Nightclaw: Rampage

We last read Chapter 36, in which the serpentine superheroine Hailey a.k.a. The Viper—along with her newlywed vampiric companions Lily Ladair and Theo Ladair—view a news report in San Francisco, California briefing the people on the devastating massacre that the fallen Paragon Carla Rosenblood a.k.a. Nightclaw carried out the previous night across two dorm buildings on the Stanford University campus. Interestingly enough, Carla's earlier coverup story seems to have taken off, since the news reports it as a "mass shooting" that killed over one hundred students and even refers to a source that claims that Carla actually tried to stop the massacre when she in fact caused it. The reporter in question also states that no adequate evidence has been located at the scene of the crime and no usable security camera feeds were recovered.....and that since no arrests have been made and no charges have been filed, the culprit is still at large.

Then, he abruptly changes the subject by informing his audience that a new version of Jane Eyre is currently in the middle of the publishing process.

The Viper, Lily, and Theo both turn away and start to walk off, musing about the news report and how fishy it sounded. The Viper notes that even though the news reported it as a "mass shooting", the sheer devastation and injuries present on the bodies hint towards something more ruthless.....while also recalling that Nightclaw had the ability to shoot her claws from her paws as her only ranged attack and that she had a penchant for slicing throats and cutting off heads. The Viper surmises that Nightclaw was the one who caused the massacre and not a mass shooter, and Lily is the first one to suggest that the trio go to Stanford University to check out the site. With Theo also noting that the werewolves of the Order of Blood won't be awake until nighttime, The Viper ultimately decides to go investigate the Stanford University massacre with Lily and Theo in tow, saying that she can get the vampires inside the site due to her status as a well-known Paragon.

However, the other people who were watching the news report alongside The Viper, Lily, and Theo eventually accuse The Viper of being complacent in Nightclaw's massacre—after overhearing The Viper saying that Nightclaw may be responsible—and that the superheroine "allowed" Nightclaw to murder completely innocent SU students. Overwhelmed by hate, the newly formed mob angrily chases down The Viper, Lily, and Theo all the way back to the airship, with Theo just barely managing to ward off the mob members by playing a very, very, very loud chord on his electric guitar to blast them away. After a relieved Lily gives her new husband an emotional hug out of relief for his survival—and The Viper closes the airship's rear ramp to prevent any of the incapacitated mob members from following them inside—the chapter ended with the trio departing for the Stanford University campus to check out the dorm buildings that the massacre took place in.

This time, The Viper gets herself, Lily, and Theo into the university's dorm buildings despite the current circumstances, and the three of them check out the common room that Nightclaw started her massacre in.....

-Stanford University, Stanford, California-

By the time I've successfully landed the airship about a block away from the Stanford University campus, the vampires Lily Ladair and Theo Ladair can already see quite the concentration of emergency services on the scene. From detectives to EMTs to what little remains of Stanford's police force, it's clear they're trying their hardest to piece together this "mystery" despite their piddling numbers.

But I can also see that they're not having particularly great luck at finding things out. I've lost track of how many times I've seen someone down there scratch their head, facepalm, or shrug.....and, as far as I'm aware, those are all universal gestures for "I don't know".