findingvigilante

[findingvigilante]

Pssst. Hey

I'm starting a fun new little DC project soon and I wanted to tell you about it. It's called "The Waller Files" and it's going to be seven stories about seven criminals in Belle Reve. The format will go like this: you'll get a criminal profile on the character followed up by their origin story and how they ended up in prison. Every character will be made up by yours truly so none of them are DC canon so yay for free real estate.

So if you're interested, I'm going to start posting within the coming weeks once I get started and find a decent schedule so you can follow @thewallerfiles for now until posts are up! It'll have kind of a Finding Vigilante feel to it except with a few changes.

I can't wait to show you all what's in store!

[findingvigilante]

[findingvigilante]

Date: May 23, 2022

Evergreen went wild when the news broke that Peacemaker and Vigilante turned out to be working on a top secret mission for a government agency together. For Peacemaker, it wasn't surprising. But for Vigilante it was a surprise. Our resident small town costumed crime fighter was now a big shot government agent....I almost feel proud of him for some reason. For the limited amount of time I spent researching him and trying to track him down, I became oddly attached to the guy, despite never even meeting him before.

There was a press conference today at the back of the old video store in town. I couldn't miss it so naturally I had to head over there and nab some answers for another story. Charlton 5 news was already there with their cameras set up so I knew by this afternoon that the news would reach everyone in Evergreen. A woman named Leota Adebayo stood at a pedestal, nervously tapping the mic. From there she spilled the proverbial beans. After reporters were handed out a folder with documents, she explained that Christopher Smith never wrote a diary filled with horrible things and that Peacemaker and Vigilante were working undercover for an operation called Project Butterfly. She then proceeded to tell us about a black ops called Task Force X that consisted of criminals taking on dangerous missions for the US in exchange for time off their sentences. It's been running out of Belle Reve for years under Amanda Waller, who was this lady's mother. Reporters began scrambling and yelling out questions. Since I was the only one who raised my hand, Leota chose me to ask a question. So I asked "Where are Peacemaker and Vigilante now?" Her response: they were both taken to Mount Rouge Health Center to treat their injuries.

That was all I needed to know.

Mount Rouge was nestled smack dab on the edge of town to make it easier for those coming from outside Evergreen to get medical assistance. With all things considered, I was going to probably need assistance too judging by how fast my heart was beating. Vigilante was so close. He was just beyond the automatic doors and was most likely in one of the recovery rooms. When I asked the nurses about him, they glanced at each other nervously and shook their heads. Another asked me if I was a friend so I told them yes, I was. So once I had his room number, I had to hold myself back to keep from sprinting down the hallways. I think I ran by Chris Smith but my head was in another place to be paying attention to my surroundings. Once I reached his room, my hand shook while hovering over the door handle. This was it. I was finally going to speak to Vigilante after all this time. All of my efforts finally came to this moment. Knocking, I slowly opened the door and stepped in.

Unfortunately, the room was empty. The bed which was supposed to be keeping him upright was empty, borderline untouched and the wires that were used to hook him up to the ECG were on the bed, the heart monitor itself not making any flatline noises. The window was wide open and since we were on the second floor, there was no way he could've jumped out. If he had left using the hallway, someone would've seen him. So that could only mean he jumped from the second story window....on the hard ground underneath. If he was injured that would only worsen his wounds. When asking a couple of nurses if they saw anyone leave the room, they all shared the same answer: no. So whether or not they were covering for him, I couldn't tell.

I was frustrated at this point. I came so far and came so close to finally meeting Vigilante only to have him jump from a freaking second story hospital window. Angry and annoyed, I opened up the folder that was given to reporters at the press conference. I didn't have a chance to really look through it yet but since I now had some time on my hands, I wanted to see what it read. There was a mention of Coverdale Ranch and what went down there a few days ago. I knew where Coverdale was. If the area was already cleaned out by the feds I had no idea. But going there and investigating was a hell of a lot better than sitting here and doing nothing at all.

Coverdale was.....a mess. If you remember my previous entry about the massacre at Glan Tai, this was probably ten times worse. Turns out the feds hadn't gotten around to cleaning out the field yet so the ground was still covered in blood.....and bodies. Bodies were strewn everywhere. The first thing I noticed was that they all had something in common: they were either prisoners from the corrections center or police personnel (minus a few civilians here and there). The entire police station was laid about on the ground. Some had limbs chopped off. Others had no heads. Mostly all of them had bullet holes. But all of them did have some sort of wound to the head. I tried not to gag as I tiptoed through the field like I was scared they were going to wake up. The barn that once stood there was now a pile of rubble. I remembered there being a set of stairs going down from my childhood memories but I didn't dare go down them in fear of what I might find (it was probably for the best too). So instead I snapped a quick photo of the scene for my own case files (warning: it's pretty bad so if blood makes you queasy, scroll by). I guess that means the entire Evergreen police department would need replacing since they were all dead. Vigilante is going to have a field day with his crime fighting while the town waits for new replacements.

I went back to my apartment feeling heavy with frustration. Although I didn't score a story with Vigilante, I did however end up uncovering an alien conspiracy that could land me an actual writing position at the Planet. I had enough coverage from my previous investigation with Vigilante that it could make a great story. I'm disappointed, sure. I came here solely to find Vigilante and hear his side. It might not be what I wanted in the end but at least I have something to write about. Something that'll get a foot in the door anyway. Like Ms. Lane always says: something is better than nothing.

Time: 2:19 am

There was a thud in my apartment. When I turned on the light and glanced around the room, there was no one around but my bedroom window was wide open, the wind gently moving my curtains. The papers that were on my desk were now on the floor so I got up to put them back in the pile. After I put them back, I noticed a small piece of paper that wasn't there before. It was torn, hastily ripped off the corner with four simple little words. Four little words that made my heart sink in my chest, signed with a single initial to signify who wanted to leave me a message.

I didn't find Vigilante. Vigilante found me.

[findingvigilante]

Did you try and get an ID off the body? Maybe they had a license or something on them

I didn't stick around long enough to see if the guy had an ID or not. I was terrified that the police would come back so I got out of there asap. Plus I didn't want to contaminate the scene and get my prints everywhere which is a very valid concern

[findingvigilante]

Date: May 20, 2022

By the time morning rolled around, everyone in Evergreen knew that Peacemaker was a wanted man. It was all over the news and the police even held a second press conference to emphasize how wanted he actually was. As they mentioned the first time, they had every cop in the county and state on the lookout for him. I watched the conference on tv as I ate breakfast and it still didn't sit right with me, the way this was all playing out.

Why this was all playing out weirdly for me is hard to explain. I guess being a reporter and trying to link up all the stories and evidence while simultaneously trying to make sense of what was going on in the now, it's bound to get confusing at some point. It made sense that the police are only getting around to arresting Peacemaker now because he was in prison for the last four years. What didn't make sense however was why would he kill Senator Goff? Or those poor souls at Glan Tai? Was there something here that I just wasn't seeing? Looking back at my Wall of Nonsense, nothing made sense to me anymore. Nothing linked up and my story was falling apart before my eyes.

In other news, those weird alien messages have been popping up more and more on my laptop. Having no idea what they say, I merely delete them but they keep coming back. I can only assume they have something to do with the drive I found at Glan Tai, which I actually came up with a theory for not long ago. The theory in question: what if there's a top secret mission happening in Evergreen involving aliens? It would make sense considering all those people suddenly went missing at the same time. And it would also explain that weird green goo I saw at Glan Tai as well. Plus it very obviously explains the weird alien USB drive and the messages I've been receiving. I could be onto something. Or not. I'm not risking my life even more for something that doesn't involve me.

In other news, I overheard a few people at E-Z-P-Z Mart say they heard an explosion on 395 North near Contorinis Road, just outside of town. There's nothing but trees and the occasional house or two out there but other than that, there's no cause for anything to explode such as chemicals or whatnot. They also brought up the fact that when they tried calling 911, there was no answer. The cashier chimed in by saying he saw a little man dressed in green outside his store earlier that fought two guys harassing him (this is the first I'm hearing about a little green man but at this point, things like this don't surprise me. It's been a weird few days).

I decided to go to the police station myself to see why nobody was answering their calls. There wasn't a single car out in the parking lot belonging to a civilian or police cruiser. The inside was just as bare but the further I went into the station, my stomach dropped. The place was covered in blood. The ceiling, the walls, the floor. Everything was painted in the color red. Something in the back of my mind told me that neither Peacemaker nor Vigilante were involved in this and that it was something else entirely. Where was everyone? I was about to leave when a terrified corrections officer stumbled into the station shaking and crying. He said that he was in the bathroom when he heard screaming and yelling out in the hallways. When the noises finally quieted down, he crept out to see what had happened and he said the place was covered in blood the same way it was here. He told me there wasn't a soul around to tell him what happened. Even the prisoners were gone. The place was completely empty. "That's why I came here" he said to me. "To see if anyone knew anything. But it's like they were just....taken."

Charlie would have answers. They almost always did. So I text them and asked if they knew anything about missing police and corrections officers. The answer was immediate: shooting at Overview Lofts. Saw police outside. They just left. So naturally I headed over to Overview to see what had happened. From the outside, you would never have said that the police were even there to begin with. I searched around on the first and second floor until I saw a busted door with a body laying inside the room, sprawled out on top of the island counter with several bullet holes in his chest. I didn't touch anything for the sake of getting my fingerprints everywhere and contaminating the crime scene. Did the police do this? Who was this guy and what did he do to deserve to die this way? I texted Charlie to tell them there was a body in one of the rooms. They said it was no good to call the police because one: there's no one to answer calls and two: the police were the ones that did it. So it was best to just leave it for now. On top of there being a dead person in the room, it also looked like a fight went down as well. The bathroom was in a bad state; the shower curtain off its hooks. The toilet smashed to pieces. Whoever was in here put up quite the fight in a probable attempt at escaping their attacker. Maybe it was the dead guy in the kitchen. I honestly had no idea. It all seemed very suspicious. The police breaking in and shooting someone without calling the coroner. The empty police station and corrections center. None of this made sense or felt right.

Charlie also texted me about Paws A Moment, the local veterinary clinic. They said "don't ask how I know but there're three employees that were tied up there that I think you should talk to". Which is exactly where I went next for my investigation. Sure enough, Charlie was there with the three vets, questioning them about what happened. Their story went like this: they had been tending to a patient when three men barged into the building. One was very tall with an obviously dyed beard, another wore red and beige with a bird in the middle of his shirt, and the third wore a mask with a red visor and had a blue and white design on his chest. My heart skipped a beat. They were describing Vigilante. When I asked what the men wanted, the vets said they needed help and that their eagle was injured. Later after they patched up the eagle, two women showed up, saying something about Butterflies that needed to be stopped. I asked them if they meant butterflies as in the bug and the vets shrugged and nodded, also bringing up that the group was headed to Coverdale Ranch to kill a cow (this just kept getting weirder and the weirder the more questions I asked). I thanked them for their time and headed back to my apartment just to sit in silence as my brain tried to make sense of the information I was given. Butterflies. Coverdale Ranch. A cow. What the actual fuck was going on? I find myself asking that with every damn update but I have to. Because none of this makes any sense.

I need a nap. A long one.

[findingvigilante]

are you alive?

For now I am. Still trying to process that Peacemaker is a wanted man and the entire state is on the lookout for him. It's just crazy to me how fast everything is moving. It's just one event after another. I don't even have time to breathe

[findingvigilante]

Date: May 19, 2022

I'm alive. As it turns out, the meeting with the mysterious stranger didn't go the way it was supposed to (nothing bad happened but just hear me out regardless). I went to the park at the time we were supposed to meet. It was dark and the streets were bare, so I sat down on a bench under a street lamp so I was visible to any possible onlookers that may be passing by. I waited. And waited. And waited. By the time 1 am rolled around, I had given up and figured they weren't going to show up. As I was getting up I noticed something white crumpled up on the ground. I bent down and picked it up. It was a crinkled Fennel Fields napkin. So just my luck, the stranger probably got here early with a lunch and gave up waiting on me instead of me giving up on them.

There went my chance of learning the truth.

Later that morning I decided to grab a quick bite to eat at Fennel's before heading back to the corrections center. I wanted to follow up with the prisoner who fell victim to Vigilante and see if he remembered any other details that he might have failed to mention the first time we spoke. After I finished breakfast, I headed over to corrections with my notes in hand from the first visit. As I was heading inside to sign in, I noticed Detective Song and Fitzgibbons standing in the hallway speaking to someone. The nosey reporter in me needed to know why they were here so from where I was standing at the front desk, I subtly leaned forward and immediately felt my heart sink to my stomach. Standing with an officer on either side of him was none other than Auggie Smith himself. He was dressed in his regular clothes and not the grey ones they make you wear while you're a prisoner here. From the looks of things, he was being released. And that wasn't a good thing for anyone.

I immediately opted out of that follow up interview after seeing Auggie's smug face as he walked out of the corrections center. So instead I texted my contact Charlie and asked them to meet me at O'Rourkes to help analyze some of the photos I had taken at Glan Tai as well as discuss the mysterious stranger who didn't show up last night like they said they would. As we sat down and ordered a drink, they skimmed through the photos and told me that several families in town had reported a spouse or other member of the family missing for several days. Charlie suspected that the missing people were at Glan Tai and died in the explosion. When I asked if the autopsy reports had confirmed that, they told me that their insider hadn't gotten back to them yet with the results but more than likely, yes the bodies found at the bottling company were the missing family members. Which then led to the question: why did they leave home without telling anyone and whilst were they doing at a company that had been closed for years?

After an hour or two of compiling notes and organizing my work, we decided to call it a day and go our separate ways. As soon as we stepped out of O'Rourkes, a squadron of police cars zipped past with their sirens going and lights flashing. I asked Charlie what was up and they checked their phone to see if they got a heads-up on the situation. They said there was an APB out for Peacemaker's arrest. Now that I think about it, it made sense. His father was originally pinned for the murder of Annie Sturphausen. So I guess the police finally put two and two together and figured out that Auggie wasn't actually the killer. And that was probably why I saw him getting released earlier today; they couldn't keep him there on false charges. But still. He was a white supremacist with a cult following. He was dangerous. There had to be something that they could keep him behind bars for.

As always, my curiosity got the better of me and I headed for the trailer park where Peacemaker lived. There were about half a dozen police cars and more than a dozen officers on the scene with their weapons out as they moved to bust down the door. After waiting and watching for ten minutes, I noticed that Detective Song had run around the back towards the woods. When she returned, she had blood on her face and shirt. Fitzgibbons seemed to be trying to talk to her but she seemed very determined to get in her car and leave the scene. The officers that had gone into Peacemaker's house came out with handfuls of what I assumed was evidence against him. I didn't dare get out of my car to ask questions in case I somehow got wrapped up in his arrest case. So I waited for my chance to do some sleuthing.

It took about an hour for the police to finally leave the scene. When it was finally quiet in the park, I got out of my car and walked down the gravel road to Peacemaker's home. The door had been busted in but even worse off than his door was inside the trailer itself. His kitchen and living were a complete mess; cupboards open, their contents strewn everywhere. Pillows torn open. His bed flipped over. Even the bathroom was turned upside down. Whatever it was they were looking for, they tore the place apart in hopes they'd find it.

I, however, did find something that I don't think the police thought was notable. Inside the fridge was a bottle of that green goo stuff from Glan Tai. There was only a small bit left at the bottom but I'd recognize that green smelly slime anywhere. You don't forget a smell like that, even if you only inhaled it once. Why did Christopher Smith have this in his fridge? Was he the one responsible for the explosion at the bottling plant? If he was that meant Vigilante had to be there too. But why?

I took photos of the wreckage before getting back into my car. None of the neighbors asked why I was there as they watched me leave, more than likely assuming I was with the police. And I didn't stop to ask questions either in case someone called the cops on me and they came back again.

Time stamp: 10:37 pm

I was printing out the photos I took at Smith's when I noticed something in the sky. Hundreds of bright lights (not stars) filled the sky and headed in the direction of what seemed to be the park near the library. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Not even a picture could do it justice but I took one regardless so I can put it on the Wall of Nonsense.

The lights disappeared after a few minutes and if I wasn't swamped with writing and editing my notes, I would've been in my car and driving towards where they seemed to have landed (I say landed like I'm 100% certain I just witnessed a UFO). Once my work was finished for the night I decided to grab a late night snack and flick on the tv. The news was on. Normally I don't pay attention to the news but tonight was different. My jaw dropped as I listened to what the Captain said.

"Among many items found in the search of Christopher Smith's home, was a diary written by the suspect. Now the diary maintains that the world is inhabited by aliens posing as human beings and it is the suspect's job to find and kill them. The diary links Smith not only to the murder of Annie Sturphausen but directly to the murders of Senator Royland Goff and his family and potentially 33 victims at the Glan Tai Bottling Plant massacre. Rest assured that every police station across the country has one mandate this morning: find and stop the Peacemaker by whatever means necessary."

......what the fuck.

[findingvigilante]

If you're reading this, this may be my last post. I received an anonymous tip about Vigilante's identity and like the desparate journalist that I am, I'm going ahead and meeting them under the cover of darkness. Is this a stupid idea? Probably. Is there a high risk of being unalived or kidnapped? 100%. So if you see this and I don't post for a while, this stranger did exactly that.

Everything I gathered is in my apartment on Main Street, Evergreen, in the space above Turner's Tools. I don't have much. But all the info, all the stories and proof I gathered is all here. If I don't return to update you on what the stranger told me, then I'm probably dead in a ditch somewhere. Please continue my work. Find Vigilante. Everything you need is here in order to continue the search as well as that weird USB drive with the alien writing on it. Keep it close. Keep it safe.

I'll try and make it back alive to update my findings. Let's hope this doesn't make a turn for the worst.

[findingvigilante]

This is too public to say anymore.

Come to the park across from the Evergreen library,  follow the trail to the woods until you reach the clearing. It’s about a 10 minute walk, do not straight from the trail. 

Be there at midnight and come alone.

We can discuss terms then. It’s a one time offer. 

Okay. This better not be a prank though. And you better not be some weirdo who just wants to meet strangers in the woods and then kidnap them. I'm not in the mood to be kidnapped

[findingvigilante]

I know who Vigilante is. I might be willing to sell this info for the right price...

This is tempting.....what are your terms?

[findingvigilante]

What are you going to do when you do find Vigilante?

My goal was to just ask him why he does the things he does but now I want to try and tell his side of the story. Give him a voice and let people form their opinion from there

[findingvigilante]

I think you're Vigilante and have set all this up to throw people off the trail.

Yes, I am Vigilante in search of Vigilante while writing a story on Vigilante. You got me!

In all seriousness though, I don't think that would work. It's too tricky and complicated to keep up with.

[findingvigilante]

I wonder if the Vigilante has any abilities or if he’s just a regular badass in a suit. I’m still convinced the Batman is a vampire.

I think if Vigilante had abilities, we'd know about them. As for Batman....who knows. I've certainly never seen him in broad daylight before.

[findingvigilante]

I wonder if Peacemaker knows Vigilante's real identity.

That's what I would like to know! But the man strikes me as very loyal and would never reveal Vigilante's true identity without his permission and for that, I applaud him. That's a true friend right there.

[findingvigilante]

If you ever do find him maybe you can ask him to keep doing what he's doing except tone it down a bit? Kill all the other killers and rapists and awful people you want, but maybe leave the jaywalkers alone.

Not sure if he takes constructive criticism though...

Only one way to find out if he does I guess. It'll be just my luck if he also kills critics too.....just my luck indeed.

[findingvigilante]

Why is what Vigilante does any different than what other heroes (or antiheroes) do? What makes him wrong compared to the others?

We have aliens and metahumans and masked crimefighters all over the world who have taken the law into their own hands. Even some of those masks and capes are only focused on big threats.

I'm grateful that Superman and Wonder Woman are there to stop asteroids and stuff, but we also need heroes who protect the street. Like Batman in Gotham. And Vigilante in Evergreen.

I don't think Vigilante is wrong.

It's difficult for me to remain on neutral ground because of my job but if I were to have an opinion, I would say I agree with you. Sure some of his methods along with the methods of others don't seem that humane, but it's really helping keep others safe, then why should we question it?

We have the heroes who take on the bigger threats. The one with the powers and the ability to do so. But what about the ones without? Look at firefighters. Doctors. Non-metas who save people every day. These people risk their lives to help others without batting an eye. So yes. We definitely need heroes on the street just as much as we do in the sky, space and sea.

[findingvigilante]

After reading that one story about the person who hooked up with Vigilante, I wanted to come forward and share my own story. You had wondered if he just saves people in exchange for sexual favors or takes advantage of people and I can tell you that's definitely not the case.

I was walking home from the bar after a night out with friends, I was admittedly a bit drunk, and this group of guys started catcalling me and generally being gross. Then they started following me. I tried to take a shortcut through an alley but they cornered me. One of them grabbed me and I was terrified...but before anything else could happen Vigilante showed up, like out of nowhere. He broke the arm of the guy who grabbed me and then he beat the shit out of all those guys in minutes. Even though there was 5 of them and only of him, it seemed almost effortless for him. I'm not sure if they died or were just seriously hurt, but either way they deserved it.

Anyway, Vigilante asked if I was okay and offered to walk me home and I said yes since I was still kinda scared. He had a really nice voice and was super chatty and friendly. It made me feel a lot better. When we got back to my place I invited him up and I miiiiight have implied I would thank him for the rescue in a very nsfw way. What I can say, he had just saved my life and I could tell he was cute. But he politely turned me down because I'd been drinking. I was a little disappointed but it was the gentlemanly thing to do.

So all this to say, Vigilante might murder people who commit crimes but he's not doing it return for anything and he won't take advantage of anyone vulnerable.

That's actually....oddly sweet. Most, if not all, of the firsthand accounts I've read involved women (and some men) exchanging sexual favors for being saved. So this changes my opinion of him altogether. He's actually capable of being chivalrous? Genuinely protective? Aware, even?

I put your story under my "positive" file. As thin as it is, it's refreshing to hear a positive point of view of him for once. So thank you for coming forward with your story.