On a certain TV screen, where a girl appeared with interference on her.
[Breakinzz]
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[Nezzzzws]
[Zzzzzz news!]
[We are the Daily Planet channel, we have breaking news]
[ On Wednesday morning, 3/9/xxxx, a horrific incident occurred in the town of xxxxx on 11th Street between the shopping center and the main road]
[A witness saw corpses on the road, corpses of four people]
[The corpses were violently and horribly dismembered, and their faces had been brutally cut off]
[Authorities sent hunters immediately upon the incident's occurrence, suspecting it was the act of a loose monster]
[But for a strange reason, they found no traces of monsters, and after an intensive search, they decided to close the case]
[However, another series of killings occurred in different places, and after an investigation, they managed to stop it]
[The shocking news is that this killing spree was not by a monster, but by a hunter!]
[Yes, as you heard, a hunter was responsible for these crimes, his name is Jack Charlesson]
[He was a hunter who had awakened just days prior, and it seems he decided to use his power to spill the blood of innocents]
[H.E.R.O.E.S. apprehended him and placed him in a special prison, sentencing him to life imprisonment without parole, for the crimes he committed against the innocent citizens he killed]
[This news has shaken the foundations of society. How could a hunter, whose job is to protect people, kill them?]
[And will all hunters also commit killing sprees in the future?]
[Can H.E.R.O.E.S. really handle this issue? And what if crimes like this happen in the future, how can they stop these while fighting monsters?]
[And how can we try to stop this?]
Somewhere outside, there were two cameramen, one holding a microphone, filming the street and conducting opinion interviews with a few people.
"Excuse me, but what is your opinion about hunters, especially after the Jack the Butcher incident?" asked the person.
"I don't know, I think his punishment is appropriate," spoke a woman.
"That bastard deserves execution, but because he's a hunter they just imprisoned him," spoke a man in his thirties.
"I honestly don't know, I'm scared for my children. I mean, what if they turn on us suddenly? There would be no one to stop them," replied a woman in her forties.
"I trust them. I mean, I trust H.E.R.O.E.S. Those people know their job," replied a person in his twenties.
"In my time, these people should have been put under mandatory training, but times have changed now," replied an old man.
"Well, my husband is a hunter and I trust him. Jack's case was special. I mean, we are all human in the end," replied a woman.
"In my opinion, I see the situation heading for disaster. How can we trust them when they commit crimes like this?"
Jack was imprisoned, but the damage was done and began to grow.
A violent wave of protests was caused against H.E.R.O.E.S. and hunters in general. The savior hunters in the public's eye had turned into something frightening and unknown.
But this was not the only disaster that occurred, as individuals who underwent mysterious mutations for unknown reasons began appearing; they started being called Mutants.
One year later... on a certain news broadcast on TV.
[It seems violent protests against H.E.R.O.E.S. are still ongoing because the criminal was a hunter]
[Yes, the incident of Jack the Butcher still haunts people's minds, where a hunter could turn into a mass murderer at any time]
[H.E.R.O.E.S. has decided to issue a statement regarding this matter]
[After all this absence, they are finally deciding to act?]
[Yes, Edward, it seems the incident has greatly affected the foundations of our society, and the hunter community significantly]
[Oh, here it is, it will start shortly]
A stage appeared where an African woman wearing dark blue clothes stood silently in front of the cameras, and as soon as it officially began, she spoke.
[Hello everyone, I am Amanda, and I am here to issue a statement from H.E.R.O.E.S. regarding this subject]
[The organization is also shocked that such a horrific event could occur. H.E.R.O.E.S. is doing its utmost to deal with this situation]
[These individuals who commit murders are being given a new name]
[Predators]
[People who use the hunter power they gained, for crime]
[Of course, we have solutions for this situation]
[The A.E.G.I.S. organization]
The word A.E.G.I.S. appeared behind Amanda, in white and blue.
[A.E.G.I.S. is a subsidiary organization of H.E.R.O.E.S., but with completely different goals]
[A.E.G.I.S.'s goal is to track down these Predators and bring them to justice. They are equipped with special tools for their missions.]
Amanda saw a person raising their hand and gestured for them to stand.
[I am Bishop from Channel 88, I have a few questions]
[Go ahead]
[What about those called Mutants?]
[Mutants? You mean those specific individuals who have developed strange mutations in their bodies?]
[Yes, many cases have appeared across the state. Some of them even have power equivalent to hunters. Tell me, what is H.E.R.O.E.S.'s stance regarding them?]
[Regarding that situation, I cannot tell you every detail, but H.E.R.O.E.S. has sent its top scientists to study this phenomenon, and they have discovered it's related to ordinary people being exposed to intense magical energy, and exhibiting strange mutations.]
[These are the Mutants.]
As soon as she said this, the journalists became agitated, worried, and murmured among themselves.
[Does this mean hunters can also turn citizens into monsters?]
[No, that is incorrect. People only become mutants specifically when trapped inside gates, near the gate core, due to a fissure appearing, or being captured by one.]
[And they do not become mutants through magic exposure. There's only a 5% chance. They become mutants when wounded by a monster, which transfers the infection to them.]
[The Forest of Despair is the best example of this. A person can stay there for months without becoming a mutant. It doesn't depend on the gate itself, but on the concentration of magical energy in the area around them.]
[I understand now.]
Bishop sat down, finished asking his questions.
[No cure has been discovered for them yet, but I assure you, the United States is doing everything in its power to find a cure for this condition.]
[I promise you we will save them.]
After Amanda finished her statement, she left and went off the stage. A large number of journalists tried to ask questions, but she departed.
In the depths of a H.E.R.O.E.S. laboratory....
There were many rooms, conducting surgical procedures on monsters and mutants. They were being dissected alive, in an inhuman manner. Specifically, they were opening the chest of a child mutant no older than 12, without any mercy. There was a person watching what was happening and recording every movement and procedure.
He noticed someone approaching and continued his work while observing the operation through the glass.
"So, have you found anything, Lucius?" asked Amanda.
"What exactly are you doing here, Amanda?" asked Lucius while continuing to write.
"I am here on behalf of the person whose calls you've been ignoring. I'm talking about the President, Lucius. Why aren't you answering his calls?" asked Amanda.
"Can't you see the situation here? I can't focus on my work if you call every five minutes."
"(Sigh) Just tell me what you've found about this condition?" asked Amanda tiredly.
"Condition? Condition?? Amanda, this is not a condition. It's quite the opposite," replied Lucius with a cold smile.
"What do you mean? Explain," replied Amanda.
"Those mutations are not caused by radiation or a mysterious virus. No, this transformation..."
"It's evolution."
"Evolution, you say?" Amanda repeated.
"Yes. When a disease spreads, the body evolves and builds immunity against it. This is exactly similar to these mutations."
"They actually help humans become stronger, and perhaps strong enough to confront disasters. With a little more study, we will be able to understand the course of human evolution," spoke Lucius while studying the test subjects in front of him.
"I am not asking you to study it. I want a cure. We need solutions for this crisis," shouted Amanda angrily.
"That's impossible. You cannot control evolution. This is a protective measure for all of humanity," replied Lucius.
"Then we will make sure to prevent its spread as much as possible," spoke Amanda.
"Amanda, what I think you will do, and what you will do, will not make you any different from the monsters in the gates," replied Lucius.
"We are all monsters, Lucius," spoke Amanda as she left.
"Fair point," spoke Lucius as he watched the child mutant slowly losing the life in its eyes while screaming in pain.
Lucius knew he was going to hell for this. Yet, he had to continue for the sake of humanity. It was just a matter of time until the situation changed, and he wondered what the future would hold.