its driver. She collected the contact from them and called the man immediately.

"Captain, the taxi driver is called Richard Vein. He is 47 years old and lives at 67 Elm Street. He claimed that the man ordered the taxi and got off at the Davenport Hospital and asked him to drive the woman back. Throughout the ride, the woman did not speak like she was sleeping, except that her eyes were wide open."

"Good job."

100% flashed on the screen and a loud ping sounded in the room. The team gathered around as the image of a thin face with a prominent nose and a thin-lipped mouth appeared on the screen.

"Alex Malley. One of the Garfield staff is called Alex, he left to visit his sick sister. Officer Johnson, you said that the taxi driver said that he stopped at the Davenport Hospital."

"Yes, Captain. Should we call the Garfield laundry for his whereabouts?"

"No. They would contact him or spook him. With hypnotism, he could enter anywhere and they would allow him to hide. It would be very difficult to find him." Emily said from the side.

"Oh! Now you believe. That Mrs Karen was hypnotized." Lisa murmured, Ravi caught her words and chuckled.

"Officer West? Run a background check."

"Yes, Captain." Ravi intoned as his fingers zoomed across the keyboard. Everyone held their breaths, Ravi could clearly hear the racing heartbeat, he sneaked a look at Arlen, his face was calm but his heart was racing the fastest.

The hum of the computer filled the room as Ravi continued to cross-reference information, "There are no prior criminal records or any ties to any person of interest. He has lived in Davenport all his life. Current Address is 25 Clover Lane."

"Okay, let's…"

"No. I would be taking charge of this case now, Captain Sinclair. The capture of mutants is under the jurisdiction of the Hero's Association." Emily paused and uncharacteristically explained, "A hypnotist needs some kind of medium, it can be touch or sight or a tangible object, From the video, it is most likely sightly. Direct Eye contact. It would be too dangerous for ordinary cops. Tariq. 25 Clover Lane."

The young man, Tariq, who had been walking around silently stopped, pulled out a phone, and checked something before nodding.

The air began to get colder as Tariq's body began to disperse. Ravi watched as the young man's cells began to destabilize in Nanoseconds as his physical structure grew into gaseous particles. There was a light exhale and in the place that the young man stood was a light gray mist which soon floated past the door.

"Oh Heavens! That is Vaporstream! He is ranked number 890 on the Hero's list. I can not believe it, I need to…"

"Officer Johnson!" Arlen called and Lisa lowered her phone, her face a little red with shame.

The woman took out a silver device that looked like a compass and she turned it, her face full of concentration, in the next seconds, she also vanished.

"She has a transporter. Oh, who is she? Vaporstream is not on any team, who on earth could she be? Captain, please… I would not post it, I just want to know."

Arlen chuckled, "I signed a confidentiality agreement. I don't have a million dollars to give you."

"A million dollars?" Draco swallowed, wishing he had held the woman's thigh a bit tighter, "She should be in the top 200 right?"

"Top 200!" Lisa coughed. "I think I am going to faint. That is right, Captain you know all our powers, you have not yet told us your ability. What is it? Are you ranked?"