It Happened at Westbrook

[MsBloom]

Blair & Alexa @Inkybus (Schro)

Having dragged the teller downstairs and now facing the vault Blair had a moment of doubt in just how strong they actually were. Of course they had tested their strength since the transformation but the door to the vault looked absolutely solid, built to withstand most attempts at breaking through without the proper authorisation. Of course they didn't show this doubt, which in the end only lasted a few seconds. That would have been quite counterproductive and a sign of weakness.

Instead they casually tossed the teller up against the wall and confidently walked up to the door. They looked at it as if to study it, to look for any potential weak spots.
"You're not seriously thinking of just pulling it open," the teller spoke weakly.
"I mean from what they say around the office they tried to pull it open with a semi during testing and ended up burning the clutch."
"Shut up," Blair retorted and turned towards the man cowering by the wall.
"Or I'll put your head through the wall."
They then grabbed hold of the big wheel on the front of the door and began to pull. As they did their muscles seemed to swell up from the effort until their biceps were the size their thighs used to be and their thighs thick as an elephant's leg.

It took a few minutes and a lot of grunting but slowly the metal began to yield and as soon as it did it wasn't long before the thick titanium door was open. It was about then Blair heard the sirens trickling down from upstairs.
"Good," they said.
"The cops are here. Now you be a good little human and run upstairs and tell them what you just saw."
They then walked into the vault as their muscles began to return to normal again.

Upstairs Alexa informed Schro that they would have a much better chance if they killed all the lights in the bank and closed the reinforced steel shutters.
"The cops won't be able to look inside and I can make better use of my powers," she explained.

Su-Ji @Frozen Princess (Ginger)

After lunch Su-Ji and Ginger returned to the college where Su-Ji first went to the dorms to check on Nef. Just to make sure she wasn't getting herself into trouble but after a brief conversation between the two felines Su-Ji grabbed her laptop and tablet from her room and was just about to head out the door again when the text came through. It was a group text from Erin with a few numbers she didn't recognise. Something was obviously about to go down, something where Erin seemed to think that perhaps the newly formed group of people affected by the meteor could be useful.
She backed into her room again and left the door ajar to allow Nef to enter if she decided to come in. Next she called Ginger and began to browse for News 3 on her tablet to watch for whatever Breaking News was about to be reported.
"I'm assuming you're watching News 3 too," she asked the moment Ginger answered the call.

Edith @Frozen Princess (Sapphire)

Edith had heard the sirens as well and was already grabbing two small hand held cameras before Sapphire told her to. She showed one down her backpack and handed the other to Sapphire as she passed the reporter on the way out the door.
"Look, I know you probably won't want to mess up your hair in case you have to do a report on scene but we will get there faster on my bike. They can send the back up team after us with broadcasting equipment if we need to go live. Or we can use the WiFi on our phones to broadcast unofficially, should the boss not want to remove our gag."
She pushed the helmet into Sapphire's arms and started up her bike, put her own helmet on and as soon as she felt Sapphire wrap her arms around her she took off, following the sound of the sirens which took them to the First Bank of Westbrook where SWAT was already setting up a perimeter with snipers on the room opposite the bank by the time they arrived.

Loni: Leaving Westbrook Police Department District 3 @Frozen Princess

"So where do you want to go. It's almost lunch. Or ... if you're not feeling the need for food we could maybe skip the rest of the day and head on home for a different kind of eating."
Loni smiled and gave Windy a playful slap on the ass.

 

[Frozen Princess]

@Inkybus
Capitol Airport 2pm (Marko)

Olivia gave what was fast becoming what had to be her trademark smirk.

"Why would it be anything less? You've done Cordonia a huge service, here Marko, and I definitely owe you one for it. One thing you'll learn about me, is I'm always serious about helping people, especially those deserving. You're deserving and a Lythikan always repays her debts. You have my cell for whenever you wish to cash it in. I hope to see you in Westbrook in about a week to ten days, then."

She gave a little salute, grabbed her rolling suitcase and headed into the airport terminal, and her flight to Europe, with a stop in New York.


Central Theatre sometime just before the show (Amaya)

Rebecca looked over to Amaya. "No older than 20 according to the synopsis, but it's not a romance, nor is it meant to be anything except platonic, according to the original playwright. Despite how some have portrayed the play on stage. I'm actually hoping this is more what the playwright had envisioned. I hate when people want to ship everything without looking at the premise. This is one of those times when platonic, the OG story if you will, works best."

------------------------------------------------------------

Westbrook 3:45pm

Leaving District 3 (Loni) @MsBloom

"As much as I'd love to take you up on that latter, especially, it's quarter to four and I'm getting famished again. You're more than welcome to come home with me, I'm sure Mom will want to talk off your ear, tell you about the glory days of the Golden Spoon while it was a malt shoppe only, and after my big bowl of salad, and a PBJ, we can do our homework together, and maybe a little playtime?" Just as she leaned in for a kiss, she got the text. With a grimace, she read it, and handed her phone to Loni to read. "So much for a quiet night at home. Well, for me. Guess we turn on the news when we get home."

Across the street from the bank (Edith) @MsBloom

Sapphire shook her head, "We catch anything that doesn't normally happen at a bank heist with hostages... I.E. Any show of superhuman abilities, West will have to pull the story. Besides, it's not him gagging us. It's the mayor with the okay from the FCC, who I'm positive from the research I did this afternoon, DON'T know the whole story, otherwise the government would already be swarming us. No, we do this like a couple of MeTube vloggers. Let's split up, and go live on our own MeTube channels." She gave Edith an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "Make me proud."

She then turned on her mic, positioned her camera on the scene, and began her opening to her online viewers. "Hi everyone, I know it's been a while but you know how work is. Newshound, here, and as you can see, Hill Street is having some excitement, and it's focused on the bank, sure hope nobody i know is in there right now. Streets already cordoned off as you can see, Hounders..."

Police @Inkybus @MsBloom

As Captain Fitzpatrick barked orders and pointed out where officers and SWAT needed to be stationed, Erin took initiative, raised a bullhorn to her lips, and called to the bank. "This isn't going to end well for you in there. Why don't you tell us what you really want, and release your hostages. Nobody has to die today. This can be worked out."

Miles away @ Delta Lambda Pi Fratority (Su-Ji) @MsBloom

Ginger had the news on. "Nothing, Su-Ji. I did get an alert that Newshound is back..." After checking, Ginger rushed to Su-Ji's room, and showed the first person streaming video with the small red live in the bottom left corner. "Get on MeTube! Newshound is actually streaming live from Hill Street! Near the bank! I'll bet anything the parking lot she's shooting from is Westbrook High! I forgot First was even near there, but that's where I started my account because of the proximity to the school! I haven't seen her post anything in about a month, and I don't remember the last time she went live!"

 

[Inkybus]

Bank in District 3 - Schro @MsBloom (Blair & Alexa)

Schro hummed to himself as with his left eye he looked through the eyes of the SWAT team leader, who had been briefed on the situation and given a photograph of the Terrible Trio. Since the SWAT officer had seen Schro in the picture, like the rest of the group, his perception now was under the gangbanger's sway.

"A SWAT team is coming: they are authorised to kill on sight, since we are armed and threaten violence."

He informed his co-criminals through a quick flex of his power, the disembodied hallucination of a voice speaking to them as though he were hovering above them… almost in the manner of a highschool announcer-speaker, perhaps, while Blair busied themselves in the vault. Then, he considered Alexa's suggestion for fortifying the place somewhat.

"We can do that. There is a panel for the lights near the alarm, over there."

He pointed at the place for Alexa's benefit. Then, he pointed the gun at the stairs leading down to the vault: the teller came running out like all the bats from hell were flying behind him.

"Welcome back, buddy: you can walk, now, no need for running."

The teller almost voided his bowels all over again, before he understood the gesture Schro had made towards the door: then, with his hands raised in surrender, he walked. Step after step, until he was out of the bank and then he ran towards the cordoned-off street filled with policemen. There, he would tell them what he had witnessed inside the bank, to Schro's nonchalance.

A voice from outside loudly proclaimed that they should let the hostages go, as no one had to die today: Schro smiled to himself and put his duffel bag down, taking out a fully charged megaphone of middling quality. He tested it and it crackled to life in a very amusing manner: the feedback of the loudspeaker electronic was annoying. Exactly how he liked it.

Picking up one of the hostages that didn't have his legs bound together, Schro used him as a human shield, with the megaphone jutting out beside the hostage's head and the combat knife placed near the neck of his victim: if he stumbled wrong, he was liable to have a cut-open throat. With another CRACkle and a bit of very aggravating, almost hurtful, bit of sound feedback, he yelled back at the law enforcement speaker.

"How about an exchange? We have fourteen heads over here: we can exchange four for an officer called Erin… Holmes. Erin Holmes for four chumps, how about it?"

Capitol | Theatre - Amaya "Melia" Sosa @Frozen Princess (Rebecca)
"That's good. For a moment, I worried about the original story being deplorable, like the Taming of the Shrew. Or the Sleeping Beauty."

Amaya said, with relief on her face.

Capitol Airport - Marko @Frozen Princess (Nevrakis)
Marko's countenance bettered and a faint smile ghosted over his pale lips. He was happy to hear that this was not some sort of pressured invitation or something like that: he acknowledged her with a nod.

"Glad to hear it, Olivia."

He was not going to address her like a stranger: he addressed her as she did him, reciprocating anything he dealt with.

After watching her leave, Marko returned to the driver's seat and turned on the ignition: he began the return back to Westbrook, peeling off the parking spaces and following traffic laws to a T.

 

[MsBloom]

Loni: Leaving Westbrook Police Department District 3 @Frozen Princess

"Sure. I don't mind," Loni said and prepared to receive the kiss Windy was obviously about to give her before she was rudely interrupted by her phone.
"The news?" Loni asked and before Windy could explain pulled her in for that interrupted kiss.

Edith: Outside the bank @Frozen Princess (Sapphire)

It made sense for them not to go public, officially, with what they both suspected was about to go down. At least Edith assumed that Sapphire too expected the bank heist to be related to what had happened at the Golden Spoon, that it was the same person holding up the bank who had caused the commotion there.

She nodded at her boss, opened up the MeTube app and connected her phone to the handheld camera through Fairhair (Bluetooth) before going live. She then pointed the camera at the bank, searching with her photographer's eye for something worth filming as she narrated in a whisper just loud enough for the microphone to pick up.

For the moment there was little worthy of any real attention so she kept the narrative to what little was known, that person or persons unknown had taken over the bank with the intention of robbing it, or at least that was the general theory. She also added her own suspicion regarding the perpetrator of the heist.
"I believe it could be the same person I witnessed outside the Golden Spoon this Monday at lunch, as you can see on my previously uploaded video which I can barely believe is still up ..."
She interrupted herself when she noticed the main entrance to the bank opening and a clearly terrified man in his mid thirties exited with his hands in the air.
"Looks like we have some development."

Blair & Alexa @Inkybus (Schro)

Alexa confirmed that she had noticed the panel Schro pointed at and fired a few shadow bullets at it which caused the lights to go out all over the bank. That was much more comfortable for her as she now could take on her shadow form rather than just using its secondary attributes.

While Schro busied himself with informing the police and public outside that they were prepared to exchange four of the hostages for one specific police officer Alexa finished tying up the 10 that was to remain with them and then gathered the other three that was to join Schro's human shield should the police accept their offer.

Downstairs in the vault Blair switched on the headlamp when the lights went out and continued to gather up the content of the vault.

Edith: Outside the bank @Frozen Princess (Sapphire)

Shortly after the man had been grabbed by a police officer and dragged off to safe distance the door opened again. This time two men appeared, one of which was clearly in disguise and as such most likely one of the villains.

Edith raised an eyebrow and cast a glance at Sapphire. This was indeed an interesting, and disconcerting, development. She remembered the way that kid at the Golden Spoon had talked to Detective Holmes, hinting at some broken promise a long time ago that they seemed to still carry a grudge about. She also remembered what the kid had said to her as they exited the Golden Spoon about wanting respect as well as threatening to be back and for a lot more than a free meal. This was probably what they had meant.
"I have a feeling that this heist is about a lot more than just robbing a bank," Edith whispered into the microphone.
"This might be personal somehow and Detective Holmes is the real target."

Captain Fitzpatrick: Outside the bank @Frozen Princess (Erin) @Inkybus (Schro)

Captain Kate Fitzpatrick looked at Erin after the robbers had made their offer.
"I think this is entirely up to you Erin. Don't ask me why but them asking for you specifically seems personal somehow. If you do decide to go in I want you to at least be wearing a hidden microphone and a GPS tracker. Tech could probably have you ready in just a few minutes.

Su-Ji @Frozen Princess (Ginger)

Newshound was indeed back.
"Look," Su-Ji said and pointed at one of the recommended live streams to the right of the main frame.
"There's another streaming live from the bank too."
The other live stream was called TheVigilantEye, the same unidentified person who had uploaded the video from the Golden Spoon incident, though Su-Ji had her suspicions it was in fact Edith.

Since Ginger already had Newshound live Su-Ji opened TheVigilantEye's stream to give them both perspectives.
"You think this could be our so-called PR team?" she asked Ginger.

Ella: Washington Square Park, New York City. @Frozen Princess (As yet unnamed government agent - Special Agent Jane Miller?).

Ella had just finished her lunch by the chess tables and was just about to finish the game she had played with an elderly lady of Russian descent when the alarm she had connected to the small hidden camera outside her dorm room alerted her to the presence of someone knocking on the door. She took her phone out and checked the feed. It was a blonde woman in her mid thirties, rather hot by Ella's standards but she also reeked of government official.
"Fuck!" Ella exclaimed as she rose from the chair and almost without thinking about it moved her knight to B3 effectively ending the game in a check mate.
"мне жаль (I'm sorry in Russian)," she said and left the table heading for the dorms.

Whoever was at her door she was sure it had something to do with the information she had dug up for Edith and while she tried to figure out how to get into her room to get her laptop and a change of clothes she thought about texting Edith on their encrypted channel to warn her but thought the better of it. If they had found her this quickly after picking up the conversation it was likely they were tracking her phone as well. She dumped it in the nearest trashbin after having removed the sim card and burnt it with a cigarette lighter. She then bought a baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses and too the long way around back to the dorm building where she hid in the shadows waiting for the agent to leave and follow the last ping from her phone.

 

[Frozen Princess]

Earlier, Wednesday afternoon, before the bank heist:

Washington State Park, New York City 1:50pm Eastern time. (Ella) @MsBloom

Jane knocked on the door of the suspected hacker again. It had been her idea to have a discussion with the woman before using a search warrant for property. "Agent Miller to base. Go ahead with the search warrant. We've tried the nice way..." She turned to a device to turn it up, then got the ping, and knowing that, well, government, she wouldn't have the warrant for at least three hours... The most... "Following phone's ping, now."

Leaving out the front of the building, and after fifteen minutes, including five digging through the trash can. "Suspect likely is our hacker confirmed. I just found proof. Bring the van. I need this area swept." She promptly dropped the phone in an evidence bag.


Westbrook: Two hours later.

Delta Lambda Pi Fratority 3:50pm Central time (Su-Ji) @MsBloom

Ginger exchanged a glance with Su-Ji. "While I can't prove it, because Newshound whispers her commentary like a golf TV announcer, I do suspect she's Scoops... One half of our alleged PR team. Why do you ask? You think 'TheVigilantEye is the other half?"

She shook her head. "We're supposed to wait for what, exactly? Aren't the local news under a gag order from our fast becoming tyrant of a mayor?" That's when the light came on, and her eyes lit up. "I think it is the PR team. They're there with the police blessings! THAT'S how the Captain is going to have her 'police press release'!" She facepalmed with an embarrassed chuckle. "I'm SUCH an idiot!" She then smirked. "Ten bucks says Newshound DOESN'T get the interview, VigilantEye does. After all, they're rivals on MeTube, not co-workers."

Bank 3:50pm (Schro) @Inkybus , (Capt. Fitzpatrick, Edith) @MsBloom

Erin didn't say anything, just handed the now turned off bullhorn to her Captain and went with another officer to get the microphone and tracker hooked up to her. She wasn't the best negotiator, because she wouldn't have bent on less than half the hostages freed. At least. "I've heard all I need to know that it IS personal, Cap. Guess I'm taking them down from the inside. Wish it hadn't come to this." She whispered for her Captain's ears only. Part of her was now angry, especially with what she said in that report to her captain at the time, the police didn't go out with social services the next time. Looks like Blair needed reminding EXACTLY what Erin had said all those years ago; and who her then captain now was.

Meanwhile, Sapphire had gotten close enough to the bank, without leaving the Westbrook High School parking lot, which was her usual 'Newshound' MO, and overheard the conversation via bullhorn. But not the one between Erin and her captain, as she was too far away. "Well, Day-umm, Hounders! Comments welcome on this plot twist! You know how I am, I don't dare get closer..." No. Because any of the district 3 officers, including the Captain, would recognize her; Sapphire couldn't afford that. Looks like Ginger MIGHT actually win ten of her lunch dollars back from her now feline looking friend.

Suburb neighborhood, Sunset Street 3:50pm (Loni) @MsBloom

Windy ran right into the kitchen as soon as she could causing her dad to yell, "School zone speed, hotshot! Not highway speed!"

Ignoring her dad (for now) she pulled out the lettuce, green onions, cucumber, carrots, tomatoes and radishes. "Where's the feta?!"

Her mom shook her head. "I didn't get any more. You know how expensive that is? Use the cheddar."

Windy sighed exasperated, grabbed it and the Green Goddess dressing, and made a large salad in an equally large mixing bowl, scooped a little out for Loni (if a little is about three normal servings), forgetting her new girlfriend didn't get superspeed from the meteor, and then made herself a double decker peanut butter, Ovaltine, banana and strawberry jelly sandwich, then asked Loni if she'd like a taste.

Although it didn't have a bad taste, it was definitely an acquired one. Loni would see both Windy's parents shaking their heads, but in disappointment. Windy always did have an acquired taste in her snacks... It just seemed she would make more of them. It had already been a long week.

She then tore into her 'snack' (read: meal, for the rest of us). Mouth full (rude, much, Hungry?) Windy remarked. "Oh! Yeah! Detective Holmes texted me to watch the breaking news! Something's happening somewhere!"

No news was airing though. Looked like Loni may need to rescue the hero by checking online.

 

[Inkybus]

Bank in District 3 - Schro @MsBloom @Frozen Princess (Blair & Alexa) (Erin Holmes / the Police)

Schro waited patiently, looking on from behind his human shield. There was a law enforcement officer working as a spotter from the ground, who had a visual now.

But the orders of the two marksmen were to hold position from their vantage points and wait for further orders: the brass did not want to risk killing one of the bank robbers and provoking the others into committing a bloodbath on the civvies. It was a sound reasoning, given that the bank robbers had only alluded to a possibility of violence and had yet to escalate.

As such, the police was unwilling to take that step, despite having declared them KoS if they were exposed without hostages and the opportunity of a lot of collateral damage.

Small pings of awareness bloomed in his mind, as hundreds or more people heard his voice and could now perceive hallucinations, if he wanted to have that… somebody had to have a following and a stream active online. As he waited, Schro's awareness returned with one ear to the higher-ups in charge of handling the bank situation, listening in on their plans on how to deal with his comrades and his own spectacular self.

 

[MsBloom]

Ella: Washington Square Park, New York City. @Frozen Princess (Special Agent Jane Miller)

Ella had hung around in her improvised disguise until she saw the agent leave the dorm and walk across the street to the park. She was almost certainly pinging the phone's last location and it wouldn't be long before she found it. Ella probably had less than five minutes to get into her room, grab her lap top, burner phone and the stash of emergency cash she always kept in case something exactly like this happened.

She was back out on the street in just over four minutes with everything she absolutely needed in a backpack, walked around the block to the garage where she kept her motorcycle and began her long journey to the small Midwest town where Edith had chosen to go to college. She would try to use a pay phone to call her friend and ex-lover as soon as she was out of New York and Jersey and sure she wasn't being followed.

Unknown government facility; Neira Smith - Director of a top secret Non-Government black ops agency of containment, displacement and control. @Frozen Princess (Agent Miller)

"Operations team enroute with warrant to search and cease," Came the response to Jane Miller's request from her director.
"Gather what evidence you can of the subject one's escape and then make your way to Westbrook. It is most likely that Subject one will attempt to meet up with Subject Two there, either to attempt to hide or warn."

Su-Ji @Frozen Princess (Ginger)

"Pretty sure. I'd know that husky voice anywhere," Su-Ji said and a smile spread across her face.
What Ginger might not know was that late one night after a party at the Fratority near the end of their Freshman year Su-Ji had found herself in a slightly more intimate situation with Edith than most of her fellow students. It had not been more than a rather heavy make out session but it had been a memorable one. But then a few days later Su-Ji had met Pandora Aboah, a transfer student from Côte d'Ivoire, who became her first real girlfriend, at least for the summer that followed, and thus nothing deeper developed between her and Edith.

"You're on," Su-Ji agreed to Ginger's bet even though in a way it might make more sense that Newshound would be the one to get the interview from the police for no other reason than the fact that if Ginger was right about Newshound's identity she was the actual journalist while The Vigilant Eye, if Su-Ji was right about her identity, was merely the one pointing the camera. Then again, assuming they were both there with the blessings from the police it might make more sense for them to choose the less obvious alternative.

Edith: Outside the bank @Frozen Princess (Sapphire)

Edith had found a spot from which she had a good angle both at the villain at the entrance to the bank and of Erin and the captain. She wasn't that far away from her colleague but having a significantly better external microphone than Sapphire she picked up the entire conversation between Erin and her Captain, including the part about wearing both a microphone and a tracker.
"This cannot end well," she whispered.
She, like most people, had seen enough movies and TV-shows to know that criminals always checked for such things. Still, she supposed no one could blame the captain for trying to get a set of ears inside the bank. She followed Erin with the camera as she walked away to get prepped for the extradition of hostages and then as she removed her jacket and holster to show the bank robber that she was unarmed before slowly walking towards the bank with her hands in the air. This was, as Sapphire had indeed suggested, Pulitzer prize material. Too bad though that it was an award neither she nor her boss would be able to claim without revealing their true identities.

A few seconds after Erin had entered the bank and four of the hostages had been released Captain Fitzpatrick, seemingly casual, approached Edith with a subtle nod before making her unofficial statement that would allow the recently formed team of meta-humans to take action.

Loni: Suburban neighbourhood, Sunset Street @Frozen Princess

"Thanks but I think I'll stick to a PBJ and ... ummm ... maybe a quarter of that," Loni said and picked up the bowl Windy had served her and scooped most of it back into Windy's bowl.
"Besides ... Not that I'm an expert or anything but wouldn't you need something more ... substantial like proteins and fat the way you're burning calories?" She added while spreading a thick layer of peanut butter on one slice of bread and blueberry jam on the other.
"So nothing official then," Loni concluded as the two girlfriends sat down at the table flipping through the channels to find any news about whatever was happening.
"Maybe there's something on MeTube," she suggested and pulled her tablet from her backpack and typed in Westbrook which gave two results.
"Newshound or The Vigilant Eye?" she asked Windy.
"They're both live from the bank near our school."

Blair & Alexa @Inkybus (Schro)

Alexa tied the other three hostages to be released along with Schro's shield together by their hands and released them as Schro grabbed the requested detective and pulled her into the bank. She then tied Erin's hands behind her back and patted her down for any hidden weapons. It was at that moment Blair came back up from the vault dragging bags of money behind them.
"Well well," they said as they saw Erin standing there tied up.
"We meet again bitch. I won't lie and say I won't enjoy it," they added.

 

[Frozen Princess]

In New York City, the agent, as soon as the van arrived, coordinated a massive search for the missing SIM card, turning up nothing (of course). Another member of the team would search the premises, but would they find anything there after Ella left with the key laptop? The only thing on the phone that would be of any help, would be in the phone's memory, like contacts, calendar reminders and photos, with back pages of where on the phone she went (like settings and non Internet games). Depending on how old the phone was, there might not be even a recent photo of Edith!

By five o'clock Eastern time, Jane would be flying to the eye of the political storm, and if the Air Force wouldn't be given a heads up by Neira, this ops company would find themselves directed to the state capitol where they would have to drive down to Westbrook. Olivia would have landed in NYC on her connection flight to Cordonia and would have definitely told anyone in security what happened to her private jet in Westbrook. Nobody would suspect the diplomat of being a meta, unless they paid the Cordonian Press any mind a decade ago, or believed the news that came out of Cordonia from a decade ago. King Liam II had to also shut down the press three years later, when rumours surfaced that his son Archibald (which Ella would have learned was his actual name) was supposedly dating a New York waitress named Betty (which was false on two fronts. The girl's name was not Betty, nor was she from New York, she was a waitress, the only thing they got right, from Cincinnati, named Jessica!)

Cordonia media has since cleaned up their tabloidish act, and gone back to real journalism. They've been "real" again since 2020.

Westbrook 4:00pm Bank (Schro) @Inkybus (Blair, Alexa) @MsBloom

Erin was calm as her hands were bound, and she stared at Blair with a mixture of pity and regret. "Blair. I was on my very first run, as a rookie, all those years ago. If you really think hard about what I said, it was 'If I personally have to come back out here...' Did you ever see me again? No. My captain, who just happens to be the commissioner now, never allowed me to come back out there. My report even said, 'social services should be on the next run'. I did everything within my legal power. The higher ups, and especially my captain at the time, were the ones who dropped the ball. I jockied a desk, or was put on local crimes after. How do you think I became a 25 year old detective?"

Having said her piece to clear her conscience as well as set the record straight on who Blair should really blame, she didn't say another word.

The police officers on scene in the van now knew the truth, same as the criminals, the lead even asking Captain Fitzpatrick. "Damn, can we arrest the commissioner for negligence?!" Immediately after the words were out of her mouth she knew the answer. Not without more proof, including Erin's report which was now buried in the archives vault, and forgotten, even by the commissioner by now.

Sunset Street, suburbs. (Loni) @MsBloom

Windy blinked, mouth full of salad, as her girlfriend told her about the two streaming online. She swallowed as she thought about it. What she said next she didn't know would save her parents and Loni from Schro's influence. "Use your closed captions setting for MeTube, mute the sound and put on Vigilant Eye. I've heard of Newshound. Don't know who she is IRL, but she's a golf commentator when it comes to her streams. I kinda don't like her for that reason. Her pictures are already telling the story, duh, we don't need the play by play."

Outside the bank. Hill Street. (Edith) @MsBloom

Having just sent Erin in exchange for the four hostages, Kate Fitzpatrick barked more orders, moving another group into a strategic position, she spotted Edith and waved her over. "Looks like you're elected to film my press release to the public. We're facing at least two metas" This would cause MeTube to automatically demonetize Edith's stream, and just as quickly, both Edith and Sapphire would be receiving Super chats to help cover (and then some) the expenses, "who have taken hostages and we're working hard to resolve the situation without bloodshed. We've sent Detective Holmes in, unarmed, to try to quell them into a quiet surrender, but we may be in over our heads. These aren't run-of-the-mill criminals. This is also a call to those Detective Holmes have talked with and call themselves heroes. We need you. The rest of you Westbrook residents need to stay the hell away from here. To my knowledge, Erin has only spoken to three or four of you to become a team. Time to act like it. Your city needs you."

Immediately after the Captain of District 3 spoke, Edith would receive a superchat with a message from the on vacation bank president of $150. The message said, I'm glad I picked you to watch, VigilantEye! Keep up the good work, and get them outta my bank, heroes!

One live comment after was I certainly knew that meteor did something weird, I'm glad it affected people with morals too. Go X-Police!

Other names ranging from silly to heroic for the team including Justice Bringers, also dotted Edith's stream.

 

[Inkybus]

Bank in District 3 - Schro @MsBloom (Blair & Alexa)

Blair and Alexa busied themselves with Erin and the money, with Schro helping marginally on the side due to not possessing super strength himself. Even so, he grabbed one of the lighter bags and put it over his shoulder, with his pistol and knife holstered.

His right eye and ear listened and watched to some of Erin's bosses, who were making decisions based on the situation at that time. He hummed a jaunty little tune, of a song titled 'Weird Science'.

Schro's humming was soft but at the same time loud enough that Erin would have no trouble hearing it. And her microphone picked it up a little as well.

After a little bit, he stopped humming.

Instead, he went and checked the door to see if and what the police were all doing out in the streets. Schro kept himself busy, letting Blair and Alexa vent their animosity for the detective. If and when it looked like they had nothing left to say or ask, he would step in- unless they iced her, which would prevent any interactions he could have had with Erin, of course!

 

[MsBloom]

Unknown government facility; Neira Smith @Frozen Princess (Agent Miller)

"Agent Miller. To avoid drawing unnecessary attention to your arrival in Westbrook you are to fly to the state capitol and drive the rest of the way."
It had been decided that the highest probability of action for Gabriella Baudelaire, A.K.A Andraste, would be to make her way to the location of the other part of the conversation the Agency of Containment, Displacement and Control had intercepted with regards to the incident in Westbrook. It was imperative though that the agency was not seen to be involved or draw attention to themselves. This was the reason they mostly operated under the guise of other, more official, government agencies.

Edith: Outside the bank @Frozen Princess (Sapphire)

Having caught the announcement from Captain Fitzpatrick Edith whispered to those viewing The Vigilant Eye: "To those it may concern I think that was your licence to take action."
She then moved to a position closer to Sapphire and looking at her boss first winked at her and then made a thumbs up as a smile spread across her face. She had suspected for a while that Sapphire was Newshound, her rival for unofficial news around Westbrook and just wanted her to know that she had missed a crucial, Pulitzer sized, announcement. Now she was trying to figure out a way to find out and document what was going on inside the bank.

Su-Ji @Frozen Princess (Ginger)

"Looks like I owe you ten bucks then," Su-Ji said to her friend after having seen the captain make her announcement and in the same breath giving them the thumbs up to intervene.
It looked like it would be a different kind of mission than what she had expected. Rather than aiding the police in storming the bank and apprehend the baddies it now seemed it would be more like a rescue mission to get Erin back.

Blair & Alexa: Inside the bank @Inkybus (Schro) @Frozen Princess (Erin)

Blair almost lost it when Erin began making excuses and even averting blame for what she had done. They took a step closer to the detective, and then another until they were in her face, close enough to kiss her had they had any desire to do so, staring into her eyes. Their fists were clenched at their sides and it took all of their self-control not to punch her or throw her back out onto the streets.
"Excuses? That's your big apology?"
"Hold on," Alexa interjected and gently touched Blair's arm.
"What if it isn't just an excuse but what actually happened. Maybe we should ask for the captain in exchange for this bitch once we get out of here."
Blair stared at their companion in crime and then back at Erin. Once again staring into her eyes they tried to determine whether or not she was actually telling the truth.
"Fine then," they said.
"Get us the fuck out of here bitch, and maybe you won't get hurt. Let's start with making sure you're not wired though. Strip," they added and pressed their left fist against Erin's temple.
"And no funny business. Or else."

Loni: Suburban neighbourhood, Sunset Street @Frozen Princess

"That must be what Erin was talking about and what that text meant. Time to put on your helmet and ignore speed limits Honey," Loni said and winked at Windy.
"First though, give me some sugar."

 

[Frozen Princess]

En route to Westbrook 1630 central time (Neira Miller) @MsBloom

Jane sighed. One of the good things about being an agent of the Agency of Containment, Displacement and Control, or the judicial CDC (not to be confused with the more well known medical CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), was it was never boring. Too bad by the time her class joined, there wasn't very many code names not taken.

"Since when do we give codenames to the perps? No wonder I got stuck with Goldilocks!" Jane asked turning slightly red. "Anyway, landing ETA is 1830 central time."

That done, she settled in for the rest of her flight, going over her paperwork with what they knew so far, including the little bit they learned in the Big Apple.

Westbrook 4:45pm

Delta Lambda Pi Fratority (Su-Ji) @MsBloom

Ginger shook her head, but nodded in agreement as she took the ten. "We don't even have our new suits yet!"

Ginger looked at Su-Ji. "Until we get these suits, best be as inconspicuous as possible. For me, that'll mean my fitness wear. At least for now." She raised an eyebrow at Su-Ji. Smirking she said, "In your case, if you have an extra Catwoman suit lying around... Including domino mask."

After a sigh, she stated, "I'll fly us there when you're ready." She then showed Su-Ji exactly what she meant, by levitating off the floor a few inches, and floated to her own room.

When she was ready in a fitness outfit with matching domino mask, she sighed. "I wish one of those two 'helpers' would reach out to me! I feel so naked going like this! Both won't even talk to me right now!" Because they were busy with the suits. Molly putting them together.

Suburbs (Loni) @MsBloom

Windy finished her meal in about two seconds, and said, "Ask Molly when the suit that won't burn up from friction will be ready. I'm tired of looking like a 90's stock car driver. I'd much prefer that Hermes looking outfit she showed us." Giving her a kiss on the lips, dressing in the gaudy pink racing firesuit and putting on the helmet, she was headed to the bank in... Well, a flash.

Bank (Alexa, Blair) @MsBloom (Schro) @Inkybus

At the humming, the lead recognized the song immediately. "Omigod, Oingo Boingo?! Really?! That song needs to stay dead!"

"The movie wasn't bad, though." One of the technicians shrugged.

Erin had an indignant look on her face with the order of strip. Most criminals usually just patted people down. Frisked them, like she would. It was a good thing technology had advanced as far as it had, and one of the newest, all but invisible earpieces was manufactured by Cordonia's European neighbor known for high end spy and police listening devices that fit snugly inside an ear like a hearing aid¹. "Can't fool me, you just want to see me naked." She quipped, before taking off her outer clothes. "At least leave me some dignity." Her bra and panties would obviously not be able to hide anything like a mic, they were too sheer, and almost see-through, and of course they would be police blue.

"Also, you want the captain I was under all those years ago. He's the commissioner, now. Good luck trying to trade for THAT asshat."

School parking lot. (Edith) @MsBloom

Sapphire shook her head with a smile. "Just don't let it get around. I can't have everyone know I'm Newshound. I try to avoid filming around people who know who I am, and pretty much every officer at Districts 1 and 3 know what I look like. You're welcome to that publicity."

She found herself in the same predicament as Edith. "Only problem is, with these being willing to kill innocents, and took hostages, there's no way of guaranteeing our safety. We'd have to be covert in the rest of our coverage. Do it without being caught by the criminals ourselves." She tapped her lips with a forefinger in thought.

1- As someone who plays the Choices app, I know this would be Monterisso. Wiki the "spy country" in Fandom for more information, although it can be referred to, I'd rather not include it, unless "Andraste" is from there, originally.

 

[Inkybus]

Bank in District 3 - Schro @MsBloom (Blair & Alexa)

Schro did not have a lot to say in the private feud between his companions and the detective. Or the Commissioner, as she assured them was the real culprit. He chuckled to himself as he overheard someone commenting that Oingo Boingo was supposed to be and stay dead.

"Oh, she is definitely wired: it is just not concealed in her clothes!"

Schro exclaimed, exhulting in the feeling that he had been right: he had confirmation that Erin was wired, as his voice strengthened the tether his power had over the victim who was listening in through said device, hearing his voice crisper now. When before the voice was muffled, as though he heard it through a centimetre-diameter gap in a ten centimetre brick wall, now his power was as though he was listening to someone speak from behind a paper sliding door.

"And before you ask: no, we won't torture you with tickles if you don't do as we say.~"

Schro taunted Erin with a cruel grin on his half-masked face.

 

[MsBloom]

Su-Ji @Frozen Princess (Ginger/Cpt. Fitzpatrick)

Su-Ji didn't have an extra Catwoman suit lying around or anything similar enough to be mistaken for one. She did however have quite a bit of leather clothing which she quickly altered to fit her new anatomy, mainly making an opening for her tail and then changed into something that didn't look all too different from what she normally wore. she did however add a lace mask for a bit of style and to give her face a slightly more feline appearance.

Together the two recently appointed superheroes then left the Fratority and headed towards the bank where things had already progressed beyond the control of the Westbrook Police Department. Captain Fitzpatrick, as they identified her from the unofficial live news feed, gave them a nod as they approached her.
"Are we expecting others as well?" Su-Ji asked and felt almost every eye outside the bank drawn to her.
Why would she need a special suit to hide her identity. There was no way to hide herself the way she looked after the meteor mixed her dna with Nefertiti's.

What she also felt was the camera eye of Edith trained curiously on her and she almost felt a compulsion to give the cute camera girl a pose. In the end she resisted and focused on Captain Fitzpatrick when she updated them on the situation.

Edith: Outside the bank @Frozen Princess (Sapphire/Cpt. Fitzpatrick)

When Captain Fitzpatrick began briefing the two metahumans Edith turned her phone's attention elsewhere to avoid broadcasting any potential clues to the villains inside the bank she did however remain close by intending to ask Su-Ji and Ginger both if they would agree to wear body cams to broadcast what now seemed like a rescue operation or at least to record it for future use.

 

[Frozen Princess]

First Westbrook Bank Hill Street branch a few minutes before 5pm @Inkybus @MsBloom

Windy had been itching to get started from the moment she got there at 4:46pm it was now 4:58pm. "That's what I've been asking for the last twelve minutes, which have felt like years!"

Captain Fitzpatrick gave her a pointed look. She turned to the two college girls with a raised eyebrow, looking them over. "Cardio and Cheshire, I presume." She looked over Cardio's outfit and sighed. "So. Erin's posse includes a cat, human race car and a gym rat." She sighed. "As far as what was given me, Cheshire, you three are it, that she found. Ms vroom, vroom, put your engine in idle and park for a pitstop. We need to be smart about this. It's a marathon, like 600 miles, not a sprint like an A-Main."

"On that case, can I have a Faygo Cola?" Windy asked earning her a glare and throat clearing from the Captain. "What?"

"No drinking, even soft drinks, while on duty, Velocity, and right now... You're on duty! Copy?"

"Copy. Captain. Ma'am." Velocity hung her head.

"Now. As I was about to say, this is a hostage situation, involving two metas at least, and possibly a third. One you three are very familiar with. The one we've dubbed The Wrecking Ball. That's why you're here. To help subdue him, or them.

Windy rubbed her neck. "I kinda got the raw end of the deal, the last time we met..." She whimpered.

"That's why you all need to work together. As a team. This time. What have you learned from your first encounter?"

"Directing, doesn't work. I hate to have to, but even hitting him directly might not." Ginger said. "It may be our only shot, though, is dropping a cop car on him from above. How much do these cruisers weigh?"

Velocity's eyebrows shot straight up. "You think a mere one ton car is going to stop him? You'd need a NASCAR vehicle which weighs about 3600 pounds!"

The Captain pointed to a police van (not the tech van parked out of sight) "I can do you one better. That weighs over 4200." Ginger grinned. "And before you ask, yes, it's magnetic." Ginger positively beamed. "Glad you're happy. Okay cat and car, you two need to team up and work together, using your agility to confuse and confound them. That helmet is going to really come in handy for you, Race Car, as you can make your voice, muffled slightly, but coming from everywhere. You two are going to get the hostages out of there. So, Race Car, you need to win this race. Lives are at stake."

Inside the Bank

Meanwhile, Erin frowned as Schro stated like he knew. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow and said in Spanish. "<Oh? And how are you so sure? Since you seem to be in charge, here, can I put my clothes back on?>"

She was covering herself best she could, unaware that the earpiece would have just informed Schro of the Captain's plan, using the three girls. They would need a miracle at this point.