šļø Case File #2202 ā "The Fictional Copycat"
Location: Chicago, IllinoisVictims: Two. One found posed like a victim from Dexter. The secondāmimicking Hannibal.Clue Left Behind: A screenplay page pinned to the wall. Title: Episode 2 ā "Plot Thickens". Written in blood.
BAU Headquarters
The team sat around the conference table, tense.Garcia's fingers danced across her keyboard faster than usual, but her face was pale.
"Guysā¦ this script? It's not fanfic. It's preloaded on the dark web with timestamps that haven't occurred yet. There'sā¦ an entire season of murders planned."
Reid flipped through the forensic photos.
"They're mimicking fictional killings, but with real-world accuracy. Almost like the unsub's studying narrative rhythm instead of psychology."
Tian stepped forward, sliding a marked-up script to the center.
"He's not mimicking stories. He's writing one."
Everyone looked up.
"Each kill is part of a self-aware arc. The Puppeteer's system is feeding him dramaturgical tension. He's turning life into serialized horror fiction. And he's trying to see if the BAU can becomeā¦ a cancelled show."
š§ System Ping: Multiversal Adversary Crosscheck
š¹ Name: The Puppeteerš¹ System: [Scripted Slasher Framework]š¹ Type: Narrative-Based Reality Overrideš¹ Ability: Foreshadowed Death ā Victims die exactly as "written," immune to prediction unless counter-scripted.
š Current Chapter: "The Analyst's Fall"ā¤ Target: Qian Tianā¤ Time Remaining: 72 Hoursā¤ Script Note: "The profiler sees the futureā¦ and still can't stop it."
šŖ Chicago Crime Scene
Tian stood over the third victimāposed like a death from Sherlock, violin in hand, mirror shards spelling:
"Plot Hole."
He whispered softly, "This isn't about control. It's about authorshipā¦"
Suddenlyā
Bzzzt āGarcia's comm device glitched, flooding with binary.
Penelope screamed.
"Tian, that virus... it's not code. It's dialogue. He's hacking us through metaphor!"
Reid analyzed it live.
"It's a recursive script! Every time we speak about the case, the Puppeteer's system adapts. We're fueling him!"
Hotch turned, voice stone-cold.
"Then we shut up and act."
š”ļø System Skill Unlocked: Cognitive Override ā [Narrative Lock]
Effect: Prevents a target from being bound by narrative causality for 10 minutes.Cooldown: 24 hours.Note: Cannot affect the system user controlling the script directlyāonly his environment.
šµļøāāļø Late Night ā BAU Mobile HQ
Tian began scribbling on a whiteboard. He wasn't tracking geography or personality.He was building a reverse scriptāa counter-story.
"We write him into a trap. But not as a killerā¦ as a character."
He circled the word:
"Redemption Arc."
Morgan raised an eyebrow.
"You want to change his story?"
Tian nodded.
"This isn't about justice anymore. It's about narrative warfare. And if he's writing Criminal Mindsā¦"
He turned to the window, eyes sharp.
"Then it's time the show got a new head writer."
š End of Chapter 2: "Narrative Kill" Next Time in Chapter 3: Scripted Synapse
A BAU member becomes a "marked" protagonist in the Puppeteer's outline.
Tian seeks help from a woman erased from the FBI's filesāan ex-profiler turned mentalist.
The Puppeteer breaks the fourth wall, addressing Tian by his real name: Qian Tian, System-Bearer.
The "Scripted Slasher" System begins evolving into a sentient meta-engineā¦