Three weeks had past and a group of police officers were investigating a crime scene. Two bodies covered in orange clothing were hanging from the powerlines while the third corpse had already fallen and cracked the concrete. The medical examiner had already checked on the hanging bodies. A beautiful and fierce woman approached her as she examined the third. The woman that approached the scene wore a brown trench coat over her casual white shirt and blue jeans. A shiny golden badge could be seen attached to her belt alongside her trusty firearm. As she reached the medical examiner, she withdrew her black aviator glasses from her perfect face and scanned the scene. “What have we got this time?” Detective Boa Kwon asked.

“Pretty much the same as the other recent Blazer incidences, this is definitely her work, Detective. Broken bones in the left leg, right arm, torn tendons on both thumbs and the two hanging up there have no tongues. Ripped right out of there mouths.” The medical examiner explained.

“So, the third still had his tongue intact?” Boa asked.

“Yeah, always lucky last, if you would call this lucky.” The medical examiner joked.

“Seems like I was right, she’s torturing them for information, those who don’t talk get their tongues ripped. After all, don’t need your tongue if you don’t talk.” Boa stated.

“She’s… she’s really gone off the rails, huh?” The medical examiner sighed.

“This whole city has gone off the rails, I think she’s… she’s getting desperate.” Boa stuttered.

“What does that mean? Shouldn’t we be scared of her?” The medical examiner asked.

“We should be more afraid about who’s making her so desperate,” Boa replied. “Time of death?” Boa asked.

“Well, sadly, they were still alive with all these injuries. Ripping out their tongues thought would have caused the brain to shut down from the shock. But they were alive up until 2:35 am last night. From the blood residue on the powerlines and the puddles that formed below them, I’d say they’ve been hanging for maybe six hours in total.” The medical examiner stated.

“Oh my God…” Boa sighed.
“Oh my God indeed, Detective. We need to catch this monster before its too late.” The Captain of the 47th police precinct had just arrived at the scene and he was already getting on Boa’s nerves. But he wasn’t the only one who had been pissing her off lately, the entire precinct seemed to be blind to the truth. Boa looked back up to the hanging bodies and sighed once more. “This does look like work of a psychopath, but I know there’s more to this than meets the eye…” Boa whispered.

“What’s there more to know? She’s a killer, a terrorist, a monster. Red Demon needs to be captured immediately.” He stated firmly.

“Her name is Nova, just because tabloids rebrand her as a monster doesn’t mean we have to believe it.” Boa scoffed.

“I’m sorry Detective but what’s this? Like her fourth set of victims this week alone? She’s been on a rampage for almost a month, people are scared for their lives, are you still believing she’s some sort of masked crusader helping the city?” He questioned.

“Why did the attacks suddenly start three weeks ago? And did you even listen to the M.E.’s (medical examiner in case you guys didn’t know) report? They were alive when they were hung, just like all the other victims, she hasn’t straight up killed any one of them. I thought it was our job to seek the truth? Not just fill in the blanks our selves.”
“Just because she hasn’t outright killed them doesn’t mean she hasn’t committed homicide. And need I remind you that she made her first kill three weeks ago? That silver-haired girl. She got the thirst for blood after that kill, now she’s just killing left and right.”

“I can’t believe you can be so blind, Captain. There wasn’t even any evidence to support she was the one who killed that girl, no eyewitnesses when the crime was committed…”

“Yes, no evidence at all… besides the fact she was caught grasping on the body.” He laughed.
“That girl was killed immediately unlike any of these Blazer members. She was impaled through the heart. Nova has the strength to completely rip someone's heart out, why would she impale her? there were no impaling instruments found at the scene of the crime and unless Nova has a secret pocket in that skintight outfit, she wasn’t the one who killed that girl. Now look at these victims, she tortured them. She’s been torturing Blazer members for the past three weeks; she hangs them up as a sign that she’s coming for them. She’s looking for something, information, my point is there’s much more to this than her just being a killer and if she’s looking for something this desperately, we need to be aware of a greater threat here.” Detective Boa spat. The entire crime scene unit and accompanying police officers were now sending bewildered stares in her direction. She couldn’t care less. Unlike the rest of her precinct, she wasn’t being swooned by the ridiculous words of the media or swindled by a wad of cash from Hyde’s pocket, she wasn’t being bought for her services, her only concern was for the wellbeing of Los Angeles. Yes, Nova brutally assaulted these men and nine other Blazers. She had let these people die, she could have saved them after the fact she tortured them so cruelly but she didn’t. Even givean all this evidence Detective Boa Kwon did not believe she was the greatest evil here. Nova was a hero, she did try to save this city as purely as possible, so if Nova’s actions had taken the turn for the worst, it meant she was losing and Hyde, the true monster of this city was closing in on victory. Nova was desperate, torturing these Blazer members that should not even exist anymore, but what was her purpose? What was she trying to find? Those were the questions that Detective Boa had no answers to. “Detective Kwon, return to the precinct and see me at my office.” He demanded. She reluctantly complied. Who knows how a fool like him became a police captain before she did, but she still had to comply to the chain of command.

“I know what you’re going to say Cap, and I’m not changing my mind on this…” Detective Boa started.

“Not even if you’re promoted to Sergeant?” He questioned.
“… Wait what?” She questioned.

“Yep, I got the confirmation today, you passed your test and they all agreed to give you the position of Sergeant.” He smiled. Boa was extremely excited; she had been working her off for years and never made it beyond detective. Maybe this was finally her turning point, at least, that’s what she thought before a small roll of money landed in front of her. “What… what is this?” She questioned.

“Your bonus, Hyde keeps all his men and women well equipped. I can assure you that is only the beginning of what he has to offer.” He smiled. Boa grabbed the money hastily from the desk. Just the feeling of it in her hand disgusted her, the thought that man behind all of this was trying to silence her with a bribe was utterly disgusting. She held out the money with her left hand and withdrew her lighter with the right and set the wad of cash aflame. Throwing the remnants into the metal bin beside her Captain’s desk. The Captain was wide-eyed for just a moment, but his smirk still returned to his face. “Alright, alright name your price? What do you want? A new car? A vacation? Maybe a bit of jewelry to match your pretty eyes? What do you want Boa?” He smiled. “Hyde can truly provide…”

“I decline.” Boa snorted.

“I’m sorry Boa…”

“It’s Detective Kwon, we’re not friends.” She scoffed.

“Detective Kwon, this isn’t an offer, it’s a command. If you refuse, then I’ll have to take your gun and badge.”

“Are you… tell me you’re joking?” She questioned, but his silence said it all. “Wow, how the do you sleep at night? How do you go to bed knowing you’re one of the most despicable, slimy and scummy cops this city has ever seen? How do you look at yourself in the mirror and not throw up at the sight of your pathetic reflection?” She questioned.

“How dare you!?” The Captain raised from his chair and hands slammed against the hardwood desk, but Boa didn’t even flinch, she didn’t even bat an eyelash. “You’re incredibly naïve to continue on with this ‘good cop’ act. You continue down the path you’re headed you’ll be dead within a week, Detective and that’s not even an exaggeration. You see that man,” The Captain pointed to a picture of him and Mayor Hyde shaking hands. “This man is unbeatable, undetectable, untraceable. He does not make mistakes, you can keep investigating all you want, but you or your superpowered buddy won’t win. You’re fighting a losing battle, Kwon. If you join us everything you’ve ever wanted can finally come to you.” He scoffed.

“What, like you? Big office, Captain in your title will never change how much of a piece of you are. If I’m going to move up in the ranks of this hole then I’m going to do it the right way. I’m going to be the sergeant because I deserve it, I’m going to be the captain, maybe in the commissioner one day because I deserve to be there,