WARNING: Contains mature content that will be triggering to viewers discretion is advised.

This story contains blood, violence, sex, drugs, sexual assault, child abuse, blackmail, death, weapons, abuse, toxic relationships, curse words and a bunch of other mature themes. If you cannot handle any of these things or find them triggering, please find a different book to read. It's perfectly understandable.

A/N: I don't know anything about Paris Police ranks nor their justice system so I'm using the United States terms and laws. It still all takes place in Paris, France though. WARNING: Contains mature content that will be triggering to viewers discretion is advised.

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That good thing that happens to a good person should lead down the path of personal paradise but quite often that thing was the calm before the storm especially in the case of the newly appointed Officer, Adrien Agreste. The fresh out of the academy officier gaped at the lobby of the bustling police station. He had been there many times but he could not help it when his eyes; the color of ripened pears, darted from one end to the other. As the seasoned structure withheld an assortment of stories. The dark glazed wooden trim, hunter greens walls, and  the exposed brick peeking through the plaster behind the receptionist desk felt fresh. New even, despite growing up in this very precinct.

The overwhelming feeling of euphoria as he recalled the pitter patter of his light up sketchers on the wooden floor that now creaked with each step. Running up to the Officer at reception and asking "Mr. Policeman, sir, do you have any candy?" Batting his eyes, expecting everyone and anyone to cave underneath his charmingly cute round face.  A sly smirk crept up on him when he recalled how naive the thought was: "The world revolves around me."

But, who could have blamed him? That officier brought the candy bowl down to his size allowing Adrien to rummage through it with as much might as his tiny hands could muster. A simple action that made the adolescent feel like royalty being serviced by servants of an eventful establishment. A castle with knights and foot-soldiers in which were doing their due diligence to protect and serve the land. Land in which they took a vow to defend and protect. A vow he had now taken ready and willing to be a metaphorical foot-soldier and possibly work his way up to belonging at the round table of the King.

Knights, kings, foot-soldiers, and castles; comparisons that were courtesy of his dearly departed mother. 'Seventeen years.' Almost two decades without his mother. His memories fleeting with each year that passed. He was so young when she left and feared there would be a day he forgot her completely.
He glanced up towards the ceiling and gave a smile just for his mother. He imagined that she was looking down giving him all her best wishes as he was sure she would have celebrated this monumental occasion. As when she walked amongst the living she celebrated events with the usual cake, streamers, and the occasional party favor. Some delightful trinket that his father would consider a waste of finances.

Adrien let his mind leisurely walk on the line of what was, the odd mix of paper and stale coffee still clung to the air. The sweet feeling of nostalgia interrupted by a jab in the side from a friend. Ebony locks tied into a sloppy ponytail, sapphire monolid eyes, a dorky grin, all on a 165.1cm (5'5") frame. Detective Bridgette Liang, Major Crimes.

"Buttercup, better get to the lockers before Raincomprix busts your balls."  She teased as she walked backwards to the elevators.

"I think I still have ten minutes?"

She pursed her lips. "Ten minutes?

"Not all of us have a bad habit of showing up to work late."

"I had shopping to do." She smiled holding up a plastic bag from a nearby convenience store that mostly contained her go-to snack. Adrien assumed that she must have had to restock her secret stash.  Not much of a secret when she shared it with everyone but the current Captain of the precinct.

"There was a sale on the neopalitation ones!"

Adrien chuckled at her enthusiasm. How he wished to be a fly on the wall when the exchange happened between the Captain and the Detective. Detective Liang was usually reprimanded with paperwork or overtime in the Patrol department. He crossed his fingers hoping that maybe she would end up joining his first day out on patrol.
As it would be a lot more enjoyable than being stuck with Sergeant Raincomprix. .

The man held a grudge with anyone with the last name Agreste. He had worked many, many exhausting years to get promoted to Precinct cabinet yet he had lost to Felix Agreste. Someone that lacked the experience and the credits the Sergeant had. A promotion that Sergeant Raincomprix presumed to be a result of Felix having personal ties to the Police Commissioner.

Officer Agreste guessed that he was going to be in for a lot of hazing due to the Sergeant disliking him. Officier Agreste knew he would have to keep his chin up high and prove himself. Prove that he deserved to be there. Prove he was better than rumors. Prove that the Agrestes are good people. He laughed as the last one may be hard to prove as his father and brother were quite stoic compared to him.

Detective Liang smiled as she walked to the elevators meeting an equally late coworker, Claude Lemuet. Mahogany hair tied back paired with one day old scruff, optimistic brown eyes, an olive tone complexion, and an expression that would make one surprised that he had such mentally exhausting career. The thirty-one year old stood at least five to six inches taller than his fellow employee.

He leaned towards her to make it easier for her to hear his question as the elevator had quite a few people in it. "You think he's in a good mood today?"

"Is he ever in a good-"

A mix of two different ringtones filled the elevator. Both quickly picked up their phones, each being greeted by a different coworker; one the Captain, the other the Lieutenant. Each got the same information to arrive at a crime scene as the infamous serial killer, Swallowtail had struck yet again.
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"Swallowtail." Captain Agreste cursed as he preferred to stay in the comforts of his office filing and approving operations. But, Mayor Bourgeois and the police Commissioner (that he was not so fond of); personally wanted him to investigate this crime scene along with his division. As Swallowtail had been a public nemesis for decades. A thorn in the police force's side but nowadays the public seemed easily distracted by superheroes and supervillains.

A body of pale young women, possibly in her mid twenties laid face up in the pond of the Jardin Des Papillons greenhouse. Her eyes closed, her hands folded across her chest, her dark hair flowing softly with the ripples of the water. Her thin, frost colored dress caving to every curve cementing to onlookers that she was an ethereal beauty. Drifting along as if just by chance she had fallen peacefully into some twisted dreamscape.

"I see Swallowtail is changing up his MO." Lieutenant Allegra Baudelaire added as Swallowtail had never disposed of a victim in water before. As they believed him to be a serial killer who saw his victims as something to be on display. "Taking a risk of destroying his hard work like this seems quite out of character."

Lieutenant  Baudelaire wore a lavender houndstooth blazer and complimentary pencil skirt paired with a ruffled white blouse. Intimidatingly feminine even without her designer stilettos as she stood at 5'8" flat on her feet. She had honey toned hair with brunette roots peeking in. Tied into a long braid or an occasional bun. Heavy eyes reminiscent of the hide of a large lizard. Crocodile? Alligator? It did not matter as a few things remained true. They were strong, uninviting, and green. 

A professional that the Captain was quite proud to have on his team. Her intelligence, talents, etiquette were all up to par with his standards. She had faults but nothing that had or would infer with her making the right decision. As she too believed, 'Personal bias or matters do not belong in the workplace.' Maybe it was their pedigrees that made them resent the others' personal lives.

"I think he's taunting us." Captain Agreste felt uneasy as the killer had most likely chosen a butterfly sanctuary as a node to the public's uncreative nickname for him. A name birthed from what he left in his victim's mouth in replace of their tongues. "The victim unfortunately matches a missing person's report filed 48 hours ago."

He and his Lieutenant watched as the chief medical examiner and his assistants walked into the water to retrieve the body. Any professional that was going into the water to gather evidence or retrieve the body had to wear a full body protective suit. These suits resembled hazmat suits if they came in a coal black.

The scene was similar to worker ants carrying sustenance for their colony. Impossible to tell who was who and they worked together with uniformity. The team got her up on the gurney. The sounds, smells, or sight of a floater was not something that any particular person enjoyed.

"Neat!" Detective Liang said as it was rare that the Major Crimes division had the opportunity to investigate one.

Captain Agreste heard Detective Liang's statement and stood corrected. He thought it was very insensitive for her to be so excited about how a victim was left on display. She was not supposed to be in the same situation as a taxidermied animal. Left on display for all eyes to see. It did not matter who this woman was as a person she was still human and deserved her dignity. "Detective Liang."

"Sorry, Sir." Detective Liang replied before heading to help recover evidence. She walked the path looking for anything. Crossing her fingers she might find redemption along the way.

She wondered if she would find a tissue that could have accidentally fallen out of the pocket or something as simple as a cigarette butt as it could add or eliminate from the suspect poll. Hopefully, add as the few people on the suspect list had an alibi. A black polka dotted alibi.
She heard Detective Lemuet ask a question.

"Who found the body?" A question directed to another crucial member of Major Crimes, Sergeant Alan Thénardier.

A man that was a legend in the precinct as he turned down a football scholarship. Tall, broad shoulders, handsome face, deep brown eyes, espresso colored skin, and a heartwarming smile. He would have been the perfect poster boy for Paris Saint-Germain Football Club if he had only said yes.

"The Maintenance man. He was coming to check on the filters, and fix a few loose boards on the bridge."
"Hmmm… name?"

"John Damoceles." Sergeant Thénardier could see the curiosity spark in Detective Lemuet's eyes. "Yes, he's related to our old principal. John is his nephew."

"Can I talk to him?"

"No." Sergeant Thénardier quickly replied. "Your style of interviewing seems such a waste for this particular case."

Detective Lemuet often asked questions that seemed unimportant. "What's your favorite color?" "What's your zodiac sign?" "Do you chew gum often?" "Are you a cat or a dog person?" "When you go grocery shopping do you use self checkout or go to a clerk?" "What scent is your deodorant?" And many more questions that just were random and sometimes evasive to the interviewees.

His coworkers found the exchanges to be unpleasant as more than once they have had to apologize for upsetting the interviewees. Sergeant Thénardier could only imagine what unconventional questions that he would ask John Damoceles.

There was a method to Detective Lemuet's madness as he somehow managed to solve cases or more often than not find out someone was having a secret affair. Detective Lemuet snapped his fingers in disappointment. "Shucks."

"You can help the Forensic team." The Forensic team were everywhere taking photos and gathering everything from samples of pond water to finger prints.

"I could…. But I just got these shoes." He looked down at his designer leather dress shoes. Possibly Louis Vuitton or some other brand name that would make him try to stretch the rest of his paycheck. And may or not be responsible for him postponing his rent yet again.

Seregant Thénardier glared at the Detective who stepped carefully avoiding even a slight stain. "Claude."
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"This is Sophie Kang, Asian, female, 26, single, no children. I haven't opened her up yet, but there is evidence of frostbite."

The medical examiner, Doctor Luka Couffaine held the body's hand to show how the extremities were a black gradient from her knuckle to the tips of her fingers. He showed this to his audience of two; Captain Felix Agreste and Detective Bridgette Liang.

"I could not lift fingerprints and had to identify her through dental records instead. I also noticed that her nails are severely damaged."

The way Dr. Couffaine looked at each of the bodies that came into the morgue was like a critique evaluating an art piece. What emotions does the compensation convey? Who was this created for? What story is being told? What materials were used to create it? How can it be dismantled for safe travel?

He himself was not too far off from an art piece himself as his rolled up sleeves exposed a miscellanea of finally detailed tattoos. That even peaked out from the collar of his gray long sleeve shirt overlayed with a grayish blue scrub top. A top which match his equally as plan pants. His duel color hair covered with a very fitting scrub cap for his career as it was covered in human skulls; a handmade gift from Detective Liang.

"Her nail damage is most likely evidence that she was attempting to save herself. I sent my findings to the forensic lab. I am doubtful that it will reveal anything that will help catch the killer."

Dr. Couffaine went over to the head of the victim. He used his right hand and pressed her cheeks with his index finger and thumb. He used his other hand to press on her bottom jaw forcing her mouth to open. Inside was a Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus), a black butterfly with silver details in the hindwig. Native to the eastern and parts of the mid-western United States. Which meant someone was purposely shipping or breeding them.

He used a pair of thermostats to remove the butterfly. He placed it closer to the light so he could examine it. He looked through his medical binoculars and viewed the wings. How the light gently reflected off them revealed a cerulean blue and soft violet. "It's beautifully morid."

"It really is." Detective Liang added as she watched with a mix of allurement and disgust.

"Her TOD was at least forty-eight hours ago but I can't be sure as I haven't checked her stomach contents, nor her Vitreous fluid."

Detective Liang knew this exam was part of the preliminary report. He could not do the autopsy until the report was finished. Knowing this she still let a taunt slip through her lips. "Slacker."

Dr. Couffaine smirked as he placed the delicate creature into a collection tray.. "Be glad you're cute and don't have a medical license."

He eyed the 10ml syringe on his tray. The syringe was a tool to extract the vitreous humor collected via a scleral puncture. A procedure that was easy enough and showed to be more accurate than a blood sample.

"Captain, if you wish to wait upstairs, I understand." Dr. Couffaine said as his hand hovered over the syringe. "I will email you my findings or hand deliver them if you'd like."

Dr. Couffaine knew that the extraction of Vitreous fluid was the  part of the morgue that easily twisted the Captain's stomach into knots. Dr. Couffaine understood how important this case was and that the Captain wanted to supervise it but was it worth the discomfort? Especially when he had done this many times without supervision.

Captain Agreste considered Dr. Couffaine's suggestion. However, he was sure that Detective Liang would distract Dr. Couffaine due to their romantic past with each other. "I am fine where I am."

They often got distracted with the 'what ifs' and 'What weres.' Questions that weighed on them both knowing that it was best to remain apart. No attachments. They both agreed that that was for the best and yet they were both tempted to put reason on the sidelines.

"Suit yourself." Dr. Couffaine added as he lowered the point of the needle to the eye of the body.

Fffffphhhh. A sound created by the needle going into the eye of the deceased. The Captain rubbed his eyes as he found himself imagining how it felt. An odd thing to imagine when the person he was trying to sympathize with was dead.

Dr. Couffaine glanced up from his procedure and let out a small chuckle. "I was right."

The Captain fidgeted with his monotone tie. Detective Liang caught a glimpse of The Captain and proceeded to giggle. He wanted to be seen as rigid as Dr. Couffaine's clientele. 'At least this disproves Claude's theory.'

Detective Lemuet passed the time filling out his reports with far out theories about the Captain. As Captain Agreste was the one he knew least about. He did now the Captain's favorite things, what he did outside of the workplace. "Is the Captain a robot created by the government to replace humans in the workplace?" "Is our future going to be subjected to an army of Felixs? Felixi?" "Is he an Alien? Akumas and monsters exist so why not Aliens?" Questions that got out of hand the longer and longer he stayed filing his paperwork. He tried a few times to look up his Captain's file and he had placed it in his office safe.

Detective Lemuet found himself bent on befriending or breaking into the Captain's office. As the Detective would not have known the Captain had a brother if not for Officer Agreste stopping by and pestering his older brother about an old closed case. A case that the Officer wanted to reopen as he knew that not all the questions were answered. At least not the ones that he found important.