low fidelity
𝗆𝗈𝗏𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘴
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[div class=charactername]HEARTLESS.[/div]
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CH. 1: WELCOME TO HEARTBEAT CITY!
The rumble of a motorcycle engine rumbles against the back alley’s brick walls. In the early morning light, the streets of Heartbeat City are dim, cast in a gentle blue light before the sun finally rises. Many say that instead of the city never sleeping, its heart keeps beating. The stacks of steam and smoke, keeping people’s homes warm, contributed to that effect. Autumn was slowly settling in with a bitter cold felt down to the bone. Tires squeal to a stop, and a rather tall young woman steps off to examine the various posters papering a wooden utility pole. From a missing persons flyer smiles the face of a young man, gone for five days by now, and Yin stares back. After a beat, she slips out a small black notebook from her pouch, and writes down his name onto a list.
Ten people missing within the last two months.
Yin frowns, eyebrows furrowed in visible distress; in her mind's eye she sees each face, each of them another life that she couldn’t protect. There is hope yet, but for now, the young hero mounts her motorcycle once more and continues on her patrol.
"Heartbeat City has been a beacon of hope for years, providing our world the best of the best! The world may be a dark place, but our bright lights continue to shine!"
Later in the day, the shining sun shook off most of the early morning chill, beaming down without so much as a cloud in sight. They were in the heart of Heartbeat City, amidst its civic center, with City Hall and the surrounding plaza decked out in a garish display of reds and blues. Citizens flooded the area, packed in behind the metal barriers, and cameras of news channels pointed at them from every angle. Towering above the crowds was a large stage, complete with more brightly American curtains, a few of the city and state's congressmen sitting in seats, and the mayor himself situated at the podium.
Jonas Von Closen was, simply put, an average man. Tall, but not too tall. Not too old, but not too young either. A regular, friendly face, with a neatly styled comb-over and a crisp navy blue suit. He was a people's man; handsome, agreeable, with an authoritative air that said "Yes, I'm the man in charge, but you don't have to worry about that too much."
Maybe that was why Yin disliked the man, deep in her gut. For now, however, the young woman kept her cool. The mayor's speech was met with much anticipation, and she could see the curiosity on the faces in the crowd. Rumors were flying around left and right these days, and Yin found it dizzying to keep up with. Talk of police corruption, of prejudiced laws in place, workplace discrimination; these were things she knew were true, but would likely be ignored. Many saw Heartbeat City as a futuristic city of their dreams, a marvel of incredible superheroes, amazing technological advancements, an enormous playground where the city never sleeps. Day to day life, however, was far more mundane. The glamour of it soon fell flat once you looked a little closer. And look closer, Yin did. Her patrols and assignments were meant to kept the elite safe, the knight for their ivory towers. She had been naive, keeping old money and grey faced politicians protected. A golden cage is still just a cage. Nowadays, of course, she still did her job, but Yin took the time to patrol through the neighborhoods of the less cared for. Were her efforts making a difference? She would like to think so. But, when it came to events like this, Yin could feel the bitterness like bile at the bottom of her throat.
The mayor seemed to be a nice man, and that was what made him dangerous.
"Citizens of Heartbeat City, I want you to know that I am a man committed to change. That's what nature is, isn't it? Always changing, always evolving. We know very well from experience just how disastrous sudden changes can be, though. Our city is not perfect, nor is any other city in the world. But, we are looking at these problems one at a time. Our policemen, congressmen, firefighters, politicians, anybody who can lend a helping hand is involved in continuing to improve what we already have."
His voice rang clear above the crowd, whose chatter soon hushed. Whether it be on the numerous virtual billboards around the city itself, or on the televisions, phones, and computers in the homes of citizens watching, wherever you would turn, the mayor's speech could be heard. His message was broadcast loud and clear. When the mayor spoke, he made sure that the people listened.
"I want you to know that I am listening. Your concerns, your questions, your comments, I hear them, and I care about what you all think. There have been rumors of corruption within our police force, and I do not take these kinds of allegations lightly. After conducting an internal investigation, which I was personally involved in, we have concluded there are no more such problems within the force."
At this, the noise from the crowds rose sharply - reporters raised their microphones, the news cameras continued to record his every word. "Have the accused police officers been fired?!" "What were your conclusions? What did you find out was happening?!" "How can the police force and the local government investigate itself?!"
"Please, do not worry any longer! These problems are being fixed, and Heartbeat City will continue to be protected by both our committed local law enforcement and our courageous heroes-"
A dull crash could be heard as a few metal barriers dropped, and a young reporter rushed up to the edge of the stage, a microphone in hand. Her voice, while smaller, could be heard over the mayor's microphone.
"Mayor Von Closen! What about the reports of numerous missing persons within the last few months? Are you going to reassure the public that this is being looked into?!"
Security moved in to pull her away by the time the chaos calmed down a few decibels, and Mayor Von Closen cleared his throat loudly.
"I have heard such talk about many missing persons within the last few weeks. So far, there have been no such official reports made yet, and so we cannot conduct a formal investigation. That is all I can say on the matter. However, this ties into a point I have been wanting to make. Not only is this to keep Heartbeat City updated on local happenings, but I wanted to take the time to commend the dedicated work our heroes have been doing. If you would please, Achilles."
Yin blinked at him, but said nothing as she stepped forward, closer to the podium. Whatever this was, she hadn't known about it.
"Your hard work and dedication has not gone unnoticed, miss Xiao Huo, or better known as the city's number one hero, Achilles." Von Closen smiled, and Yin briefly indulged in the idea of punching his lights out. He raised a hand, and pinned a bright red ribbon to the front of her hero outfit. She suppressed a grimace. "To thank you, we would be honored to appoint you as the city's official hero of the public in this time of uncertainty. Please, if you could, perhaps a small speech?"
She was surprised to see the crowd's earlier mood was gone, and instead smiling faces in awe looked up at her on the stage. Yin knew she was the most popular hero, but likable? She wasn't too sure about that. A beat passed, and the woman stood at the podium, reflected onto screens around the city.
"Well, Heartbeat City knows how to keep me on my toes, because I had not been expecting this." Yin paused as the crowd laughed, and continued. "Thank you for this great privilege. I hope I can continue to make you all proud, and keep our city safe." Her voice was low and gruff, with a slight rumble not unlike a tiger's purr, but she cracked a smile to finish it off and the lights of photographers flashed to capture the moment.
Whoever around the city had seen this moment now knew, just as well as Yin did, that a bright red target had been painted on her back.
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[div class=container]
[div class=charactername]HEARTLESS.[/div]
[div class=covercontainer][div class=coverpost]
CH. 1: WELCOME TO HEARTBEAT CITY!
The rumble of a motorcycle engine rumbles against the back alley’s brick walls. In the early morning light, the streets of Heartbeat City are dim, cast in a gentle blue light before the sun finally rises. Many say that instead of the city never sleeping, its heart keeps beating. The stacks of steam and smoke, keeping people’s homes warm, contributed to that effect. Autumn was slowly settling in with a bitter cold felt down to the bone. Tires squeal to a stop, and a rather tall young woman steps off to examine the various posters papering a wooden utility pole. From a missing persons flyer smiles the face of a young man, gone for five days by now, and Yin stares back. After a beat, she slips out a small black notebook from her pouch, and writes down his name onto a list.
Ten people missing within the last two months.
Yin frowns, eyebrows furrowed in visible distress; in her mind's eye she sees each face, each of them another life that she couldn’t protect. There is hope yet, but for now, the young hero mounts her motorcycle once more and continues on her patrol.
"Heartbeat City has been a beacon of hope for years, providing our world the best of the best! The world may be a dark place, but our bright lights continue to shine!"
Later in the day, the shining sun shook off most of the early morning chill, beaming down without so much as a cloud in sight. They were in the heart of Heartbeat City, amidst its civic center, with City Hall and the surrounding plaza decked out in a garish display of reds and blues. Citizens flooded the area, packed in behind the metal barriers, and cameras of news channels pointed at them from every angle. Towering above the crowds was a large stage, complete with more brightly American curtains, a few of the city and state's congressmen sitting in seats, and the mayor himself situated at the podium.
Jonas Von Closen was, simply put, an average man. Tall, but not too tall. Not too old, but not too young either. A regular, friendly face, with a neatly styled comb-over and a crisp navy blue suit. He was a people's man; handsome, agreeable, with an authoritative air that said "Yes, I'm the man in charge, but you don't have to worry about that too much."
Maybe that was why Yin disliked the man, deep in her gut. For now, however, the young woman kept her cool. The mayor's speech was met with much anticipation, and she could see the curiosity on the faces in the crowd. Rumors were flying around left and right these days, and Yin found it dizzying to keep up with. Talk of police corruption, of prejudiced laws in place, workplace discrimination; these were things she knew were true, but would likely be ignored. Many saw Heartbeat City as a futuristic city of their dreams, a marvel of incredible superheroes, amazing technological advancements, an enormous playground where the city never sleeps. Day to day life, however, was far more mundane. The glamour of it soon fell flat once you looked a little closer. And look closer, Yin did. Her patrols and assignments were meant to kept the elite safe, the knight for their ivory towers. She had been naive, keeping old money and grey faced politicians protected. A golden cage is still just a cage. Nowadays, of course, she still did her job, but Yin took the time to patrol through the neighborhoods of the less cared for. Were her efforts making a difference? She would like to think so. But, when it came to events like this, Yin could feel the bitterness like bile at the bottom of her throat.
The mayor seemed to be a nice man, and that was what made him dangerous.
"Citizens of Heartbeat City, I want you to know that I am a man committed to change. That's what nature is, isn't it? Always changing, always evolving. We know very well from experience just how disastrous sudden changes can be, though. Our city is not perfect, nor is any other city in the world. But, we are looking at these problems one at a time. Our policemen, congressmen, firefighters, politicians, anybody who can lend a helping hand is involved in continuing to improve what we already have."
His voice rang clear above the crowd, whose chatter soon hushed. Whether it be on the numerous virtual billboards around the city itself, or on the televisions, phones, and computers in the homes of citizens watching, wherever you would turn, the mayor's speech could be heard. His message was broadcast loud and clear. When the mayor spoke, he made sure that the people listened.
"I want you to know that I am listening. Your concerns, your questions, your comments, I hear them, and I care about what you all think. There have been rumors of corruption within our police force, and I do not take these kinds of allegations lightly. After conducting an internal investigation, which I was personally involved in, we have concluded there are no more such problems within the force."
At this, the noise from the crowds rose sharply - reporters raised their microphones, the news cameras continued to record his every word. "Have the accused police officers been fired?!" "What were your conclusions? What did you find out was happening?!" "How can the police force and the local government investigate itself?!"
"Please, do not worry any longer! These problems are being fixed, and Heartbeat City will continue to be protected by both our committed local law enforcement and our courageous heroes-"
A dull crash could be heard as a few metal barriers dropped, and a young reporter rushed up to the edge of the stage, a microphone in hand. Her voice, while smaller, could be heard over the mayor's microphone.
"Mayor Von Closen! What about the reports of numerous missing persons within the last few months? Are you going to reassure the public that this is being looked into?!"
Security moved in to pull her away by the time the chaos calmed down a few decibels, and Mayor Von Closen cleared his throat loudly.
"I have heard such talk about many missing persons within the last few weeks. So far, there have been no such official reports made yet, and so we cannot conduct a formal investigation. That is all I can say on the matter. However, this ties into a point I have been wanting to make. Not only is this to keep Heartbeat City updated on local happenings, but I wanted to take the time to commend the dedicated work our heroes have been doing. If you would please, Achilles."
Yin blinked at him, but said nothing as she stepped forward, closer to the podium. Whatever this was, she hadn't known about it.
"Your hard work and dedication has not gone unnoticed, miss Xiao Huo, or better known as the city's number one hero, Achilles." Von Closen smiled, and Yin briefly indulged in the idea of punching his lights out. He raised a hand, and pinned a bright red ribbon to the front of her hero outfit. She suppressed a grimace. "To thank you, we would be honored to appoint you as the city's official hero of the public in this time of uncertainty. Please, if you could, perhaps a small speech?"
She was surprised to see the crowd's earlier mood was gone, and instead smiling faces in awe looked up at her on the stage. Yin knew she was the most popular hero, but likable? She wasn't too sure about that. A beat passed, and the woman stood at the podium, reflected onto screens around the city.
"Well, Heartbeat City knows how to keep me on my toes, because I had not been expecting this." Yin paused as the crowd laughed, and continued. "Thank you for this great privilege. I hope I can continue to make you all proud, and keep our city safe." Her voice was low and gruff, with a slight rumble not unlike a tiger's purr, but she cracked a smile to finish it off and the lights of photographers flashed to capture the moment.
Whoever around the city had seen this moment now knew, just as well as Yin did, that a bright red target had been painted on her back.
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