*Dead Presidents* ~ Chaos x Yoshie ~

“What do we have here…?”

“Extortion, two counts of attempted murder, one of manslaughter,
racketeering, and one count of indecent exposure.”

Seduction eyed the man. He just shrugged his shoulders.

“Okay so tell me how dangerous is this man?”

“Enough to not leave him alone in a room for too long.”

Winry walked to the interrogation room and she looked at the door. By the door was Commander Grieves. They saluted one another.

“Chief Investigator Winry Black Seduction reporting sir.”


“Special Agent Gary Reeves Sir.”


“Reeves, Investigator Black. Beyond these doors lies a criminal that is wanted for more than just gambling, he is intellectual, articulated and deadly. His good looks don’t help for much either. Just watch your back in there.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Reeves looked to Seduction for her input.

“I don’t need briefing; I’ve been doing this a long time. Experience is its own teacher.”


The door to the interrogation room opened, Reeves went in first and Winry followed shortly thereafter. Leaning against the wall, she examined him closely. He didn’t look like a killer; hell he barely looked like one to break the law. Maybe a little gambling here and there but then again, who didn’t gamble? We all needed money and it didn’t matter how we got it. Reeves circled around the room, and then he circled around the table where the criminal was. Pacing back and forth he was about to say something and then Winry cut him off seemingly bored at the situation at hand. Folding her arms she sighed.


“Reeves, stop playing with the man, we don’t have all day! Just get to the point already.” She said moving her hair out of her face. It was quiet for a while and Seduction didn’t like playing the waiting game. She was not one for patience. She wanted results and she wanted them now, hearing his story was going to be good. There were so many stories about this ‘Zodiac Killer’ that she became interested. It was said that he killed based on the day and the month, just like the Zodiac.

“Are you going to be silent all day Innocent? Or are we going to hear the story from the horse’s mouth? I’m tired of speculations… let’s go.”

Bruce struggled at the cuffs that held them to the chair, grumbling about his bad luck. This wasn't the first time he had gotten caught, and he was sure that was why they had him in this room this time. He couldn't think of anything else he had done, it's not like he even drank or gambled. Well he drank on the rare occasion, vodka, straight, every weekend. Rare compared to most of the people he hung out with at least.
He was part of a small group of anti-government protesting group. They didn't do much criminal activity, simple acts of vandilism but nothing that could land them in lock up for more then a few days. They also had a mysterious sponsor who always supplied them with whatever they needed, including a hangout place with some fantastic couches. On top of that if any of them ever got caught their bail was paid within a matter of days and they were let go clean.
That was until, today. For some reason, Bruce was dragged straight to interrogation and handcuffed to the chair. It would be childs play to slip out of them, but he dare not risk it right now. He would play it cool, fess up to his graffiti charges and deny anything else. What could be simpler.

That was not the case.
When they finally came in to interrogate him they said nothing. The man paced around him for a while, trying to make him nervous. Bruce simply yawned, and shifted in his chair, rolling his eyes from the man to the woman. He didn't understand why his hands were handcuffed behinds his back to the steel chair, and why was the chair bolted to the ground. "You want me to speak? I thought it was obvious, yes, I'm the Graffiti God, there's no denying it since I was caught in the act, a shame really, it wasn't nearly my best work by far." He sighed, looking to the woman, she was, something alright. Amazing curves, fantastic body really. She seemed cruel, a dominate woman for sure. He almost grinned but he held it back in fear of what she might do.
"Look, I don't know what else you got on me but I'm telling you, the worst I've ever done you caught me for months ago."
He leaned back in the chair, his hands fidgiting still at the cuffs.
He was dressed in dark gray cargo pants, cut crookedly at the bottom for his short legs, but were still long enough to cover the top of his boots. Or his roller-blades that were currently in lockup most likely, his plain white socks visible as his feet rested on the floor.
He was five foot five, and his hair was messy on intention, his soft and dark blue eyes staring at the woman, trying not to be caught looking at her cleavage.
He also wore a baseball t-shirt, gray middle and black sleeves, over a long plain t-shirt that matched his pants. He also wore a vest to store his cans of spray paint, all of which had been confiscated.
His outfit had splatters of paint here and there, it was obvious what he was claiming to have done was true, but he had no idea just what he was accused of.

What the boy was saying could be true but then again the Zodiac Killer was one of many faces, he could be standing right next to you and you’d never know it until your blood was already on the ground. The Zodiac Killer was a madman, a man that with the right resources and right weapons is proving to be a very illusive man.

“You lying bastard!” Reeves spouted, about to get in the boy’s face.

“Reeves…” Winry jested, but her words fell on deft ears.

“No, this punk thinks I’m stupid.” Winry sighed, Reeves always got worked up but never like this, it would seem that this case was getting to everyone, even someone as passive as Reeves.

“There’s no getting out of this one boy I know you did it!”

Winry had to intervene. It was getting a little out of hand.

“Reeves…”

“What?!”

“You are stupid… stupid to think that this man is the Zodiac Killer. Come on! Look at him, he is just a child! A mere shell of what the Great Z.K would or could be.”

Reeves did catch on… he leaned a little closer to the boy giving him the once over.

“No! I know he did it…”

“We have no evidence that he did it…”

“Who’s side are you on Agent.”

“The side that knows that he isn’t what we are looking for.”

“Fine you think you’re so you handle the bastard!”

Winry moved closer to the boy and loosened the handcuffs. She was beginning to see marks on his wrists. She didn’t like the way they treated criminals here even if they were thinking they were doing the right thing.

“Tell me something Innocent… how did they catch you? What’s your side?”

“Fuck his side!”

“Fuck you Reeves, let the boy talk!”

"Well, I... Wish I knew what I was being accused of." he said, and thinking she was taking the handcuffs off he twisted his wrists when they were loosened and pulled his hands out to rub his wrists. "ow... geez...." He looked up to the woman and smiled. "Thank you miss." He said and smiled, folding his hands behind his head. "Like I said, I was just tagging the side of the bank, during the day like an idiot, and they had me surrounded in no time flat. As for what my side is, I really don't understand the question. I mean, I hate our oppressive government, although I would say the police are the least oppressive of the law. You guys are just doing your jobs, I don't hate you for it. It's the bighead I hate. But of course I'm too pathetic to do anything more then tag graffiti on the side of a building." Their group had bigger plans. Non-violent of course. They needed to gather a group of skilled hackers. Their plan was good. Expose the truth. That's what they were about. The truth. Bringing to truth to the blind and gullible. But he could never confess to such a plan.
And the thought of it right now wasn't even running through his mind, so there was no sign of guilt on his face at all. He kept focused on the conversation. He was tagging graffiti. He got caught for it. He was confessing to it.
Then all of a sudden some of the words they spoke caught on to him. "Wait, what?! you think I killed someone?!" It all hit him, he had seen the news. "Man, I don't even carry a pocket knife! Your guys already searched me, search me again I swear I'm clean! I don't like violence. I especially don't like guns. Why do you think I didn't even try to run?" He looked between the two of them, panicking now. "I swear, I'm no killer. Please, I swear I'm not!"

“He’s a fucking liar!”

“Reeves look at the man…”

“Hes in disguise!”

Winry sighed and placed her hand on her chin. How was she going to convince her partner that he was not the man he was looking for? Then she got an idea. Winry left the room for a minute and then came back with a manila folder. She slammed the folder down on the desk.

“Listen Reeves, the Zodiac killer is a prideful bastard right? He’s a Leo! This boy here… is a …” She glared at him. “What Zodiac are you?” She peered at him.

Once that was done she opened the folder and showed him the pictures. The pictures are gruesome, headless, some body parts were missing but one thing was common amongst all of the victims. All of them were killed on their birthdays and in blood across their chest was their Zodiac sign and date.

Winry watched the boy’s eyes wander from picture to picture each getting more and more gruesome and hard to watch and look at than the next. Some she couldn’t look at.

“What is the point of showing him his work Agent Black?”

“Look at the boy… look at his face…”

“What about his face? He knows he did it.”

“Stop trying to pin this shit on someone who didn’t do it.”

“What the---“

“What happens when we lock him up and the killer strikes again Reeves?”

There was a silence in the room. Winry knew she had Reeves now. Winry knew that he had experience locking someone else up for a crime and the killer was and still is still out there.

"Now that we have that sorted out... Innocent listen I need you to list any witnesses to say you were where you said you were." She was calm about the situation and she was willing to cooperate with him.

"G-Gemini... June 20th... h-how do you k-know... nevermind...." he gulped, looking away, his attention was brought back by the manilla folder. "W-wait, what's that?!" He said, and his eyes widened as she opened it. She didn't need to go very far with the pictures. It was obvious when his face went pale off the first picture, he did not have the stomach for this. He gripped his stomach after just a few pictures, and coughed, by the fifth picture he turned his head to the side and heaved his morning meal. It took a few good minutes of him panting as he wiped his mouth with either his hand or a klennex if thy gave him one.
"P-please! N-no more!" He begged, covering his face and turning away. "Don't make me look at anymore!"

He shivered a bit, how could anyone do that to another human being? It sickened him and he felt like hurling again. However when the lady addressed him again he looked to her. "I, well I uhm... Y-ya, I can get you the names of some witnesses...." He said slowly, not looking back up until she took the folder with pictures away. He clearly did not have the stomach for it.

“See?”

Reeves was quiet for a moment and looked away. He didn’t have anything to say. Winry sighed; she didn’t know what to say.
“Good Acting punk---“

“Dammit Reeves…Shut the hell up and get a janitor”

“Listen Gemini, I need your cooperation if you are to get out of this with your freedom intact.”

There was a loud bang, and then the door flung open, it was the commander and he didn’t look too happy.

“Another body just showed up, this time we think that its someone that he knows.” The commander pointed to Bruce.
Winry stared back at Bruce and then slammed her hand on the table. “It’s February… do you know any Aquarius’ or Pisces? I need you to cooperate with me dammit!”

“If it’s a body then it’s already dead Black!”

“Good Point…”

“Well now Gemini, you have now have a body to identify. We will need him out of this room and down to the morgue.”

Reeves shook his head and they both escorted Bruce down to the morgue area of the station and then they came into contact with the mortuary man.

“The Name is Mort.”

“I get it Mort the Mortuary Man.—“

“Reeves, you fucking suck.”

“Anyway, Agent and um…guest. We have the same M.O. It is a female, she looked young, no real details just yet, she did just come in.” The man pulled out the carrier that read 17 and a body was now on the slab. “This one is still relatively new so please brace yourself.”

The man removed the white sheet that was covering the woman and the first thing you saw was “Pisces” written on her chest in her own blood, there were wounds and contusions on her arms, legs and feet. There were signs of a struggle and it would seem this woman lost.

“Gemini, do you know this woman?” Winry asked.

He shrunk back at Reeve's insult, and almost heaved again right there, clasping his hand to his mouth he stared up at Reeves in fear. He shook his head and pulled back in the chair as the two talked. He couldn't believe what he had gotten himself mixed into, dead bodies was not what he had expected.
When the man burst in he nearly fell off his chair, shaking he looked up to the man, he knew they were going to make him look at the body. He hoped they had a bucket handy.
When they got down there he did recognize the girl. Just someone he had met on the bus one day, they were talking about roller blading. It was a short meeting.
As soon as he saw what they did to her though he quickly pulled back to find a bucket, heaving a load into the first convenient location. "I... I met her on a bus... once..." He gasped, averting his eyes from the poor girl's fate. "What... What kind of a sicko would do such a thing...."

“This is his M.O; he takes the victim by order and date of the zodiac. The killings we thought at first were random but with you here it seems that he is targeting us. He is in a sense taunting us. But why? How is he always one step ahead of us?” Winry looked at the boy and placed her hand on the boys shoulder. She pulled him away from the body and signaled Reeves that they were leaving the morgue. Reeves nodded and lingered around the body for a little while longer seemingly impressed by the work done on the body. Talking to Mort about the body and the killing, asking questions here and there trying to get more information on Z.K, anything that would help them catch him.

“Listen boy, I know this is all too much for a tagger such as yourself but we need your help. You are a tagger; you can be anywhere, just like Z.K hence why we picked you up. You were in the vicinity that the murder took place, you were there at the exact time and place, which is why we thought it was you… but then with the pictures and the body…” Winry sighed. “I didn’t know… I didn’t mean…” She walked him down to the lobby. She gave her card to the receptionist and the boy and her went to the café that was across the street. She pulled out a chair for the boy and ordered a latte. Once she got her latte she looked at him, her eyes filled with sorrow. “I’ve worked this case since the 90’s dear. With all the experience and training that I have, I still can’t see when someone is telling the truth and when they are lying.” She took a sip of her latte. “It was careless of me, I should have considered your feelings, over time I’ve become numb to the gore of dead bodies.” She sighed. “It’s cold of me to ask this because of the scene you just witnessed but would you like something on your stomach?”

"It's... It's okay... I can't blame you.... Wrong place, wrong time, anyone would have made that mistake... Thanks for believing me." He smiled to her, and when she took him to the cafe he looked around. "I... you don't have to take me out." He said but sat down a she insisted. "There's no sense beating yourself up over this. Really, you were just doing your job. I can't fault you for that. Just, clear my name, that's all I ask. I'll help out as best I can, have my people keep their eyes open for trouble." He said, looking to her, he tried to give her a smile. "Ya, some food would be good if you're paying. Something with eggs, no onions, absolutely no onions or anything from the squash family." He said, and laughed a little. "Thanks...."

Her eyebrow rose as she passed him the menu. “Fine, order what you will… I’ll treat, besides once you see the prices I think your wallet would agree with me.” She said pointing to the menu. Sipping at her latte she folded her arms and turned her attention to the window.
“I’m probably going to be taken off the case for this… I’ve become too encumbered with this man, with this killer. His motives, his alibis, his abilities, I know what he is capable of… I know everything about him, everything except how to capture him. He has to have some sort of inside source; I am close, so close, too close. It’s like he is always one step ahead of me… of us, of the department. When I get absorbed onto something… well I know with this little stunt I will defiantly either lose this case or my job. You however, you in my opinion are my only lead, even though you don’t know it.” She stopped her talking to put sugar in her latte. Winry loved anything sweet, adding sugar was like adding icing to cake.

“I will see what I can do Innocent. You haven’t really seen anything so it’s not like you witnessed something, I mean the girl wasn’t close to you, I would have speculated that she was someone important to you, your wife, or your girlfriend. But apparently this isn’t the case. Something was different about this one though. Did you notice Reeves face when he saw the body? It was strange; different. He has become something different, and defiantly not the Reeves I am used to…” She began stirring her drink. “Then again; this whole case has everyone in shambles, so it’s probably not his fault. After you eat I’ll walk you back to the precinct and you and I will talk to the Commander about getting your name cleared. I thought for sure I’d have his ass this time…”

Bruce sat there looking through the menu. Everything looked a bit pricey for his tastes. Still though, he found an as you request it omelet option. And so he ask for four egg omelet with a double serving of cheese and tin slice ham pieces. He then asked for a lemonade with a splash of mango juice and extra light on the ice, calling it good. After the waitress took the menu he looked to her, folding his hands. "If you ask me... He seemed a bit too interested in the work on the body. How long has he been working on this case?" He sighed, and leaned back in the chair. "I don't want to point fingers, I may be wrong but, the only way he can keep such an easy step ahead of you is by having an inside man. There's just no way he could be that good. It has to be an inside source." He sighed, and took the lemonade when they brought it to him, taking a sip and smiled. "Thank you."
He then turned back to Winry. "Thank you officer, I appreciate it. I may be a criminal but I'm no murderer."