Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Murder was messy.

No matter how clean the scene is, or how bloodless the death, murder created stains on the soul. Any innocence involved with murder always paid a heavy price, something they could never regain; it doesn't matter if human life stained their hands, or they were a mere witness. Yoongi understood this long before he chose to become a detective, accustomed to how shitty the world could be since his early childhood. Unpleasant memories, from preadolescence into most of his adulthood, kept Yoongi a realist and to expect the worst when bad things happened.

He was cynical and pessimistic. He's seen and experienced enough to become desensitized to the frightening capabilities of human beings. Death was nothing new to him and, in some ways, easy to accept. It wasn't until after his transfer to Seoul that death stirred his heart back into emotion by one Kim Namjoon.

Namjoon was an intelligent man and kept himself fit for the job both mentally and physically. He didn't carry any of Yoongi's bad habits, but that was not to say Namjoon didn't have a few of his own. Truthfully: he was a clumsy oaf that trips over his own two feet, he loses every single piece of technology he owns at least once, and his hands destroy everything they touch. Some people think that's an exaggeration but Yoongi has seen it happen multiple times with his own eyes. It's a wonder Namjoon can even drive. But despite all the terrible habits and bickering about the porn crashing his computer, there was no one else Yoongi would rather have to guard his back.

They were partners, worked like a well-oiled machine almost instantly. Namjoon was the reason Yoongi began to feel passionate again. Namjoon was also the sole reason he was up at the ungodly hour of eight-thirty in the morning.

The eight o'clock hour was a decent time for normal people. However, Yoongi's sleep cycle was anything but normal, sometimes non-existent. There was a long list of his own bad habits impeding his health, but lately insomnia has been the worst. They had zero leads on the case they were in the middle of trying to solve, the long hours only nurture their growing fatigue. After spending the night at the office pouring over reports with nothing to gain, Yoongi rubbed the bags under his eyes and decided to go home, kiss Hoseok in greeting, and sleep. It was two hours later when Namjoon's face lit up his phone, Hoseok groaning and turning away to drown out the buzzing. Yoongi had a few choice curse words picked out for his partner: Korean, and not Korean.

Yoongi wasn't able to say any of them, immediately distracted when Namjoon spoke first. "We have another one." It was a statement that needed no explanation and had Yoongi rocketing out of bed to throw on a sweater and jeans, the cleanest items in reach. Namjoon gave him a brief rundown as Yoongi gathered his keys, kissed Hoseok in apology, and rushed out the door.

Once he had a couple of coffees from the nearby cafe, he punched the address into his GPS. Namjoon was keeping things under control, but there was no way in hell Yoongi was going to a crime scene half asleep without a drop of caffeine in his system. He wasn't sure if Namjoon had anything decent already, but they had a habit of buying fresh coffee for each other. If neither of them finished a cup, then they would nuke it later; a far cry from perfect coffee but still better than anything at the station. Crappy station coffee was reserved for nights like Yoongi's.

A crowd was already starting to gather at the edges of the cordoned-off lawn as Yoongi parked next to Namjoon's car, a hum of various conversations going on at once created an atmosphere of white noise to his sleep-deprived mind. The neighbors were no doubt gossiping about potential scandals home owners and what the police were doing inside, nothing that would stand out. It usually didn't get any more complicated than that. There was no sight of a news van, but he knew that wasn't going to last long. His relationship with reporters was infamous, Namjoon was the one who usually handled them. With a new dead body turning up, and with both of them here, it was only a matter of minutes before they congregated like flies to rotted meat.

Approaching the perimeter tape, Yoongi was met with a uniform already stationed there waiting for him. "Detective Min," he greeted as he lifted the tape so Yoongi could duck under. He jabbed his thumb toward the house. "Your partner is waiting for you inside."

The house in question was a two-story cottage painted a light blue with picture-perfect shrubbery surrounding it's walls. All that was missing was the white picket fence. Yoongi tilted his head to the crowd. "Who reported it?"

"Neighbor across the street," the officer said. His tag read Gwang. "See the woman in pink? She came out to walk her dog. Saw the front door half open and the car in the drive, but no one around. When she called out and got no answer, she went in to investigate and found the body."

"Did you get statements from everyone?"

Gwang shrugged. "Yeah. Nothing note-worthy, though. Lady said she told her husband to call the police while she stood to guard the door. Everyone else here just kind of trickled out of their homes when we arrived. But hey, no news vans yet."

Yoongi grimaced. "Let count ourselves lucky. Is it too much to ask that they hold off until we're completely done here?"

Gwang shook his head with a rueful smile and a pitiful look in his eyes. "When you and Detective Kim are on the case? Never. I'm ninety-nine percent certain they were on their way right now. Reporters are blood-thirsty."

Yoongi snorted to cover his laugh. Media hounds were the same in every country, Yoongi and Namjoon cross-referencing their experiences when they were abroad. His time in Europe, Namjoon in Japan and America, it was the same. Many encounters with them left a sour aftertaste in their mouths, and they learned quickly which news people earned their respect and who lost it permanently. Namjoon had a brain to mouth filter that worked, but Yoongi was nothing like that. He had to excuse himself from the room if he got worked up, a trait he didn't possess until he met Namjoon, but even before then the press were difficult for him to handle. His partner once compared him to a volcano, exploding with anger as he bluntly told reporters their own shortcomings, how ineffectual they are and how much of a hindrance they become at a scene.

The tirade gets uglier and is hard to stop once it's started, so Yoongi prefers to keep silent and let Namjoon answer questions and tell everyone to fuck off more eloquently. He asks Namjoon how he deals with his two settings of silence and ranting, but all he does is give a dimpled smile and a fond look. Sometimes Namjoon lets him rant despite knowing they'd get in trouble, but then he shrugs and says he was tired of repeating himself and they deserved it. Not many people indulged that side of Yoongi, Hoseok and Seokjin being the exception.

"Oh... Speak of the devil, and he doth appear." Yoongi looked to where Gwang's eyes narrowed and saw a news van pulling onto the street. Gwang waved a hand at him in a shooing gesture. "You should head inside. I'll deal with the heathens."

Yoongi grunted. "A knight in shining armor." Not waiting for a response, Yoongi slipped into the house, closing the front door.

The Fourier was a grand, open space, allowing Yoongi to see two doors on the right and one on the left, hardwood stairs leading up with an intricate railing. The room immediately to his right was a living space, a fireplace and sofas sat in front of a picturesque bay window was the ideal for receiving guests. It opened into a family room with a pair of French double doors, but all he could see was another sofa and television from where he was standing. Yoongi assumed that was where the other door led.

An archway on the left revealed the kitchen. Nothing out of place: clean, modern, had an island with granite countertops and was decked out with all stainless steel amenities. It looked like Seokjin's dream kitchen, to be honest. Yoongi preferred darker colors like navy and green, which had Hoseok calling him a Slytherin and then proceeded to paint the kitchen a bright and happy yellow. Yoongi cut his losses, better a yellow kitchen than a yellow bedroom.

There was an officer standing guard at the top of the stairs, stepping aside when Yoongi arrived. When he asked which room Namjoon was in, he was directed to the very last room at the end of the hall. Camera lights and voices grew louder and brighter as he stepped into a whirlwind of activity.

In the middle of the chaos stood Detective Kim Namjoon, a center of calm amidst tornadic storm. He was looming over a king-sized bed, observing a corpse nestled almost delicately into deep blue sheets and pillows. There wasn't much else to the room, a dresser, a vanity, a walk-in closet half the room's size and a door that lead what was presumably the on-suite bathroom. There were prints of art around the room themed in Romanticism, tying the room together nicely. Yoongi looked down. Except the floor, the carpet would make Hoseok cry.

When Namjoon noticed him, he went to join him at one of the prints on the wall, "Spirit" by George Roux, and grinned at Yoongi when he jumped in surprise. He happily took the coffee Yoongi handed to him. "A ghostly woman appearing before a man. Kinda reminds me of how you and Hoseok met."

Yoongi snorted. "Hoseok's ghost didn't play the piano."

Namjoon nodded and they took a moment to savor the fresh intake of caffeine. It was a ritual of sorts, something they did whenever a crime scene popped up. Namjoon had done it first, knowing how cranky he observed Yoongi when murder struck, and so the small slice of sanity became a norm for them. The insanity around them was ignored in favor of taking a moment to get enough energy back into their system to deal with that chaos. Once the bitter drink settled hot in his stomach, Yoongi made his way to the bed.

"So, anything new?" They slipped through the crowded room, easily dodging between people and still managing to keep up their little bubble of personal space.

"Nope," Namjoon replied in English, popping the "p" at the end. Due to their time abroad, they were always saying random words in other languages, mainly English and Japanese. "No different from the others. Various needle holes, a slit in the throat; postmortem if the pattern fits and all of his blood is drained. This time the victim was posed in bed as if he were just peacefully sleeping."

Yoongi hummed, looking closely at the man's neck and noting those exact details. With nothing new, he would have to wait for the coroner's report to se if the killer slipped up again. "What's the guy's name?"

Namjoon lead him over to the dresser and picked up a black wallet, handing it over to Yoongi. The shorter detective flipped it open as Namjoon recited the information by heart. "Kim Moongyu. Born January twenty-fifth, nineteen-ninety-three, blood type B. His wife is in Europe visiting their son at school, but they've been made aware of his death and are on the way back."

Yoongi snorted. "Of course the spouse isn't involved." None of the families were involved with the other victims, the killer always making sure they had an alibi to avoid suspicion. He rifled through the cards stuffed in the other pockets of the wallet: a credit card, bank card, a white business card and a black card. Yoongi skipped over the first two, he'll be running a financial check on the victim's accounts later in the office. He instead zeroed in on the two cards that were more interesting. The white card had a blue moon and sun combined for it's logo; The Midnight Sun Hotel, as well as the hotel's details on the back. The black card had a silky-soft matte finish with one purple and pink word written in cursive English; Serendipity.

Yoongi waved the card at Namjoon. "Any idea what this place is?"

Namjoon shrugged. "Probably somewhere he spent money given how pretty that card looks."

Yoongi had a witty retort on the tip of his tongue in response, but but he once again never had the chance to say it. Someone came up to them, a young officer who whose name tag read Choi Soobin. Yoongi remembers him, a bright mind with natural gut instincts, if not a bit green around the edges. He was an exemplary officer in the station with his impeccable paperwork and this was the first time Yoongi saw him at a crime scene, but he seemed to be holding up pretty well. He's known others to lose their stomachs just stepping into the same room as a body, but Soobin isn't even flinching. Perhaps, if he and Namjoon were to apprentice in the future, Soobin would be a great choice.

"Detective Kim. Detective Min." They nodded at him in greeting. The boy looked determined, confident and Serious, a combination that left them curious. "Can you help me move the bed? I think there might be something underneath it."

"That's quite the request, Officer Choi. Why do you think that," asked Namjoon, looking over at the bed in hopes to find something he missed the first few dozen times he scanned it.

"The carpet." He pointed to a spot by the wooden frame and a baseboard. "It's tiny, barely noticeable, and probably nothing, but... There's a drop of blood."

Yoongi folded his arms, contemplating what this kid was saying and what they knew already. A drop of blood, while it doesn't fit with the clean murder room, should definitely be sent to the lab. However, tearing up an entire carpet because of it? That might be a bit of a stretch. "What makes you think there's something more?" Namjoon lifted an eyebrow at Yoongi but nothing more as they waited for him to respond. Choi Soobin gave a tiny smile.

"It's new, every crime scene is pristine. Despite being drained of their blood, not an ounce of it was anywhere near the scene until now. There might be more underneath, I don't know, but I have this hunch that we shouldn't pass it up."

Color Yoongi impressed, he was starting to really like this kid. And there goes the golden word "hunch" again. Yoongi was sold, and by the proud look in his eyes, so was Namjoon. "It will take more than just us to move the bed."

Soobin shrugged. "No one will listen to me." That was the down side when you were just starting out, people ignored the new kid even if they put out ideas like a professional. Yoongi can relate having gone through that himself. Soobin waved around the room. "The room is pretty much cleared. Everything's been tagged and photographed, except that spot of blood. We're just waiting on the coroner to get here."

Namjoon frowned. "What's taking him so long?" Soobin giggled lightly, a soft emotion running through his eyes.

"He let his protégé drive this time. Kai drove them through town." Yoongi leafed through his memory. He vaguely remembers a young kid, vibrant, next to the old timer that usually handled all their cases. He would have to reintroduce himself.

Namjoon nodded. "Got it, downtown plus morning traffic. Definitely an equation for disaster."

"Alright," Yoongi said, tossing the wallet back on the dresser. "Let's pull up the carpet."

The young officer visibly perked up at his statement. Soobin obviously wasn't expecting him to agree to do what he asked so quickly, thought he had to do more convincing. Namjoon gave no reaction, instead going off to find an officer with the evidence markers. Soobin licked his lips several times before he was able to speak. "Really?"

Yoongi tilted his head. "It's a solid line of thought. A drop of blood, no matter how small, is out of the ordinary. And if you have a gut instinct, you should always give it a solid ear." He and Soobin stood together as they watched Namjoon take a picture of the bloodstain. He handed both items over to the original holder, thanking the confused man with a slight bow and smiling when it was hesitantly returned. Yoongi whispered to Soobin. "Ready?"

Soobin school his excitement and cleared his throat for good measure. "Yes sir."

Pleased that Soobin was on the same page, Yoongi led him over to where Namjoon was waiting for them. With a simple acknowledgement from him, Yoongi raised his fingers to his lips. A piercing whistle blew through the room, gathering everyone's attention. Yoongi didn't say anything, letting Namjoon take over.

"We need everyone to help moved this bed to the opposite side of the room." Everyone looked around each other confused, not moving at all. When it didn't look like they were processing the order fast enough, Namjoon clapped his hands. "Now!"

It sent everyone into a flurry of movement, rushing over to the bed in record time to lift and drag it to wherever Namjoon directed. Soobin worked to keep a straight face, but Yoongi didn't bother hiding his own smirk. Namjoon and Yoongi were known to be personable people, but they would be hard asses when they needed to. They treated their coworkers with respect, but they expected the same in return. And when they gave an order, their track record spoke enough about why it should be followed.

With grunts of effort and a few choice curses, the crowd still in the room heaved the bulky furniture to the opposite side of the room, careful of the dead as they lifted the frame from all sides. They settled the bed next to the door, still wide open with enough room for people to squeeze through.

With the bed out of the way and everyone tired, Namjoon didn't waste a minute to investigate the baseboards. He spoke in a low murmur to himself, a habit the Yoongi has witnessed enough times to know he was chastising the murderer for their carelessness. Namjoon took a pocket knife to the carpet, starting at the point of interest and cutting along the wall. Yoongi leaned against one of the bedposts, arms crossed and trusting that his partner would signal him closer if he found anything. Soobin was next to him, hand clasped in front of him as he tried to keep himself from fidgeting. Yoongi couldn't blame him, they moved the bed on his gut feeling.

Namjoon lifted the new incision, holding his phone's flashlight in his line of sight. It was only a couple of seconds before his eyes shifted directly to Yoongi, mouth set in a firm line, and the shorter instantly knew what that stare implied. He he then turned to the room and yelled: "Someone help me cut the rest of this up!"

Several people helped cut where Namjoon directed, and soon they unearthed the mystery that lay beneath. Yoongi went to stand with Namjoon, as everyone else crowding around them but not daring to take a step in front of them for fear of ruining their new piece of furniture. It was a large circle, as big as the bed that was covering it, with symbols, lines, and circles within circles. Yoongi and Namjoon have seen a lot of shit since they began their partnership, stuff that made sense and stuff that didn't. It strikes Yoongi as funny that, years later, they as still seeing things they've never comprehended before as a faster pace. This was one of those things, something outside their zone and too big for them to handle.

However, they knew someone who could definitely handle it.

The partners made eye contact as everyone crowded around to take photos, thinking the same thought. Yoongi held out his phone. "Call the kid."

"Gee, Gee, Gee, Gee, baby, baby, baby..."

The high trill of Girl's Generation blasted out of Taehyung's phone, bringing him into a fuzzy state of half-awake. He was never a morning person, staring at his apartment's bland ceiling for a while until he was conscious enough to move his limbs. Distracted with one hand scratching his tummy, Taehyung slapped the other around on his night table in search of his phone with far less coordination. As soon as he silenced it, he cracked his eyes open to peer at the big numbers boasting half-past six. Last night had been busy, an older, superstition lady enlisting his help to expel spirits and cleanse the entire grounds. It was an older estate and screamed money, so it took all day and well into the night to complete. He was surprised he was able to get at least six hours.

The overcast sky was a blessing, desaturated light seeping in through his curtains and thus made the world a little more bearable. The summer months were a little more intolerable, but he usually tried to deal with it until he took Yeontan out for his walk. Speaking of the light of his life, Yeontan was stretched out on his back and half asleep at the foot of Taehyung's bed. Not even coherent enough to beg for food; a miracle, he always wanted food, the glutton.

Reluctantly, the witch pulled himself out of his blanket cocoon, messy curls all over the place and clothes rumpled from tossing in his sleep. He'll have to do a meditation later to see if he could actually remember his dreams. His body moved on autopilot as he went about the ritual of setting up his tea kettle, changing Yeontan's water and filling his food bowl. When he settled into some decent clothes, a warm cup of oolong tea wiping away any remaining sleep from his brain, he checked his calendar. There wasn't anything for today or the rest of the month set up, so he could probably take his time coming in this morning. He shot a quick text off to Baekhyun.

Thanks to several more cups of tea giving him some extra pep, the next couple of hours went by in a breeze. Taehyung kissed his pooch on the nose as Yeontan lay half asleep with one of his favorite toys hanging out of his mouth before going over to his notepad. He wrote down times for the afternoon dog sitter and left it on the counter. Yeontan was his baby, he raised him from a tiny and skittish pup. His work could get busy like it did yesterday, so he hired a dog sitter to take care of him when he couldn't be home. She was a nice lady who came by to take Yeontan out and play with him. He could forgive her not-so-secret treats given without Taehyung's permission, those big puppy eyes were impossible to ignore, especially when he was begging.

The commute to work was about fifteen minutes and was Taehyung's moment of zen. With a to-go cup of tea and energetic music booming through his speakers, it was some personal time he took for himself before he got to work.

It's a small company with only three employees that included Seojoon, Baekhyun and himself, but it was a dream job Taehyung had conceptualized since his third year in middle school. Stigma Investigations was one of many titles that he and his friend came up with when they realized they had an opportunity to make the business a reality. It was a long list, some of them serious contenders while others were just put on there for laughs, but the cleverness of Stigma had won out. The supernatural leaves that sort of impression on the general populace, so it was the perfect name for an agency specializing in paranormal and occult activities.

Taehyung popped open the door, grinning widely in greeting at the other person there. "What's shakin', bacon?"

The other man smiled in return, their similar personalities always making things fun. "Nothin' but a par-Tae!"

It was corny and maybe a little bit stupid, but the greeting was also something that they've had going on between them since their first meeting in their high school library. Byun Baekhyun had been an instant friend, and trouble followed the two of them everywhere; accidental most times. When Taehyung told him about his dreams, Baekhyun was the first to offer support. They planned everything together, it was their own special project, and they wouldn't trade it for the world.

The office was just one, big, rectangular room, but with some organization and a partition they each had their own space. Baekhyun's desk was in the first half of the office, a folding screen with Korean folk paintings separated it from the rest. Kept out of view Taehyung's desk, a smattering of file cabinets, a multi-functional fax machine that was ancient but still (barely) worked, and a door that led into a tiny half-bathroom.

Taehyung put his coffee and phone down on his own desk before going over to sit on the edge of Baekhyun's, ignoring the two chairs set up for guests. The studio was tiny, but it was a step up from when they first started out. The only other place they had before this, where they were first made official, had no extra rooms at all and only enough room for one desk. Their business was doing moderately well, and despite the occasional pranksters, drunkards and Christians who wanted to send them to hell, Taehyung has enjoyed every moment of Stigma.

He couldn't have done it without Baekhyun, he was always a solid rock for Taehyung whenever he was doubting himself. Seojoon and Minho didn't understand their passion at first, but they supported them through school. And then there was Namjoon, Seokjin, Yoongi and Hoseok who helped make it grow. These men were the pillars holding up his life and people he loved after his own parents.

"Any jobs come in yet," he asked, ducking his ash blond head to peek at his monitor. There was nothing work related.

"No. Not a thing. Nothing is booked, either. How did yesterday go?"

Just remembering the amount or work and power he used last night sent a bone-deep chill throughout his body. He couldn't even complain about the work he did because it was desperately needed, the entire estate needed desperate attention. "I think the next time I accept a big job like that, I'll enlist some extra help."

Baekhyun slapped his shoulder. "You dummy. I told you to call me if you needed help." That was true, he did consider calling Baekhyun for a serious moment when he'd first arrived. But the guy was out with his coven and Seojoon was the only one managing the desk. He couldn't ask either of them to stay with him all night to finish it.

"I didn't want to take you away from your coven. You guys were planning that outing for a long time, I wasn't going to pull you away from that to work. I'm not heartless." Baekhyun sighed and looked like he was about to protest again, so Taehyung hastily interrupted. "Besides, I was thinking about hiring an intern."

It had the desired effect, Baekhyun paused, blinking at the surprise news. It wasn't a lie, either. He'd been thinking about getting one for a while, he just wanted to breach the subject to him a bit more gently. There goes that plan.

When he got over the surprise, Baekhyun nodded. "Okay. I can see why you've been thinking about it. That was a bit sudden, though. Let's set aside some time to talk about that later." Taehyung let himself deflate a little, not even realizing he had tensed up. Baekhyun's input about the business was just as important as Taehyung's, so he was relieved that he didn't immediately toss it aside.

Taehyung nodded. "Sure. Maybe over dinner at Minho's place? We'll coax hyung into cooking."

Baekhyun laughed. "Oh, hyung will be so mad!" It only made Taehyung grin devilishly.

"But he'll do it."

"Oh, he most definitely will. He'll hate it, but he'll do it." He jabbed his thumb back to his screen. "But I gotta get back to this. There's been virtually nothing all morning and this show is the only thing keeping me from going crazy."

Taehyung tilted his head to the screen. "How is that, by the way?"

"Boring." Baekhyun dramatically leaned back in his chair, throwing an arm over his forehead. "All they do is stare at each other with dramatic music in the background and cuss each other out until they stomp off in a huff."

"Isn't that every rom-com these days," Taehyung asked through a giggle, straightening up as he thought about a day of relaxing after such a hassle like last night. Baekhyun only shrugged with a grunt, already clicking the icon for the next episode. Taehyung just patted his shoulder before dipping through the small gap in the divider

Work tended to be slower in the mornings and early afternoons, most requests coming in late in the day. They were just starting to pick up more business after Taehyung was slightly injured on his last case had take off some work. Baekhyun and Seojoon had managed the office just fine, even Minho had volunteered to help. If they continued getting more and more work, more than they could fill, then that intern was going to be sorely needed. They didn't need to do much, mainly office work and accompany them to a job if it was big, but they could get their own cases after enough experience.

Taehyung replied to some emails and filled out some paperwork and sent in a request for a nest of vampires to investigate a rogue in their area. When his work came to an end all too quickly, Taehyung looked at their social media accounts to post advice and supernatural memes to pass time. Most of the people that followed them were open minded enough to leave funny responses and not really looking for genuine help, but they kept him entertained. At least they had followers, as few as they were. If he could make a few people laugh while spouting out the very obvious reasons why people shouldn't summon demons during a red moon in Autumn, it's a win-win.

Taehyung was in the middle of making up a demon jingle when his phone started blaring out an old jazz tune he liked. That was Namjoon's special ringtone. He pulled his cell out, not sure why Namjoon was calling him so early, and answered.

"Hey, Joon-hyung," Taehyung greeted as he brought up a notepad on his laptop to write down what he had of the jingle so far. "What's up?"

"Hey, Taehyung-ah, are you free right now?" His voice was in work mode, meaning he either needed a joke to break up the monotony of work, or he had a job for him.

"No, I'm buried in work." He kept his tone light and not all that serious, hoping to reel Namjoon in to joke around.

There was a chuckle on the other end, and Taehyung would call that a success, even if it was a bit stiff. "Well, that's too bad. Guess I have to give this case to a different witch. Is Minho available? I would hate to put more work on you and Baekhyun."

Taehyung sat up straight, ears perked at the mentioned "case." Namjoon and Yoongi always came to him when there was something weird about their cases ever since they met, Taehyung has saved both of their lives on numerous occasions since they learned of his abilities and business. They've actually become fast friends, which means their husbands became friends with him, to the point where Seokjin cooks meals for him, and getting a workout at Hoseok's studio. Cases from them were some of his favorites.

"We'll take it. Where are you at? I'll be there in two shakes." He was already out of his seat and gathering his keys.

Namjoon chuckled. "Thought you were too busy?"

Taehyung pouted. Namjoon couldn't see it, but it was there. "You know that was a fib. Now tell me!"

He received another laugh in response, this one a little more relaxed. "Okay, okay. You know the case Yoongi and I are working, lately? Homicides with puncture marks and slit throats with no blood? Just got a new body. Also found something else on the floor. Looks like it's your kind of weird. It seems that these murders could all be connected to something similar. I'll send the address to you, just get here as soon as you can."

Already nodding in understanding, Taehyung emerged from his office to talk to Baekhyun. "I'm on it."

"See you soon. Oh! And watch out for the reporters, they're crowding the scene. Like sharks." And then Namjoon ended the call. Taehyung looked down at his phone in time to see a text message pop up with said address.

"So what's going on," Baekhyun asked, his show paused as his attention was now fully turned to Taehyung. "That was Namjoon, right?"

Taehyung nodded. "Yeah, he and Yoongi have another body in their case, but they want me to take a look at something new." He stuffed his phone into his pocket and nodded at Baekhyun's computer. "Want to come with, or are you opting to stay here?"

Baekhyun cut the air flatly in front of him with his hands. "Nope. I'm out. You know I don't do well around blood, that's why you get all the crime scenes. Just take pictures and tell me what has their panties in a twist all of a sudden that they need help from witches. Meanwhile, I'll look after the office."

Chuckling, because that was very much Baekhyun in a nutshell, Taehyung waved him off and headed out the door.

Namjoon wasn't lying. It was a sea of mayhem once Taehyung pulled up to the address. Police were telling people to stay back, onlookers were murmuring to each other, and reporters occupied every available space they could squeeze into. Taehyung pulled up next to what he knew to be Yoongi's car, tucking his phone into his pocket once he got a picture of the outside of the house, and locked the door. Some reporters were crazy and would dig into his car if they got a chance. It has happened a couple of times in the past, but after reporting it to Namjoon and Yoongi they managed to get those responsible to pay for the damages, along with a forced suspension and a restraining order.

Taehyung cringed at the memory, glad he didn't keep much in his car nowadays, but there was a reporter who found a bottle of swamp water in his glove compartment and thought it was poison. Next thing there was his face all over the papers and a splash of murderous accusations running the entire front page of it. The memory was not a fond one, Baekhyun and Taehyung and Seojoon had gotten a lot of shit for that from police and religious groups and the supernatural community. It took a while for them to bounce back from all that negative press.

He dipped between people, keeping himself mostly out of sight from the cameras Buy the time he was at the tape and being allowed under, he hoped he managed to avoid people thinking he was anything noteworthy. There were no shouts or exclaims, so he was hopeful. It was bad enough that most of the police force didn't think much of him, the reporters were worse. He took a moment to send a prayer to multiple deities that there were no car incident repeats.

The officer that let him in read Gwang on his tag. and he walked with him, accompanying him up to the entrance. "You must be the kid Detective Min mentioned." Taehyung frown, not liking to be addressed so informally by someone he didn't know. Gwang just held up his hands in a sign of peace. "His exact words were 'let the kid through.' Had to ask him for a name."

Taehyung straightened his jacket, trying to get a read on this guy. He puts on a nice attitude, but Taehyung has been burned by falsities before. "Only the detectives can call me that." Despite only being one and two years older than him, it's their habit.

Gwang nodded, his demeanor suggesting that he understood. Taehyung wasn't sure if that was the truth, though. "People at the station seem to dislike you, as soon as you were mentioned everyone had sour looks on their faces." Of course they did, he represented why Stigma had it's name. Magic and supernatural is just hocus pocus, nothing more, and Taehyung's expertise in them leave a bad taste in their mouths. "But you have the detectives' respect and trust to the point where they give you leeway. That isn't earned lightly."

Taehyung smirked, flashes of when they first met running through his head. That was an understatement, but now wasn't the time to indulge in such stories. "You could say that. We go way back."

The other man nodded as he pointed inside the house. "The crime scene is on the second floor, last bedroom. Things are a bit of a mess since they found a creepy thing in there, but I'm sure they'll shuffle everyone out the door if you them need to."

Taehyung bowed and thanked him, Gwang surprising him when he returned it. It was one of Taehyung's more pleasant experiences with the police, a bazaar and rare occurrence. So much so that he couldn't resist poking the bear. Still inside the house, Taehyung got Gwang's attention before the officer could leave again. "What about you," he asked.

Gwang pointed to himself. "Me?" Taehyung nodded. "About what?"

Choosing his words carefully, Taehyung said them slowly. "My area of expertise."

He watched as Officer Gwang pursed his lips and shifted his eyes down, Taehyung stood silently waiting.

Gwang ended up giving him a small shrug. "My grandmother was very superstitious. Living with her during the summers of my youth gave her plenty of chances to tell me many stories."

Taehyung lifted an eyebrow. "Is that all they are to you? Just your grandmother's stories?"

Gwang laughed and shook his head. "No not just stories, more like life lessons." Taehyung wanted to ask him what he meant by that, talk to him more about his experiences with things most humans ignored, and maybe expand that to possible friendship, but there was no time. A commotion broke out by the tape, both their gazes drawn to an actual fistfight. Gwang winced and gave Taehyung an apologetic smile.

"Duty calls. Have fun with the creepy thing in there." And then he was off.

Taehyung watched him go, but he's kept Yoongi and Namjoon waiting long enough. Turning around, he made sure to keep his posture straight and his face blank as he made his way up to stairs. He was aware he was being stared at, either out of curiosity or spite, familiar with years of contempt he knew weren't going to die down without some major change happening. Most officers never took the time to ask Taehyung questions about his job, preferring to rely on gossip and rumors from others.

It was inconvenient and annoying, but as long as he had Yoongi and Namjoon he could stow his own temper. No one else asks him for his help when a weird case pops up, not even with Yoongi's and Namjoon's shining recommendations. The best they get is a sneer and lecture about not taking over other officers' cases, so Taehyung always has to help from behind the scene, a risky thing to do when the supposed good guys hate you.

When arriving at the bedroom, Taehyung took in the messy disarray with sharp eyes. There were at least half a dozen people in that room, the bed half-haphazardly pushed by the doorway he was standing in, and a large portion of the carpet cut away. There was no body to inspect, but there were lines on the floor that Taehyung couldn't quite see from where he stood. He was going to take a guess and assume that must be the reason he was called in.

He announced himself by sliding the bed a few inches across the carpet, using his feet for show but using a bit of energy to force it away on its own. The noise attracted attention from everyone in the room, including Namjoon and Yoongi, who smiled when they recognized him. They gave the others a side glance, enough meaning settling into their eyes to indicate the others needed to leave. It worked, Taehyung standing to the side against the bed as everyone else filed out, a couple of glares being thrown his way but what else was new?

The three of them walked toward each other, the older two pulling Taehyung into a hug as soon as he was within reach.

"Hey, kid," Yoongi said as Namjoon patted Taehyung on the back. "Joon-ah said you were busy. What's more important than us, huh Tea-ah?" Taehyung just laughed at his scolding.

"Nothing, hyung. Promise. You guys always come first. Well, maybe only second to Hoseokie-hyung and Seokjinie-hyung."

Yoongi poked him. "Brat." He didn't correct him, though. If Yoongi would be second to someone, it would be his Hoseok, and he didn't mind that. He turned around, waving for Taehyung to follow. "Come take a look at this. The victim was just like the rest, throat slashed with needle marks all over, and drained entirely of blood. But one of our newbies, Choi Soobin? Bright kid, got an eye for detail, too bad he left with the coroner. He spotted some blood on the floor near the wall."

Taehyung's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "That breaks pattern, doesn't it? Isn't it supposed to be a clean crime scene? No trace of blood anywhere, not even on the victim?"

Yoongi nodded. "That's correct. The new kid found a spot of blood by the baseboards and had a gut feeling we would find more under it. Turns out his gut was right."

Namjoon shrugged. "And since when were we ever the ones to ignore gut feelings like that? So here is what we found."

They stopped in front of the circle, Namjoon and Yoongi a little farther back to give Taehyung some room and keep out of in his way. Taehyung let his eyes roam over the numerous circles, the symbols, and the lines. It wasn't like anything he'd ever seen before. Sure he was a witch, and this looked a lot like spell work, but it was incredibly complex and, quite frankly, out of his skill level. The only type of person capable of this would be a coven leader or a much older witch. The possibility that this was an Argent made Taehyung break out in goosebumps all over. They were old, masters of extreme power, and a far cry from Taehyung's twenty-five years of life with only one decade of witchcraft experience.

Taehyung hummed as he stepped around the circle, trying to see it from every angle in case anything new or familiar popped out. So far there was nothing, but that didn't deter him. If he couldn't figure it out, he knew other witches more powerful than himself who could. There were a couple of symbols he recognized, but their combination with new ones didn't make sense.

He knelt onto the ground, one hand on the floor and one hand on his propped up knee. Even getting a closer look it still baffled him. He pointed to the lines. "Circles contain. Lines direct. Symbols inform. Usually."

Yoongi cocked his head. "Usually?"

Waving a hand at the complex structure, Taehyung sighed and stood back up. "This circle is out of my league, and I can't tell just from seeing it what it's supposed to be for much less how it was constructed. Whoever did this really knows their stuff."

"So we are dealing with an experienced witch, or witches," Namjoon asked, looking at the symbols as if he were trying to ascertain any imperfections. Taehyung doubted he would see any, otherwise the circle wouldn't have worked. One wrong squiggle and the whole thing would have been useless.

"Yes, either a coven or just one witch" Taehyung said, crossing his arms in front of him and glaring down at it. "Possibly an Argent if they've done this multiple times; they're old and powerful hags. How many bodies have turned up so far?"

"Three," Yoongi answer before grabbing the wallet left on the dresser. "This one makes four." He held the wallet out for Taehyung.

As soon as Taehyung saw the photo, he recognized the picture in a way that humans wouldn't be able to. It was a trait many species of the supernatural share. One of the first things he learned as he was coming into his power was that like attracted like. There were a few individuals talented with hiding their true forms with glamours, sprites with mirror magic, Fae with redirection spells, Argents who had the ability to hide or mask their true faces, and many more. Aside from Argents, he would always be able to recognize a fellow witch. Taehyung had only heard secondhand details about the case, but there was no need for him to get involved before. This is definitely a good reason for him to start being involved.

Taehyung closed the wallet even though he only saw the identification picture, causing the other two to look at him curiously. He waved the wallet in front of them. "I would need to see photos of your previous victims. Do either of you have them on your phones, or do I need to ask to see the bodies?" Namjoon came forward and brought up some pictures of the previous victims when they were still alive; two men and one woman. Taehyung looked at all of them. Like the one that was killed here, he didn't know any of them, but he still felt the same pull. He recognized these strangers as someone like him. He nodded, handing the phone back to him.

Yoongi looked at Namjoon curiously as he put away the phone and then looked back at Taehyung. "What's the verdict?"

Taehyung opened the wallet and turned it around to show the ID. "Do any of them have anything in common with each other? Have you found any connections between them yet?" Yoongi shook his head. "Then I believe I've found your connection. The one thing they all have in common."

"Which is," Namjoon asks.

"They are all like me. Witches. All four of them."

Almost as if they were one mind in two bodies, Namjoon and Yoongi both looked at each other wide-eyed, it was the big break they were waiting for, that they needed. Now that they knew the commonality between the victims, and now that they had Taehyung's help, navigating the case became that much easier. The three of them had a system when involving the ever-secretive supernatural community, Yoongi and Namjoon handled all official channels and Taehyung poked the magical end of things. It worked, too, nine times out of ten the weird cases that didn't make any sense were solved. Taehyung provided he detectives with unique connections, insight, and understanding that there was more to the world than most humans knew about.

"Do you recognize any of them," Namjoon asked, and Taehyung didn't have to question who he meant by that.

Taehyung shook his head. "No, I don't know them personally, nor are they a part of any covens that I personally know. But I know what they are, just like any other witch would know what I am."

Namjoon reached over and patted Taehyung on the shoulder. "I knew you'd come through for us!"

Yoongi chuckled. "You always do. Thanks, Tae-ah."

Taehyung shook his head. "I still don't know what the circle is all about. Can I take a few pictures of it to show Minho-hyung? He could get his coven to research it more in-depth, they have better connections and resources for studying complicated spells like this. They would only need a few days."

They nodded, backtracking a few steps to keep out of shot while Taehyung started clicked. They technically weren't allowed to do that, but considering that they were working somewhat outside the law on this one, they had to let that slide if they wanted any answers. It wasn't the first time they broke laws to solve cases. Taehyung walked around, snapping wide angles and the coming in close for clearer details that would help Minho's coven unveil the convolutions of the circle.

When he was done taking pictures and heading back to Namjoon and Yoongi, they had the wallet open and a couple of cards out. They handed them over to Taehyung. "Are you familiar with either of these places," asked Yoongi.

Taehyung looked at both cards, but only knew of one. "Well, the hotel looks familiar. I think it's popular with foreigners. Serendipity, though, never heard of that place before."

Namjoon waved his phone. "I looked up its location, but all it says is that it's a lounge in the expensive part of the entertainment district. I think it's either high class, or only caters to a certain crowd."

Taehyung nodded. "You wouldn't be wrong." There are many places in the world that have official addresses but only gives patronage to certain flavors of the supernatural. Memberships are exclusive and sometimes only through referrals. Serendipity might be one of those places. "Since he keeps it in his wallet, his family might know something about it. I would ask them. Speaking of which, where are they?"

"They've been out of the country," Namjoon said, tossing the wallet back where it had been laying. "Kid studies abroad and mom was visiting. They're on their way back in, but I don't think we'll be able to talk to the until tomorrow at the earliest. You wanna be there when we do?" Taehyung nodded. "Alright. We'll make the arrangements, but if it's anything like the previous victims, they probably won't know anything. The Killer always seems to make sure they are proven innocent, which is a little strange. You would think they would want to pin it on an easy target."

"The unusual connection between victims suggests a more personal motive against witches. Making sure others are proven innocent means that they don't want innocent people taking the fall for them. Which could then, in turn, mean that they think they are doing good, getting rid of witches. It would give us a motive." Taehyung crossed his arms, thinking. "There aren't any coven wars going on that I know of, so his must be the work of one person, or a small, newly formed coven not officially established." He was hoping, at least, that it wasn't an argent. "You don't mind if I give the details to Baekhyun and Seojoon?"

"Pfft." Yoongi puffed some air into the hair that fell into his face. "The rest of the department knows your here. You might as well tell them everything. You guys will be compensated for your help, I'll make sure of that. If they have any insight, it's much appreciated. We've already got four bodies. Let's try not to make it five."

Taehyung winced at the mention of the number. "Yeah, my horoscope said to avoid several numbers this month: five, nine and fifteen. Sorry in advance."

Yoongi lifted an eyebrow, cocking his head in disbelief. "You believe in zodiac horoscopes?"

Taehyung shrugged. "Only the ones that are accurate."