Scoundrels and bounty hunters gather in a dingy tavern, their voices low in the gloom.
Soon, a lone woman pushes through the doors. The men turn to leer, not bothering to hide their
lust. But to a man, they turn away as quickly as they first looked, the color draining from the
faces. For the woman's left arm and leg are prosthetics, gleaming artificial limbs meant to
deliver one thing: death.
She strides to the wanted posters plastered on the bulletin board. One in particular
catches her eye. It reads: "WANTED FOR SERIAL MURDER OF YOUNG GIRLS"
It seems this one has a preferred victim. The image of the woman's late sister rises in her mind.
Flames of anger flare in her heart.
She peels the wanted poster off the board and takes her leave of the establishment. Her
mission in life is to find such men and snuff them out.
She walks slowly through the streets, searching for a lead. The shabby town is an
all-too-familiar sight. She has done this for times beyond counting. She has collected endless
bounties. But it was never for the money. In the end, hate is what drives her. Hate for all that
is evil in the world. But no matter how many evildoers she kills, the lives they steal never come
back. And evil never seems to diminish. A tiny seed of doubt begins to takes root in her heart.
But she balls her fist, crushing the poster in her grip. The seed withers and dies as she does.
She can never lose sight of her path. Her own power is the only thing that sustains her.
She finds the killer in a run-down manor at the edge of town. The moment she enters the
premises, she freezes. Countless traps lie in wait for her. Carefully, she picks her way forward,
avoiding them as best she can. She corners the killer in a back room.
He wears the face of a mean and cowardly man. But in his fear, the man begins to laugh
wildly. Behind him, bound in chains, is a young girl. The man scuttles over and wraps his arms
around her.
"No!" he cackles.
"You cannot have her! She is my magnum opus!"
He laughs. And laughs. And laughs. Suddenly, the woman's sword licks out and separates
the man's useless head from his body. He never saw it coming. Yet even in death, he
continues to smile.
With the killer dispatched, the woman moves to the girl and releases her bonds. But
the moment the last chain slips to the floor...
...the girl screams and attacks her. She holds a hidden knife in her hand.
"Like he taught me!" she cries.
"I'll do it just like he taught me!"
The woman has no choice but to act. Her prosthetic arm comes up to block the girl's attack
while her other plunges a sword into her chest.......
Light slowly returns to the girl's eyes. "Mommy...?" Her fingers extend, seeking a
happiness that has long abandoned her. Her strength wanes. Her breathing stops. The light
fades. Though the woman has never doubted her own strength, she finds herself faced with
a new question: What is my power even for? But the girl's corpse refuses to answer. In the
silence, the only sound is the dripping of her blood.