Official Agency reports, submitted by Jane Louise Blue:

Action Report Day One
Jane L. Blue, AIC.

On arriving at the location where Mr. Stutler’s body was initially found, I was surprised to encounter several other individuals also (illicitly) investigating the crime scene. Individuals encountered were as follows:
David Lyton – (see file JLB-11/12/12, and again, JLB-12/08/12). Presumably a mortal, though seems to have a penchant for interacting with unusual events.
V.S. Ramachandran, a bookstore owner, again, presumably mortal, further interaction demonstrates a working knowledge of the arcane.
Terri Foster, who nominally works for the District Attorney’s office. Subsequent observation has revealed that she is some type of shape shifter, and was quite likely present in her shifted form in file JLB-11/12/12 (as the dog who tripped the goat-man). Not sure she is mortal, other members of this group could be heard capitalizing “Winter” when speaking of her.
Andromeda Spiridakos, nominally a Victoria’s Secret Model, I’ve managed to determine that she is in fact a Halfblood. Dubbed “Shower Whisperer”. Hairpin becomes a large, bronze dagger of some antiquity.
Charles Fisher, a professor at NYU, obviously and unashamedly White Council.

Rather than continuously be at cross purposes, I determined it in my best interests to work with these individuals, as at least some of them rapidly proved to be founts of information I would not have otherwise had immediate access to. Initial recheck of the crime scene revealed the presence of several RCV, some new breed known as Hellmouth vampires
(HMV) (Hellmouth rumored to be in vicinity of Ground Zero). The group repaired to Mr. Ramachandran’s store, “The Flame of Knowledge” to discuss findings.

Artifacts recovered at the scene identified as an engagement ring belonging to Risa Hirano (known associate of Lazarus Jacobs, reputedly son of Kronos (Risa is reportedly a wizard, known to work with vampires), as well as a scrap of leather torn from the traditional garb typically worn by Hope Wolfrunner. A sample of ash recovered from the scene was divined to be the remains of a HMV who had been Raiden Takura of the Nakamura clan.

((Need to run cell phone records of Mr. Lyton’s phone; he received a call at 11 am that morning from an unknown individual. Could not overhear conversation, but heard bits and pieces of several of our names being discussed.))

After leaving the bookstore, Mr. Lyton, Ms. Spiradakos, the Professor and I went to Times Square to interview “Brittany” about what she had seen and heard that morning. "Brittany’s account included most of what we had been able to surmise took pace, but made no mention of Capt. Harrington (the police eyewitness to the scene). “Brittany” reported that her call to NYPD/UCU was stalled/rerouted, however.

After interviewing “Brittany”, Mr. Lyton, Ms. Spiradakos and I went to the Marriott Marquis to interview Capt. Harrington. Quickly realized that room number listed on police report was bogus, inquired at front desk and received actual room assignment. On receiving no answer to our knock, we eventually elected to enter the room without a warrant, as hotel staff was unwilling to assist us. Subject was not in room, and we quickly determined that she had fled through an adjoining room and had walked right past us in the hallway. Questioned occupant of adjoining room, who tried to warn “someone” that we were on to them. In ensuing confrontation it was revealed that the occupant was Jonathan Howe (WCV), who I am sorry to report overcame this agent with his glamor. In the ensuing struggle my weapon discharged accidentally, striking Mr. Lyton in the arm.

Jonathan was eventually subdued by my companions, and claimed that he worked for a “Jennifer Fletcher” (Capt. Harrington). Subject refused further cooperation, however, and was killed by a single sniper shot from one of the nearby buildings. Ms. Spiradakos claimed to be a computer expert, so I sent her off to find out what she could from the laptop we recovered from “Harrington’s” room, while I awaited the cleanup team I had initially ordered to transport a living WCV.

Eventually reconvened at bookstore, we were interrupted by the news that Ms. Spiradakos’ penthouse had caught fire. As the laptop was being stored there, Ms. Spiradakos and Mr. Lyton rushed off to recover what they could from the ashes. Apparently fire was reported to have been started by a suicide bomber who had assaulted Ms. Spiradakos’ neighbor (Alaska Vanderbilt), Professor Fisher related that Ms. Vanderbilt is a known pyrokineticist, and likely started the fire herself.

According to Mr. Ramachandran, the ritual that killed Mr. Stutler was intended to steal his arcane power and transfer it to another, though not to either Risa or Lazarus. According to the Professor, who spoke with an eyewitness (?) to the fight, Mr. Stutler was unable to hurt Ms.
Hirano in the fight before he was killed.

We chose to take dinner at the Golden Dragon, where we had the “fortune” to encounter the proprietor, Ms. Jenny Chang (chitchat mentioned she serves “the Word”). Our waitress was none other than Hope Wolfrunner (who is another Immortal, in addition to being a Slayer).
Hope’s recount of events mostly jives with previous knowledge, except that while the vamps were clearly subservient to her in Central Park, once the ritual was completed in Times Square they seemed to turn on her. According to Hope’s Watcher, George, the NYC Hellmouth was opened by Rasputin (yes, that Rasputin), and he was defeated in his original plan by Lt. Ivanova of NYCPD/UCU, as well as a Ted & Michelle Forrester.

After dinner, Mr. Lyton, Ms. Foster, Ms. Spiradakos and I repaired to Ms. Spiradakos’ temporary quarters at the Plaza, to review the contents of the laptop. Laptop had detailed records of NYPD call center hijacking, as well as a number of videos taken by a spraycam that had been set to watch the entrance of the alley (Professor Fisher toasted said spraycam upon his arrival earlier that morning). Anonymous (or someone claiming to be so) eventually hacked into the laptop and began deleting files. Some were recovered, most were not. Eventually called it an evening.

For the moment, my associates seem to genuinely want to solve this murder, no doubt for their own reasons. For the moment they are buying my claim to be an FBI agent, a cover I foresee no need to break.

Recommend establishing an office somewhere in the building where I can work the part if necessary.

Action Report Day Three
Jane L. Blue, AIC.

(Day two spent in house, filing reports, and settling in to office at FBI)

Met up with contacts @ 9AM in the Shop Around the Corner cafe. Soon after arriving, Ms. Spiridakos received a phone call threatening action if the laptop recovered from Jennifer Fletcher(?), apparently by her date from the previous evening. It would appear that Ms. Spiridakos decided to discuss the information there with person or persons unknown, going so far as to meet with one at a bar known as Sputnik.

Having denied the man she’d met the previous evening, he appears to have made good on his threat, either locating on creating some incriminating photos that put her career in jeopardy. According to Ms. Foster, Sputnik is a known hangout/HQ for the hacktivist group Anonymous, who, in addition to their other activities, are reputedly also a magical conspiracy of “Outsider” based technomancers (I am suspecting I will need briefings on these matters).

Ms. Spiridakos Indebted herself to Ms. Foster to “clean up the mess”. In the future, Ms. Spiridakos will not be entrusted with valuable evidence if it can be at all avoided. She is currently high on my “weak link” list (and growing her lead, as the rest of this report will reveal.

Professor Fisher claimed to have done a ritual with the laptop’s HDD to locate Ms. Fletcher. Ritual said to have revealed her as a neighbor of his, a Ms. Jennifer Vanderbilt (note second Vanderbilt connection to this group, and case).

Mr. Lyton revealed that he had spent the previous day casing the apartment building where Lazarus and Risa live, was witness to attempted hit on Lazarus(?) by a local gang. Lazarus’ bodyguards, Mr. Martinez and Ms. Smythe (both RCV) returned fire with guns, Risa used magic (J&S later revealed to (also?) Be Risa’s lieutenants, present in alley attack, which was likely a ruse to get Hope to let Risa escape).

Ms. Spiridakos was quick to point out that Halfbloods lack the ability to use magic, and Mr. Ramachandran added that he had learned that Risa is “Blessed by Hecate” which apparently means she can shrug off most magical attacks.

At approximately 9:25 AM, Ms. Risa Hirano entered the cafe, nodded to us, purchased a coffee, then sauntered over to our table (to monologue, presumably). She made it quite obvious that she had noticed Mr. Lyton at her apartment the previous evening, and then began probing for our reason for investigating the case. Renewing my case for Ms. Spiridakos being a weak link in this group (as well as something of a loose cannon), she allowed herself to be manipulated into going outside with Ms. Hirano, presumably to duel in the street, as if some weird twist of fate had transported all of us back to the 1400s.

Once actually outside, Ms. Hirano scored high points for counting coup, declared the duel a draw, and took off. Back inside, Ms. Foster had been speaking to the owner of the Shop, as she had noticed that everytime someone at our table used the word “outside” or “outsiders” she had looked up and taken notice of us (this was when I vowed never again to let my gaggle of associates discuss anything except the weather while taking our morning coffee).

Almost instantly, gunfire could be heard outside the shop. Mr. Lyton was nowhere to be seen, but the gunfire was more of a priority (and lets face it, probably connected). Rushing outside, a van appeared to have pulled up onto the sidewalk abutting the Shop’s back exit, and Mr. Lyton could be seen running across the street bleeding from a presumed gunshot wound. While he took cover, I drew my badge and sidearm and attempted to apprehend/neutralize the shooters, who turned out to be Mr. Martinez & Ms. Smythe. Ms. Hirano’s minions. My compatriots were doing their magical stuff from the alleyway, with some support from Ms. Spiridakos, who had a gun, also.

Ms. Smythe burst from the back of the van in daylight, shooting me in the sholder and fleeing on foot into the subway. Mr. Martinez surrendered, and was taken into custody. Local authorities began arriving on the scene, so I bid my associates to scatter and attempt to locate Mr. Lyton.

While I was downtown grilling Mr. Martinez (unsuccessfully) and finally remanding him to the Deep Cells, my associates learned that Mr. Lyton had been dragged into the Nevernever by Risa, who was located by them (exception: Ms. Foster) quickly enough in the care of a fae identified only as “Ariel”, reputedly a handmaiden to the Summer Queen.

I reconnect with the group at Mr. Ramachandran’s shop, where the magicians are going on about a tiny “pink panther” doing a walkabout on Mr. Lyton’s shoulder (all I could see was a water stain). Ms. Foster seemed to find the “panther” of great concern, Said “Ariel” is reputed to be Mr. Lyton’s “fairy godmother”.

On my advice, the Professor raises a ward, and all of us instantly hear a disembodied scream. I did not see anything, but am assured that some sort of ghostly child had been spying on us. (Planning to make the use of such a ward a permanent feature for the crew). Trip to Nevernever revealed one fact, that Ms. Hirano had apparently cut some sort of deal with the Summer Lady in order to be able to wield magic. While digesting this info, and hashing out exactly why the goddess Hecate, supposedly on the side of the “good gods”, is handing out boons to the allies of the titans, we received a visit from none other than Aphrodite herself.

Aphrodite (calling herself Helen, BTW, identified as our weak link’s mother) tells us that Hecate is within her rights to hand out boons as she pleases, and that Zeus himself isn’t going to take a hand in this matter other than to make us his champions so that WE can deal with it (this is why there is a blank spot on my dossier under religion!). According to “Helen”, whoever did receive Mr. Stutler’s power via the ritual can hide even from the gods themselves.

Before leaving, “Helen” takes a shine to Mr. Ramachandran and translates some scrolls for him, conveniently revealing that someone matching Ms. Hirano’s description, down to her powers and abilities, matched wits with Alexander the Great himself back in the day. Curiouser and curiouser.

Further discourse on my associates trip into Summer revealed that we had all (again, excluding Ms. Foster) been granted a “free” boon by Summer’s Handmaiden, through which we could deny Ms. Hirano access to her boon from Hecate (I leave the politics of this to higher pay grades). Mr. Ramachandran is known by Hell’s Ambassador there, and not favorably. Said Ambassador was reportedly intrigued by his association with Ms. Spiridakos. Ms. Hirano has been having weekly trysts at a brothel run by (wait for it….) an old girlfriend of Mr. Lyton. Ms.
Hirano’s trystmate identified as one Jennifer Anastos, who Ms. Spiridakos believes may actually be Julia Anastos, a daughter of Athena.

Ms. Foster has been charged by Winter to “punish” those responsible for Mr. Stutler’s death. Ms. Spiridakos has been ordered to kill them. Ms. Foster also revealed that the door to her apartment is essentially a door to the Winter section of the Nevernever.

Investigation of our ghostly spy revealed to have likely been Olivia, the daughter of Ms. Smythe and Mr. Martinez, whose body was found in a dumpster in AC several years back. Everyone (except myself) seemed to be in the middle of planning an ambush for Risa. I felt that a better course of action was to use our knowledge of her trysts to gather intel, which inspired the Professor to inquire about Mr. Martinez and my involvement in all of this. I gave him as much truth as I felt reasonable, and assured him that not everyone in the FBI is as blind and clueless as the White Council want to believe mankind is.

We settled on a course that involved luring Ms. Hirano into the Yankee Mall construction site. I offered to delay the normal police response, and Mr. Lyton suggested using a Mr. Kevin Hamfast, of the Genovese family, as a blind to lure Risa into a meeting, presumably to find out information on where Mr. Martinez was and what he’d been spilling his guts about. Arrangements were made to attempt the abduction the following day.

Day Four.

Most of the day was spent preparing for the “meeting” later that evening. The Professor performed a ritual to deny access to the Nevernever on the work site, and Ms. Foster performed some sort of spell to make her appear to be Mr. Hamfast. The rest of us took up various positions on the site, having used another of the Professor’s spells to put all the watchmen to sleep.

Ms. Hirano appeared at 2005, on schedule, accompanied by a pair of HMV (identified as Xander Rosenberg and Josie Marishka, who had been with her for Mr. Stutler’s murder). Things began to go pear-shaped in quick order, as Ms. Smythe put a bullet into Ms. Spiridakos from cover nearby.

Mr. Lyton somehow managed to wrest Ms. Hirano’s magic wand away from her (without her even noticing) which made it much simpler to re-engage her. Mr. Lyton then broke her wand, infuriating her. While she was trying to vent her spleen at Mr. Lyton, the Professor managed to get a spell off at her, choking her unconscious, at which time she was taken into custody. The HMV were casualties, Ms. Smythe escaped, and I’m not entirely sure what happened to the bobcat. While she was unconscious, her belongings were searched, revealing nothing of interest except a SDB key and a ticket for a pawn shop (which Mr. Lyton took).

Once brought back around, she ranted for several minutes about a “Master” who had been giving her and Lazarus their marching orders. Said “Master” reputedly raised her from the dead after Alexander had gotten through with her, and would do so again. “Master” was also reputedly the recipient of Mr. Stutler’s power. Before she got a chance to really get going, Ms. Foster snuffed her out with blue fire (that burned cold) before I could prevent it, although I admit to doubts that even we had a cell that could have contained her for very long. Ms. Spiridakos claimed Ms. Hirano’s sword, and we parted company.

End of Mission Report.