Chapter 9: Lynn: We Are Not Handling This Kind of Mess
Looking at Ronak, who was lying on the bed and firmly strapped down.
Lynn pulled up a chair and sat across from him. "Are you saying that everything you did... a devil attached itself to your body and controlled you?"
"That's right, Detective."
His eyes filled with pleading, Ronak looked at Lynn and said, "A while ago, I was doing an experiment with the professor. But a devil... it bit the professor's head off. I told the police who arrived, but they didn't believe me. They even locked me up in this hospital."
"I'm just so hungry. I can't eat normal food. The voice in my head... it tells me I have to eat brains to feel full."
"Then the devil made me do it... my body was out of control…"
"Wait."
Lynn cut him off before he could finish. "You just said you were doing an experiment with a professor? What professor? What kind of experiment was it?"
Hearing Lynn's question, Ronak's anxious expression turned hesitant.
After a moment, he said in a low voice, "It was an experiment on the fifth sense. My professor was Dr. Wilson Robertson, a biology professor at New York State University."
"His whole life was dedicated to researching the fifth sense. The pineal gland."
"He was convinced that if the pineal gland was fully activated, humans would be able to see life forms from other dimensions."
At this, Ronak stopped struggling and stared at the ceiling. "For the longest time, the professor's research never had a breakthrough. Not until the Battle of New York."
"The existence of aliens... it made the professor go completely crazy. He bought Chitauri weapons and corpses on the black market, for high prices. He thought their alien genes would be the breakthrough he needed."
Lynn nodded.
After the Battle of New York, SHIELD and the Department of Damage Control had collected most of the Chitauri bodies and weapons.
But some still managed to trickle down to the black market.
There were plenty of people just like Dr. Robertson who were interested.
"Keep going."
At Lynn's prompting, Ronak recalled the scene, an involuntary flash of terror crossing his eyes.
"The professor's device worked. A purple light completely activated his pineal gland. He said... he said he could see creatures from another dimension."
"He was like a man possessed. He said the creatures were beautiful... and he pulled me in front of the machine."
As he said this, Ronak's face twitched. "When the purple light hit me, I really did see them... translucent, eel-like creatures."
"Just when I was staring in amazement, one of the translucent eels... it burrowed into my head. And the professor's."
"It was so painful... but the professor, he looked like he was in ecstasy. He said it was a gift from God."
Just then, the door opened, and George Stacy walked in.
Seeing Lynn was in the middle of an interrogation, George Stacy pulled up a chair and sat down.
"But then something changed. A monster with horns... it came out of the purple light. It swung an axe... and cut the professor's head off."
"I was terrified. I ran and cut the power, and the monster vanished."
As he spoke, the protrusion on Ronak's forehead suddenly twitched.
Immediately, Ronak's entire body began to convulse, and drool streamed from the corner of his mouth.
"Brains… hungry… brains…"
Ronak kept repeating those words, his eyes landing on Lynn and George, filled with hunger.
The restraints binding him began to show signs of snapping.
Lynn moved in a flash, chopping him on the side of the neck and knocking him out cold.
Seeing Lynn knock him out so cleanly...
George Stacy handed him the file he'd pulled. "Ronak. Grad student at New York State University, was working with Professor Wilson Robertson."
"Something went wrong. Ronak took a fire axe and cut the professor's head off."
"When the police questioned him, he claimed a devil killed the professor."
George shrugged at Lynn. "That's why they sent him here. Never thought this would happen."
Hearing this, Lynn sat back down and played the audio recorder on a loop.
"What do you think?"
When Lynn didn't answer, George Stacy asked him directly.
His partner might be lazy, undisciplined, and obsessed with enjoying life, good food, and beautiful women...
But George Stacy had to admit, when it came to solving cases, his partner Lynn was a flat-out genius.
Every time they hit a homicide scene, before the forensics team was even done, Lynn could lock onto the killer using just intuition and the evidence at hand.
Cases that should have taken weeks or even months...
...he'd have them solved in less than three days, just by showing up.
This was why the commissioner gave Lynn so much leeway. His bonuses were always doubled, and every request he made was granted.
All that mattered was the stats.
"I think this is a lot more complicated than the official report says."
After playing Ronak's story from the recorder, Lynn said, "George, do you really think a normal person can suck out brains through an eye socket?"
"Can a normal person's strength snap hospital-grade restraints?"
Hearing this, George Stacy frowned. "Are you saying… we kick this upstairs?"
"Exactly. Isn't SHIELD the agency that handles this supernatural crap? Let them deal with it."
Lynn shrugged and stood up. "George, we're just regular NYPD. We don't get paid enough to mess with this."
"Fine."
George Stacy trusted Lynn's judgment. "I'll tell the commissioner. Have him contact SHIELD."
They both glanced at the unconscious Ronak, and then left the room.
***
You had to hand it to SHIELD, they were efficient.
Less than two hours after the call was made, SHIELD agents showed up and took Ronak away.
Back at the precinct.
Lynn was busy chatting with Jennifer when a few SHIELD agents in suits walked in.
He casually tossed them the audio recorder. "This is what you want, right? Ronak's recording."
"Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Hall. However, per our superiors' request, we're going to have to ask you to come with us."
"What?"
Hearing the agent, Jennifer immediately stood up. "SHIELD has no right to take one of our NYPD officers."
"Jennifer's right."
George Stacy pushed the door open just then, planting himself in front of Lynn. "All across the US, SHIELD may have the authority to investigate supernatural events."
"But that doesn't give you law enforcement authority. And it definitely doesn't give you the right to take one of our detectives."
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