[center][img]https://imgs.search.brave.com/j6vCjKJEeCiwA6QMAHPRPEPvdRdMy3uZdYSOHDevZzg/rs:fit:860:0:0/g:ce/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWFn/ZXMudW5zcGxhc2gu/Y29tL3Bob3RvLTE1/NTQ3NDQwNzItZTk2/NTM1N2RhYTYzP3E9/ODAmdz0xMDAwJmF1/dG89Zm9ybWF0JmZp/dD1jcm9wJml4bGli/PXJiLTQuMC4zJml4/aWQ9TTN3eE1qQTNm/REI4TUh4elpXRnlZ/Mmg4TVRKOGZHeGhj/bWRsSlRJd1luVnBi/R1JwYm1kOFpXNThN/SHg4TUh4OGZEQT0[/img][/center]

[center][h2]Bridgewater Bank[/h2][/center]

[hr]

[sub][@TheMushroomLord][/sub]

Being teleported directly to the hostages meant that Tandem was treated to a sight that only Muninn would've had a chance to see from outside. And even then, the fly-by didn't truly do the scene justice. She was on the very top floor of the bank, and sure enough, there were a few dozen people huddled in one corner of what seemed to be a ruined floor for cubicles. Computers were trashed, desks, plastic partitions and fake potted plants were in a heap off to one side, and the halogen lights in the ceiling were a wreck. Some of them were spilled out across the floor, mingling with a finely scattered layer of broken glass. But Tandem's attention wouldn't be grabbed by the many office workers huddled together out of fear. The first thing she'd note would likely be the liquified puddles of silvery liquid that dotted the floor. It was like someone had spilled mercury everywhere, and it hadn't spread past a few feet in each spot.

The second thing she would notice would be the hostages quietly pleading with her to get the hell [i]out.[/i]

[i]"No- No! Leave! They aren't hurting us! They'll kill us if they see you!"[/i]

[i]"You'll wake it up! He'll be back any second!"[/i]

[i]"Please, you'll get us hurt!"[/i]

They whispered, frantically, as if something was watching them. Tandem, however, didn't have time to question them or even look around much before something stomped its way around the corner. It was no shorter than eight feel tall, and a humanoid shape. It was a [url=https://i.pinimg.com/564x/32/9d/59/329d59c5869e6cb7555b0482c594a82c.jpg]construct[/url] created by Kintsugi's power, which absorbed the matter from underneath its footsteps as it came into view. Shreds of plastic plants meant to give this soulless building a semblance of personality poked out through its stony, concrete-clad form. Though it did not have a proper face, it [i]shrieked[/i] at Tandem with a sound akin to sand in a blender. The puddles of liquid metal began to shake and ripple.

And then the construct charged forth.

[sub][@Duoya][/sub]

As Keystone took stairs outside to get up higher, his power would tell him that there was a flaw in the fire escape. It was solid steel, six inches thick at every possible spot one could measure, but it had been compromised because being here on these stairs did not mean he was avoiding conflict. If he stopped and paid attention, he would note little flecks of silverly metal splattered across the railings. The higher up he went, the more of it he would see. This was, in a manner of speaking, a [i]problem.[/i] It meant that Ironsides had managed to spread his influence across this area as well.

But something wasn't adding up here. Blackburn hadn't hit the building [i]that[/i] long ago. It was true that they had managed to get the hostages in line [i]alarmingly[/i] fast, but that was normal. They were Blackburn, they were professionals. Working quickly and efficiently was part of their job description. But if Keystone tried to find an exploitable flaw in the distribution of Ironsides' metal, he find [i]nothing.[/i] Blackburn were good at what they did, but powers behaved a certain way no matter what. And ordinarily, Ironsides wasn't known to have this much influence over an area in this little amount of time...

[sub][@Mintz][/sub]

Taking to the air was a wise decision for Muninn. Circling around the building, he could see through the windows well enough to get a clear, albeit two-dimensional lay of the land. At least half a dozen floors were completely whited out, their windows smeared by a silvery metal that glared against Muninn's avian eyes. Above those floors were exactly three that had been overtaken by a small horde of monsters. They were Kintsugi's work, and resembled twisted, messy works of art carved from wood by an amateur. They were hideous things, and Muninn could see that they resembled the same husks that his team saw littering the ground outside the bank. Only these were moving, where as the previous ones were dead on the ground. If he looked closely enough, he'd see a construct looking remarkably different from them on the top floor, about to flatten Tandem like a pancake!

Or, he might see the silhouette of someone moving down the stairwells at an alarming pace. As if they had somewhere to be. 

[sub][@Silver Carrot][@Aku the Samurai][/sub]

An assault rifle lay on the floor, having clattered away towards the entrance in the heat of battle. Richter and Decree could see Shattercrash trading blows with the Blackburn member known as Ironsides. He wore an [url=https://i.pinimg.com/564x/6a/f8/04/6af80481629bbe2cc7c9d320d643c623.jpg]ugly costume reminiscent of patchwork metal and leather.[/url] His body rippled with layers of liquid metal, eating up the worst of Shattercrash's punches, which let off vibrant explosions of pink sparks with each swing. Ironsides was taller than her, and looked to be a bit on the heavy side. Though, it might have simply been his power beefing him up. The two were in what seemed to be a boxing match, where Shattercrash hit fast and hard, but Ironsides hit [i]slow[/i] and hard. 

Shattercrash was able to dodge his punches, and she was hitting him way more than her. But she didn't seem to be doing much damage.

[color=#C8C8C8]"Give it up, brat!"[/color] He shouted, his voice like a watery roar. [color=#C8C8C8]"Can't win 'em all!"[/color]

[color=ff00c2][i]"WATCH ME!!!"[/i][/color] Shattercrash channeled her power into both of her fists, and ducked under another one of Ironsides' swings. She jumped up and clapped him across both of his ears. The force reverberated through his "helmet" and caused him to stumble backwards. The attack shook the ground beneath Decree and Richter's feet.

Shattercrash leapt backwards towards them both as Ironsides writhed on the ground. [color=ff00c2]"Get out of your head right the fuck now, Decree!"[/color] she jabbed. [color=ff00c2]"You're in the big leagues now. You freeze up, you fucking [i]die![/i] You come in without a plan, that's one thing- But when you start, you don't stop 'til it's over!"[/color]

[color=ff00c2]"Pretty sure I blew his eardrums. He's gonna be feeling that for a bit, but something's wrong here. He's too damn strong right now- His power takes time to ramp up, and he's ramped up [i]too fucking fast[/i] for the amount of time he's had control here."[/color] She sounded calm, in the sense that all three of them were in the eye of a tornado. 

[color=ff00c2]"There should be a PA system around here you can try your powers on! Move your ass so I can cover you! Richter, you want to try fucking up the big guy?"[/color]