[center There was a routine to every day. Athena Devereaux liked this routine. It was easy to follow, kept things orderly, and kept her feeling in control. She didn't like whenever something ruined that routine. Having it messed up was the reason why she showed up to work, pulling her hair into a frantic ponytail, a half-eaten donut in her mouth, and an absent coffee cup. Anybody and everybody who knew Athena knew she liked having her coffee.]


[center Tightening the ponytail, she grabbed the donut and let out a sigh, practically falling into her chair and resting her head on her desk. [b "I like people...I like people...I really do."] No, she really didn't. She liked a select few and that was it. The people on the road or at the donut shop were not a part of that.]


[center [b [i 'Devereaux!"]]]


[center She nearly jumped out of her skin at the booming voice behind her, head snapping up to catch the raised brow and concerned gaze of the chief. [b "Yes, sir?"] she said, throwing the rest of the donut in the trash. She'd lost her appetite for the time being and she knew it wouldn't come back anytime soon. Especially with the look on his face.]


[center He motioned towards his office, which one made the knot forming in her stomach feel heavier. Standing, she adjusted her jacket and made her way toward the fancy space. One day, she hoped she could have her own office, though she knew it wasn't likely. She was lucky she had ever even made it into the FBI, to begin with. Her past was no secret, despite the fact that she tried to hide it as best she could. It definitely helped that she didn't go by her father's last name.]


[center [b "Is there a problem, sir?"] she asked as she stepped inside, the southern accent a little stronger than normal. Perhaps it was because she was still so tired. Another restless night due to nightmares. [i I really should go see a therapist...] Yeah, she'd tried that. It hadn't worked out well.]


[center He sat down in his own chair before he grabbed a file and handed it to her. [b [i "Please take a look at this."]]]


[center With a nod, she opened up the folder, not at all prepared for what was inside. Her face paled, her legs nearly buckled, and memories tore through her mind so violently that she thought she might be sick. Yet she held herself together, processing the graphic images in front of her. [b "...Are these old photos, sir?"]]


[center He quickly shook his head. [b [i "I'm afraid not."]]]


[center She set the folder down and took a seat in an empty chair, placing a hand over her mouth as her head spun. [b "It's a similar MO, but you and I both know it's not him. He's been in prison for fifteen years, now. I would've known if he escaped. Not to mention...the playing card. That's new."]]


[center The photos consisted of four women, all found deep in alleyways, chests up open, and a playing card sticking out of the wound. Each card was different, however. The Joker, the Queen of Hearts, the Queen of Spades, and the Jack of Diamonds. It didn't make sense, not just by looking at it, but those cards obviously held some significance. She just had to figure out what it was.]


[center [b "Why are you showing me this?"] she finally asked, looking up at Chief Watson.]


[center [b [i "Because of the similarity. You'll know better what to look for than anyone else."]]]


[center She hated that. She hated it with a passion. He wasn't wrong, however, and she wasn't about to turn down a murder case. She let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. She was already done with the day. Standing, she grabbed the folder and gave him a small smile. [b "I'll let my partner take a look and go from there. Thank you, sir."] She turned to leave, but his voice stopped her in her tracks.]


[center [b [i "If you can't handle this, Devereaux, then don't do it. Someone else can take it."]]]


[center She quickly shook her head. She wouldn't let her past keep her from doing her job. Her demons could stay buried for this. They would have to. [b "I appreciate the concern, but I'll be fine."] With that, she left the office, making her way back to her desk, where she threw the folder back open and began reading the reports inside.]

It was another long night for the male. The male had extra curricular outside of his job. Extra curriculars that nobody could ever know about. It was 4 a.m. when Orion got home. He barely got any sleep. He was like a double agent. He was sitting in his chair with his bloody gloves. He smirked as he thought about everything that happened tonight. It all started when he went to the bar after work. 

He went to the bar 4 different times. But he went to different ones. He knew someone would be suspicious if he went to the same bar. He had motive. But that was something he knew he couldn't think about right now. He got his first victim. Did the things he needed to get done. Took her in the alleyway, killed her, and left a card in her chest. He did that to 3 other females. IT took him all night To do that. He just had to be careful to not leave any evidence behind. He was an FBI agent. He knew exactly what to do. 

Orion realized that it was 6am. Those last two hours flew by really fast. He washed his hands in the sink. All the blood was coming off the gloves, and then he threw them away. Took the trash out, and put the trash in someone else's trash can then he went back inside and cleaned his sink with bleach. He sometimes got a little too paranoid. But he needed to have his back clean. No one would ever suspect the detective. 

He sighed, and then he took a shower. Put his clothes in the washer. He didn't want to smell like perfume or blood. He jumped into the shower, and the water felt like it was washing away all his sins down the drain. 

He got his detective clothes on, grabbed a coffee, and then headed to work. He walked in, smiled at everyone and greeted them good morning. He sat down at his desk. Starting his long day. Then he heard the chief call his partner into his office. That was one thing that Orion really didn't understand. But it wasn't his business unless she wanted to tell him. 

She came back out, and Orion was watching her facial expressions. He watched as she opened this file and he can see the pictures. The one thing about Orion is that he can keep his secret a big secret. There was only one person that knew about his secret. That's because they were somewhat behind it. But Orion did the most important part. The killing. 

He looked at his partner. [b "New murder case?"]

[center Athena's head was buried in the images, papers, and everything else in the file, so much so that when Orion spoke, her heart nearly leapt out of her chest. [b "Holy sh- God, you can't do that to me,"] she said, sitting back and placing a hand on her chest. The man needed a bell, damn it. [b "Yes, yes, it's a new murder case."] Reaching out, she close the file and handed it to him. The images were burned in her brain now. She wouldn't need to look at them again.]


[center [b "Whoever's doing this is absolutely sick,"] she said softly. Leaning back in her chair, she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. [b "Chief wants us to look into it, see if we can solve it."] If not for her father, she probably wouldn't have even been chosen. She'd worked a couple of cases in the past involving murder but Chief Watson liked to keep her out of them when he could. He was apparently worried that she might break if she took on too much.]


[center Looking up at him, she offered him a smile. [b "Onto a lighter topic, how was your day after you got off yesterday? Did you enjoy a night to just relax? I know I did."] She had gone home, taken a nice warm bath, and then fallen asleep on the couch watching horror movies with her cat. Not the most exciting thing to do after work but she'd enjoyed it.]