Carter pulled up to the front of the police station and stopped the car.
"Thanks for the ride, Carter." Jean grabbed her files and pushed the door open.
"Anytime," Carter said.
She was already halfway up the steps before the car pulled away. She didn't look back.
Jean pushed through the conference room door and immediately scanned the room. High-ranking officers filled every seat around the long table—commissioners, captains, and detectives she recognized from other precincts. The kind of room that told her today wouldn't be easy.
She glanced at the clock. The meeting hadn't started yet.
Good.
Finding her seat, she dropped her files onto the table and caught her breath.
A few minutes later, a senior officer seated at the head of the table cleared his throat, and the room fell silent.
"I think we all know why we're here." He slowly scanned the room, his gaze moving from face to face before finally settling on Jean. "Last night, near Queens, a superpowered lizard-like individual caused significant chaos. There was extensive property damage, and five people died indirectly as a result of the incident. So the question on the table today is simple: What steps are we taking regarding these superhuman individuals, and how do we keep our officers and the public safe when incidents like this occur?"
The room remained quiet for a moment. Nobody rushed to answer that.
"Since Officer Jean handled this case, I'd like her to share the findings of her investigation."
Jean straightened in her chair.
"The Lizard situation is connected to an ongoing investigation involving a missing Oscorp scientist. We believe Oscorp conducted illegal experiments and that this lizard is the result, but Oscorp has refused to cooperate with our investigation. Given enough time, I believe we'll uncover the truth."
"Hmph."
One of the officers sneered.
Before Jean could continue, she was interrupted by the same man—a detective named Briggs.
"While we're on the subject of cases Captain DeWolff has yet to resolve," Briggs said, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed, "can we also discuss the Sin-Eater investigation? Because last I checked, that case has been open for months. Captain George Stacy nearly died, and the man responsible is still out there."
Jean kept her expression neutral.
"We've made significant progress."
"Progress."
Briggs said the word like it was a punchline.
"We've mapped his attack pattern. We've collected physical evidence from three separate crime scenes. We came close to apprehending him last month." Jean paused. "We lost two officers during that operation. Believe me, I'm fully aware of how long this investigation has taken."
"The media doesn't care how close you came," Briggs replied. "The mayor's office calls us every other day. The commissioner is getting pressure from above. George Stacy was one of the most respected officers in this department, and the man who put him in the hospital is still walking around New York."
Jean spent several minutes outlining the work her team had done and the sacrifices made by the officers involved. When she finally finished, Briggs spoke again.
"It's been weeks since the attack. Why don't you have any new leads?"
"Because he's gone completely silent," Jean answered. "However, I believe there's a leak somewhere inside the department. Every time we get close, he seems to know we're coming."
Before she could elaborate, Briggs cut her off.
"Captain, we're not here to listen to excuses. We're here for results."
Jean looked at him, barely keeping her anger in check.
Ever since her promotion to captain, Briggs had opposed nearly every decision she made. In his mind, she had taken the promotion that should have been his.
"Detective Briggs," the senior officer said, "are you volunteering to take over the case yourself?"
Briggs immediately fell silent.
Jean felt a small sense of satisfaction but kept her expression neutral.
"Captain DeWolff," the senior officer continued, "you have one week to close the Sin-Eater case. If there are no significant developments by then, the investigation will be transferred to the FBI. I hope the next report I receive contains better news."
"Yes, sir."
"For the Lizard case, another organization will be assuming primary responsibility. Now, let's discuss how this department intends to handle superhuman individuals moving forward."
The rest of the meeting was spent debating policies regarding vigilantes, enhanced criminals, and the growing number of superhuman incidents across the city.
But Jean barely paid attention.
All she could think about was Sin-Eater.
One week.
That was all she had left.
The moment the meeting ended
"Well, Captain, I was really curious how you're planning to catch that criminal in just one week."
Jean stopped for a moment when she heard Briggs' mocking voice behind her.
"Hmph."
She didn't answer. Instead, she shot him a cold glare, tucked the file under her arm, and walked away without looking back.
Once she was gone, one of Briggs' friends shook his head.
"Briggs, we all know her promotion was legitimate. She didn't cheat anyone out of it. Why are you always targeting her?"
"I know," Briggs admitted.
"But seeing a rookie who rose through the ranks that fast becoming my superior? Yeah, that gets under my skin."
With that, he turned and walked away.
His friend watched him leave.
"This guy..."
He didn't know what else to say.
Meanwhile, Jean had already returned to her office.
The Sin-Eater case files covered her desk. She had only one week left to find him. If the investigation was taken away from her and handed over to the FBI, it would be a humiliation for both her and her department.
So she buried herself in the evidence, determined to find the clue everyone else had missed.
While reviewing the case files, Jean came across a photograph of Sin-Eater taken during his escape after attacking George Stacy.
The image wasn't very clear. Rain had blurred most of the details and the mask concealed much of his face, but the eyes were visible.
Jean stared at the photograph. Something about them felt familiar, like she had seen those eyes somewhere before but couldn't place where.
For the next few hours she went through file after file trying to remember. The feeling kept growing stronger but no matter how hard she thought, the answer stayed just out of reach.
Just as frustration began to set in, her partner John walked into the office.
"So how did the meeting go?" he asked. "Did that guy Carter get you here on time with his driving?"
Jean froze.
Carter.
In an instant the memory came back. This morning. She had been stressing over her damaged car and running late for the meeting when Carter pulled up in his patrol car and rolled down the window. For a brief moment she had looked directly into his eyes.
Those eyes.
Her heart skipped a beat. Slowly she turned back to the photograph, then to Carter's personnel file on her computer, then back to the photograph again. Her hands tightened on the desk.
"No..."
The thought alone sounded ridiculous. But the more she compared them the harder it became to ignore. The eyes were the same. The height matched. The build matched.
A chill ran down her spine.
What if Carter was Sin-Eater?
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