"Beep! Beep! Beep!" The alarm sounded at the police station.
After Superhumans had emerged, the station had installed this special alarm for incidents involving fatalities.
Chief Mark and Deputy Chief George surveyed the gruesome scene before them.
A man lay on the ground, drenched in blood, his face frozen in terror and anger.
"Looks like we've got a serious incident on our hands."
Though it wasn't actually that serious.
That last part, of course, was only a thought, not something said aloud.
After all, New York had seen far too much excitement over the past year or so.
Meteorites had struck the ground, and all sorts of Superhumans had arranged fights outside skyscrapers.
Today, only one person had died here, and the killer apparently wasn't even nearby.
The officers wouldn't have to confront a suspected Superhuman head-on. That was already a pretty good outcome.
Chief Mark nodded. "This case is going to be difficult."
He scanned back and forth for surveillance cameras.
Camera coverage really depended on the neighborhood.
In some places, there was a camera every few steps.
Elsewhere, an entire street might have only one or two battered old cameras.
"George, pull up the satellite surveillance footage," Chief Mark instructed.
"Yes, sir."
Indeed, in just one year, the police station had not only upgraded its weapons but also rushed to install all sorts of advanced investigative equipment.
They had no choice. After Superhumans emerged, the departments with real authority had begun competing fiercely.
Otherwise, a squad from another department might take over their turf before they even knew it.
That would be humiliating.
George and the subordinate in charge of his satellites brought out a display and began watching.
As it happened, they owed these satellites from Stark Industries to the personal friendship between George's daughter, Gwen Stacy,