X.W.P. 3257: WORST CASE SCENARIO

pt.2

The light rain continued to fall as Xena looked at the child that was laying in front of her. As she carefully looked at the body, Xena talked to Ares.

XENA
Do we have an ID?

ARES
Not yet.

XENA
Cause of death?

ARES
Don't know. But clearly not natural causes.

XENA
Obviously. Witness?

ARES
Xena if I knew anything I would've told you already.

Xena sighed as she looked at Ares.

XENA
Sorry. It's just I got into this line of work to try and stop this sort of thing. But..

ARES
I know Xena. I don't like seeing this either. I thought things were so much simpler all those years ago. Wars, violence, all the other things that made the good old days what they were.

XENA
The way you describe it doesn't exactly give me that nostalgic feeling you're going for.

ARES
The point is that with people now a days it's not as cut and dry. There's probably a million reasons why someone would want to kill this kid. And the odds are pretty high that none of them are good.

XENA
Yeah no shit.

Xena stood up.

XENA
Well we won't know anything until I figure out how this kid died. I'll head to the coroner's office and start there.

ARES
But you know it's gonna take time to get everything we need.

Ares could see the stone cold look in Xena's eyes.

XENA
Not if I'm there.

Xena began walking back to her car.

ARES
Just try not to scare off this one.

XENA
We'll see.

Ares sighed knowing full well that Xena was going to be in her "warrior princess" mode for this whole case. Though it ment that she was going to be extremely focused and stop at nothing to bring whoever was responsible to justice. It also ment that she was not going to be easy to deal with. Which was why when it came to cases like this Ares tended to let xena do her own thing. He learned a long time ago that doing things this way was better for everyone, especially when it came to his own safety. Besides he knew that Xena wasn't going to do anything that broke the law, technically. Ares turned and went to his car and headed back to his office. After leaving the crime scene Xena headed to the coroner's office. As she drove she called Gabrielle. As Gabrielle answered a hologram of her appeared in the passengers seat of Xena's car.

GABRIELLE
Xena, what's going on?

XENA
Looks like I won't be home for a while.

Gabrielle sat on the couch in their living room as she talked to Xena's hologram.

GABRIELLE
Why?

XENA
The victim. It's just a kid. Can't be more than 12.

Gabrielle shook her head in disgust.

GABRIELLE
God's what's wrong with people?

XENA
Who knows. Anyway I'm heading to the coroner's then I'll be home.

GABRIELLE
Okay. I'll be waiting.

XENA
See you soon.

GABRIELLE
Bye.

Xena hug up and continued to drive. Soon after she arrived at the coroner's office, where she waited for the results of the autopsy. That is until she got inpatient and after shoving the coroner out of her way, took over in the investigation of the cause of death. Leaving the aggravated coroner with the unwanted duty of being demoted to temporary becoming Xena's assistant. Once xena took over it wasn't long before the cause of death was discovered. Though the results didn't sit right with her.