Only With the Falling of the Dusk
Chapter 1
Warnings: graphic description of a corpse
info on Ricki and Brie here and here
"Units needed above the Chelsea tunnel near Coventry and North Madison; Caucasian woman, mid-30s, unresponsive." The familiar voice of the dispatcher rattled over the radio just as Ricki cracked open the ginseng water she'd purchased at the convenience store. Lin, her partner for the evening, groaned.
"God, I'd like five seconds to take at least one bite of my sandwich." Lin grumbled, shifting in her seat and putting her seatbelt back on as she started the ambulance up.
"That's Gotham's side of the tunnel." Ricki commented, brow furrowing as she took a sip before placing the bottle in the cup holder.
Lin shrugged, putting the vehicle in gear. "Closed off too, we'll have to go around. I'd bet anything they're swamped over there if they're calling us. My money's on Freeze or Scarecrow."
Ricki hummed noncommittally. The ambulance weaved through the evening traffic, sirens blaring as Lin navigated the familiar streets. Ricki stared out the window, her mind already racing through possible scenarios. Trouble in Gotham often came with complications and a tunnel closed for months for construction and legal red tape meant possible gang activity. She didn't bother responding to Lin's guess; it didn't matter who was responsible, the scene was going to be a mess either way.
They were the first on the scene, Ricki assumed because Lin was right and the GCPD had their hands full, but they didn't need the police presence to lay out the crime scene.
"Holy shit..." Lin gasped, leaning over the steering wheel and craning her neck to see the grisly scene clearly.
Hundreds of feet above them hung the body, suspended like a grotesque marionette from the side of the scaffolding. The victim's arms were stretched wide, pinned in place by long, thick knives embedded deep into the steel beams. Ricki climbed out of the cab on autopilot as she processed her initial look at the scene.
"How the hell are we gonna get her down?" Lin asked, voice shaky, as she came around to join Ricki at the back of the ambulance.
Ricki didn't answer Lin immediately. The knives, each one gleaming in the dim light, were driven into the victim's hands with a precision that sent a shiver down her spine. Whoever did this knew what they were doing and hadn't encountered much resistance.
"Don't worry about that yet," Ricki said finally, her voice cool and measured. She grabbed her medical bag and started toward the scaffolding, her steps purposeful and steady.
Lin hesitated, glancing up at the body, "'unresponsive'. Yeah, no shit." Lin muttered as she grabbed her own medical bag and followed.
When they reached the base of the scaffolding, Ricki knelt down, examining the ground around it. Deep claw marks marred the concrete, as if some wild animal had torn through the area in a frenzy. Ricki frowned, tracing one of the marks with her gloved fingers. The width and depth suggested something large - too small to be Killer Croc but definitely too big to be a dog - maybe an animal from Gotham Zoo?
"What the fuck?" Lin whispered. "What the fuck left those?"
Ricki pushed herself up to her feet again, turning her attention back to the body. "Dunno, bobcat maybe?"
"What if it's still here? It could be in the tunnel!" Lin hissed and Ricki fought not to roll her eyes.
Ricki's eyes narrowed as she took in the scene. The claw marks didn't fit with the precision of the knives. It was as if two different entities had come together to create this macabre display. She scanned the surrounding area, taking note of the darkened corners and shadows that could easily hide a lurking predator. She needed a closer look, ideally before GCPD arrived.
"I'm going up."
"Ricki-" Lin started to protest but Ricki had already hauled herself up several feet of scaffolding and concrete with her bare hands. "Be careful!"
Ricki took a moment to perch herself less precariously on the beams once she'd reached the victim, inhaling the familiar cold, damp air of the Gotham night. She examined the wounds with a practiced gaze, taking note of the discoloration around the entry points. It wasn't just blood; the flesh had an unnatural grayish hue, as though it had begun necrotizing before death. There were more claw marks through the concrete and steel beams in a way that suggested the creature had had no trouble scaling the sheer wall - though, it didn't look like the creature had actually injured the victim at all, at least not from what was currently visible.
Ricki leaned in closer, examining the smallest knife, lodged in the victim's décolletage through the collar of her coat. Its blade was short and wide but honed to a razor's edge that gleamed under the flickering work lights above. The handle, dark and smooth, was curved to fit comfortably in the palm of the hand, angled for stabbing; near the base, a ring was carved into the steel, allowing for a solid grip.
Etched into the blade was an owl's face, stylized and eerie, its hollow eyes seeming to follow Ricki as the dim light caught them. These knives were clearly custom, meticulous and detailed. Part of a wealthy connoisseur's collection or maybe someone's expensive hobby. Regardless, the culprit was probably part of Gotham's Elite...not that that narrowed it down considerably.
The toxin didn’t kill outright, meaning it was either meant to prolong suffering or weaken the victim to the point where resistance was futile - Ricki assumed the latter if not both judging by the location of her body. Whoever did this wanted their victim alive long enough to experience the agony of being pinned like a macabre butterfly. It seemed like a punishment or warning, a message of some kind...but to whom? And why?
The hem of the victim's designer dress and coat flapped into the corner of Ricki's vision with the wind, pulling her out of her thoughts and into action. She pressed two fingers to the side of the woman's neck to confirm what was already obvious.
"No pulse." Ricki called down to Lin. "Looks like she's been dead for a while."
"I'll call it in, can we go?" Lin asked and Ricki shifted slightly.
"Not yet."
Lin, who had been pacing nervously at the base of the scaffolding, finally snapped. "Ricki, come on! This is way above our pay grade, this isn't even our city, let the GCPD handle it!"
Ricki ignored Lin, adjusting her footing to get a closer look at the other blades. They were embedded deep but she could tell the shape resembled that of a kukri; the blade sleek with a sharp curve.
The wind picked up, biting through her uniform and carrying the stench of death to her nose along with an additional peculiar, sweet smell. Some sort of candy? No, anise. The poison probably but she couldn't place it.
"Damn it, Ricki, this isn't our job! We're supposed to stabilize and transport, not play detective! If there's no one to stabilize, we're done here! Get down, please!" Lin's voice was a mix of fear and frustration, but Ricki didn't waver, clicking on her pen light and pulling out a scalpel and sample bag.
She carefully scraped a small amount of residue from the blade into the sample bag, then sealed it and tucked it securely into her medical bag. She took one last look at the scene, her eyes sweeping over the woman's lifeless form, the intricate knives, and the claw marks below.
Ricki descended the scaffolding swiftly, her movements fluid and controlled. She landed lightly beside Lin, who was visibly relieved to see her back on solid ground.
"You should've gone into law enforcement if you wanna be that up close and personal. Come on, I already radio'd it in."
Ricki didn't respond to Lin's comment, but the hint of annoyance in her eyes was clear as she made her way back to the ambulance. Lin followed closely behind, muttering under her breath, as the first GCPD cruiser pulled up.
"Holy shit." Detective Montoya muttered as he stepped out, echoing Lin's earlier sentiment. Ricki ignored him as well, climbing into the passenger side of the ambulance and closing the door with an audible thud.
Inside the ambulance, Ricki pulled out her notebook and began to jot down observations. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, piecing together the evidence she had gathered. She knew one of Gotham's own vigilantes would probably be looking into it themselves, but her curiosity wouldn't let her rest until she had some answers.
Lin slammed her door shut, shaking her head. "Grayson, I swear, you're gonna get yourself killed one of these days with all this extracurricular BS."
"She pissed the wrong people off." Ricki commented, glancing back up at the body as Lin was directed by another officer to take a detour back to Blüdhaven, away from the road they were in the process of closing off. "Whoever they are, they used her as a warning. She won't be the last victim like this."
"I know you're from Gotham but do you have to be so damn cryptic? It's creepy."
Ricki remained focused on her notes. She was used to Lin's complaints and she knew her own single-minded approach often put her at odds with her colleagues. She didn't care much about being liked though, she cared about getting the job done.
The drive back to Blüdhaven was quiet, the air heavy with the weight of what they'd seen. Ricki's mind continued to churn, replaying the details of the scene over and over. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Bat-signal appear over Gotham in the side-view mirror.
"They should've just called Batwoman from the start, would've saved us a trip. Think we can get GCPD to compensate the gas mileage?"
Lin's attempt at lightening the mood with a joke fell flat. Ricki didn't even glance at her, too engrossed in the scene playing out in her mind. Lin sighed, shaking her head slightly, and focused on the road ahead, leaving Ricki to her thoughts.
The rest of the drive was silent, the tension between them like a physical barrier, and Ricki wasted no time lingering at the hospital longer than it took to fill out the paperwork for the evening. She entered her apartment in Blüdhaven at half past one, the quiet darkness welcoming her like an old friend. Haly, her three-legged pitbull puppy, greeted her with a happy wag of his tail and a nuzzle against her leg.
Ricki dropped her bag by the door, crouching down to scratch behind Haly's ears. "Hey, buddy," she murmured, a warm smile spreading across her face as the puppy's tail thumped against the floor. "Sorry I'm late. We'll get you fed and then go for a walk, okay?"
Haly's paws, still too big for his body, made a soft, clumsy sound as he trotted to his food bowl. Ricki moved to the kitchen, grabbing the dog food and pouring it in. Haly didn't waste any time, Ricki watched him fondly for a moment before straightening up.
She moved around the small apartment with ease, the television playing an old sitcom - left on to keep Haly company. The low murmur of voices filled the space, a soft hum in the background as she pulled off her uniform and tugged her dark hair free of the ponytail she'd worn all shift, crossing the room to her bedroom and ensuite bath.
Ricki splashed cold water on her face, the coolness a welcome wake-up. Her reflection in the mirror was careworn, her thoughts still on the scene she’d just left. The ornate knives, the poison, the claw marks - it all pointed to something far more sinister than a random act of violence. She needed to talk to Batwoman, but that was easier said than done. Their last conversation had ended with Ricki storming off, and they hadn’t spoken since. A low growl of frustration escaped her lips as she dried her face with a towel.
"Damn it, Brie…" she muttered under her breath, knowing full well that their estrangement was only making things more complicated. Haly barked from the sitting room, pulling Ricki out of her thoughts. She sighed and tossed the towel onto the counter, moving quickly to the spartan living area. Haly's bark was insistent, an impatient reminder that he was ready for their walk.
"Alright, alright, I'm coming," she called out, grabbing his leash from the hook by the door. She clipped it onto Haly's collar and gave him a gentle ruffle on the head. "Let's get some fresh air, huh?"