The rebuttal.

The courtroom was quiet save for the confident voice of the Defending Lawyer. Roman Skye presented evidence before the panel in hopes that the vote would come back unanimous for not guilty. Doubt was his friend in this circumstance and while there was evidence it was purely circumstantial at best and alluded to the fact that someone else was committing these crimes and was still at large.

Three character witnesses had come forward to relay testimony to the character of the defendant: Erron Logan Bloodworth. They heard testimony from Zoe Parish, Ehren Clemons, and Dorian Sloan.

The panel itself was made up of five people - men and women in the highest ranks of power on the island, including Mayor Monday and General Glove. The fifth person often was the tie breaker and Roman had seen many a situation come to rest on the shoulders of that fifth person. He needed at least three in his pocket to win and a Skye never lost a case.

“...and you’ll see that in this photograph here,” Roman continued, motioning to the blown up photograph of the crime scene taken from the security footage. “That this is a feline shifter. My client is a wolf shifter.”

One of the panel spoke up, “How do we know that is not a wolf for sure?”

Roman smiled, “What a wonderful question! Do you see this lithe shape? Wolves are hairier, they have long, stilt like legs and bushy tails. This creature has no fur that sticks out, no mane, no bushy tail.”

The panel sat back unsatisfied.

Roman turned to the defendant. “Mr. Bloodworth, would you please demonstrate your ability for the panel? There is a divider there that you can use to change.” He would motion to the divider and Logan was then unshackled. A glance over his shoulder and Logan found Ehren’s gaze, unsure but willing, and then he turned away to move behind the curtain. It took a few moments to slide out of the prison uniform. Logan then shifted and wandered out from behind the curtain shyly. The wolf slunk over toward the panel, spinning around to show off its features. Clearly the differences between it and the creature in the photo were distinct.

“Thank you, Mr. Bloodworth. You may return.” Roman breathed.

Logan went to change again, putting his clothes back on and returning to the side of the defense.

Roman then showed a doctored clip of the night in question, showing Logan in his apartment asleep at the exact time the crime was thought to have taken place. The puppy had been removed from the footage and would not be shown to the panel. “This is camera footage from the evening in question. You can see by the date and time stamp on the photograph that Mr. Bloodworth was in his apartment when the crime was taking place. If this doesn’t prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that my client is innocent of this crime, I’m not sure what else will.”

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Blood pooled into the cracks on the sidewalk in front of the Marketplace.

As the sun rose on the sixth day of August a guard lay dead where many would rise to do their shopping for the day. Throat was torn out, mouth agape and features set into rigor in an expression of utter terror. A handwritten sign similar in style and penmanship to the one placed on the guard in the chair before the storm was tilted so that the single word across it could be read: Revolution. His weapon had been removed, taken.

Residents began to discover the grisly scene. Appalled, shocked, any who laid eyes upon the mess strewn before the Marketplace entryway were horrified. Who could have done something like this? Was it related to the first attack which had come before the storm? Who was brave enough to harm a guard? Bold enough?

The Government responded with a statement around midday, after the scene had been documented and cleaned. Though no amount of bleach or sterile chemicals could wash away the event stained and burned into the minds of those who had come upon the guard. A healing community demanded answers.

Mayor Monday released a statement vowing to apprehend the person responsible as soon as the evidence was available. But they already had a candidate in mind - not the usual suspects like Paul. Roman Skye had off-handedly suggested taking a closer look at a man the residents knew as the wolf. A man with a rumored reputation for domestic violence, one who had bitten a guard for no reason during the recent storms.

At 2:15 PM Logan Bloodworth was taken into custody, accused of the earlier assault on the guard left on the Facility steps and for the most recent murder of the guard left at the Marketplace. It didn’t matter just then what evidence they had against him, he was dragged away in handcuffs, beaten unconscious by a group of armored guards, from where he had been at work.

Questioning would be intense. Perhaps others were involved but Logan wasn’t giving them any solid leads. He couldn’t have acted alone. Monday was going to get to the bottom of this.

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There was little to no warning from the Government toward it’s citizens about the approaching storm. The rest of the Nation sat by with baited breath as Hurricane Paul careened toward the little island of Destruction to see if it would wipe the island of people from the face of the Earth or simply be batted away like a swatter would a curious fly. Whatever would occur was going to happen regardless of alarm bells or any special abilities designed to counteract such an event. Mother Nature wasn’t feeling merciful today.

At 9:15 AM windows in the Facility and the Marketplace would begin to be boarded up. The rain had picked up already, and the wind began to blow harder than usual. By 10:00 AM that morning the residents finally became aware of the situation heading their direction. Those in apartment buildings were warned to flee, to seek shelter in any of the Governmental buildings designed to withstand natural disasters but there was not enough room for everyone on the island.

Mayor Monday, General Glove, and a few other elite officials had been whisked away from the island in a helicopter in effort to keep them safe from the impending storm.

A few citizens would step forward to help manage the damage and attempt to save others, get them to safety, or combat the force of the hurricane as it pummeled the island with all of the intensity a storm of this nature could muster. Others would seek shelter and do their best to protect anyone in the nearby vicinity from becoming prey to the disaster.

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The weather was cloudy but the day was warm and inviting.

Over the weekend shipments of varying things arrived to the island in anticipation for the celebration ahead on the following Monday - Memorial Day. Once a year the Government allowed special events to occur, regulated and monitored by the guards, for the residents to improve the morale. To combat the rumors that any of those living on the island may have been mistreated or subject to things unorthodox.

Holidays were for celebration and this one would be no different.

Designated areas were sectioned off for the event, which had been publicized on the airwaves and by distribution and posting of flyers the week beforehand. While attendance was mandatory such lurked those who the Government was not yet aware of and the turnout was expected to be great regardless. Residents and guards alike would flock to the event in celebration of those who had fallen fighting for the country they loved.

Live music, games, food and drinks would be provided to the guests who showed up to celebrate. The children would have plenty to keep them busy, and the adults much the same.

Over the wind would come the aroma of barbecue. A large pit for grilling would be set up near the beach and manned by guards to keep the order, though today they would be offering more than just the usual hamburgers and hotdogs - you would find sausage, ribs, brisket also on the menu. Various sides lined the booths and tables for the choosing of the residents and areas designated for eating allowed for ample space to indulge with trash cans placed appropriately.

As the evening wore down and the festivities neared closing a small event would take place on the beach to commensurate achievements of those fallen in the line of duty.

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