Chapter Text
Value is important. The value of the coffee I’m about to buy, for instance. Or the value of the stock market, how that can maybe, possibly, affect the global economy. I wouldn’t know, I never went to school for economics. Moving on.
Some may say I value myself too much, maybe it’s because I put myself first in most circumstances. Or maybe that’s just a weird way of saying that most people find me selfish. I can’t say I entirely disagree, with the whole: “Be a better person!”; “Sharing is caring!” aspect of morals.
But I do disagree with a lot of it.
For instance, I left my family as soon as I could. Shoving all my 18 years of existence into a group of measly cardboard boxes as I headed off for the training academy. I can say that that was 100% selfish of me, but If I were to regret anything in life, it wouldn’t be tha-
“Hey lady! You gonna move? Or can I take your place in line?” An agitated customer harshly snapped from behind me.
Jumping out of my train of thought, I quickly ordered, and paid for my extremely overpriced coffee. Although I’m sure the salary at my new position is abundantly better than my last, I still cringe at the $7.99 total that rings up.
Taking the hot drink, I step out of the café, submerging myself into the hustle of the city. Since my move, I haven’t been able to bring myself to buy a car. Not necessarily because I don’t want one- I do- I just haven’t been ready to commit to such a large purchase. I’ve already experienced enough change in the past few months than I really should need to.
The subway ride was, well, okay. First day jitters seemed to have made me zone out for most of it. Part of me is grateful, another is begging for the ride to last a little longer. Although yes, working for the BAU has been a dream of mine ever since I wished to leave home, I never really sat down and processed the fact that I’d actually gotten the job.
Finishing my small walk from the station to headquarters, I took a brief pause outside the main doors. I really shouldn’t be so nervous, I’d already passed the interview- but I couldn’t help but feel the butterfly’s flurry in my stomach- especially when I finally walked in.
Introducing myself to the front desk, I made sure to double check the floor that I needed to head up to. Pinning on my new badge, and securing the gun into my waistband, I began my journey to the stairwell- hoping to walk off the rest of my nerves.
Ultimately reaching the correct floor, I opened the heavy steel door. Recognizing the glass double doors as the ones to walk through, I put on a confident persona as I breezed in.
The loud rings of telephones and keyboard clicking quickly overwhelmed my hearing, but seemed to calm me down some. Maybe it was because I knew I could walk up to Agent Hotchner’s office without others noticing, or maybe because it already felt like home.
Knocking on the dark wooden door, I heard a muffled “Come in,” before I entered.
Recognizing me coming through the door, my new supervisor stood to greet me.
“Agent Y/L/N, it’s good to see you again.” Agent Hotchner stated, his voice nearly monotone as he motioned to shake my hand.
“Likewise. I’d like to thank you again for this opportunity, I’m extremely excited to start working with the team.” I responded, my hand now in a brief clutch with his as we exchanged pleasantries.
“You don’t have to thank me, please let me show you where you’ll be working, maybe I can introduce you to the team.”
We descended from his office into the bullpen that was overlooked below. I felt a few wandering eyes stick and follow me, as Agent Hotchner led me to an almost cubicle like office space.
“Here’s where you’ll be working for the time being. You’re allowed to personalize it as you please, but I do have to mention that it can’t break any employee guidelines.” Hotchner’s statement seemed to humor him some, and maybe if I wasn’t trained to detect it I wouldn’t have, because it was short lived.
“I’ll make sure to have a look at those,” I tease as I set the few things I brought with me down onto the desktop.
I hear a small thud from across the bullpen, turning my attention to its source. Quickly locating it, I find three coworkers messing with one another. Before I can study them closer, Hotchner sighs and speaks again.
“That’s Agent Morgan, Dr. Reid, and Agent Prentiss. I’d promise you that they aren’t usually like that, but I’m sure you’d call my bluff.”
Stifling a laugh, I return my attention to the group, as the bald one continues his antagonistic actions towards the others. The other man seemed to be wearing an assortment of Halloween costumes, one being a Frankenstein mask. The woman seemed to attempt to avoid associating with the other two, pretending to work. All were attempting to remain discreet about their curiosity of me, but managed to accidentally catch eyes with me a number of times.
“Let me introduce you to them,” Hotchner says, and I follow him over to the group. “This is SSA Derek Morgan,” He states as he motions towards the instigator whose hand I then shook, “Dr. Spencer Reid,” who quickly took off the decorative noose around his neck and waved at me, “and SSA Emily Prentiss,” whose hand I also shook.
“It’s nice to meet you!” Morgan said, “Two new agents in one day? I had no idea our budget was expanded that much.”
“It’s nice to meet you too, Agent Morgan. I’m Y/N Y/L/N,” You replied.
“Tomorrow’s Halloween too! You know, if we were to be thinking superstitiously we might find this rather-“ Reid was quickly cut off by a woman walking along the banister informing us a new case was in.
“We can finish introductions later on the jet. That’s where Agent Rossi will meet us.” Hotchner stated, making his way to where I assumed we’d be discussing the case.
The four of us followed close behind him, and I heard Dr. Reid spew what I believe to be Agent Rossi’s wikipedia page to Agent Morgan. Although this made me a little confused, his excitement was contagious, and I couldn’t help but smile when I entered the round table room.
The woman from the banister was dropping case files in front of each chair surrounding the table. Noticing us come in, she shook my hand with a smile and said, “Hello, you must be Agent Y/L/N. I’m Jennifer Jareau, but you can call me JJ.”
“It’s nice to meet you JJ!” I warmly replied before I took my seat alongside everybody else.
“Carrollton, Texas, is a suburb just outside of Dallas. 4 days ago, Michelle Colucci found this flier on her front door,” Bringing our attention to the screen behind her, JJ clicked her remote to bring said flier to view. A woman, Michelle, was depicted in a candid photo below text that asked: Have you seen me?
“She found it?” Morgan asked from my right.
“Meaning she wasn’t actually missing?” Prentiss attempted to clarify.
“Yet,” JJ replied, “She took the flier to a friend’s husband, Detective Yarbrough, at the Carrollton P.D., who told her it was probably just a Halloween prank, and he sent her home.”
“Well I don’t blame him,” Morgan said matter-of-factly, “Halloween brings out the fool in everyone.”
“Still, he stopped by Michelle’s house later to check on her. The door was open, and when he went inside, he found this.”
Pressing her remote again, multiple clips came to view on the screen. It was the same flier as before- but now there were hundreds- all plastered onto Michelle’s red walls.
“That’s a quick escalation,” you chimed in, “there was only one flier before, correct?”
“Yes, the police are still counting these fliers as of now… Detective Yarbrough still thought maybe it could be some kind of prank, until yesterday. Michelle was found floating in a small creek just outside of Carrollton. She had been sexually assaulted… and her face had been removed.”
Slightly surprised, those at the table glanced at one another. Everyone internally came up with theories as to what removing the face symbolized for the Unsub.
Hotchner was the first to speak, “Removed? It wasn’t animals or fish?”
“The Dallas County M.E. said that the edges of the wounds were smooth, not torn. A very sharp instrument had been used. He also found water in her lungs.”
The click of a door handle broke the concentration in the room, and we turned our heads as a woman exclaimed, “Oh my god!”
She was clearly disturbed by the image on screen which now displayed the body of Michelle. Wearing fun colored clothing adorned with pretty jewelry, she attempted to cover her eyes with a case file. Her self expression is admirable, but I’m surprised it passes the employee guidelines Hotchner had mentioned earlier.
“What is that?” She asked in pure disgust.
Ignoring her question, Hotchner introduced her, “Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia, this is SSA Y/N Y/L/N.”
Still disturbed by the screen, Garcia made JJ remove the images before she turned her attention to me. Catching her breath, we exchanged pleasantries before she handed her case file to Hotchner and said, “Carrollton, Texas, has nearly 117,000 residents , and a diverse population with a… it’s all in there… I’m sorry,” Deciding to let us find the information we needed, she awkwardly left the room.
“She’s different…” I remarked after she had left.
“You have no idea,” Hotchner spoke seemingly from experience.
Deciding it was a good idea to get back on track, Prentiss spoke, “Uh, so, the Unsub tells her she’s going to go missing to psychologically torture her, then tortured her physically. Textbook sadist.”
“A sophisticated one,” Hotchner remarked, and continued as he glanced back at the fliers on the screen, “that’s elaborate.”
“Number one,” Morgan states, referring to a mask left at Michelle’s home. A blank white one, with similar features to that of a theater mask, adorned with the red word: one.
Speaking for the first time, Reid says, “That particular mask is known as a false face. It’s most commonly worn during Halloween and Mardi Gras.”
“Halloween’s tomorrow… Does that have any significance?” You add on, somewhat unsure of the answer.
“We can’t rule out anything entirely, however it being referred to as a false face may mean more to this Unsub,” Hotchner counters.
“Her face- he mocks it- then destroys it,” Prentiss thinks aloud.
“Oh- and Hotch- the local media has the story. It broke big,” JJ informed him.
“Tell Carrollton we’ll be there first thing in the morning. Let’s stop this one at one,” Hotch, who I figured felt comfortable with the nickname, responded, “Everybody get your things together, we’re going to Texas.”