𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐙𝐀 massaged her temple, she had at least a level two migrane. Of course that wouldn't be complete without those fun loving period cramps! Esperanza let her head fall on her desk, face first. "Ugggghhh!" She groaned, with a mix of frustration and discomfort. "WHAT am I missing!" Esperanza yelled out in frustration.

"Uhhmmm...rest?" Answered her partner, Angela. Esperanza recognized the voice instantly seeing as she was the only Detective that had a country accent. Angela's been helping her on this case since the beginning. Before that even. Esperanza's head shot up to look at the voice before her, like a dear in the headlights.

Her hair was in a messy bun which was barely intact. It was also 90° in her office with no AC. This caused Esperanza to to take off her button down shirt. Leaving her in her tank top that she'd worn under. "Detective Lynn? What're you doing here?" Esperanza asked confused as to why her partner was here so early.

"Uhhmmm my job?" She answered with a puzzled expression on her face. "What?!" Esperanza yelped while checking the clock. [8:40 AM] At seening the time Esperanza swore under her breath and rushed to compose herself. She buttoned up her shirt and tucked it into her dress pants, and took her hair out of that, God-awful messy bun. Esperanza quickly ran her fingers through her hair and refreshed her make up.

"Okay, how do I look?" Esperanza asked Angela. "Like you rushed to get yourself back together." She replied with a smirk painted on her face. Esperanza rolled her eyes at Angela and checked herself using her blank phone screen. "I think I look great." She quipped.

"You stayed her all night didn't you?" Angela asked. "Mmm, maybe..." Esperanza answered vaguely as she closed her office door. "Of course you did. You have got to get a life hun." Angela retorted. "Rude!" Esperanza stated with offense while punching Angela's arm.

"Alright gather around everyone." Esperanza said loudly. The whole precinct stopped what they were doing and looked at her attentively. "We are officially considering these murders serial killings, there are over three victims with the same victimology, and M.O." Esperanza stated loudly.

Immediately the precinct began to fill with hushed voices. "Are you sure?" One the cops asked. "Yes, I'm very sure, all three of victims were brunette's with brown eyes, and they were all stabbed in the chest with a Riddle in their mouth's." Esperanza explained.

"Should we alert the public?" Another officer asked. "No, not yet, we have to find more information about this killer first before we notify the public." Esperanza answered.

"But they won't know, I have a daughter that looks like these victims! She deserves to know! The public deserves to know!" The officer protested and a few others joined in as well. Esperanza sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She didn't have time for this...

"Alright! That's enough!" She shouted. "This NOT a democracy! If we alert the public now then it'll just cause unnecessary panic and we'll have more pressure from the public than necessary and we'll spend more time fighting the press than we do fighting this killer." Esperanza explained.

"Now I understand your frustration. I've had to tell three families this week that their daughters are not coming home." She sympathized. "But telling public now wouldn't be the wisest course. If you have family or freinds that match the victimology keep them under close watch until we alert the public." Esperanza instructed silencing the few officer's who'd protested.

"Thank you very much, you all can get back to work " She dismissed. "So...this isn't gonna be easy is it?" Angela asked nervously.

"Nope, but I have a small team that I'm assembling for this case specifically, the best of the best, I've been thinking about starting a unit for some time now, and I think that this is the perfect push, as dark and grim as it may be..." Esperanza explained. "Okay, whatever you do I'll follow boss." Detective Lynn smiled confidentially.

"Y'know you really shouldn't trust me." Esperanza said. "Ha ha." She laughed dryly. "Ohhh I wasn't kidding, I'm selfish, and reckless, and I have no regard for my own personal saftey." Esperanza joked in a dull manner. "Let me guess your old Captain said that to you?" Angela guessed. "Yep, everytime I cracked a case." Esperanza confirmed.

"Although she wasn't exactly wronngggg..." Angela teased. Esperanza rolled her eyes and stepped into the elevator, the first name on the list was on the third floor. "Castellan Icarus, he's on the third floor, him and his unit deal with child predators, kidnapping and etcetera." Esperanza explained.

"Wait, Icarus? Like the man who flew too close to the sun?" Angela joked. Esperanza rolled her eyes. "Sure..." Anegla laughed. "Sooo, what exactly makes this guy so special...?" Angela asked curiously. "He's a genius, but just a heads up from what I've observed he's most definitely emotionally distant," Esperanza started,

"So if he doesn't exactly match your energy that'd be why, nothing personal." Esperanza forewarned. Angela nodded. "Soooo...how do you know he's s genius exactly...?" Angela asked. "The Holden Case..." Esperanza stated simply. Angela's mouth dropped open a little bit and her brows raised.

"So...this guy is the real deal then huh?" Angela asked still looking a little gobsmacked. "Saw him work myself, he has great potential." Esperanza praised."But, do me a favor, don't mention the case to him." Esperanza warned.

"I can't even think about the case myself...I mean the guy tried to kill the baby, which is especially heinous..." Angela said while shuddering a bit at the thought of the case.

The elevator door opened. Esperanza and Angela stepped out of the elevator and walked into the office heads slowly peered from their desks and paper. Their eyes following Esperanza, if she was down here it meant something was seriously wrong.

"Detective Icarus." Esperanza said while walking over to him as he finished working on this case. "Hello Miss Gonzalez." Icarus greeted. "Is there a matter that was concerning you in my performance?" He inquiried. "No. Your good performance is actually why I'm here." Esperanza explained.

Castellan raised his brow, intrigued. "I'm forming a team for a case that I'm working on. You're going to be working on that team." Esperanza informed. "Am I to refer to you as boss now?" Castellan asked in a joking manner.

"Eh, I already look scary I don't think I want other people to think I'm mafia, or something." Esperanza joked. She had been mistaken as a mobster quite a few times actually. With the small scar across her eyebrow, her musclses, tattoos, and her fashion choice she has gotten a few worried glances on the street.

"No, we wouldn't want that now would we?" Icarus stated. Angela, Esperanza, and Icarus walked into the elevator. "So...on this...team, I have to work with other people...?" Icarus asked with a hint of displeasure in his voice. "Yes, Detective Icarus, it's a team..." Angela quipped.

The atmosphere in the elevator got a bit tense. Esperanza cleared her throat and opened another file. "Danielle Singer, child prodigy. She's 26 years old. She joined the force four years ago and already went from Cop to Detective. She one of the NYPD's best." Esperanza explained, essentially giving them a short summary of Danielle's file.

"Her being a Detective after four years of being a cop speaks for itself." Icarus said as he read over Danielle's file before handing it to Angela and she began to read the file as well. "So uhh...technically she makes her suspects sing like a canary..." Angela joked. She always had a habit of making puns. Esperanza couldn't tell if they actually funny or so bad that they became funny.

"Yeah...saw that one coming..." Esperanza said as she nodded awkwardly. Detective Icarus couldn't help but give Angela a quizzical glance. Angela just stared back him in confusion. Esperanza could feel the awkwardness in the air elevator. Angela opened her mouth to inquire of something but the elevator opened at just the right time.

Danielle sat at her cubicle looking at a case file intently as if the gears were turning in her head. Then her face lit up as if she'd been hit with an epiphany. She quickly wrote something down and put it pocket. "C-Captain Gonzalez, ma'am, just who I was on my way to see..." Danielle smiled as Esperanza walked towards her desk.

"Perfect because I was coming to talk to you as well, lets go to the elevator." Esperanza said quickly while guiding Danielle to the office. "Uh- wh- oh, okay..." Danielle said. Icarus could tell that the girl was definitely a bit star struck.

Esperanza mainly stayed in her office which was at the very top of the building. Esperanza also mainly dealt with more high-profile cases. Quite a few eyebrows would raise when she'd turn her attention to what seemed to be ordinary cases.

"Why have come to get me exactly?" Danielle asked the initial shock wearing off. "All will be explained in the lift..." Icarus said as he motioned in the direction the elevator or "the lift." As Icarus had called it. "Okay..." Danielle said with slight confysion in her voice. Once everyone had entered the elevator Esperanza began to explain things to Danielle.

"So, I-I'll be joining a unit under you? Why me? I've not been a Detective for a long time..." Danielle asked she'e always been a confident woman but she was puzzled as to why she'd been selected for this position when she'd only been a Detective for a year.

"Yes, and that's what's impressive about you Detective Singer, you've already made a name for yourself in such short notice. Not many people have done so." Esperanza explained. Danielle looked taken aback by Esperanza's remark. "T-Thank you ma'am..." Danielle replied with a nervousness in her voice.

Esperanza winced at being called "ma'am." She clicked her tongue before saying, "Just Captain Gonzalez is fine." Danielle nodded, "So, what case will we be working on first?" Danielle inquried. The elevator fell silent and a grim atmosphere entered the elevator.

Angela broke the awkward "Have you watched the new lately Detective Singer?" Angela inquried with a quirked brow. "I have, assume this is about the serial killer that's on the loose." Danielle stated, answering her own question.

"Yes, there is, he's been trying to get our attention and now he has it." Esperanza stated, "What he doesn't know is that getting our attention was the worst move he could make." Esperanza confidently stated.