ANIMATED V2 HISTORY

## THE SERIAL KILLER ARC

On 28 August 2014, RAM is called to the scene of a hostage situation and is instructed to sneak into the building and dispatch the captors. He does so and is successful in his actions, without any hostages being harmed during the ordeal. Watching on and taking notes is Shelly Dorth, an amateur abnorologist who has devoted a portion of her time to investigating RAM and his origins, as well as his appearance as part of Torell's Band and his rise to Special Officer.

RAM plays pool in The Harding bar that night with Alex Jordan, owner of the largest and most popular pop culture store in the city, Pop Goes the Crypt.

The next morning RAM and his abnormal partner Celeste Waters are called to the scene of the ninth victim of the Abnormal Piercer, a local serial killer targeting visually noticeable abnormals. Like all the other victims, number nine is pierced by many sharp steel rods with unique handle designs. They discover a fired gun at the scene and blood.

Upon examining the body, the coroner discovers a tattoo of a tiger on the woman's lower back. The tattoo is one belonging only to the prostitutes of the Tea Rose Tigress brothel. RAM and Waters head to the brothel and speak with the owner, Samantha Macallen/**Big Top**. Macallen confirms that the girl, "**Little Red**" (real name Natalie Corroth) is one of hers and had been working at the Tigress for 2 months. Security footage shows Natalie leaving the Tigress in a cab the night of her murder.

The blood analysis comes back with nothing, as the cab driver tells Waters that he dropped Natalie off outside of a diner 4 blocks from where she was murdered. The cook says she ordered a meal and left after about 30 minutes. RAM decides some "special help" is needed and sneaks some of the killer's blood out of the precinct.

RAM arrives at Witch Apple Red, a confectionery store owned by Madeline Stokes/**Sweets**, a witch. He makes a deal with her for assistance. She places the blood sample into a little silver case on the end of a chain. The case is moved over a map of Mintlace as Stokes recites a chant. The case pulls towards the location of the blood's owner, the killer. Stokes says the spell will track the killer for 30 minutes and that after that the blood can never be used again.

RAM races to the location on the map on foot, while Waters uses her air-step ability to move. Maddy casts a spell that allows the three to communicate with one another, so she can direct them to the killer if he changes location. The two officers arrive at the location within ten minutes. They enter the abandoned warehouse slowly, guns at the ready. At RAM's request, Maddy magically creates another map, this one being one of the warehouse and surrounding area, allowing her to pinpoint the killers exact location. As soon as she says that the killer is near RAM, the former is attacked with the killers signature needles. He deflects them and stares his attacker in the eyes. The two fight one another head to head, with RAM clearly the more skilled of the two, though the killers strength and speed are at his own level. RAM manages to sever the man's left arm, though he continues to fight, showing no signs of pain. As Waters appears and fires several shots at the man, he unleashes smoke bombs in an attempt to escape. Maddy is able to direct RAM and Waters in the killers direction as he flees. As he is chased over the building tops, the killer pulls out an uzi and unloads on his two pursuers. Waters and RAM shield themselves. The killer uses this opportunity to escape and sadly the blood time limit runs out. The killer escapes.

Waters and RAM are reprimanded by police chief Kenneth Duncan. They relay their findings to him. A report on the killers severed arm arrives. It appears that one of the fingers is missing, replaced by a wooden one within the glove. RAM recognizes the missing digit and says it likely belongs to Nine, a man he once saw fighting within Mintlace Underground, the local illegal fight circuit.

Waters and RAM arrive at The Cage, the location of the illegal fights. RAM meets with Tombstone, the circuit boss. He agrees to tell RAM what he knows but only if RAM fights for his audience. RAM agrees and takes on an abnormal who has four arms. He proves a skilled opponent but the four armed man is eventually beaten by RAM.