After their third day in the archive room, Liliana and Amy dragged Max to the station with renewed enthusiasm. However, their excitement was damped by the department’s strange atmosphere. The police force bustled with agitation, gathering around a tall man in a suit, their attention on the board behind him covered with notes, newspaper clippings and photographs.

“This is already the twelfth time now, this phantom is making us look like idiots!” The man yelled; his frustrations apparent.

As they stood on the periphery, trying to get a gist of things, Max took advantage of his height to take a good look at the board. Frowning, he immediately remembered the article on the town’s wanted criminals. Among the recorded goons, an unidentified kidnapper and presumed serial killer stood out the most with almost a dozen known kidnappings under his name.

Irked, Max quietly returned to the archive room and spent some time going through the files pertaining to this mystery man, ‘The Phantom’. The minimal evidence and findings showed no pattern between the kidnappings and assumed killings. Out of the eleven crimes on record, seven were committed in Ironforge while the remaining four were in smaller towns and villages in the vicinity.

In the conference outside, Harry asked, “Sir, isn’t it time we take this up with the Earl? If he can pass on the message to the Count, perhaps, we might even get some reinforcements.”

“Silence!” The chief berated in a voice of fury, “Do you think I haven’t done that already? Why do you think I’m here again?! The Earl has given us a week. If we can’t capture this pretentious low-life in time, this entire department will be decommissioned and replaced. We’ve already been made out to be a laughing stock because of our incompetency. I don’t need you to remind me of this stain on our department!”

“But that’s not what I was doing…” Harry quietly grumbled and lowered his head in dismay.

Amy seemed more than displeased. The Earl’s behaviour had earned her disapproval. She couldn’t understand why the man hadn’t sent out his own reinforcements. The Phantom was targeting people within the Walker territory and the person in charge of this sub-domain seemed to be doing nothing.

While everyone was preoccupied with the possibility of losing their jobs, Laurel interrupted the chief with a hint of anger. “Sir, if we need more people on this case, let me get on it. This isn’t the time to let our personal matters get in the way of the bigger picture!”

The chief scowled. “Do you want to be suspended?”

“But -”

“Enough! You heard me! Everyone get out there and get me something credible!”

Shot down again, Laurel quietly cursed and fumed, unable to say anything else. The remaining officers silently stood rooted to their spots. Seeing his subordinates simply standing and exchanging glances, the chief nearly blew his top. He screamed yet again, “The hell are you all waiting for? Go do your god damn jobs!”

Max came out of the archive room just in time to watch the group jolt into action. He saw Laurel give the chief a spiteful glare before she noticed the trio and silently signalled them to meet her inside.

“How much of that did you lot hear?”

Max had heard her appeal and had immediately felt that something was off. Still, he innocently smiled and answered, “Enough.”

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Liliana earnestly added.

Laurel knit her brows and sighed. “No. This is beyond the scope of your assignment and far too dangerous for kids like you. Just leave this to the pros.”

After some serious contemplation, Amy finally joined the conversation. She said, “I don’t mean to overstep my bounds, but –”

“Then don't!”

Amy faltered at the unexpected response. She bitterly smiled and ignored her supervisor’s expression of annoyance as she continued, “But…” She stressed on her next line, trying to sound convincing, “If you like, I could reach out to my father. I’m sure that he’ll send over all the help you could possibly need.”

“That’s out the question!” Laurel’s thoughts briefly vacillated, but she quickly shot down the idea. “You heard the chief. He has already met with the Earl. Now, if we go behind his back and involve the Duke, losing our jobs will be the least of our worries!”

The rejection came as a surprise to Amy who stood rooted, wondering how else she could offer help to their stubborn supervisor. Max remained silent on the side, stroking his chin and staring at Laurel in rumination.

“This is the last time we’ll talk about this. If you still haven’t sorted out the files, I suggest you finish that. If you have, well then take the day off. With the way things are, nobody at the station will be in the mood to entertain you guys.”

Max frowned and muttered, “It can’t be personal, can it?”

“What?!” With half a foot out the door, Laurel froze in her tracks and turned around. Glowering at Max, she icily asked, “What did you say?”

Max awkwardly laughed. “Nothing! Nothing at all. Just – uh – talking to myself.”

“Hmph!” Laurel snorted, slamming the door behind her.

“Dodged a bullet there!” Liliana chuckled and patted her familiar on the shoulder. Her smile didn’t last long, soon replaced by a more grim countenance. With Amy by her side looking askance, Liliana enquired, “Was what you said true? Why do you think it’s personal for her?”

“It’s just a feeling.” Max sighed and glanced at the two girls. “But if we you’re curious, we could always ask someone.”

“All the more reason she should have accepted Amy’s offer.” Liliana harrumphed, “Besides, I’m not okay with doing nothing. Isn’t there any way we can help?”

“No, it’s better if we stay out of this. It’s frustrating, but I understand why Miss Laurel rejected my proposal.” Amy calmly reasoned. “Even if I pass a message to my father, it will take a while for the manpower to make it here. And if ‘The Phantom’ were to get wind of the incoming troops, it could drive him underground and potentially kill any chance the local police has of catching him.”

Her hands on her waist, Liliana glared at the two and nearly shrieked. “So we do nothing?!”

“Give it up. It’s two against one.” Max pulled her to the side and whispered into her ears. “I know what you’re thinking, but this is different from the time with the Minister’s goons. Don’t make this personal too.”

“I know that!” Liliana snapped back and began to sulk.

With nothing to do at the station, the trio eventually left. They roamed the streets and lackadaisically explored the town’s cuisine until dusk. As they made their way towards the inn, Liliana suddenly felt a push against her side. A thin figure, clad in black, rushed past her, hurriedly walking ahead.

“Eh?” The sudden feeling of her pocket lightening left Liliana horrified. She checked and double checked before breaking into a sprint. Confused, Max and Amy looked on until they heard Liliana pointing and yelling. “Stop! Thief! Pick pocket!”

The hooded figure instantly hastened its steps with the trio hot on its trail. Shoving pedestrians out of its way, the figure ran for its live, not caring about the constant disgruntled looks or shouts.

“Hmm?” As the chase continued, Max suddenly felt something amiss.

The four had been zigzagging through the winding streets for quite some time. Liliana and Amy had nearly expended the entirety of their stamina and yet the target of their chase seemed to show no signs of slowing down. As the perpetrator turned to enter a small isolated alleyway, Max saw his chance and burst forth with the full speed of a Superior Knight.

Focused entirely on the cloaked figure, Max wasn’t entirely attentive to his surroundings. Caught off guard, he collided head first into a small blunt object, falling victim to a concussion. Blood oozed from his forehead as he lay on the ground, groaning.

The two girls weren’t lagging far behind. They showed up with their wands drawn by the time Max was up. Fire lit up the dark alley. The conjured flames morphed into arrows and shot at the hooded figure standing not too far ahead.

“No! Turn back!” Max yelled, but was too late. They had fallen into a trap. Max’s instincts were kicking in. He controlled the air and formed a barrier, a thick invisible wall that stopped two darts in their tracks, but not before another two pierced the girls.

Holding their necks, the duo gazed at Max in a daze and crumpled, fast asleep.

“Shit!” Max cussed as he clumsily scrambled towards them, vigilant of the figures slowly emerging from the shadows.

“Not bad… But too late!” A voice whispered in his ear.

“Argh!” Feeling the prick on his neck, Max’s expression warped in anger and shock as he turned around to unleash a powerful punch with a roar. With a silver needle in his hands, a man in a hideous mask hastily dodged and serenely stood watching as Max rapidly succumbed to the poison flowing through his veins. Like the girls, he lost his strength and his consciousness.

The man gleefully laughed, happy that his little plan had succeeded. Gazing at the three unconscious teenagers, he took out a metal box housing a small dimly glowing red bead. Confirming its reaction and the intensity of its glow, he calmly put away the box and straightened his clothes.

“Take them away!” He ordered.