Cinder
Rebel
Career: Actual Bad Guy
Posts: 10
|
Post by Cinder on Jun 23, 2018 3:52:16 GMT
The heist was planned in just the same way as the mastermind behind it planned her tours and appearances - detailed and ambitious. The plan was flawless in its conception, and almost flawless in its execution. It was Cinder’s job to remove the almost. The plan was simple: Distract and conquer. Cinder could not argue. Not only had the orchestrator of this master plan introduced her to a long-running scheme so spectacular that she began to suspect that her partner’s manipulations were so subtle that her abilities might be considered a second mutation in and of itself. It is said that whenever life closes a door, it opens a window. Every window that had so much as cracked in the past few years had found an otherwise unassuming DJ already at the glass, peering in, calculating how best to slip through. Improving upon her partner’s plan was near to impossible; her own ideas, Cinder had to admit, were only the product of a certain misplaced hostility. There was no need for excess cruelty. There would be plenty of that for her later. ---
The Bank of Beijing saw dozens of odd visitors throughout the day. Hundreds. They saw men and women and children with indescribable mutations. A family of chameleons opened a bank account. An invisible man made a deposit. A thirty-foot tall woman had to ask her husband to go in her stead. And so, nobody noticed when a woman walking a path of brimstone stepped in through the doors. They noticed immediately the electronic locks on the doors that sealed shut behind her. This, of course, was all according to the plan. The shielding over the windows, usually activated only during lockdowns, closed down over the windows at once, closing off the last fleeting rays of setting sunlight from the light outside. Silence fell over the room. Security spoke into earpieces that no longer functioned. People spoke in hushed voices. Tellers felt for silent alarms that would not send their signals. It was as if everything electronic had malfunctioned; computers failed, cell phones spontaneously died, cameras fed their feeds off-site… This, of course, was all according to the plan. The masked woman coughed, clearing her throat. Smoke flared out through her respirator, filling the room with her stench. She held her hands out, palms facing upward. There was a second’s delay, and from her palms spluttered red-hot cinders, then nothing, then more ash, then nothing. With a grunt of effort came a torrent of red-orange smoke, tar-like, sticking to anything it touched. Something unlocked in her chest. The embers swirled around her, coiled at the base of her spine. The woman’s lips peeled off of her teeth in a smile that a dragon would have recognized. It felt like that trouble she had with talking went away. “Nobody moves,” she growled, “and nobody gets hurt. Everyone on the ground, now.” The swirling smoke was frightening; just an intimidation tactic. Curling black tendrils confirmed that this woman was a meta-human, but it was impossible to determine what exactly her mutation was. Certainly, her act could have simply been a bluff, but she also may have the possibility incinerate everyone in the room without a thought. Nobody was willing to take that risk. The whole room fell to the floor. The woman raised a single finger to the air, a signal to her invisible ally, and the lights in the room flickered and died, and chaos descended. Menace, madness, and confusion. This woman who, but a second ago, generated smoke, seemed to have just killed the lights with just a gesture. What else was she capable of? Terror filled the room as panic lights flashed on, a pulsing red glow filling the room every two seconds for just as long. This, of course, was all according to plan. Cinder’s whole body hummed to the tune of the red-hot inferno that filled her from the inside, a barely-contained dragon that yearned for freedom. Not yet, Cinder whispered to that cruel dragon that eats away at her heart. Not yet. This was not just a robbery of simple greed or desperation. Certainly, the woman gave her demands. “Empty the vaults,” she had said. “Give me everything you have,” she had said. But her heart just... wasn’t in it. It was as if she was distracted, as if her mind were somewhere else entirely, as if she weren’t at all interested in money. She only cared for the completion of her act in this multi-part play that her partner had directed perfectly. Because everything had to go according to plan.
|
|
|
Post by Becky (Viral) on Jun 23, 2018 3:53:28 GMT
Viral hummed to herself as she walked up to the CCTV station. Her plan should be working to perfection if everything went right…she was lucky to really get this together. CCTV…the main hub of information in all of China. This was where the news ensured that there was a stream of information of whatever was chosen to be presented. Of course..you can’t present the news forever and everyone was away at home by this point. The time? Did it matter? It was getting close to dark, Viral didn’t care what time it was at this point. No one was there to take care of the precious tech. As she walked inside, she couldn’t help but take in the amount of tech she could mess with. News stations had gotten so advanced lately that she could easily take care of her plan. Viral peeked down at her phone, smirking as she watched Cinder walk into the bank and sealed the doors behind her. Those doors weren’t going to get unlocked unless Viral said so…and she wasn’t saying so for any time soon. She watched for a minute and nodded, turning the lights off in the bank when Cinder gave the signal. “Let’s see..if I’m right then the main piece should be…ah, here it is!” Viral smiled happily as she walked up to the main computer, humming to herself as she simply touched the tech and felt her influence spread. All of the wiring, keys, connections, they were right at her fingertips and she was about to play the best gig of her life..now..it was time for a little bit of a news alert~ “We interrupt this program for a special news bulletin! CCTV has just learned that there is a bank robbery in progress, and multiple hostages have been taken!”
Viral had been able to find a file of the news alert sound that was usually used for emergency bulletins or important news that had to be broken as soon as possible. As she did this, the screen on every single TV, computer, phone, and other link to the news that people had in China. Everyone could now see Cinder standing in the bank, hostages gathered around as Viral sat back in the studio, in control of the situation.
“No Superstars have been confirmed to have arrived at the site, and to tell you the truth I don’t know if they WILL come to the bank. ”
Viral hopped up from the desk as she walked up to a big tv screen, watching the feed from her own mini-hideout. She’d then turn to the camera, her bright red hair showing off as she looked at it with a serious tone, this was not the DJ Viral, this was the Viral that meant business.
“I don’t know if they will..at all...See, here’s the thing that none of you seem to know. For far too long, the superstars have been put above the rest of us, they can do no wrong..well I’m going to show just how wrong these…”heroes” are.”
Viral rolled her eyes when she called them heroes, to her they were only pawns. They were only people who used the fame as an excuse.
“I know very well that there are Superstars watching this, and so here is the...challenge...that I have. I am going to expose your heroes...your superstars...unless someone actually wants to try and stop me. Of course, then THAT would mean you’d be leaving hostages along...shame…”
She couldn’t help but smirk as she turned back to the camera, ensuring that all of the cameras were staring right at her, no matter what the shot was.
“Now, if you do end up going to the hostages and then taking on the woman in the bank, then I can easily expose every. Single. One of you. I have access to all of the government’s records, all of your information, I know EVERYTHING that you don’t want people to know. If any of you Superstars are too scared about your precious egos getting shattered and your reputation getting destroyed...come and stop me. But...then you’d be leaving the hostages at the risk of getting burned...and you wouldn’t want THAT To happen, right? Superstars are supposed to SAVE people! You guys are the good guys for a reason after all..”
Viral hopped back up on the news desk, leaning back and holding her arms behind her head as she stared at the cameras, wondering just what kind of reactions she could be getting.
“So, the choice is yours. Either you Superstars go and save the hostages, or you come and stop me right here and show just how self-obsessed you are. I’m all alone...it would be so easy, wouldn’t it? I can’t WAIT to see what happens...this broadcast won’t stop until one, or both of us, are done doing what we want to do. So I can assure you that me and that freak at the bank aren’t going anywhere...the choice is yours, Superstars. I can’t wait to see what you decide..”
Viral smirked a tiny bit as she manipulated the broadcast to show the feed to the bank on one half and her in the news station on the other half. This was both partially due to her wanting to show her reactions as well as still read off information if she could. Either way..this was going to be one hell of a show.
|
|
Stardust Emperor
Superstar
An empire of blue sand to protect the people.
Posts: 16
|
Post by Stardust Emperor on Jun 23, 2018 10:48:23 GMT
Day in and day out, Fallon had remained dedicated to his new job as a Superstar. Of course, having to constantly put on an act around the public was frustrating, but, it was a small price to pay for being able to put a stop to crime. To put a stop to violent criminals and troublemakers alike, to keep the public safe from harm.
If he had to look like a jackass every now and again to be able to help people, then he was fine with it. Though, just as he’d hit a spot of downtime in today’s shift, something else came up. Out of nowhere, the expressions of the people around him began to change, eyes glued to their phones as a synchronised sound came from them. Confused as to what was going on, he pulled out his own phone. Only to see Viral’s smug face plastered across the screen.
Something serious had happened, something large, and something dangerous. A two-way assault, some kind of sick ‘game’ that the Superstars of the city were being made to play. Either the lives of hostages being held at the bank, or ‘incriminating information’ on Superstars across the place. People’s lives were at risk, and as were the reputations of the city’s protectors.
But, quite frankly, Fallon couldn’t help but feel frustrated towards Viral and their smarmy attitude. The answer to the solution was obvious, however. As it stood, Fallon’s past was something that contained nothing. Before this, he was a nobody. Enough of an education to get by, not to mention an upbringing in a home that was as quick to shift as the weather. Whatever reputation shattering nonsense Viral had a hold on, no amount of it could place his meager reputation above the lives of the innocent. The lives of people who had no involvement in any of this, nor deserved whatever fate awaited them with the so-called freak holding up the bank.
Without a further thought, an out-pour of Stardust escaped Fallon’s clothing, bystanders stopping and watching in awe as an eerily large bird of prey formed, stretching its shimmering blue wings as it came into existence. Fallon was quick to mount it, clambering on its back as his steely gaze swept around the civilians surrounding him.
”Onwards.” He uttered, a simple command, as the shimmering bird took to the skies, one destination lingering in the command.
There were lives at stake, and Fallon wasn’t prepared to let them die over some smarmy goon taunting him and everyone else through the news.
---
The scene was positively buzzing with activity as he arrived. Though, most notably, were the police that had now surrounded the bank. Fallon landed, the bird of prey falling apart and evaporating in seconds as he walked forwards. A number of the officers turned to see him arrive, though there was one person he needed to talk to.
In any hostage situation, there was always an immense risk of injuries. Not all people who kept hostages were willing to kill, but this situation couldn’t have assumptions made on it. So, Fallon sought the officer that would likely have the most information on the situation. The chief of police.
“So, what’s the situation?” Fallon asked, maintaining his composure despite the dire situation at hand. The chief sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose before addressing Fallon.
“Terrible. About fifteen confirmed hostages, possibly more. The nutcase in there’s been throwing smoke and fire around since we arrived.” He stopped for a moment, glancing to the bank as he continued to speak. “They’re threatening to kill the hostages if we try to get in there.”
Fallon nodded, confirming his suspicions. Getting in there to do something about this heated assailant was going to be difficult, a job he wouldn’t possibly be able to do alone. Charging in headfirst would result in people losing their lives. There was no room for foolish mistakes, there was no room for error.
“We’ll need a plan, then.” He muttered.
A good plan, too. He could only hope that any Superstars that were aware of this hadn’t taken the childish bait of the weirdo who’d taken over the news station. Their identities weren’t important right now. The important thing now is to keep the lives of the people currently held hostage intact.
Suffice to say, the situation was bleak. This was going to take everything they had to make sure this went safely and soundly.
|
|
Lin Jiang
Beyond Human
"If I could only be a little more selfish...would that be okay?"
Posts: 8
|
Post by Lin Jiang on Jun 24, 2018 3:39:16 GMT
"Hello sir, what can I do for you today?"
"I'm here to take out a loan for Han and Co. Consultants, please...Hong Kong branch, Migong District, by the way."
"No problem, sir, just a second..."
Lin idly fiddled with his watch strap as the teller behind the glass window began tapping away at her keyboard. Another day, another flight. This time, he had been dispatched by the higher-ups to secure a loan for the Hong Kong branch of the Consultancy, mainly because there were complaints of the current office space being too cramped for optimal work conditions. Hopefully, the loan he was taking out would go towards renting a larger office space, or even buying out an actual proper ground-level property.
But that plan flew entirely out of the window as he was, yet again, dragged into a tumultuous situation in which he himself held no relevance to, whatsoever.
As the whole building locked down around him inexplicably and the panicked whispers began to spring to life around him, the teller reassured him that 'nothing's wrong, it's just a technical malfunction' through the glass panel. But he knew better; he could see her left hand disappear under the desk, no doubt slapping around blindly for the panic button that all reputable business establishments were prescribed to have.
Her smile had begun to melt already, the infectious fear emanating from the crowd permeating through the glass partition, and when the alarm failed to work, her face fell completely. Wordlessly and ashen-faced, she left the desk and bolt into the back of the bank.
"HEY! Wait! What's going o-"
Pressing his face against the glass, Lin half-shouted, half-whispered to the retreating back of the teller, but was interrupted before he could finish his question by a flash of fire and screams from the center of the room, causing him to spin around and look. A frightening-looking woman, a little younger than he was by the looks of it (hard to judge while her face was mostly masked, though), had sent a snaking tongue of flames into the air, openly broadcasting her hostility; and, by extension, Metahuman status.
So this is what a stickup was...
Lin, of course, was ahead of the game when it came to this. After all, he had been in a very similar situation just recently, involving two electrokinetics and a gas station. But that hadn't been a crime of such a large scale...no, that had been a stickup. This was robbery. Either way, semantics didn't matter much now, survival was priority number one on his bucket list right at this moment. Dropping to his knees before anyone else, Lin put his hands over his head and face defensively, waiting for it all to pass.
But then, the news somehow came on, the bank's overhead display flooding with feed from the CCTV station where the logo would have been displayed prior. As dumbstruck as the rest of the hostages, Lin listened to the mysterious redheaded woman pose her ultimatum to the Superstars of China; save the bank, or save their reputations. Then several things clicked in his head.
One: this was most likely a planned assault on the Superstar organisation by one of the many Rebel cells in the area. Two: neither of the two perpetrators held any concern for human life in this operation. Three: he, and everyone else in the room, were in total mortal peril.
Lin began to hyperventilate.
|
|
Backhand
Superstar
Fixing yesterday and pushing tomorrow.
Posts: 10
|
Post by Backhand on Jun 29, 2018 23:23:38 GMT
Many miles away, Zhěn was on the phone with a perhaps overly distressed acquaintance, a half-eaten meal sitting aside and forgotten. Ordinarily, a random call from an old familiar voice might invoke something like delight, or perhaps mild dread; for most, it simply depended on whether it was a friend or an in-law, or so he imagined. Such a thing was well outside of his experience. Who, after all, made a phone call for any reasons other than professional?
As it just so happened, however, that call was exactly that, for the person on the other end of the line was one Nahusha Saleh, alias “Ripple,” and someone he hadn’t spoken to in months. As for the business at hand… well, it was business indeed.
At that moment, however, it was less of a conversation and more of a medium for Saleh’s one long ramble, the few remaining cracks in his Mandarin made apparent here and there.
“…And over a dozen hostages, I tell you! And that airtime hijacking… God willing that that isn’t just the tip of the iceberg if they’re the same person who also hijacked the bank’s security… Just, truly, all in the program ought to be rushing there right now! Surely you understand.”
His last statement having been to ask what the occasion was, Zhěn had had more than enough time to mull things over and promptly cut in.
“Yes, yes, quite clearly. I imagine you must’ve gone to more than a few contacts to get down to me, though, right? Are you there now? And, how many others? Oh, and how about the police, do they have a perimeter set up yet?”
One or two curious folk within earshot looked up from their plates and eyed him, though he scarcely noticed.
“Well, uh, about that… I’m a bit… occupied at the moment. Something I can’t really…”
Ripple paused for a moment. When he resumed, his voice sounded further away, as though he were looking over his shoulder to speak to someone else.
“…Leave straight away. This just seemed a good alternative.”
Zhěn frowned his disapproval towards no one in particular, but kept it to himself.
“Eh, so be it. I’ll get going, find out when I’m there and all.”
A word of thanks and a stilted goodbye or two later, Zhěn slid his phone back into a pocket before once more noticing his abandoned evening meal. He gave it a forlorn sigh, but nonetheless stood, a bit of a spark meeting his eyes at the thought of action.
---
It was still a good few minutes later, however, before he’d managed to both pay, leave, and track down a Meta transporter who could warp him to where he needed to be (after first convincing them to take him home to grab his uniform). Though he’d just about squandered a day’s worth of income just to arrive on scene, he disregarded the thought, for there was much more at stake.
His ride dropped him off about half a block away from the bank, citing that she didn’t believe she was authorized to actually approach the scene. This too he shrugged off. Despite his potential tardiness, however, he was at pleased to see that the police were indeed already there as he at last trotted into sight.
Much more alarming, however, was the fact that only they and one other Superstar appeared to actually be present. Zhěn merely hoped that they too were recent arrivals. Carrying his helm under arm the way he imagined an American football player might, he strode over to the two most prominent figures he could see, those being the chief of police and the other star. Each looked decidedly grim, with the former also rather bleary, talking about what he imagined related to their course of action.
“Need a hand?”
He stopped and stood a respectful distance away, his free hand on a hip.
“I’m startled that it’s just us so far,” he admitted, gesturing towards the police majority around him, “but, to my understanding, there’s just one tango, correct? If that’s the case, then without use of some power, they can’t possibly expect to watch every front of the building at once. A simple distraction could allow a team entry, perhaps… Something as simple as asking for their demands, maybe.”
He scratched his chin for a moment.
“Actually, have they been identified yet? Her accomplice over at CCTV has, I’m sure, but… that guy isn’t the one with hostages.”
The situation’s complexity, as Zhěn saw it, had much less to do with the assailant herself as compared to the message she and her partner seemed to stand to represent… along with all the usual given variables of a hostage situation. The one particular caveat, however, that theirs was held nearly independently, could full well prove the deciding factor.
|
|
Cinder
Rebel
Career: Actual Bad Guy
Posts: 10
|
Post by Cinder on Jul 22, 2018 4:41:25 GMT
Deep breaths. Her mission itself was simple — take everything she could from the bank, cause a scene, and get out safely. No complications if done by-the-book. When expanded, it got a little hairier — banks are particularly well-known for their ability to not be taken from, especially in a post-metatanium world. Her strategy of milking everything she could out of the situation was to take hostages at the site of the robbery, rough them up a little bit, and stall for time until her partner could work something out. In her experience with television, hostage-takers only ever made it out of the scene in handcuffs or a body bag, so it didn’t exactly set her mind at ease. The only other thing she knew to do was work with the police negotiator to keep herself alive. The police negotiator who was at the door right now, whose attempted communication was muffled by the thick sheets of glass. Which was not at all her strong point, and her fleeting experiences with problem-solving skills had been mixed at best. She could make out a few choice words through the glass, the significance of which she was admittedly requiring some time to work through. Cinder took deep, rasping breaths from her perch on the bank’s counter, kicking her legs almost childishly despite the deadly situation. The room was far from quiet, filled with the frightened voices of the hostage-taker’s victims. Children sniffled and cried, shushed into frightened silence by their mothers. Strangers desperately consoled each other, fear hanging over the room like a heavy blanket. The hostage-taker slid a phone out from her pocket, a two-handed grip as she unlocked the device. Her thumbs tapped against the ash-stained screen as she pulled up a secure chat window, typing in the following message. NightB4t2006: What do I say???
Infect1on: To the negotiator? NightB4t2006: YES to the negotiator! Who else? Infect1on: Dont snap at me. Im doing a lot right now NightB4t2006: I’m sorry. Can you help me, please? Infect1on: Demand media coverage, no questions asked. Send your message. NightB4t2006: I don’t HAVE a message to send! Infect1on: Then send MINE. Viral out. Infect1on has disconnected. Cinder wondered if she was beginning to try the awkward patience of her partner and client, the mastermind who was on the televisions as she spoke. She really was trying hard, but even she could hear herself sounding quite stupid. She shoved the device back into her pocket, rising from her position on the counter and hopping down onto the ash-slick tile floor. A whooping cough passed through her body as she worked herself up. Forcing herself to calm down, Cinder struggled through her front pocket, retrieving a fistful of cough drops. Her partner had forced her to bring them, and while they never helped her, they would help her disguise her mutation’s drawback. Unwrapping one and pulling her mask up just enough for her to pop a single lozenge in her mouth, Cinder tossed the spent wrapper on the floor behind her. She was to play the role of the monster in her partner’s play, she thought to herself as she paced across the bank floor, mis-matched shoes leaving a mis-matched track behind her as she passed through thin sheets of ash. The shields over the windows kept her safe from any potential long-distance shots, and her partner shut down the ventilation system so that the room would slowly fill with smoke, obscuring vision further. This was good. This meant she was safe. For now. Cinder idly swirled the cough drop around in her mouth with her tongue, thinking hard on the impossible question she’s placed inside her head. One last deep breath, and she yelled out suddenly, addressing the police negotiator outside with a derisive “You have my attention! I’m listening!” She made sure to keep her distance from the doors. The windows were shielded, but the glass doors were still just that: glass. “That’s good,” she heard, muffled through the barrier between her and the outside world. “I don’t want anybody to be hurt. Is there any way we can make that happen?” Cinder’s voice came as loud as she dared without risking a coughing fit. “You’re asking for my demands,” she concluded on her own, ignoring the tickle in the back of her throat. “I want to know what has to be done so that everyone walks away unhurt. Can we do that?” Cinder felt a twitch in the corner of her eye. The tone in their voice was that of an adult speaking down to a troublesome child, carefully chosen words to diffuse a situation so that the brat could be reprimanded later. “No!” Her voice rose above the sacred silence. Her breathing was coming quick, panic rising. She didn’t know what she was doing — but she had to stick to the plan. She was to play the part of the monster. “And why not?” came the negotiator’s voice. Anger boiled deep in Cinder’s system, as hot as a bonfire. It churned within, hungry for an outlet like the smoke that swirled out from her respirator with every breath. She stormed towards the door, grabbing a hostage by the hair as she went. Her victim was an otherwise unassuming individual, one who had been hyperventilating early in her occupation of the bank. She did not target him out of any particular sense of malice, but only because he was on the path to the door. Cinder dragged the young man by his head, trailing him through the ash. The negotiator took a tentative step away from the locked doors as Cinder approached, hauling her victim up by the head and pushing his face against the glass, holding him in place by the back of his head. Her free hand burned and smouldered, scorching ash flowing from the vents in her palms as a demonstration of her power. “Back away!” she roared. “Get away from the door!” “Think about what you’re doing,” the negotiatior warned, backing away as commanded. “There must be—” “Quiet!” her voice was warped with hysterical fury. “Don’t say another word or I’ll kill him!” Her breath came ragged and uneven, a whirlwind of emotions laced with adrenaline driving her. The tickle in her throat that she ignored earlier was her downfall now; a coughing fit shook her to her foundations, weakening her arms and legs. Her eyes filled with bleary tears, ragged breathing interrupted by ugly and painful coughs. She dropped the man she had taken advantage of, letting him fall to the floor. She followed suit, crumpled in a heap on the clean tiles, body heaving as she struggled against herself. “Are you sick?” came the negotiator’s careful voice. “We can get you the treatment you need—” A raised hand dismissed the prospect, a weakened Cinder glaring through the glass, single eye burning with intensity. “Get me a camera.”
|
|
|
Post by Becky (Viral) on Jul 28, 2018 3:26:39 GMT
Viral sighed to herself as she watched Cinder from her post in the news station. She had still been giving occasional updates about everything. She had to keep the act up for as long as she could until things were in the clear.
"Oh my, this situation is getting worse it would seem. One of the hostages has been grabbed.."
Viral bit her lip when she saw Cinder coughing. She was worried this would have happened...even with the cough drops, it was obvious this wasn't going to help completely. Getting a camera was a good sign..this was going to work without any iss-
"Open up! This is the police!"
Viral had turned her attention away from the screen, still keeping influence on the bank's systems but she had heard her..guests. It would appear that her time as a broadcaster was going to be short-handed.
"Folks, we're going to keep the broadcast on the bank's cameras, but I'm afraid I must take care of some matters. Stay tuned!~"
She smiled before hopping out of the chair at the news desk and walking off camera, her look turning more serious the second she wasn't in a shot. She didn't want to deal with the cops, she never liked having to deal with cops in the first place. Always ruining her fun and have no sense of humor.
"It would appear that I need to start up a new show..time to do a gig on the big screen." She said to herself, walking up and grabbing some earbuds with her phone that she had left with her. Had to have SOME way for her to do her fight music, right?
As she got the electronic beats playing in her ears, she walked up to a solitary screen and concentrated. Viral felt herself head into the device, a procedure she had practiced more than once, before soon popping up on the screens at the outside of the studio. She could see the police now, she just..wasn't there physically all the way.
"I'm sorry, was I doing something wrong? It's not my fault the studio has poor security!" Viral smirked, her virtual form much more chili-like but still just as mischievous "And I don't intend on leaving any time soon either."
"You're breaking the law ma'am! Breaking and entering as well as signal hijacking are offenses that can be punishable! We ask that you come out of the screen and surrender peacefully."
One of the cops read off the basic commands they gave any criminal. Granted..they weren't exactly as forceful as the superstars, but they had been trained for these situations and what to do if they needed to handle one of the superpowered rebels. Although the laugh Viral gave wasn't exactly giving him confidence that this was working.
"Oh, it's cute that you guys think you can just talk me down and I'll stop. See...I hate to be a bit of a Debbie Downer.." Viral smirked as the screen started glitching out, the broadcast she had been in front of slowly disappearing as her face started to appear on more and more of the nearby tech. "But I don't exactly intend on going anywhere ANY time soon~"
|
|
Stardust Emperor
Superstar
An empire of blue sand to protect the people.
Posts: 16
|
Post by Stardust Emperor on Aug 8, 2018 1:22:59 GMT
In a lot of cases, the ‘best efforts’ of the authorities in any given crisis situation often do away with said crisis whether it’s done in a timely manner, or on a ‘matter of time’ basis. This situation however didn’t seem to be solvable by any amount of anyone’s best efforts. Not with the short-handedness of the help they had. It was an unstoppable combination
The nutcase in the bank was liable to kill people by the looks of things, if their almost violent reactions to the negotiator were any indication, a failure to meet their odd demand would result in injuries. Doing anything to enter the bank and stop them was seemingly impossible, not while the perpetrator who’d claimed the news station was still at large.
There was nothing they could do at the moment, and this frustrated Fallon more than anything. Though, the arrival of his fellow superstar set him at ease. Fallon didn’t know much of Backhand, neither of his reputation nor his abilities. But, nevertheless, he was glad to see him.
God knows they needed the help.
“From what we know currently, the hostage-taker in the bank hasn’t been identified.” Fallon speaks up, in response to Backhand’s queries. “The issue of the bank being watched on all ends can’t be known for certain however, it’s a chance I’m not sure we’re able to take.” He speaks succinctly, then casting a glance back to the danger-addled establishment.
“Besides, there’s not a chance we can even consider getting in there unnoticed at the moment. Not while the security shutters are down, the death toll would start to climb the second we try.” A frustrated tone leaked into Fallon’s voice as he spoke, contrasting his otherwise composed demeanour.
It was then something had caught his ear, something odd about the demand of the hostage-taker within the bank. It wasn’t anything expected, not a helicopter, or a million dollars in unmarked bills, it was something simple.
A camera. Presumably a filming camera. By the looks of things? This was a publicity stunt of some kind. The spreading of a message, whoever was holding up the bank wasn’t doing this for the money. The bank robbery almost seemed to be a distraction of sorts, Viral wasn’t lying when they said this was some kind of game.
“We’ll need to think fast, nevertheless.” Fallon stated, turning to face his fellow superstar. “A plan of approach still eludes me. Do you have anything we could use? I get the feeling that complying with their demands isn’t going to end well.” His gaze drifted back to the bank, to the negotiator and the one eye intensely glaring out of the door.
A hopeless situation in regards to stopping these two maniacs. The only thing left was to hope that more superstars would arrive, to at least somewhat upturn the tide that had been heavily weighted in the favour of one end.
A hope that something would shift the tide of this situation.
|
|
Lin Jiang
Beyond Human
"If I could only be a little more selfish...would that be okay?"
Posts: 8
|
Post by Lin Jiang on Aug 15, 2018 13:45:22 GMT
"Hey, the police are here..."
"Is that a negotiator?"
"We're saved! We're saved!"
Whispers began to seep from the crowd around Lin as the appearance of a law enforcement garrison drew the attention of the hostages, many people taking this as a sign that the worst of the heist was over and that they would be rescued in no time. Lin, like everyone else, watched with bated breath as the police negotiator calmly stepped up to the glass doors to begin the parley.
A visible wave of hopefulness passed through the hostages as their fiery captor agreed to at least listen to the voice of the law. She was human; she could be reasoned with.
We're...saved?
Lin's fear slowly abated, and he raised his head to survey the situation. To his enormous relief, the negotiation seemed to be running smoothly. His ears perked up when the negotiator mentioned in particular the plight of the hostages; so they were definitely formulating a plan to save them all!
Their hopes were ruthlessly dashed, however, when the fury-charged shout of their captor suddenly put a stopper in the peaceful parley. She was no longer human; now, she was something to truly be feared...a monster, a beast, a flame-wreathed being of malice and pain sent to cause them misery.
As she advanced on Lin, who was still frozen in fear, the crowd parted around her, casting terrified glances in her direction. For the first few steps that he was dragged towards the door, Lin wasn't even fully conscious that he was being used as a bargaining chip.
Huh? What's...what's happening...?
It was only when he had been shoved up against the door and heard his own life being threatened, did he get shocked back to being fully conscious. A choking scream ripped itself from his throat, and his hands were instantly scrabbling and prying away, trying to get the lethal grip on his head to loosen; even though, in retrospect, such an action was more likely to get him killed than if he had just stayed put.
"NO! NO! PLEASE! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! STOP! PLEASE!"
He was almost drowning in his own fear, but who could blame the poor man? His life was at stake. As the grip was eventually released and he fell to the ashes, coughing as they choked him through his gulping breaths.
"HELP, HELP ME! GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
Scrambling away from the flame-producing woman, who he was sure was some kind of terrorist by now, Lin inadvertently put his hands to the glass of the door...which, as his mutation triggered in his extreme panic, simply flaked away into nothingness.
Oh...that's right! My mutation!
Wasting no time in grabbing at the door handle to disintegrate it and its lock into nothing, Lin attempted to push open the doors and bolt away from the scene, a desperate lopsided smile on his face as he ran towards the police barricade.
I'm free! I'm safe!
|
|
Backhand
Superstar
Fixing yesterday and pushing tomorrow.
Posts: 10
|
Post by Backhand on Aug 19, 2018 1:21:41 GMT
In Zhěn’s experience, it was a rather rare occurrence to see things turn to tumult so absolutely in so little time.
For a brief moment, he was allowed to continue drinking in the details: the negotiator approaching a guarded door, the captor’s silhouette lurking behind it to meet them, the palpable intensity in the air. Still mulling things over, he nodded grimly at the other star’s words.
“Yeah, that’s fair,” he acquiesced shortly with a wary breath.
Watching on as the key players began their deadly diatribe, however, he found a few more things to say, as even though he couldn’t tell what was wrong with the captor, their ragged voice rang clear. A camera of all things… an utterly foolish request, really, given that the media was as sure to arrive on scene as other superstars before long, completely regardless of whether anyone was asking for them.
“Honestly, my skillset doesn’t really lend much to this kind of situation, but… Surely there’s something that th—“
And at that precise moment, the semblance of order that as of yet presided gave way like a broken dam, and with a bang to match as one of the front doors flew open. Before Zhěn could mentally prepare for the worst, however, he belatedly marked the escapee as a fleeing civilian of all things. How the man had won the door wasn’t immediately apparent, nor did it really matter as he cleared it and staggered past the negotiator in a heedless sort of way. He was out, and now more importantly, his former captor lay hunched over in clear light of day, plainly struggling to rise, the barrier that had concealed them—her—now flung wide open.
Though his first instinct was to bust out a grin, what with the iron hold of their adversary so suddenly and plainly broken by a random individual, more than a few factors yet remained that killed that desire on the spot. For with just a split second look around, he could see quite visibly in the expressions of face and body of both the police chief and his men that the next step for them was to take aim. Not necessarily to fire, of course, as a pointed gun sent a clear signal to the exposed receiver. But that could change were said receiver to take any action, and having heard her desperate tone of voice and seen the sorry state she was in, he deemed it fully likely that she could. In circumstances such as those, a could like that served instead as a would when it came to taking risks… and as Zhěn saw it, true victory wouldn’t come then and there unless every single person involved walked away alive.
Fate, however, seemed to have deem that a decision too out of his reach to make in a very literal sense. A power such as his could directly do nothing from a distance—he had to be up close and personal with issues to solve them. He had a few outs, certainly, and one in particular already having risen straight into mind, but he wasn’t about take time to go stooping around for rocks…
…But he didn’t need to. For as he suddenly realized, he already held something in his hand worth throwing, and for a desperate second or two as confusion and indecision still reigned, he imbued the item with power.
Then, without a moment’s hesitation, he slid forward and lobbed his still-held helmet towards the girl at the open door.
It was, of course, still unreasonable to expect a hit, even against the likes of a victim of a coughing fit. It wasn’t much of a throwing item, even for a meta, and especially against another meta… and more importantly, with the certain trace of resistance already slowing the helm down. It came as no surprise to him, then, when the girl dodged with a sort of feeble half-lean, leaving his missile to fly past her uselessly. This was, however, perfect.
As she rose back from her feeble dodge and onto one knee, however, he continued his act, for it was now vital to Zhěn’s half-baked gambit that the throw seemed only a ploy for attention. He raised his arm and pointed at the girl, almost comically, as if to judge her. All he could think to say, however, was the first scrap of vaguely relevant doggerel that came to mind.
“It’s a crude expression, but I’m sure you’ve heard that ‘what goes around…’”
Halfway through his recital, his helmet struck the bank’s far inner wall with a muddled clang, losing its momentum and beginning to fall to the ground… but abruptly stopping as his power of reversion became able to activate in full. The second crash it would have created never occurred, with the piece instead beginning to follow its former trajectory right back towards his hand, with its supposed initial target now dead center in its rewinding path.
It was with a glint in his eyes that he prepared to finish his sentence.
|
|
|
Post by Becky (Viral) on Sept 18, 2018 4:03:42 GMT
Viral watched in a mixture of nervousness and frustration as she saw Cinder’s mask get knocked down by the helmet, causing her to start to falter and the facade they had agreed on was fading. It was obvious that she didn’t have a backup as Cinder let loose another cough once it came off. At this rate, the plan wasn’t going to work and they were going to have to go back to the drawing board..she could just sit here and let the police try to apprehend her. That mask was vital to Cinder, no matter what people thought.
“I suppose it’s time I have to handle this myself..”
She muttered to herself as she felt herself transferring over towards the scene’s electronics. The internet was amazing for her to look at..the rush of colors, the links she could sense to the various websites. Viral had her own playground at her finger tips with..minor problems, of course.
She would soon pop up on a nearby screen at the bank, appearing on the advertisement for some new energy drink, but it would be big enough to get attention. . Anyone who could see her would see a fairly realistic girl with vibrant red hair, smirking as the background would slowly but surely dissolve into code, her powers going to work.
“If I may have your attention for a minute, I’d like it if you could LEAVE HER ALONE OR I TURN THIS CITY INTO A FREAKING BLIND STATE. I got the ability to hack into the power grid, and can take down any. place. I. want. So listen up, chumps.”
She’d lean back against a non-existent wall, floating as she looked down at the onlookers from her virtual podium.
“You wonder why the hell I’m doing this? Let me explain something to you people. Do you have any idea what it’s like to have these kinds of abilities and not know what the heck you’re supposed to do with them?”
Viral’s right eye would twitch a little bit, one of the few side effects of her using her powers no matter how much effort she put into it.
“What are we supposed to do when these..excuses for what you want to call ‘superstars’ are able to just go about freely because they actually give a crap about this city. Because, oh, they did something GOOD, let’s treat them with all the love and respect in the world, let’s give them whatever they want! Let’s make THEIR world a better place in return! Oh wait, but what about the ones who AREN’T superstars, who CANT or DONT crack down and listen to whatever the hell you people want?”
Her left eye followed in the twitching this time, her body slightly doing the same as she glared down from the screen
“You people are actually so STUPID that you can’t figure out why there are rebels out in the first place! Here’s why! Because there are people out there who get absolutely nothing, while the high society lives on, government ignores us, and the superstars are pushed to the front like they’re the ones that matter. No one ever stops to think why someone’s robbing a store, trying to get some stuff for home, trying to get a few bucks of change, YOU EVER CONSIDER THAT? We got these powers, but because we’re not considered a GOOD superstar, or we’d get shoved out whenever we try to get assistance, we’re nothing. We’re scum, dirt, absolutely nothing. That. changes. today. And I’ll gladly be one of the leading forces if that’s the case… no matter what. ”
As Viral gave the fairly convenient monologue, Cinder could be heard coughing more and more without her mask on. While Viral winced every time the coughs got worse, she knew what was about to happen. As she coughed, puffs of smoke would come out of Cinder’s mouth. Nothing too bad, but enough to cause it to happen in the first place. Viral smirked when she finished as Cinder would let loose a massive cough and a smokescreen large enough to cover the area. She watched as Cinder slipped her mask on and booked it, trying to get out of the area as fast as possible.
|
|
Stardust Emperor
Superstar
An empire of blue sand to protect the people.
Posts: 16
|
Post by Stardust Emperor on Oct 24, 2018 13:02:47 GMT
Just when it all seemed to be too tough to crack, a wild card burst through the bank doors. There were so many people who had mutations of their own, hidden from the public eye due to a lack of necessity or some kind of irrational fear. Yet, there were always people like this person. A moment of crisis driving them to use what they were born with, in this case, a moment to escape with. By the looks of things, Backhand had taken advantage of this. Following suit, Fallon’s mental focus tightened. And not moments later, a blue, sand-like substance whirled around his feet. It rose higher and higher, ascending passed his knees before he forced it to the side with a push of his will. Just as quickly as the swirling sands had formed around him, they began to take shape right by his side.
”Arise.” He said, commanding the product of his mutation to take form. Seconds pass, and a fully formed soldier stands by his side. Covered head to toe in the standard, ‘Stardust Soldier’ armour, bearing needlessly ornate patterns and markings along the entirety of its form. It turned its attention to the woman within the bank, with a chain coiled halfway up its arm and a claw-like hook held firmly in its hand, Fallon’s intent with this construct was clear. Causing grievous harm with something like a sword was a foolish decision, so, tying them up in chains was the next best choice.
Though, before he could even so much as utter a sound, Viral’s monologue bellowed out from around them. Before he could even lift a finger, before his soldier could deliver a soundly gripping blow, a warning was issued to all those involved. With this, he stopped. Not because of the risk of the power going out for weeks, that alone would not have been enough to deter him.
Instead, he thought on all the people who might possibly be operating heavy machinery currently. All those riding in elevators, all those currently narrowly clinging to life in a hospital. So many lives currently hung in the hands of the machines they were bound to, if they were all to be turned off? Many lives would be extinguished with them. Sure, some meta-humans would be fine. Meta-humans on their own were tough people, tough enough to have something heavy fall on them without killing them instantly, certain mutations further bolstering this for the most part.
But, not everyone in this city was a meta-human. Not everyone would fare well if every machine were turned off at once.
The soldier that had once stood combat ready had been returned to attention, standing with its arms firmly at its sides.
“They’re so concerned with Superstars that they’re willing to put the very people they represent at risk.” He begins, addressing his peers moreso, seeing as he had no doubt that Viral couldn’t hear him from that huge screen. “They prattle on and on about injustice and unfair treatment, yet they threaten the lives of countless, uninvolved people for the freedom of one criminal. It’s almost ironic, they accuse us of causing so much injustice and imbalance, yet they’re willing to cause so much destruction and damage to those they’re trying to fight for.” He concludes, standing defiantly among the officers by the bank.
Before he could speak up again, however, a heavy smokescreen billows out from the criminal in question. The masked woman who’d been coughing up a storm and holding up the bank was making an escape, by the looks of things. Instinctively, his one soldier adopted a ready stance, the grip on the hook tightening as the links of the chain winding up its arm loosely clanked against each other.
Yet, he remembered what was going to happen if they didn’t get away. Sure, this woman could well have been bluffing. But, he wasn’t ready to take a risk like this. He wasn’t going to let this madwoman end the lives of many on a hunch of a bluff. With a regret addled expression, his soldier stood down once again.
For the sake of the hundreds, possibly thousands of lives that might well be lost, Fallon didn’t do anything about Cinder leaving. Though, he couldn’t help but feel regret forming at the pit of his gut. At the least, the citizens in the bank were safe from harm. He’d have to remember to thank the man who erupted from it earlier, their bravery had effectively saved those inside.
He’d also have to remember this day. Some rebels had noble goals, sure. Some wish to fight for matters of equality, some feel as though they’ve been treated unjustly. But, when their motives lead them to commit mass-murder over the safety of a bank robber? In his eyes, this was unforgivable. This woman in the screen, this woman who’d prattled on about equality and unjust treatment had just invalidated their entire argument for a threat that effectively could have killed numerous people.
She was a psychopath, and she was going to need to be stopped.
One day.
|
|