In The Web Of Gotham

A Nice Chat

Spider-Man was clocking out for the night. After the unexpected development with the Banedoleros having the shipment of Scare, the GCPD were taking some time to incorporate this information into the Banedolero file. The shipment of Scare was confiscated and locked up into evidence to try and gather more evidence, along with keeping it off the streets should Crane send people to get it back. The truck was even taken to try and gather evidence from that as well.

As Peter Parker took his now deactivated Spider-Tracer from the truck, he slipped it into his belt and went to catch the Gotham Train to get home tonight. He grabbed himself a late night coffee and headed into the subway. Someone was strumming a guitar and singing a funny theme song for Batman they probably wrote, with a flipped over hat that had scattered change in it. Peter took out 6 quarters and threw them into the guy's hat. The musician smiled and nodded, resuming his song with a more upbeat tone now that he's experienced a bit of Gotham hospitality.

Once he got onto the train, Peter held onto one of the standing handles on the train, sipping his coffee. He watched as people came onto the train, got off of the train as the train reached their stop and just took in people being people. Not afraid of what was happening to this city, but just trying to go through their lives. Of course, he also saw the paranoia that's commonplace in this town. A can of pepper spray in a woman's purse, a cane that doubles as a 50,000 volt taser. The thing that most broke his heart was that he could see countless people that had a protrusion from their hips, a gun concealed for self defense. For some reason, his senses would catch the occasional whiff of...toasted wheat? Peter just brushed it off for what might have been people getting bagels from a local bakery before catching the train.

"I wish this city could be better..." Peter sighed to himself as he just took another sip from his coffee, trying to drown out his melancholy with caffeine. It was then that his thoughts were interrupted by the rustling of paper next to him. A person who had been reading the paper next to him had set it down.

"Yeah, Gotham's not the best place in the whole world. I think it's got a good charm though. Lot of people, lot of work. You know, the things a good city are known for. Just so happens we got a lot of crime to boot," the female voice said, in a bubbly Brooklyn accent. She was a blonde woman, with short blonde hair styled into a bob. Rose tinted glasses to hide blue eyes. A black top under a red jacket, and red slacks that had three black diamonds on the side of the left thigh. A person known all too well to that of Gotham City. The woman who fell for the mystique, but broke away when she realized how toxic it became.

"Dr. Quinzel, I've been reading your research. Especially on criminal psychology, it helps in trying to establish a pattern between criminal behavior. Tries to make more sense of the moving pieces, you know?" Peter said, introducing himself as a studious person as he held his hand out for her to shake.

"I'm glad to know someone other than Batman finds my research worth the read," she joked, shaking Peter's hand.

"I'm GCPD Detective Peter Parker, a pleasure to meet you," Peter greeted.

"Pleasure to meet you too," Dr. Quinzel replied as she patted the seat next to her.

"Have a seat. You look tired of standing," she said, reading Peter's thoughts through his body language. Peter sat down with her, as she took out a small notebook.

"So detective, I hear the GCPD caught some of Bane's boys. Quite a surprise though. Even the commissioner looked like he wasn't expecting that in the press conference," Dr. Quinzel said, pulling a pencil out from her shirt as she looked over at Peter.

"We thought that building in the Diamond District was going to be where Crane was making his Scare. We tracked the truck because we knew from one of Crane's drug runners, that truck was how Crane got his money at the end of a productive night," Peter explained, going through the deductive process along with the minor amounts of field work he did as Spider-Man to get to the conclusion of the Diamond District. The scent of toasted wheat permeating into Peter's nostrils again.

"So the train of thought was going towards the farm, not the lucha ring?" Dr. Quinzel replied with a chuckle at her joke. She seemed to notice that Peter was noticing something as well.

"Something on your mind?" Dr. Quinzel asked, her tone shifting from the casual tone to all business. From a therapist to a no nonsense forensic psychiatrist.

"...you smell that?" Peter asked as Harleen began taking smells around her, her eyebrow raising.

"What is that...? That isn't the usual Gotham Train musk," Harleen asked.

"It's wheat. Toasted wheat. I was smelling it at the beginning of the train ride but I just dismissed it as bagels. It's still here though, people have been cycling in and out of this train and that smell just came back. No one here has bagels," Peter elaborated. Suddenly, people started to panic and crowd around someone. Peter and Harleen looked to each other and carefully stood up, following into the crowd to try and push through and see what's going on.

Peter seeing the concern on people's faces, decided to crank up the police officer authority. Reaching into his pocket and pulling his badge out, calling out through the crowd.

"GCPD! Gangway!" He yelled out, startling some people and getting them to move themselves and others out of the way. Giving Peter and Harleen the avenue to get closer, the sight being mortifying. A woman, looking no older than Harleen, seized up on the ground with her eyes wide open. Her legs spasming as she foamed from the mouth. Peter put gloves on and put two of his fingers to the woman's neck, trying to get a pulse. Her heart sounded like a tap dancing routine, the scent of toasted wheat being strong. Harleen grabbed a flashlight and tried to get some form of diagnostics on the woman.

"Her eyes aren't responding to the light. Her brain isn't processing information correctly," Harleen explained to Peter.

"Her heart is in extreme dysrhythmia. Accelerated. She's having an overdose. Of what though?" Peter asked as he slipped a hand beneath his work clothes, taking out a GCPD crime scene kit and took a small sample of the woman's blood with a small syringe. Putting the syringe into an evidence bag and sealing it. Peter called the police as the train came to an emergency stop as police and EMTs both came to ensure the woman's safety and take her to the hospital.

"Well that was a good chat while it lasted. Catch you on the trains again?" Harleen asked with a nervous smile.

"Maybe.... something tells me I'm going to be working a few long nights after this," Peter chuckled as he walked off with the police personnel, slipping the evidence bag into his coat pocket. While also sneakily pulling from his utility belt, the black and white card of the Midnight Mission to access the Batcave.