After Rolf and Klaus Mansfeld were captured, Diana seriously considered hanging up her writer's hat. The Arkham Files fanfics had been designed to manipulate the brothers, and the strategy worked. What justification could there be to continue writing them?
Unexpectedly, the series got a last-minute reprieve when the team's profiler, Tricia Wiese, advocated for them to be continued for at least a while longer. Tricia must have been prescient for by late December someone posted a coded comment to one of Diana's stories. The code was identical to the one employed by Azathoth earlier in the year. Is he merely acting out of boredom or is this a signal of a darker intent? Whatever the motivation, Diana is now tackling the writing assignment with fresh enthusiasm.
As of January 2006, the Arkham Files Round Table welcomed Henry to their plotting sessions. He has a vested interest since he is now a character in the stories. As the team grapples with the possibility of Rolf having a secret partner, the writing group will benefit from Henry's expertise. After all, he acted as a silent partner with El in a matchmaking conspiracy for much of last year.
Although that conspiracy is over, along with the Clueless con Neal and Sara designed as a countermeasure, secret subplots are by no means a thing of the past. In Chapter 2 of Silent Planet, June discloses that she's using the fics as a testing ground for a business opportunity. Riffs, a SoHo rock club, is for sale. Would this be a wise investment? June is the majority shareholder in Masterson Music. She sits on their Board of Directors and any recommendation she makes will carry a great deal of weight. Playing with the notion in Arkham Files has given her a low-pressure way to evaluate the opportunity.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth is testing a different proposition. She's trying to assess whether she wants to start a family by having her and Peter's characters face a similar change to their lives. It may be reflective of Elizabeth's frame of mind that the initial hints in Scorpion Hill are so subtle that only June has guessed the truth. Bolder action will be needed for Peter to realize what's going on. Is Elizabeth ready for the next step?
Related post:
The Arkham Round Table
Silent Planet on Archive of Our Own
Silent Planet on FanFiction
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