"Bishop #1"
by Thor

"Another teenage girl was found by police today, horribly mutilated," the news reporter said. "Earlier today, Detective Phillip Collins of the Manhattan Police Department held a press conference."

The screen shifted to a man in his late 30s dressed in casual business clothes, standing behind a podium.

"As of now, we have no leads," Detective Collins spoke. "We have not ruled out the possibility of past boyfriends or perhaps a rejected boy. But so far, it just looks like random attacks. The only pattern so far is that teenage girls ages 15 to 17 may possibly be in danger and that the killer seems to use an M-incision instead of the classic Y. Whoever is behind this knows what he?s doing, but we promise the families and friends of those girls that we will do everything in our power to get to the bottom of this. That is all for now."

Bishop turned off the TV.

"Bishop, I was waiting to see what the weather is tomorrow," Beast said.

"Here then," Bishop said, tossing Beast the remote. He then got up and began to walk away.

"What?s eatin? at ya, kid?" Wolverine asked.

"The law enforcement in this era is weak," Bishop replied. "That killer, if he?s caught, will simply hire a sleazy lawyer, plead insanity, and be sent to a mental institution for a few years."

"Tell me about it," Wolverine said. "But there?s nothin? we can do about it."

"Are you sure about that, Logan?" Bishop asked. "When I was in the X.S.E., I learned a lot about law enforcement procedures. We were essentially the police."

"What are ya sayin?, kid?" Wolverine asked. "Ya wanna become a cop?"

"Like I said, the law enforcement is weak," Bishop replied. "What I?m saying is that I think it?s time that I started doing what I was trained to do. And that is not fight for the Dream."

"Yer not sayin? what I think yer sayin?, are ya?"

"It?s time for me to leave the X-Men," Bishop said. "I must get to the bottom of this. These deaths, however odd it may sound, seem familiar."

"How so?" Beast asked, looking at Bishop and Logan from the couch.

"I recognize the pattern," Bishop replied.

"Pardon?" Beast asked. "Were you not listening? The good detective said that there was no pattern."

"That is part of the pattern, Beast," Bishop replied. "The M incision is the other. I have a feeling that this is connected to something else. Perhaps another escaped prisoner from The Pool."

"Ya gotta do what ya gotta do, kid," Logan said. "Right Hank?"

"Precisely, my feral friend," Beast said agreeably. "Do what you must, Bishop. And when you return, there will still be a spot for you among the X-Men. If you need any assistance. Money, transportation, anything."

"I need to get all the information the police have," Bishop said. "The best way to get to the source of this is to join the police."

"Say no more," Logan said. "I can get all the papers you need."

"How?" Hank asked.

"I got connections, Hank," Logan replied. "Ya should know that by now."

"Thank you, Logan, Beast," Bishop said.

***************

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Storm asked.

"Yes, Storm," Bishop replied. "I will be back, however. I want to get to the bottom of this."

"Did you get the identification papers from Logan?" Storm asked.

"He gave them to me a few minutes ago," Bishop replied.

"Here," Storm said. She gave him a set of keys. "You?re going to need something to get around in. The car is parked at the mansion?s gate."

"Thank you," Bishop said. He looked into her crystal-blue eyes, then turned away. "I had better get going. This serial killer is not going to simply sit back and wait for me to catch him."

"Of course not," Storm agreed. "Good luck, Bishop."

"You too, Storm."

***************

"Yeah," the receptionist said. "I miss you, too."

"I doubt that these phones are for personal use."

"Well who asked yo--" she said as she looked up.

The man was huge. He was African-American, with a goatee and a buzz-cut. But what she found the most strange about him was the stylized black "M" tattoo over his right eye.

"C--can I help you?" she asked.

"I was recently transferred here," he said. "My name is Detective Bishop."

"Do you have a first name, Detective?" she asked.

"Michael," Bishop replied.

"OK, lemme just bring this up on the computer...." she said as she began typing in his name. "All right, Detective, Captain Torres? office is right through there. He?ll want to have a word with you."

"Thank you," Bishop said.

"I forgot to tell you my name!!" she said.

"I never asked," Bishop replied.

"It?s Sherri," she said. "Sherri Capshaw."

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Capshaw," Bishop said, not offering her another glance.

***************

"OK Detective," Torres said, looking Bishop over. "Your transfer checks out. There are just a few questions I have."

"Like what?" Bishop asked.

"Well for one, what?s with that M?"

"Crazy college days," Bishop said with a grin. The perfect cover.

"Ha ha!!" Torres laughed. "Yeah, we all did crazy shit back in those days!! I?d share some stories with you, but then you?d probably hafta arrest me."

"Indeed," Bishop said. "I?m anxious to get to work as soon as possible."

"I like you, Bishop," Torres said.

"I?m interested in the case of the serial killer/rapist," Bishop said.

"So you heard about that, eh?"

"Yes."

"It?s a fuckin? mess, I tell ya," Torres said. "Near as we can tell, the crazy bastard picks his targets at random. All of them are teenage girls--"

"Ages 15 to 17," Bishop finished. "I know."

Torres pressed a button on his intercom.

"Sherri," he said. "Send in Collins."

The same man from the newscast Bishop saw earlier walked in, closing the door behind him. He gave a nod to Bishop and sat in a chair.

"Detective Phillip Collins, I want you to meet Detective Michael Bishop," Torres said. "The two of you will be partners."

"What?" Bishop asked.

"Sir, you can?t be serio--" Collins began.

"What?s the matter?" Torres asked.

"I work alone," Bishop said in a low growl.

"So do I," Collins agreed.

"Well, get used to it," Torres said. "Phil, you?re my best man. And Mike, you seem to know what you?re doing as well."

"Call me Bishop," he said.

"Not interested in making friends, I see," Torres said.

"I?m just here to do my job," Bishop replied.

***************

"So, Detective... Bishop is it?" Collins asked as they got in his car.

Bishop nodded.

"Where are you from?"

"A distant place," Bishop said. "But it?s surprisingly close."

"Really?" Collins asked. "Isn?t that an oxymoron? Come on, you can?t be that embarrased of your hometown."

"Very well," Bishop said. "I?m from 100 years in the future where I was a member of the X.S.E. I came back in time in order to capture some criminals who had escaped with the help of one who had the ability to siphon the life-energy of others and use it to open interdimensional portals between time and space."

"Fine," Collins said. "You don?t have to tell me."

"Where are we going?" Bishop asked.

"I want to interview some friends and family about the latest victim," Collins replied. A ringing noise was heard. "And then--hold on a second."

He reached over and picked up his cell-phone.

"Collins," he said. "Oh shit. Yeah, thanks."

He hung it up.

"Something wrong?" Bishop asked.

"Another victim was found," Collins replied. "We?ll head over there first."

***************

Bishop walked past the officers standing guard at the crime scene. Police lights were flashing everywhere. Forensic experts were dusting for fingerprints.

"Oh Jesus!!" Collins said, turning away, putting a handkerchief in front of his mouth.

Bishop calmly walked forward, no emotion showing in his face.

"Sir," a forensic?s expert said. "You?ll need these if you?re gonna be handling the body." He handed him a pair of latex gloves.

Bishop pulled them on and looked at the body, trying to get a good view at the wounds.

"Multiple stab wounds, including the eye sockets....ligature marks on the neck....internal organs have been stabbed and eviscerated....defensive wounds on the hands.....chest and abdomen were cut open with an M incision. Whoever did this knew what they were doing."

"What kind of a sick bastard..." Collins said.

"There?s more," Bishop continued. "The cuts are clean. Not ragged like most knife-wielders."

"What?s that supposed to mean?" Collins asked.

"It means that this killer, whoever he is, took his sweet time with her," Bishop replied. "This is exactly the kind of scum I was trained to fight."

"I can?t believe this shit!!" Collins exclaimed. "How the hell are we supposed to catch a guy when we have no leads?"

"We already have one," Bishop said.

"What are you talking about?" Collins replied. "There are no fingerprints, no connection between the victims, nothing."

"Wrong," Bishop replied. "Each of the victims have been cut open with an M incision. The victims are all teenage girls, ages 15-17. The killer took his time with each murder. I know the man who committed these murders."

"How?" Collins asked.

"He was once my partner."

To Be Continued...