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[sub]4:05 AM[/sub]
[sub]July 5th, 2033[/sub]
[sub]Armstrong & Armstrong Security[/sub]
[sub]Central Brookside, Castleburg[/sub]

[color=crimson]"S1 to S2. In position. Over."[/color]

Katharine lowered her finger from her earpiece, awaiting a response. She was currently standing on the top of a rather tall building in central Brookside, a slightly less seedy part of the district that had a few more prominent businesses located there. Armstrong & Armstrong was one of them. An old security firm that has existed since colonial times, cousins John Winthrop Armstrong and Christopher James Armstrong, both superhuman members of the Revolutionary Army, founded the business in the late 1700s and have remained in business since. Their firm is well-reputed as one of the best there are in private security. Armstrong & Armstrong combines top-tier security gadgetry with a small group of hired superhumans to protect private interests across the city. It's been reputed that any building with the old "A&A" sign planted in front of it is impossible to crack into. But here Katharine was, standing on top of their executive offices, donning a sleek black bodysuit and platinum utility belt around her waist. She was quite pleased with herself- she looked badass. 

The clear earpiece in her ear buzzed as noise came through. [color=MediumTurquoise]"S2 to S1. Area is clear. No heroes on patrol in this region, no police detected, and HERO2 is currently over Passenger Island. Proceed. Over."[/color]

Katharine nodded as she made her way over to the air duct, removing what appeared to be a screwdriver from her belt. Tapping a button on the handle, the screwdriver began to whir and spin, and Katharine quickly unbolted the grate into the air vents, sliding it off quietly. She then took a deep breath before slowly stepping into the vent, ducking inside and then sliding down. She landed softly at the bottom of the slope, showing a long stretch of duct ahead of her. She tapped her earpiece again. [color=crimson]"S1 to S2. Need S6 to disable motion sensors. Over."[/color]

She got a response a few seconds later. [color=MediumTurquoise]"S2 to S1. Sensors disabled. Continue with the plan. Over."[/color] 

Kat nodded and began to crawl, moving very slowly and very quietly through the vents. She quietly scuttled past the grates, making sure the chances she was seen or heard were minimal. After moving over 3 grates, she stopped at the fourth, unclipping the screwdriver yet again and swiftly unscrewing the grate, sliding it out of the way. Beneath her were two men wearing blue uniforms, an A&A patch on each of their chests, and a sidearm clipped to their waists. The two were standing in front of a steel door labelled 'Private Vaults,' which was currently locked shut. The two were discussing casually, both visibly exhausted. 

"Alright, alright. Marry, fuck, kill. Olivia Munn, Olivia Wilde, Olivia Newton-John."

"Ooh, tough one, tough one...I really like that movie Olivia Wilde did with Jason Sudeikis, though..."

Kat sighed and jumped through the hole, landing on top of one of the security guards squarely and crushing him to the ground with a loud [i]crack.[/i] As the other one reached for their sidearm in shock, Kat lunged at him, putting one hand over his mouth and pushing him against the wall with the other. Her hand glowed read, and the man quickly started to burst into hives before falling to the ground, wheezing. Kat dusted off her hands, looking down at the two downed security guards on the ground. [color=crimson]"Olivia Newton-John is 80,"[/color] she said crassly, before turning back to the metal door, removing what appeared to be a credit card from Valentine Industries from her belt and inserting it into the chip reader. The chip reader promptly exploded, sparking everywhere, and the metal door swung open. Kat stepped inside, walking down the laser-grid hallway casually, the lasers mysteriously vanishing as she got close to them. At the end of the hallway was another metal door for extra security, but with the same tactics as the first, it was promptly unlocked as well. The room behind it was a circular room, a rotunda, with vaults running around the outsides of the room. Kat tapped her earpiece again. [color=crimson]"S1 to S2. I'm inside. Whose vault are we looking for?"[/color]

[color=MediumTurquoise]"Your target is the vault labelled 'Bram Jansen.' Should be located somewhere to your right."[/color] 

Kat shuffled over to the right side of the circular room, walking around until she saw the steel door with the words 'Bram Jansen' printed on a nameplate in the center of the door. She unclipped the third and final gadget from her utility belt, a device that looked like a needle, and inserted it into the mechanical lock. Some sparks flew from inside the lockhole, but after a moment, the metal door swung open. Kat stepped inside the vault, which had an impressive variety of what appeared to be old musical instruments. Kat looked around. [color=crimson]"Old pieces of junk...boring...where's the target..."[/color] she muttered, rummaging around, before her face lit up. [color=crimson]"A-ha!"[/color] she exclaimed triumphantly as she removed her query from behind a few old violins sitting on a shelf. Clutched in her hands was what appeared to be a very large but old-looking piece of parchment, tied up with a tattered red ribbon. Kat held it in one hand as she tapped her earpiece with the other. [color=crimson]"S1 to S2, I have the item. Moving to the extraction point now,"[/color] she said confidently, not even bothering to listen to the response as she walked out of the vault. Her eyes curiously flickered to the vault door next to the one she had just robbed. It was labelled 'Hugo Powers.' Kat rubbed her hands together as she stepped towards the vault door, removing her lockpicking needle and swiftly burning out the lock. [color=crimson]"Can't hurt..."[/color] she muttered as she swung the vault door open, stepping inside.

Powers' vault was, for the most part, exactly what one would envision his private vault being. High-grade, expensive weapons hung on the sides of the walls, a few ancient swords and shields propped up alongside a few trophies and medals that were hanging around. At the end of the wall, though, in the center of a shelf, was a single CD inside a crystalline case. Kat's eyes widened dramatically as she saw it. [color=crimson]"S1 to S2, I think I found an unedited copy of the HERO database! This might have the information we need!"[/color]

Winterfall audibly groaned in response. [color=MediumTurquoise]"You are going behind the parameters of this mission, Malady. You are putting this entire operation in jeopardy."[/color] 

[color=crimson]"Too late."[/color] Kat reached over and snatched the CD case from the shelf. As soon as she did so, a loud alarm began to blare through the vault, and then it began to blare throughout the rest of the facility. [color=7bcdc8]“Intruder detected in the private vault. Alerting Division X,”[/color] the cool, collected voice of Samantha resonated through the vault, as Kat dropped the CD in panic. It rattled on the ground. It was a fake. A trap. A decoy, and Kat fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

Winterfall, meanwhile, was rather irate. [color=MediumTurquoise]"Don't tell me I didn't warn you. If you end up rotting in jail for the rest of your existence, don't blame me."[/color] 

[color=crimson]"They're calling Division X, Winterfall, help me!"[/color]

[color=MediumTurquoise]"I will, but just understand that my purpose therein is not out of concern for your own personal interests, but for the interests of Zero and my position within it-"[/color] 

[color=crimson]"SHUT UP AND HELP!"[/color] Kat released a large cloud of red fog that spread down the corridor, engulfing several Division X members and causing them to begin spontaneously convulsing, dropping to the floor in a fit. [color=crimson]"Shit, how are they here already?!"[/color] Kat looked around frantically before pacing back, away from one of the walls in the vault. [color=crimson]"Alright, I'm in position. Send it down."[/color] As she spoke, a red laser traced a circle in the roof of the vault, causing a slab of metal to drop to the ground. A rope promptly fell through, which Kat grabbed onto, quickly scaling the length through the hole in the ceiling onto the roof. The rope had been tied to a hook that was currently latched onto the roof. Kat crawled out, panting and looking around.

[color=crimson]"S1 to S2. I have the package and am on the roof. Send down the helicopter."[/color]

Kat released her finger from her ear, sighing in relief, before freezing as she heard a loud buzzing sound. She turned around to see Hugo Powers, wearing a black armored suit, a white "X" emblazoned on his chest, holding what appeared to be some sort of electrostaff, a bo staff with two sparking electric ends. Powers twirled the staff in his hands. [color=lightslategray]"Malady."[/color]

Malady wasted no time attacking, sending a large cloud of red gas directly at Powers, promptly engulfing him in it. Powers was supposed to contract some type of organ failure, but instead, he charged out of the smoke like it was nothing, rushing towards Kat and slamming the electric end into her stomach. Kat visibly jolted before being launched across the rooftop, tumbling towards the edge. [color=crimson]"Fuck..."[/color] she cursed, her body twitching as she laid there. Powers walked across, electric staff in hand, pointing the tip directly at Katharine. [color=crimson]"For what's supposed to be a top-tier villain, you go down awfully quickly,"[/color] Powers commented, his eyes glaring down at her. 

Kat was glaring right back, coughing a few times as she clutched her stomach, laying on the ground. Those electric staffs did a number on her. [color=crimson]"How did you..."[/color] she began, before coughing a few times, blood trickling from her lips. Those staffs [i]really[/i] messed her up.

[color=lightslategray]"My power has a positive effect on the internal organs you were trying to target,"[/color] Powers explained, showing no visible sympathy to the teen laying before her. The staff crackled with electricity as he held it above Kat's neck. [color=lightslategray]"You're going to be coming with me."[/color]

[color=crimson]"Fuck you-"[/color] Kat began, but did not finish as Powers rapped her hard with his staff in the shoulder. Kat loudly squealed as another wave of electricity went through her body, before coughing again, the blood dripping from her lips. Powers' eyes were cold and serious. [color=lightslategray]"That wasn't a question. That was a demand. Now let's go."[/color]

Powers was about to reach down to grab Katharine by the throat and forcibly take her along when there was a sudden wave of cold, and Powers stopped moving spontaneously, standing mid-crouch before Katharine. Bitterly glaring down, he stood there helplessly as ice began to encase him, sealing him into a cocoon of ice. Standing at the other end of the roof, hand outstretched, was a man, not too old but not young, with neat blonde hair, a white lab coat, and a pair of sleek square glasses. The man adjusted his glasses. [color=MediumTurquoise]"Let's depart,"[/color] he said as he briskly walked over, grabbing Katharine's hand roughly and pulling her to her feet. [color=MediumTurquoise]"I can't hold a man of his caliber for long. He'll break out soon enough."[/color] 

Kat staggered forwards breathlessly, blood dripping onto his chin. A black helicopter was descending towards the rooftop rapidly, the doors opening in front of the two villains. Winterfall (for of course it was) stepped inside, before viciously pulling Kat onboard, causing the girl to fall to her face on the floor of the helicopter. Before she could regain her bearings, the doors closed and the helicotper took off, causing Kat to roughly roll across the floor of the helicopter into Winterfall's leg. He looked down, before lifting up the clipboard he was holding and swiftly rapping Kat on the back of the head. 

[color=MediumTurquoise]"Next time, listen to my instructions, or the consequences will be much more severe."[/color] 

[color=crimson]"Sorry..."[/color] the girl grumbled.

Meanwhile, on the rooftop of the building, the ice cube holding Powers began to break, cracks spreading rapidly across the slab of ice until it spontaneously shattered, shards of ice falling everywhere, as Powers emerged, putting his hands on his knees and panting. After taking a few deep breaths and looking at his surroundings, he clenched his teeth and released a mighty [color=lightslategray]"MOTHERFUCKER!"[/color] that resounded across the rooftops, his bellow enough to make even the most strong-willed of grown men burst to tears. 
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