[center][h2][b]Paige Kennedy[/b][/h2][/center]

Xi maneuvered the Marshal Service Taurus through the pedestrian barricades to a comfortable position a few car lengths down from a Sol-City police cruiser parked in the center median. Its officer waved them through casually as soon as Paige flashed her badge from the window. Like all the rest of the Federal vehicles Xi had ever driven, it was a factory reject, not that anyone would notice. Somewhere along the assembly line there might have been some overspray or maybe two body-panels didn’t fit quite right, whatever the case, cosmetic rejects went straight to governmental services and police departments. The average person would likely never even notice the difference and he rather liked these cars. All wheel drive was standard and they were certainly an improvement over some of the old Crown Victorias he’d driven before.

Paige watched the crowds moving about. Normally this sort of detail would have been drab. Press the flesh, meet the people, make yourself seen. However, a new city reset everything and she enjoyed the festive atmosphere. Most people looked to be in good spirits and the area they surveyed appeared to be composed of the high middle-class and the locally wealthy. She knew the bored suburban women would likely talk her head off. The sight of a young female Marshal seemed to ignite some sort of forgotten sense of adventurism in them. If she weren’t working she thought it might be a good time. It was certainly generous for the city to put on such a celebration, but then again the city’s “generosity” was exactly what brought them here.  They listened to the police band which had been mostly quiet until the sound of motorcycle exhaust became audible in the distance.

“Did he say [i]Visagoths[/i]?” Xi said, slightly dumbfounded. “Doesn’t look like their kind of scene.” He remembered hearing about the local one-percenter club in some of their briefings. 

Paige produced a set of binoculars from the glove compartment and scanned the distance. “Yea? Well here they come, don’t see any fancy dresses either.” She looked at how they were scattered rather than riding in formation like most clubs. “Got some kind of high-end car  and others mixed between them.”

“Escort detail maybe?” Xi questioned. His tone was such that it was evident he almost didn’t believe what he was saying. The radio continued to crackle with frantic reports. Some carried baseball bats, knives and other weaponry.

“Don’t think they’re here to make friends and influence people,” Paige said flatly. It appeared that Xi was correct. The car and few SUVs travelled amongst them without assailment. [i]Maybe some kind of show of force?[/i] She thought, but the whole scene was out of place. One-percenters didn’t make their stands in territory they already firmly controlled and they certainly didn’t allow anything other than a Harley Davidson amongst the pack. The sight of some of them harassing the ordinary people just trying to enjoy the evening ground her nerves. “I’ve dealt with these losers before,” She said taking out her phone, “Mostly HA’s and Outlaws where I’m from,” She dialed 911 on her phone, but stopped short of pushing the send button to show him what she was doing. “What was that bar on the Southside that was their headquarters?”

“The 501 Club?” Xi said. “What are you doing?”

“Turn that radio on some heavy metal or somethin’ and turn it up, [i]loud[/i]” She said. Xi tuned the radio and cranked the volume. His new partner was certainly a creative type. Paige pushed send and waited. A stern male voice popped up on the other end almost instantly.

“911, what is your emergency?”

“H-Hello!” Paige shouted into the phone, “I’m a w-waitress at the 501 on Southside! There’s some kind of big fight going on between the bikers!”

“Did you say the 501 Club ma’am?” The voice was cool and calm. He was clearly accustomed to taking calls from the location.

“YES!” Paige shouted back in the most helpless voice she could manage against the blaring sound of thrash metal, “They’re going to kill each other! A bunch of Angels said they were going to burn us down, please help!”

“Ma’am are you injured?” 

“WHAT?” She shouted back.

“Are you injur…”

“OH GOD DON’T KILL ME!” She screamed. She was feeling her oats now and beginning to impress herself.

“Ma’am! Stay on the line!”

She cut the call and turned off her phone to prevent the callback she knew they would try. Her face was slightly flushed and she fanned herself briefly to regain her composure. She handed Xi the binoculars and pointed, “There’s the road captain right there, he’s got a scanner, [i]now watch[/i].”

A burly, full patch biker stood at one of the oncoming intersections stopping traffic against its normal flow to let the group pass through. He glanced down at the scanner clipped to his belt as he waited for his brothers to pass by along with the posh limousine convoy. A split second later he ripped the small radio from his side and pinned it to his ear. He instantly threw an arm up in the air and whistled sharply to gain the immediate attention of as many thugs as possible. He waved one hand in a circular motion and the order went down the line. By the dozens the formation began to turn around and blaze a path for the interstate leaving the escort vehicle… [i]unescorted[/i].

Xi shook his head in disbelief. “That’s some savage shit, Paige.” He did not put the binoculars down. “So what happens when they get there? SCPD is going to send units.”

“I figure since most of the city cops are tied up here, the dumbasses should get there first, then they’ll see that it was a false alarm, be pissed off for about ten seconds, maybe longer for the slower ones, then they’ll realize they get to keep whatever bribe money they were paid for the escort detail,” She flipped the sun visor down and momentarily glanced at her reflection making a few adjustments to loose hair strands, “Along about that time the beat cops should show up and catch them carrying all those weapons, so everyone wins.”

“Except the poor saps that paid them for the escort,” Xi snickered.

“Well, we can’t please everybody,” Paige said flipping the mirror closed and opening her door. “Now let’s go have ourselves an enjoyable evening.”

[@PrinceAlexus][@aladdin_sane][@RoccanIronclad][@valckyriie][@SgtEasy][@Rabidporcupine]

[b]Loud Metal #1[/b]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yUYyxBjw0k[/youtube]