Happy Hallows

"Hey chiefs, you called me in?" A.J strolls into the head operator's office, its sleek, modern aesthetic with sharp edges and monotone color scheme give the overall feel of a dentists' office with the comfort level of an airport lounge.

"Agent Aisling Jones, you're late." Onyx, the more no-nonsense brother of the two, scolds her with a chilling glare, thankfully she's used to this.

"Ay, sorry boss, there was traffic. You caught me at a good time though, I was finishing up the previous mission." She replies candidly.

"Glad to hear it, but we didn't call you here for a report." Ivory, the kinder brother, informs her.

"Oh? What for then?"

"You've been one of our best agents here at Anomaly Corps. While yes, you may be...unpredictable at times-"

Onyx cut Ivory off, chiming in, "You mean reckless?"

Ivory sighs, nodding in agreement, "Yes, that. However, we look past your flaws to see the great amount of potential you have. You go through every assignment we give all on your own, we decided to give you a challenge."

"And here I thought I was getting a raise or promotion, but I'll take it. What do you have for me?" A.J remarks with a lopsided smirk, showing off the little gap in her two front teeth.

"Have you heard of the Happy Hallows case, by any chance?"

A.J's eyes widen at the familiar name, "Who hasn't? Isn't that the one where several of our own went MIA?"

"...Yes, that's the one. We're assigning you to this mission." Ivory answers hesitantly, making A.J raise an eyebrow at him.

"But?"

"You won't be going alone this time, like you have for other missions." Onyx states flatly, his arms crossed and lips downturned into a small frown.

"What? Why? I've managed just fine on my own for every other one!" A.J protests, her eyes flitting from Onyx to Ivory.

"We can't afford to lose any more of our own. You will be paired with those who compliment your skillset. Zola Igwe is skilled in long range combat and is a talented medic. Valerio Andres is best at defense and close-range combat." Ivory cuts in, not wanting his dear brother to antagonize her.

Letting out a huff, knowing it's useless to argue, especially against her superiors, A.J begrudgingly gives into this case.

- - - -

Meeting her partners, A.J already deduced some things about them.

Zola seems to be levelheaded and pragmatic yet is stubborn about her morals. A.J pities her for that, must be a newbie if she still gives a damn about that stuff. She's got the smarts academically, for street smarts though, that's debatable. Her long box braids might be an issue in case she ends up in close combat. A.J decides to remind Zola later to tie it back.

Meanwhile, Valerio is...a himbo. Definitely strong, too bad the lights are on and nobody's home. Also, is a massive people pleaser. A.J could use him to her advantage. He's like a puppy, eager but easily distracted. The muscle makes up for the lack of brains. He's also easy on the eyes, could be useful in order to charm information out of people.

Arriving at where the case is located, a small town on the coast of California. Happy Hallows. It's cozy and quaint. Surely popular with tourists who've heard of it.

To anyone with an untrained eye, this town would look unsuspecting. Bustling with life, full of friendly folk.

Not to A.J. Something's wrong here, considering the several missing posters put up around the area. According to the case file, this place is a hotspot for the supernatural, resulting in a plethora of paranormal activity.

Question is, where to start?

People report that they hear an eerie singing choir at night on the bayside, when the water is an inky black and fog is thick enough to choke on. Leading anyone unlucky to hear the melody into the ocean with a dazed look to drown in the depths. Something is in the water. Don't go in when it's blood red.

Those who enter deep into the forests surrounding the area never comes back out. And if they do, they are forever changed, never the same. Changelings, perhaps? Could be fae, A.J makes a mental note to bring silver.

Lurking out late when you feel watched, a sudden chill, irregular shadows in the corners of your eyes, things are moving by themselves. Paranoia schizophrenia or a serial stalker? Either way, it'll be dealt with.

The inns or motels where the tenants will disappear inexplicably without a trace, as if they were never there. Only a glowing goop remains. An elaborate prank with kidnapping?

The local butcher's meat tastes good, but they look different from typical meat. A little darker than pork, extra bloody, a little too fresh. Seasoned to perfection, marinated in oils, disguised as totally normal cuts of meat. If it's cannibalism, this should be handled by the FBI or something.

Rivals against the small-town pageant princess start to go missing. Literally eliminating the competition? A.J can't help but snicker as she flips through the reports, receiving a chastising look from Zola. Ever heard of coping with humor?

A disturbed high school artist, isn't that how they all are? Those creative types are always a little weird. Unpredictable too. That'd be fun to deal with.

Spirits on a farm. Warping the fields to be never ending, wandering is the scarecrow, beware of the crows. How cryptic. A.J isn't a fan of puzzles, she'll leave that to Zola.

Alien sightings as well, A.J is not surprised, but this could as be just small-town conspiracy theorists. Valerio wonders if any cows have vanished.

Last of all, a shady church. It's not your typical kind, they wear different garments with thick veils over their faces of eyes. Preaching about their salvation through hellfire, offerings to their Lord and Savior via sacrifice. And no, it isn't cattle.

"Looks like we've got our work cut out for us." A.J murmurs under her breath to her colleagues. "Our investigation begins now."

[A/N: Happy Hallows is a story series I'm working on. This is the beginning. More parts coming soon.]