Three hours, he had to wait three full hours to get into his office. Sure there’d been fighting between Supers just down the hall, but still. Making them wait that long after the fight made no sense. It wasn’t like fighting actually took place in his office.

Finally, given the go ahead, Detective Leacock let out a sigh. Taking off his hat he walked towards his office. Refusing to look at the police tape only a few feet from the door. A wall of what looked like foam cement looming behind it. Well, maybe the fighting had been a tad closer than he assumed. However, that didn’t excuse the long wait to get back in.

Shaking his head, the detective looked away from the clear signs of battle. If the captain wouldn’t let him be a part of the investigation, it was fine. He had much more important things to do, like capturing a convenience store robber. The detective pursed his lips in an imitation of a smile. Yes, that was much more important.

It wasn’t like he even wanted to be a part of the car bomb investigation. It was just that the captain was treating him like a pariah. Ever since the young Hero turned traitor, she’d cut down on what crimes he could work. Gone were the good old days where he’d get to solve crimes that mattered. If the detective didn’t know any better, he might have thought the captain was blaming him for what Source did. But that couldn’t be it. There had to be some other reason he was in the dog house.

Entering his office the detective threw his hat on a rack before looking around the room. Thankfully, it was in pristine shape. If you ignored the open files strewn across his desk and days old coffee sitting in its mug. But this was home and everything looked like he’d left it.

Collapsing into his chair the detective fidgeted, trying to align himself just right. If you sat in it the correct way, the chair was almost comfortable, if you didn’t the brick that was disguised as a seat cushion would let you know later with horrible back pain. Finding what he thought was the right spot the detective leaned back, enjoying the familiar feeling. The only problem with his little piece of the police station showed up a moment later as the two other occupants of the office made their way inside. Go figure he had to share the small space with two other people. Like he was a green detective who’d just gotten his badge. Twenty years on the force had earned him his own office, but not anymore. Good old Detective Leacock didn’t get the standard treatment like that.

There was a slight twitch in his eye as he turned away from his office mates. Looking away before they could try to drag him into another pointless conversation. Only children talked about who was the strongest Hero. Why would grown men do the same? Each time he was forced to talk to them was such a needless waste of time. After the already long wait to get back into the office, he couldn’t afford to waste time with idle chit chat.

Determined to get some actual work done today, Detective Leacock pulled out the first file on his desk. A convenience store robbery. An annoying one at that. He tried to tell himself not to think like that. This crime could have resulted in someone getting hurt, or worse. But when he looked at the file all he could think was, what an idiot.

The idiot in question drove back to the place he robbed minutes after his getaway. Arguing with the clerk that he hadn’t been given everything he demanded. And that wasn’t even the kicker. The man came back without his mask. What a horrible world he lived in. Yet somehow Detective Leacock was assigned this case. Not that he’d have to do much work to close it. Chalk one up for the good guys he supposed.

As the detective flipped through the report, double checking there wasn’t anything else in it, a small thumb drive fell onto the desk. That shouldn’t be there the detective thought. He tried to do everything by paper, only turning to a computer if there was no other option. He hated using the things. They couldn’t replace the feeling you got from good old-fashioned police work. Which begged the question, why was this new fangled gadget in his report?

Did someone leave it here by accident? As soon as the thought came to mind he ruled it out. The USB was in the middle of the file. He’d combed through it yesterday and it hadn’t been there.

That meant someone must have put it there on purpose. Detective Leacock debated bringing it to evidence. Maybe even the captain, there could be a virus or worse on the thing. But then he remembered the case he was working on. Wouldn’t it be so much more fun if he could be an actual detective again?

What was the worst thing that could happen? The device takes over his computer? It wasn’t like he had much to lose from that, in fact it almost sounded like a good thing if it gave him a reason to stay away from computers in the future.

With that thought in mind, curiosity won out and the detective booted up his computer. Using his sleeve to wipe dust off the screen so he could see what he was doing. The cloud that rose into the air with each wipe was a little alarming. To his relief the other people in the room paid little attention to what he was doing. Instead focusing on a TV near the far wall.

After everything was booted up and running, a process that took far too long. Again Detective Leacock noted how much faster it was to pull out a pen and paper. The detective plugged in the USB. He tensed when it clicked into place. Half expecting his computer to burst into flames.

To his mild surprise nothing remotely close to that occurred. Only a small icon appeared on the desktop. See, nothing to worry about at all, the detective told himself.

With an ease that didn’t translate to the tension he was feeling, Detective Leacock opened the USB folder. Inside he found a text file and a video. They were named ‘A’ and ‘B’. Not very helpful he thought, but it sparked something else inside him. He was a detective for a reason and a mystery like this was what he lived for.

With a growing sense of interest the detective opened the text file first. Only to find a small message written on the page. It said ‘Iowa City’ with a date from the spring of that year. The detective puzzled over the information for a moment. Iowa City was a town around two hours East of Des Moines. While the date meant nothing to him.

Instead of trying to puzzle it all out, with only half the information, he looked at the video. Opening up the file, a clip around five minutes long started to play. It showed a bus pulling into a gas station. The driver got out and started to fill up the tank. The passengers followed, marching off the bus and towards the camera, until they walked under it.

After a few minutes the bus driver finished filling up the tank, and the passengers started to return. Many pressed their heads against the windows when they got to their seats. Already bored with the prospect of another long leg of their journey. Once everyone was back, the driver hopped onto the bus and they were gone.

Detective Leacock’s first impression was the video showed simple security footage. Nothing of note happening in it. He assumed the city and date showed when and where the video was taken. However that didn’t explain why it was hidden on his desk. Someone had decided it was important enough to sneak in here. Using the fight between Supers as cover. But the who and why of it were beyond him.

With a one shoulder shrug Detective Leacock restarted the video and watched it through again. He wasn’t a detective for nothing. Whatever was in here he’d figure it out. All that mattered was how long it’d take, and how frustrated he’d get. Watching the video through a second time he decided some aspirin would be a good idea. Maybe if he took some before the inevitable pain hit it wouldn’t be as bad.

A news report on the TV behind him brought Detective Leacock out of his thoughts. Turning around he spotted Ullr on the screen. Giving a press conference on today’s attack.

“We have confirmed that Liam was involved in today’s bombing,” Ullr said. His voice rock solid, not even a tremor to be heard, “While his motive remains unclear we can say he was willing to put innocent lives at risk. We’ve also been given unconfirmed reports that over ten people were injured in the attack. Luckily all appear to be pulling through.” The reporters on the screen broke into questions. Wanting to know more about the recent attack and those who were injured.

That was news to the detective. He was under the impression that no one was hurt in the attack. Looking at his office mates they showed the same reaction. It looked like the police hadn’t been given the full story from their superiors.

Ullr continued, “While we weren’t able to capture Liam this time, please know the noose is tightening. It’s only a matter of time before we get him.”

Noose was an interesting choice of words Detective Leacock thought. Wasn’t the saying the net was tightening? Regardless of the man’s cool appearance the attack must’ve knocked him off his game.

The press conference continued, Ullr taking questions and giving the standard political responses. All pre-planned with no true heart in them. The detective had seen them hundreds of times before. It was what every politician did.

After a few more rounds of questions Detective Leacock turned away from the screen and grabbed his desk phone. Dialing in a friend he’d only started talking to again a month before. Well friend was wrong, the man was more an idealization of what he could be. Something the detective had long since realized was unachievable for himself.

Dialing the man’s number he waited as the phone rang. On the third ring the other end picked up.

“Are you free?” the detective asked. Hoping he hadn’t interrupted something important.

“In a meeting at the moment, but it isn’t that important,” the voice on the other end said.

The detective winced at that. Any meeting this man was in, had to be important. He wanted to ask why he’d even answer the phone, but decided against it. It wasn’t his place to ask.

“Good, have you heard what happened?” Detective Leacock asked. Only just able to keep his voice firm. He was an adult, stop worshiping this man like some child, he scolded himself. He was acting no better than his new office mates.

“Yeah, was it as bad as Ullr made it out to be?” the other person asked.

So he was watching the news conference. Maybe his meeting was on the same subject. Detective Leacock thought about ending the call there and apologizing for the inconvenience, but pushed on. He’d already gotten the man on the phone, why waste this opportunity.

“There was a clear brawl in the station. From what I’ve heard Liam won. The debris is still being cleaned up. Nothing too flashy compared to most fights between Supers.”

“Explosions on the street and injured civilians is worse than you make it out to be,” the man on the other end said with a laugh.

“Yeah, that one was news to me. Everyone at the station thought they spared civilians. We found out about the injuries during the press conference.”

There was a pause on the line before the man spoke up, “Now that is interesting. Any thoughts on what it means?”

The detective’s head spun. The man was asking for his thoughts. What were they again?

His first inclination was to say something about officers being kept out of the loop, but opted against it. Instead deciding to go the diplomatic route, not his normal approach, however he’d do it for this man.

“Ullr said it was unconfirmed. My best guess is that he wants to keep people off the streets. Less of a target for any additional attacks that way.”

“That’s possible, but I’m not sold.”

The detective knew his idea had holes in it, but that was the best he could come up with on the spot.

“Can I expect to see you out here anytime soon?” the detective asked. A little too much energy in the question for his liking.

“No, my boss is still denying the request, but with how things are progressing it’s only a matter of time.”

“Well, the city will miss having you.”

“Like they’d have any idea what to do with me.”

“With how lively it’s been, I’m sure they could find something,” the detective said.

“You say that as if it was a bad thing.”