Age of Serial Synot

First Act (2)

A short man in a white office shirt that had rolled up sleeves, a blue tie and flat front navy blue pants stood on the other side of the secure interview room.

(A/N: Interrogation room).

He had light brown hair in a quiff and a clean shaven face, his sharp, deep set hazel eyes intently looking at the process ongoing in the room.

A middle aged man in a dark jacket was being interrogated by a young man who looked to be frustrated.

The young man glared at his counterpart, shooting up from his seat in the next second and his pointing finger at the middle aged man, who, despite the pressure applied on him, only smirked at the young police officer's display.

The man outside the room held the bridge of his nose and grimaced. He knew it wasn't going well. Just like the other six cases before this one. 

A middle aged woman in her police uniform walked up to his side, gazing at the activity in the secure interview room.

"He didn't break?" she asked, turning to the man by her side, the shoulder length leather black hair on her head smoothly moving to the side with her motion.

"Of course, he didn't. Can't blame him though. This kid is still fresh. He couldn't catch a high school bully let alone a suspect for a bank robbery," the man said.

The woman by his side shook her head and turned back to look behind the glass.

"What do you think we should do, chief?" she asked. 

"I wish I knew. You'd think having some Supers in the police force would make criminals think twice, but they've gotten even bolder. The world was a lot better without a bunch of fools running around claiming to uphold the justice when all they do is maintain their public image by doing the 'big jobs'."

"Hmm. I hear that. I'm already scared for our safety. Local cases are rising too rapidly. Bullets don't give the reassurance they used to now, do they?" 

"The truth is, they never did. You only realise this when you're on the other end of the gun. I'd rather go back to those days than this. At least you could 'good cop bad cop' your way out it."

The young man inside finally exited the room with his hand on his brow.

"Anything?" asked the woman.

"No. Nothing. Can't we beat them up or something?" the young man asked in frustration.

"I wish. Kid, times have changed. The law isn't in the hands of a few powerless human beings anymore. Acting rashly will provoke people we can't afford to deal with. But they can deal with us. Criminals on the streets have backing we don't these days. We have to look out for ourselves," the man said as he turned to leave.

"What do we do with him chief?" asked the woman.

"We're the police, not the FBI. Let him go. Those fancy publicity stuntmen will clear their schedule for him someday," the chief replied.

***

Katie was looking at the caller's ID, grimacing. She left the phone on the table as she thought hard about what she was going to say.

She sat in a very small office with a computer and generous stack of paperwork at her table that was driving her insane.

She finally answered and even displayed a brilliant smile.

On the slim black phone appeared the cheery face of a middle aged woman with sunflower blonde hair in a bob cut and satin grey eyes.

"Hey, Katie! God, don't you know to call once in a while? Being a big time actress doesn't mean you don't make time for your folks you know," the woman smiled.

Katie's heart thumped and she smiled nervously.

"I'm sorry, mom. I wanted to call, but the director is always breathing on my neck. It's tiring to always be on set doing the same thing over and over till he's satisfied," Katie said while bashing her head against a rock in her mind.

"You always dreamed of hearing the word 'cut' being said to you at least once, dear. At least tell me you're enjoying finally having your dream come true," her mother said looking concernedly over the phone.

"Should I tell her?' She deliberated. However, the worried look on her mother's face motivated her to wear the most fake 'I'm dying inside but I love it' smile she could conjure.

"Of course! There's nowhere I'd rather be. How's dad by the way?" she shifted the conversation.

"Oh, he's fine. He was yapping about wanting to at least see one of your movies yesterday."

Katie smiled even brighter while squeezing the phone.

"Tell him it'll be out soon. By the way, I gotta go. I can't afford to take too much time away from the set."

"Oh, sure, honey. We love you. We'll pay our subscriptions early to see that movie. Bye~"

As soon as the call ended, Katie knocked her head against the table.

"Fallen down another sink hole of lies, Miss Sales rep," said a feminine voice that emanated from the door.

Katie slowly raised her head and wiped her face of the remnants of tears that had started flowing from her eyes.

The girl that stood by the door was a brunette with an athletic figure wearing a black pencil skirt and a white blouse much like Katie.

"I'd rather not talk about it anymore, I've got work to do," Katie said, trying to look as solemn as she could.

"Okay. In that case, can you cover for me after lunch, pretty please! I need to go and meet John by the cafe," said the girl as she held Katie's hand and pleaded.

Katie giggled and shook her head.

"Okay, okay. I will. I swear I'm gonna ask for heavy compensation for these favours," she said.

"Friends don't need to be so hard on each other, Katie. I'll find you a boyfriend in exchange," the girl said.

"No, Cindy, I'd much prefer asking something from you that you wouldn't enjoy," Katie said.

"Sure. Let's go now. It's lunch time."

"You go on ahead. I usually get my food from this new stall."

"A stall? Fast food? Have you given up on maintaining your figure for a possible position in a film?" 

"I don't think I need to anymore. Twenty six failed auditions in ten months is probably a bad sign."

Cindy sighed and patted Katie' shoulder.

"Instead of giving up, take a break. Take it up again when you feel fresh, alright?"

"Sure."

Cindy left afterwards, leaving Katie to cover her face and take deep breaths to calm her emotions. 

She had come to New York with the naive mind-set to successfully audition and get hired as an actress within a few months. However, reality had crushed her dreams.

 Two paths were usually presented to her. Battle against the outstanding competition she usually had and fail or be someone's sex toy for a night or two and get to do the job of her dreams.

She couldn't bring herself to imagine what her mother would think if she somehow caught wind of her doing such obscene acts.

When she had told her mother that she wanted to quit college and pursue a career as an actress. Her mother had only asked her if that was what she truly wanted. She had been absolutely sure, her mother funding her trip and expenses for her stay in New York for one of the auditions she intended to do.

She had come with her childhood friend, Jasmine, who also aspired to be an actress.

On their first audition, a man had visited them when they were alone and gave 'the offer'. Katie refused instantly. However, Jasmine took up the offer unhesitatingly and now, she was a rising star in the industry.

Katie couldn't help but think whether she had made a mistake whenever she sat on that small desk, typing frantically on her computer and taking all the shit from her employers day in day out just to get enough money to barely scrape through the month.

She just couldn't tell her mother the truth.

The risk of seeing her mother's sunny smile turn into a dark and gloomy frown of disappointment haunted her dreams.

Katie walked down from the building, her phone in hand as she typed a message, with her purse in the other.

She looked down the street and saw a Latino man with a small moving stall, preparing his ingredients. 

She began walking up to him and when she tried slipping her phone into her purse, it fell onto the pavement with crisp slam.

Katie cursed and reached down to grab it, but a hand appeared in her vision, grabbing the phone before she could.

It was man in a black turtleneck. He handed her the phone, their fingers touching in the process.

"Thank you very much," Katie said with a polite smile, the man nodding as he continued on his way.

She then frowned, recalling something.

'What's with his face? I can't... ah forget it. I'm gonna be late if I take too long,' she thought.

She slipped her phone in her purse and resumed walking to the stall.

Katie suddenly jerked and turned back to look at the man's departing figure.

Her eyes gazed intently on his back.

'That's...weird. Don't tell me I'm getting so desperate that I'm falling for a guy just 'cause he picked up my phone?' she thought as she turned and resumed walking.

After two steps, her body jolted and her head turned involuntarily to gaze at the back of the man's departing figure.

Katie's breathing hastened as she panicked.

"W..what's going on?" she said out loud, terrified. She began backtracking, afraid that her body might behave mysteriously again.

In the next two steps, her vision... turned dark.

*

The young man opened his eyes and slowly became overtaken by the heaviness he felt from his body. 

He turned his body and saw that he was on a cement floor. 

He still had still satchel on his back, squirming as he struggled to get up.

He looked beside him and saw a girl with dark brown hair also opening her eyes and looking at him, confused.

She wore a white blouse and a black pencil skirt, a purse by her side.

The young man looked around and saw many other people struggling to get up.

As his vision became clear he saw, at the far end of wherever they were, a figure wearing .... a white mask with the design of a smile with vertical stitches...