Nicholas Mendoza

Detective Nicholas "Nick" Mendoza is the main protagonist an playable character in the single player campaign of Battlefield Hardline. He is a young Cuban immigrant working as a Miami Vice detective who is traveling the country to stop his former partners who have gone corrupt and bring them to justice.

History
"You tell me, man. His job was torturing prisoners, and he liked to bring his work home, you know what I mean?"

- Nick to "Boomer" on his father.

Nicholas Mendoza was born on 1987 to Hector Mendoza and unnamed mother in Havana, Cuba. Nick's father was part of the Cuban Secret Police, torturing prisoners and bring his work back at home, abusing his wife and son. Hector was assigned and succeeded in sanction-assassinating targeted by the force. Eventually, Hector was executed by the Cuban Government for being an "enemy of the people". Nick mother took him from Cuba and immigrated themselves into Miami, Florida. Nick stated she was a strong woman and always kept him out of trouble from the streets, such when Miami became crime filled area (likely during the 1990's).

Joining the Miami's Department
Nick, seeing crime in his childhood and effect of his father, wanted and became "a real cop" to stop criminals in Miami. Mendoza joined the police department during the 2000s, passing through the desk and keeping a high reputation. Before being promoted to Detective, he lost two friends who were patrolmen six months prior to criminal shootings.

In 2012, Mendoza met and was mentored by Sergeant Carl Stoddard and became at good terms with him. Nick, becoming a "rookie" Detective in Miami's Vice Squad, was under Captain Dawes, and had little contact, but did know Detective Khai Minh Dao.

Events of Hardline
"Oh, you heard this before, huh?"

- Detective Mendoza to Shea Dorsett in the "Prologue".

In 2012, Detective Mendoza is partnered with Sergeant Stoddard on a drug bust, simply being a arrest turns into a violent shoot out. After checking for any clues, Shea Dorsett, warrant criminal runs away from the scene, the duo than chase him in the Police Interceptor and take down his Muscle Car. Dorsett, who yells of his rights is apprehended.

After the drug bust, Captain Dawes partners Mendoza with Detective Khai (who states his last time on field was "a clusterfuck"). The two are ordered to locate and bring in Tyson Latchford on the Hot Shot drugs. Nick and Khai drive through a Miami neighborhood and stop near the projects to begin looking for Tyson. In order to avoid alerting the locals in the area, the two continue into the projects on foot. The two get in information from Brix, and apprehend Tyson's old friend Tap from the couch. They plan to wire "Tap" to make a drug deal with Tyson. The plan goes successful, until Lawrence Kent and his men kill Tyson's associate, "Tap" flees as the detectives engage in a shoot out.

The duo go in, but find Tyson is at another location, and was monitored on a lab top. Nick makes an option to protect him, but Tyson refuses. Khai puts an IP on the lab top, and the duo go to his location. Going in, Khai is shot in her artery when Tyson collects his things, resulting Nick and Tyson to protect her from countless thugs. SWAT Team killed the rest of the criminals and enter, bringing Tyson into custody.

Captain Dawes than sends the two to locate and quietly secure Leo Ray to get information about the drug in Columbian waters. The two make a deal, but Leo wanted to meet with Dawes, and is about to leave with his package. But Khai (whom he mocked) knocks out his associate, as a standoff is headed, other criminals attack them as Ray flees.

Escaping Prison (2015)
Serving 3 years in the FDC, Mendoza became vengeful from betrayal. He intentionally became aggressive towards the Bus Guard whom mocked him for being a "corrupted cop". During the years, he and other prisoners were taken to another station when "Tap" Milstein talks to him, he tells of a plan going down with Tyson. Tyson appears in his muscle car, and plants C4 on the bus, detonating it. Mendoza, freed is helped by Tap who tells him to reach the Tower, as Tap goes back to prison. Fleeing from cops, and makes his way to the tower and starts dialogue with Tyson. The two than run away from helicopters and Nick meets Khai once again, he refuses to go with them, but eventually does.

Appearance
Nicholas was born a Cuban, but after being immigrated into America (Miami) as a Cuban-American. He appears to have a birth mole on the left side of his face and stands at 5'11 in (1,80 m) with a slim figure. His hair is black and eyes are brown.

In the 2012 episodes, Nick wears police gear with a bullet proof vest with casual button down clothing underneath, black pants with his badge at his side. His hair slicked back, combed neatly, and he is clean shaven. During the final 2012 episode, he wears a MPD Jacket during the storm incoming in Miami.

In the 2015 episodes, in Episode 5, he wears a prison suit until he is saved by Tyson and Khai. He's grown a beard in his three years. His casual clothing is a black leather jacket, the cuffs flipped, a red shirt and blue jeans. During Episode 8, he wears only a button down shirt and blue jeans in the Mojave Desert. During the final two episodes, he changes into a rogue black jumper suit to infiltrate into Preferred Outcomes and Santa Rosita.

Personality
"Stoddard said that about you .... That you love being a cop."

- Khai in Episode 1.

If there's one thing Nick loved being was cop (or by his terms a "real cop"). Due to his father effects and abuse, he wants justice to be serve and has the desire to clean up Miami from the drug war. To many of his partners or leaders, they give him the "by the book" and "rookie detective" initiative, but was given respect for his skills on the field. Mendoza was incorruptible and true blue detective, as shown when he refuses to take Remy Neltz's money by Stoddard and Khai.

Nick was honest, trustworthy, hard-working, bold, eye-catcher, resourceful and effective cop on the force. Though not naïve, he was gullible as shown when he was arrested, shocked by Khai's betrayal. He also was known to get frustrated with Khai's impulsive temper issues and Stoddard not watching the room in the Prologue, but cares for their safety (until Stoddard was revealed to be a corrupted cop). His strongest flaw was with view of being a good guy, this could be with his view of joining something good, makes him a good person.

"That was the "old" Nick."

- Nick to Dawes in Episode 10. After he was betrayed by Dawes and Khai who were corrupted cops alongside Stoddard, and put blame on Neltz's missing money. This and his mother's death when he was prison caused Mendoza to change naturally, becoming aggressive, having trust issues (shortly), determined, vengeful and ruthless man. After being broke out, he became perseverant to Stoddard and Dawes, wanting revenge on the two, he refused to let it go, and kept this as way of seeking "justice". He also appeared to suffer from something during prison, as he claims to cop (whom he knocked out) he wasn't going back. Intentionally, he learns that he didn't have to a cop to serve justice or clean up Miami. His determination, and final realization that he was more of a criminal than a cop, came to terms and immediate exact of murdering Dawes without hesitation.

His relation with Dawes has a major similarity, the two both change after losing people they cared about, both become more criminals during their change, stealing and killing anyone who stood in their way, but difference is, Dawes was a realist, as Nick was just a victim of being convinced of being a cop, he was one of the good guys.

Trivia

 * He is the first protagonist in the Battlefield series to be of Hispanic descent, being a Cuban-American.
 * In the episode Sovereign Land, a character incorrectly refers to Mendoza as Mexican. This is a generalization made by the character, rather than an oversight.


 * He is clean-shaven until the level Gauntlet, at which point he is seen with a beard.


 * Mendoza is from a criminal family, having been stated to be the first legitimately employed member of his family for generations.


 * He is the first protagonist in the Battlefield series to speak during gameplay (barring Recker in Battlefield 4 quietly cursing in the beginning of Baku).