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Takes place in Daredevil's Episode 1
(Builds up towards Episode 2)
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"So, what's your name?" I asked.

"Karen, Karen Page." The woman that has been previously arrested stated her name. I had coffee on the table in the interrogation room, I pushed it towards her if she wanted it. "Thanks."

"Your clothes." I gave her the clothes, it was a gray N.Y.P.D. shirt along with a pair of pants, no one wants to wear something that has blood all over it.

"What's your name, if you don't mind me asking?" She questioned.

"Rosa, Rosa Payne."

I told her that lawyers are coming soon to help her. I left the room, heading to my desk for paperwork. We're in the police station, cops here are always buzzing around like busy ants. I had a bad feeling in my gut about these cops, it was highly unsettling. Never trust anyone, even friends. If I had any, only mere acquaintances. I had a partner once, his name is Alex Roe. He died during 'the incident' unfortunately, I was told that I'm going to be assigned with someone soon. Like any other place in Hell's Kitchen, (not counting drugs and piss) it stinks of cigarettes. Paper machines or copy machines doesn't always work around these parts, it's frustrating.

***Time Skip***

"Officer Payne," I looked up from my papers and computer. "You and Officer Farnum is to guard and guide Miss Page to her cell." I sighed quietly. 'I'm gonna have a lot of paperwork this month...'

We led her to her cell, it was just gray and colorless brick walls. Compared to the dark alleyways in New York, this was heaven. There's a lot of strange things happening in this world. Officer Farnum asked for a nice coffee, I left to go get one as I strolled past each of the cells. I opened the door to retrieve what he requested...

"AHHH!!!" I whipped around from the sound.

"HELP!!!"

It was Karen.

I took my gun out, pointing at her attacker. I wasn't surprised. "Freeze, you're charged for attempted murder." He hissed in pain, his eye was severely scratched. I opened the cell as Karen ran by my side. Coughing. The other officers, unaware of what just happened rushed in. They asked and I just said. "He attempted to murder Miss Page." I moved the men and women out of the way into a bench. She was trembling, her hands were shaking. Karen told that she was being suffocated by him using a bed sheet. I went to the water dispensers nearby and grabbed a foam cup as I filled it with water, she uttered a 'thank you'. I don't care why she was attacked, I just care that she's safe and alive. He could've just shot her... "Call her lawyers. They need a heads up too." The policeman nodded and head for the phone, dialing. "I need to catch up. Be careful, they'll be here soon." I grabbed my gray coat and started to call a cab for home after finishing up my reports and work.

One question was bothering me. Why wasn't she killed at her apartment with Daniel Fisher? The man who was dead that I've read in the police report? Asking questions that is followed by no answers to is useless, maybe I should ask her when I get the chance. I was looking out at the window of the car, it was raining. I put on my brown hat then paid the driver. I walked to the hallways for my room and accidentally bumped into someone, my hat fell off. "Sorry." I apologized and reached for my hat.

"Rosa?" I knew whose voice it belonged to.

"Karen." I gave a fake, tiny smile...or grin.

Karen looked at me, she wanted to say something. "If it was about Officer Farnum, I didn't know either." I walked towards my flat. "Night."

As I closed my door, I gritted my teeth in discomfort from my broken ribs. The pills help make the pain go away, behind a layer of thin wall. As if something bad was happening next door. I approached my closet, changing into an entirely different person. An entirely different persona. I was gonna go roam into the criminal-infested city, probably finding or attracting trouble. However, someone came out of one of the rooms, I waited for a moment for him/her to pass. After a moment, I opened the door. And trailed behind. Karen. I chose to follow her, I felt like I was being watched.

I caught on to her, she was going to her apartment. It continued to rain as the moon shined along with the stars. She was proceeding to her own residence, I leaped onto another rooftop almost slipping and sat on the ledge. I gazed upon the windows of her room, I was right. They didn't kill her, because she had something that they want, someone did. I leaned in a little closer, she entered into another room. I saw a unfamiliar silhouette in the living room, where Fisher, the male victim, was killed. I ran across rooftops to take that figure down, as I was sprinting in the rainstorm, the man knocked her to the wall and picked something up. Before I was able to go to the window, another mysterious man came and defended her. I simply stayed put. The rain, pouring on me, blanketing me with water. I was a few yards away, the man in black took blows and punched the enemy, the enemy had a knife. The silver blade, waiting to be covered in blood. He grabbed the attacker and broke the table. She woke up and the two fighters came out of the window, shattering glass, and crashing into the wet concrete from beneath. 'Another hero coming for the damsel in distress.' I thought. He seemed like a good fighter, the way he fights, it was like a boxer. They both struggled to get up, when they did, they kept on fighting. At one point, the opponent tried to stab him. He immediately fails. The vigilante took the chains and wrapped it around the guy, it was like a snake coiling around. He kicked the knife into the man's right shoulder, he fell to the ground in doing that. He stood up, panting heavily from fatigue.'New player came to join the game. They don't need me.' As the masked man came out victorious, I took my leave, amused at the little play.

___________The Next Day___________

"Oh god no..." I was frozen.

It was a dark room, the floor, covered with crimson liquid.

Everything. It was all too familiar...

The blood belonged to someone I loved. The sound of the crying kept going. Driving me insane. The figure stood in front of the crib, holding a gun out. The pistol, shaking with anticipation, to spill the crimson, sticky substance. The golden bullet, shaking with blood lust within its cold, metallic cave. Wanting to tear the unfortunate victim. Flesh by flesh. Just waiting for the trigger pull, waiting for the killer to give the signal...

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" I screamed and screamed, but it didn't stop him. I can't move or even twitch. "NOOOO!!!" I gave a final scream. It all went in slow motion. If only I was faster...

*BANG!*

I jumped from my bed, sweating, tearing up and moaning in pain from my rib cage. 'Just another horrible dream...'

It was 5:01.

Every time I slept, I would wake up regretting. I only slept knowing that I can drift away from reality. But in truth, it will always be there. In the back of my head, where dark, old memories are kept. A past that will haunt me, swallow me in a never ending darkness. A nightmare.

They were all dead.

And I'm still alive.

It was all so real, so vivid and clear...

From its disturbing cries, to its deafening gunshot...

Your past has a way of sneaking up on you. You'll hear broken echoes of it everywhere, like a bad replay. You'll get mad at everyone for reminding you about it, even if it's all in your head.

I had to take my mind off of it, not with booze and bottles. I stood up to wash my face and do the morning routine, before I watched the television, I read the daily newspaper. The headlines from the New York Bulletin state: "UNION ALLIED SCANDAL", bet that this was the work of those two. The report I've read before that said something about her as a secretary for Union Allied, figured as much. The news channel also said the same topic. I had to finish my paperwork, so, I took my painkillers and headed for work at 15th Precinct Police Station. I changed into my police uniform. Then, I forced myself into boring paperwork. At the police station, I saw the same man from the other day locked up and behind the bars. The twosome told everyone instead of the cops, I would've done the same thing. I worked for hours, but people were talking about the man in the black mask. Excluding me that is. Ever since this 'incident' happened, it was like the perfect time for high criminal organizations to seize such an opportunity. Its was the calling, for them. I know that sticking your nose where it doesn't belong is the things you should never do, despite that, I'm already too deep into it. The cargo that was loading on the docks had something to do with human trafficking, they held me in a warehouse once for that. They weren't just ordinary thugs or muggers. No, it was armed people and trained gunmen. I don't like mobsters, never liked them. That's what got my dad killed. He was such a fool.

"Officer Payne," I took my gaze away from the busy paperwork. "We have a call, Clyde Farnum is dead." The woman gave an urgent tone. The other cops arrived at the crime scene within Clyde's own home. Thanks to the cops owning cars, I don't need a cab. My car is wrecked, thanks to a stupid chase, I'm too lazy to get it repaired and there are other important matters to worry about...

Tracey Farnum, his daughter, said that she was doing laundry with him then she heard one gunshot. "He attempted murder, now this? Something's definitely off..." The officer with a dark-toned skin cried out.

"I agree." I know something is off. Why kill himself after the failure of killing Miss Page?

...

Then it clicked.

To Fisher's death, and to the Union Allied Scandal...

It was like a jigsaw puzzle, you fit the pieces together and you'll get the complete picture. Daniel Fisher was killed because he knew about the money in Union Allied, with him out of the picture, Clyde was sent and ordered to kill her with the bed sheet to make it seem like she attempted suicide. Karen was the target, Fisher got involved, and Farnum... he was the extorted cleaner. But, he failed. Doesn't that mean I killed him because he failed? No. He has a daughter, she would've been killed as a consequence. Damn, it was like the conductors on a train, watching and controlling each of the train's cabins. Clyde was just another puppet in his disposal. One little slip, one tiny mistake, from the performance to leave the mastermind displeased. Then he, as in the puppet master, has the power to cut the strings off. Just watching the wooden object fall onto the ground, lifeless and still. Left forgotten and abandoned to rot, a deadwieght.

The question that bugs me is that:

'Whose the mastermind?'

"Officer Payne?" I quickly snapped out from my trance. Same man that cried out questioned me. "You alright there?"

"Sorry. Just thinking." I answered. I can't have them find out, with people that has massive amounts of money, can lead to corrupted cops lingering in the force. Like a joker playing the fool with a facade, a mask that hides the liar. It may not seem like it, but I'm not poor.

I took a cab home, the sky is darkening, it's blue being overpowered by the battling mix of orange, yellow, and even pink....

I went into my room and locked the door behind me.

There was a man being beaten and a boy being kidnapped. As the child screamed, I put on my mask...