MAPLE VALLEY – DAY
A clean, sunlit skyline opens the frame.
Tall corporate towers gleaming with mirrored glass.
Tree-lined avenues bustling with students, workers, and commuters.
Church bells echoing from St. Renwick Cathedral.
And in the distance—WESTRIDGE UNIVERSITY, its historic clocktower rising proudly over the campus quadrangle.
Maple Valley, unlike the dark alleys of New Atlantis, breathes with life.
Vibrant. Safe. Human.
A city that hides its secrets under sunshine.
---
DOWNTOWN MAPLE VALLEY
A sleek INN field car pulls up near a modern office block.
JAXON STEEL steps out — leather jacket, hair slightly messy, eyes alert yet curious.
Despite the seriousness of the case, there's a spark to him.
A kinetic energy.
A guy who runs on instinct, charm, and caffeine.
He exhales.
[Agent Steel]:(under his breath)Alright, Maple Valley… show me what you're hiding.
He approaches the building — Police lines. Spectators. Media drones humming overhead.
CRIME SCENE PERIMETER — MOMENTS LATER
Detective MARA KENSINGTON (40s, sharp, skeptical) spots Steel weaving through the crowd.
[KENSINGTON]:Agent Steel.You're early. Again.
[Agent Steel]:Professional flaw. I'm working on it.
She almost smiles. Almost.
[KENSINGTON]:Same M.O. as the previous victims. Clean cut. Surgical precision.
But Maple Valley isn't that kind of place.
Steel crouches near the cordon, studying marks on the pavement.
[Agent Steel]:Places change, Detective.
People don't.
If he's escalating… he's getting comfortable.
---
CRIME SCENE — SCANT DETAILS EMERGE
As Steel inspects:
– A faint burn pattern on the concrete
– A trace of microfiber, synthetic and oddly organic
– And on the wall… a symbol scratched too lightly to be noticed by most.
A coil. Almost like a serpent's curve.
Subtle. Faint.
Steel leans closer.
[Agent Steel]:(whisper)Serpent…
Kensington notices his whisper.
[KENSINGTON]:You said something?
[Agent Steel]:Just thinking out loud.
It helps me look smarter.
---
– Students pouring out of Westridge University, discussing exams and part-time jobs
– A wedding couple taking photos near Trinity Park
– A charity market filling the main square
– Tram lines carrying commuters across downtown glass districts
A bright city. Harmonious.
The perfect place for the Fallen Love story to unfold — and the perfect place to hide growing danger.
---
SIDEWALK — STEEL'S PHONE BUZZES
He answers.
[Agent Steel]:Yeah, Steel here.
[Dr. Susan Thomas]: (in phone)(Gentle tone, calm, friendly)Jaxon… it's me. Any progress at the site?
Steel's expression softens — just slightly.
[Agent Steel]:Trying to make sense of it. Maple Valley feels… too clean for a killer like this.
It's like he's walking through a painting without disturbing the colors.
[Dr. Susan Thomas]:(smiles through voice)
Don't underestimate small cities. People hide the deepest shadows behind the brightest lights.
[Agent Steel]:Thanks for the pep talk, Doc.
And… thanks for checking in.
[Dr. Susan Thomas]:Of course. Someone has to make sure you don't run into trouble.
Steel laughs — light, casual, unaware of the irony.
[Agent Steel]:Trouble usually runs into me first.
They share a brief, warm silence.
[Dr. Susan Thomas]:Keep me updated.And don't skip lunch.
[Agent Steel]:No promises.
Call ends.
He pockets the phone — unaware that nearby, a security camera with a faint, nearly-invisible serpentine distortion flickers as he walks away.
CRIME SCENE – BACK WITH KENSINGTON
[KENSINGTON]:Steel, take a look at this.
She hands him a small evidence pouch.
Inside:
A sliver of bio-synthetic fiber, faintly pulsing.
Steel frowns.
[Agent Steel]:This doesn't belong to any licensed biotech manufacturer.
Definitely not Maple Valley tech…
He turns it over with tweezers.
[Agent Steel]:…someone's importing something.
Or someone.Something off the record.
[KENSINGTON]:You thinking what I'm thinking?
[Agent Steel]:Not sure. But I'm hoping I'm wrong.
He pockets the thought.
Not the evidence.
---
MAPLE VALLEY SKYLINE — SUNSET
Steel stands at the edge of the crime scene, looking out at the glowing towers, the peaceful parks, the students heading home.
[Agent Steel]:(soft, reflective) If a serpent is crawling through this city…
…it's hiding exactly where people feel safest.
His eyes narrow — determined.
This city won't stay peaceful for long.
The investigation continues.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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