An NYPD helicopter flew across the East River to the mainland. The pilots had their eyes on the Aesir Corporation building. Standing alone on the roof of the building was Max Payne, with a cheeky little smile.

"To make any sense of it, I have to go back three years. I was a detective in the NYPD back then, North precinct. Hell's Kitchen. Alex Baldar, a friend of mine asked, 'Hey, Max, when are you going to transfer to my division?' 'You'd put me undercover in some shithole. Nope, Michelle and the baby come first.' I snuffed the cigarette I was smoking and left it in the ashtray. 'See? My last one. It's bad for the baby.' I said. Alex replied, 'That's you, Max, regular boy scout.' 'See you, Alex.' 'You still on for poker thursday night?' I walked away, saying, 'Like taking candy from a baby.'"

"Life was good. The sun setting on a sweet summer's day, the smell of freshly mowed lawns, the sounds of children playing… A house across the river, on the Jersey side. A beautiful wife and a baby girl. The American Dream come true. 'Honey, I'm home!' But dreams have a nasty habit of going wrong when you're not looking. The sun went down with practiced bravado. Twilight crawled across the sky, laden with foreboding. I didn't like how the show had started, but they gave me the best seat in the house. Front row center."

Max stepped into the darkened house. The initial hallway was completely turned over and the cabinet directly across from him sat open. Max didn't take off his coat, but slid his beretta out of the shoulder holster. He advanced through the hallway into the foyer. He muffled shout flew into his ears from upstairs. Max picked up the phone on a table. There was already someone on the line.

"'Listen! Someone's broken into my house. Call 911.' I said to the unknown listener. A cold and elder-like voice came from the speaker. 'Is this the Payne residence?' she asked. 'Yes, someone's broken into my house! You have to-' I was cut off by the voice. 'Good. I'm afraid that I cannot help you.' The other end clicked, but I tried to ask, 'Who is this? Hello?' I never received the answer."

Max threw the phone down, and went upstairs. A baby was crying. Another muffled yell, this time saying, "No, please!" reached his ears before another gunshot silenced the crying. Max stepped up on the landing, and turned. The door across from him, the baby's room, opened and a man Max had never seen stood there. He wore a green jumpsuit and held a pistol. He yelled crazily before Max shot him down. He ran into the room and saw, to his horror. the crib, toppled over, and stained with blood.

A small heap was on the ground, covered in a wet red blanket. Another gunshot ringed Max out of a daze and he stepped through another door, into the bedroom he shared with his wife. Another deranged man, looking like the first, stood by the bed. Max shot him. The bathroom door swung open revealing a third man, identical in clothing, to the first two. Max had shot him as well and the house was plunged into silence.

"It took me a while to take in the scene. Lying on the bed, was Michelle, with a gunshot wound through her chest. I slowly walked up to her and knelt on the bed"

Noooooooooooo!" Max had yelled.

"That was three years ago, everything was ripped apart in a New York minute. The three killer junkies had been high on a new designer drug, Valkyr, V. After the funeral, I told Alex that I'd transfer to DEA. It took us nearly three years to get a break on the Valkyr case. Then finally, two months ago, we learned that Jack Lupino, a mob-boss in the Punchinello crime family, was trafficking. I went undercover, infiltrated the worst Mafia family in New York."