The thieves hacked and gasped as gas filled the area, their retaliation on the SWAT officers immediately ceasing. As the SWAT team advanced, a fellow policeman was hurled their way through the haze after a few gunshots, colliding with a few of the officers. Confused and frustrated, the fallen crew scrambled to their feet, shouting a few more choice expletives as they did so. Teetering on the edge of professional execution and enraged brutality, the SWAT officers then moved in, forcing every offender to the ground and quickly handcuffing them. With the main criminals apprehended, the officers commenced a brief scan of the area as the gas cleared. Perhaps they had hoped to catch a couple of the Variants as well, but even though the cavernous hole still remained in the wall, there was no sign of any others.

“All clear!” shouted one of the SWAT agents in a mix of annoyance, relief, and assurance. “Let’s get these bastards out of here!”

The dust finally began to settle from the truly chaotic event, leaving everyone involved and onlookers alike extremely uneasy. The thieves were escorted into police vans as officers doubled back to recheck the scene. Hostages were checked for medical issues and interviewed, news reporters continued to keep their viewers up-to-date, and the crowds were steadily held back behind police lines. Within said crowd, Dante’s clone still lingered taking in the sights from street level, while Dante himself remained still on the rooftops. Wanting to get a peek at the back of the building where the loud crash was heard moments before the gunshots, his clone found a weak spot in the police surveillance and was able to sneak into an alley leading toward the rear of the bank. Silently creeping down the increasingly darkening path, he stopped and hid when he saw a small group of people who seemed to be escaping from the scene. They didn’t seem to be involved in the robbery, but something compelled him to hang back and eavesdrop on their transaction.

Knowing what his clone was up to, Dante decided to call it a day and leave the roof, letting the clone gather some recon. He turned to find Ezio, his black and gray short-haired cat with piercing green eyes, on the hunt for what was probably a mouse. Seemingly bored with the chase, Ezio casually ceased and followed Dante as he walked through the door that led to the stairs. Dante aimlessly descended to street level, unsure of where he would head, but confident that his wandering might take him somewhere interesting at least.

-----

When the reports came in of the incident coming to a close, Manny shook his head and sighed.

[color=a0410d]“Well, that was definitely something…”[/color]

“People in this town are getting crazier by the day,” Ellis said, wheeling into the kitchen to refill his drink.

Manny got up from the couch and stretched. [color=a0410d]“...and it is into that crazy town that I must venture, dear brother,”[/color] he declared with a smirk. [color=a0410d]“I got a gig to head to.”[/color] After quickly changing his shirt, he grabbed his guitar and headed out the door. [color=a0410d]“I’ll catch you later, bro.”[/color]

“Be careful out there, mop top!” Ellis shouted as Manny closed the door. Manny rolled his eyes and considered opening the door back up just to give El the finger, but thought it would be too predictable. Instead he continued on out of the building into the evening. He lived just on the edge of The Shanty in more or less the ‘buffer area’ between it and Ville Rogue - not quite the poorest of neighborhoods but far from the most pleasant. It was what he could afford as a typical ‘starving artist’ as he refused to take financial help from his mother who insisted he lived closer to Midtown, where she herself had a fairly cozy apartment. He wanted to make it on his own, but he at least granted his mother’s plea to live with Ellis so they could ‘watch out for each other’ (like they were teenagers or something). Any deeper into The Shanty, though, and Manny may have reconsidered taking his mom’s offer and staying on the other side of town, but thankfully things were fine this close to Ville Rogue. 

As Manny took his stroll toward the heart of Ville Rogue, the district’s vibrant nightlife started to slowly come alive. Street musicians lined the walkways, heavenly smells wafted from every restaurant and cafe, lights danced off of the timeless architecture. The true heartbeat of New Haven sounded in Manny’s ears and he could hardly contain his smile, in spite of the unsettling event he had just witnessed moments earlier. He loved the culture in Ville Rogue, especially the music scene. It took all he had in him to not stop and jam with one of the musicians serenading the streets...but he had a previous (paying) engagement, of course, and could not be late.