Metropolis

Fhaux

Fhaux

Matchmaker
It's about a week after the exobytes at the start of the RP.


Nobody knows about the exobytes, but news broadcasts have begun talking about a sudden outbreak of an 'unknown virus.'


All Information should be in the other three Metropolis threads.


If not... then ask.


__________________________


Scarlett found herself stripping off her shirt to look at her back in the bathroom mirror again. She hadn't noticed anything strange at first. Nothing at all, but yesterday she had found two lumps on her back and today they were larger and even a little painful, as if something was trying to push its way out of her back. It didn't help that their was breaking news about some new virus. She hadn't been paying much attention to the news lately.


She sighed when she saw that the lumps hadn't gone away. She was still holding out a little hope that it was just some swelling and it would go away. However, even if it was just swelling, it wasn't going away. Maybe because she kept poking at them. She'd iced them for an hour last night but nothing had changed.


She put her shirt back on and walked out of the bathroom, but twisted her arm around to continue poking at them. She had nothing to do and nowhere to be, which was just how she liked it, but it gave her nothing to distract from her possible deformity. It was exactly why she kept poking at the lumps, and then going to look at them in the bathroom when she just couldn't stand it anymore.


Eating sounded good. She hadn't eaten yet today and she sure was hungry. And a sandwich sure sounded tastey. Before she even made it to the bread though, she felt one of the lumps move and she was quickly back in the bathroom to see if it was going to move again. Maybe she should read up on this virus sometime soon, but she really hoped that these weren't signs of it...
 
Ryker wandered down the darkened streets of the city. Overhead, the only working streetlight on the dirty street flickered on and off, casting doubtious shadows on the wall and almost causing them to dance. Ryker stuffed his hands into the pockets of his worn out jeans and glanced nervously behind him. It appeared no one was following him, but that still didn't mean he had to trust the shadows. It had been a week since his powers had flared up, big time. Not the little bursts that he usually got, but an awesome welling sensation filling him as if it were about to burst out from within him and cover the streets in a sticky crimson goop. not that that also had never happened to him either. Its just, after that incident a week ago, strange feelings began to creep into his head. The world had changed.


He walked past a parked van, "Hot! Fr sh! Hotdo s!" was writtain in big scrawling letters red letters across the bright yellow side, or at least it used to be bright. In this part of town, nothing kept it's shine, the letters were warped and pealing off and the sides were streaked with dirt, grime, and other unsavory things.


Rykers stomach grumbled and he glared angrily at it. It had been two days since he last got "lucky" with his meal, and even the grime smeared picture of the hotdog was looking appetizing. He glanced around once or twice to make sure no one was looking, and began attempting to force the door open for his next meal.
 
Shane was in his apartment watching some tv when the picture went funny.


Stupid basted tv. Come on work.


Shane goes to play with the rabbit ears atop the set. This is when he gets a static shock. But a little more potent.


A little as in his tv explodes.


AHHHHHHHH WHAT THE ****. He yells as he takes a large shard og glass in the for-arm.


He runs to the bathroom to take out the glass. After removing the shrapnel from his arm and bandages it up, he goes to turn off the bathroom light.


And thats when the power for his whole block shuts down.


You've got to be kidding me.
 
Eve was getting a drink out of the fridge when she overheard the news on tv saying: " There is a sudden outbreak of an unknown virus, causing many illnesses. If you are having weird, unknown symptoms of a disease that nobody can identify. Please report to your nearest military base. This is just a precaution, do not panic. There is nothing to worry about. "





" Ccchhh. " She said to herself, 'Nothing to worry about...yeah right.' She figured that if she had that unknown disease the last thing she would want to do is go to a military base. Going to a military base when feeling ill doesn't even make sense, she thought. ' I bet something's going on that they're not telling us! '.


" Oh snap, Scarlett! " She said to herself as she rushed out the door towards the coffeehouse where they were meeting.
 
Maybe it had just been her imagination. No matter how long she stared at her lumps, Scarlett couldn't see anything moving. At least, not the lumps. Once she pulled herself away from the bathroom mirror again she decided to turn on the TV and see what the news was saying about this new outbreak. Well she certainly was experiencing weird, unknown symptoms but she wasn't sure she was willing to report to a military base if she did have this unknown virus. What could they possibly do for her at a military base? Wouldn't a hospital be more equipped to handle a virus? Whatever was going on, it seemed a little strange to her. And anyways, she still wasn't convinced that she hadn't just bumped into something and just had some serious swelling going on.


She was probably just being paranoid. Usually when she thought she had some horrible disease it was just her worrying too much. After about three and a half minutes of the news, she decided it was best to turn off the TV and try to put this whole virus business out of her mind. She did have somewhere to be after all, and thank goodness. It would give her a distraction. She got dressed, brushed out her hair and made herself presentable to the world. Then she left to meet a friend at the coffee shop, but not before taking one last glance at her back in the bathroom mirror.


It was a beautiful day for a walk, and she preferred walking to driving any day. Besides it being a more enjoyable experience, gas just cost too much and she didn't have a whole lot of money. Luckily, the coffee shop wasn't far from where she was staying and even walking it didn't take long to get there. Eve hadn't arrived yet, so Scarlett ordered a small coffee, bought a muffin and claimed a small table. She didn't mind waiting, she had plenty of patients, but she was starving and she might not be able to hang on long enough to eat with Eve, which was why she'd bought a muffin immediately upon arrival.
 
As she ran over the streets she couldn't help but notice how much faster she had gotten overnight. Her reflexes were much better too, it was on more than one occasion that she narrowly escaped slamming into a person or tripping over a leash.


She kept running 'till she missed noticing a shifted brick of the street that she tripped over. Tripping and on her way to fall flat on her face she instinctively kept her chin on her chest and swung one arm under her body to make a rolling motion, which succeeded. As she rolled graciously she found herself unharmed on her feet, although a bit dazed about what just happend. She stared for a while into the distance as she tried to lose the lightheadedness.


In a happy mood she continued her travel to the coffeehouse but this time she merely jogged as she didn't want to sprint and fall again. After all, lightning doesn't strike twice does it?


Smiling she entered the coffeeplace and saw Scarlett sitting at a small table near the window, staring at a muffin. She couldn't help but smile wide as she walked over and quickly grabbed the muffin.


" Mwahaaaa, this is mine now! " She said before giving it back to Scarlett and taking a seat.


" Hey Scarlett, been too long. How you've been? "
 
Scarlett greeted Eve with a smile when she saw her come through the door and start making her way over. She didn't think Eve would actually steal her food, but she was so hungry that when Eve grabbed the muffin, she'd been so distressed by it that she had almost jumped up to take it back. It was returned before she had to do so, however, and as soon as it was safely back in her hands, she finally gave in to her stomach's growling and took a bite. She'd been able to wait for Eve and she was eating with her, just not at the same time as her. She was sure Eve wouldn't mind though.


"I've been good. Still looking for adventure, like always." She usually didn't have any trouble finding something interesting to do, she wasn't looking to save the world or anything, just some fun, exciting things to do. She leaned back in her seat, her lumps were just high enough to miss the back of her chair. Luckily her hair was long enough and thick enough to keep them hidden. Reporting to the military would be an adventure for sure. Whether or not it was fun and exciting was another matter though.


"What about you? Anything new since we last hung out?"
 
" Hehe, I love your lifestyle. So much freedom. " She said with a smile.


" I've been good, won silver in a gymnastics tournament recently and I've kept myself busy with training for the next tournament and looking for sponsors and such. " She said with a fake smile. Things hadn't been going that well in all honesty. She trained harder than ever before, only to come in second at that tournament. She remembered the disappointment when she heard the scores of the jury. To top it off, it's not easy to find sponsors, even worse to find people willing to sponsor someone who's only good enough to come in second.


Realizing she had created an awkward silence, she quickly came up with a random subject to talk about.


" Did you see the news? Some weird, unknown virus is free. They have very little information about it so far and everyone who even thinks they are infected by it are asked to report to a military base. Sounds too... Oh look, the news is on right now. Maybe we'll hear a little more about it. "


She said, pointing at the large tvscreen hanging in the corner of the coffeehouse.


" Superman made a public statement earlier today, revealing more information about the virus. This footage was made during his speech. "


* Screen goes to Superman's speech *


" We urge the people to stay calm. What I am about to tell you will be shocking, but you will have to believe me, for it is all truth. "


" We have been informed that there will be an invasion, a hostile alien invasion. Because of that, a certain someone has unleashed a device that makes anyone who it comes into contact with ... a superhuman. "


" I can not stress enough to the people who have come into contact with this device to hone their skills and powers, even seek out mentors, to prepare themselves... to defend Earth! "


" The world is counting on you. Do not fear, do not panic, but accept your destiny! "


* Tv screen goes back to news-reporter *


" There you have it Tom, Superman's speech will no doubth have lifechanging consequences for all of us. I, for one, am dazed by it all. "


...


Eve was staring at the now black screen with open mouth, slowly turning her head to face Scarlett. Not knowing what to say.
 
In her dark, damp place, which was really just a house condemned for destruction she had broken into,a woman by the alais Gear looked into the disgusting water that filled the sink. Her eyes narrowed as she ran a hand over her skin, rather hoping what had spread over it was just dust or makeup gone horribly wrong, After all, pure white so wasn't her colour...the red on the other hand, if it had been in the splatter form, maybe...


And to her non surprise, it wasn't. Rubbing harder, all she succeeded in doing was making her skin hurt. Her hand balling up into a fist, she struck at the water, only to have a large flash of light strike up and the sink catch on fire. Falling backwards she watched it with a bit of awe in her expression.


But as it spread towards the boards covering the windows, it faded into worry. Shooting up and reaching for a broom to beat it out, Gear got another surprise as that caught on fire as well. Fully freaking out now, she looked around, before catching site of her hand. It was giving off heat waves like no tomorrow.


"Oh...Shit." Looking around, she waved her hand up and down, trying to get it too cool down while looking for something to put the fires out with.
 
Second place seemed pretty good to Scarlett but she got the feeling that Eve wasn't so happy with it. Maybe she was having trouble finding sponsors? But that seemed unlikely, sponsors should be throwing themselves at second place gymnasts almost as furiously as they did at first place gymnasts. If for no other reason, then at least because they had a chance of becoming first place gymnasts. Right? Well Scarlett didn't know much about gymnasts and how everything worked and she wasn't about to pretend she did.


She smiled at Eve but before she could say anything, Eve had started talking about the virus that the news had been going on about. She didn't really want to think about it since she was feeling a little paranoid about the lumps on her back, but at least now she had someone to talk to rather than stewing in her own thoughts all day. Maybe Eve had heard something that she hadn't. She wasn't about to tell her about the lumps though. She wasn't quite ready to tell anyone that she might have this weird virus.


Her attention was turned to the TV in the corner when Eve pointed to it. The news was on, but this time they were showing a clip of Superman talking about this virus? The news was... unsettling, to say the least. An alien invasion? And this virus wasn't really a virus, but superpowers? It was Superman saying all of this, so she was inclined to believe him. And that would explain why the military was so interested in the people who had been affected. Now at least she was pretty sure she didn't have this 'virus' or whatever it was. She certainly hadn't acquired any superpowers... unless she was about to sprout a few more arms and turn into a spider lady.


Eve clearly didn't know what to say about the broadcast, but there was something on Scarlett's mind "I don't know how they expect people to contact a mentor. I mean... assuming he was talking about a superhero mentor. It's not like they're listed in the phone book. Not under a name anyone would recognize anyway."


Her interest was partly just curiosity, but it was also partly because she thought she might need to, depending on whether or not these lumps on her back went away.
 
Renny skulked about in the many streets and alleyways as she slowly made her way towards her favorite place, the library. The sun was shining too brightly and gave her a headache that she knew would take forever to go away. Everyone was out and about, trying to enjoy the sun while it was still shining. The little kids played catch while the adults absentmindedly watched while chatting to their friends about recent events. One particular event seemed to latch onto each conversation like a pack of leeches. It was the new topic about the so called "virus" going around.


Although she tried her best to walk at a steady pace and enjoy the warmth outside, she unknowingly picked up her stride to a speed faster than she had ever walked before. Before not too long, the library loomed over her like a monster ready to swallow her whole. Renny smirked to herself and gladly walked right into the monster's mouth. The librarian gave her a nod as soon as she entered. "Back again? Are you heading downstairs?" he asked with a small smile as he held out a door key.


Accepting it, Renny replied with a simple, "Of course. Don't forget to remind me of the time this time. I don't want to be locked in the library all night again." He chuckled at her remark even though she was being completely serious. Renny made her way into the back of the library and unlocked the basement door. The basement was dark and filled with books that had been put through hell. Some had bindings broken and others had pages torn or the cover just completely came off.


She sat down in her wooden chair, picked out a random book, and lit the candle with a lighter so she could see. Not a paragraph into the book, she glanced up only to see the light from the candle hovering away from the wick. "What the hell," she whispered, her voice echoing against the walls. The flame flew backwards onto the floor. Renny instinctively stomped it out with her boot. "This is the second time that's happened. This candle is haunted or something," she retorted as she climbed back upstairs and exited the library as fast as she could without breaking out into a sprint.
 
Artemis and Butler were en route to a nearby bank. Butler,as usual,was driving,and in his usual suit. Artemis,however,was very differently dressed.


He wore a hoodie,and tattred blue jeans,with hi-top sneakers. "This outfit is ridiculous,Butler." "You said it was the only way,sir." "I know. But I still don't like it."


They pulled up in front of the bank,and they exited the Mercedes. Walking into the bank,Butler approached the teller,and said, "I'd like to access my safety deposit box,please."
 
Near was getting board. And with his tv gone he didn't see the speach. As his stomach begins to growl he tries to reacall the last time he ate.


He just got paid the other day. He works under the table for a construction company. Witch meant no health benifits. But what can you do, its hard trying to get any job


after escaping from prison and you don't have any id.


So he decides to go out to eat at his favorite diner. He takes the shortcut though the alley behind his building.


Well well what do we have here. Two of street punks step out from behind a dumpster blocking him from going further. Empty the pockets...NOW. the one with bleached spikes flashes a crowbar.


no


What did you just say to me?


I said im not giving you a damn thing. Step aside.


HeHe your gona regret that. Moose GET HIM


The lacky charges at Near fist clenched he swipes for his face. Near side steps and brings his knee to the scums gut. He goes down winded. The leader brings up his crowbar and lunges forward swing like a mad man. Near grabs the crowbar before it hits him in the side. and then Sparks fly from the metal rod. The mugger falls to the ground convulsing. The other one gasps and runs away.


Near drops the crowbar and Stares at the body, the smell of searing flesh is filling the air and a large burn-mark is visible on the mans hand.


Near checks for a pulse. Hes alive, ok near just walk away hes mumbles to himself.


he makes it to the diner, making sure no one saw him. the place is empty except a booth filled by to girls. Not bad, he thought.
 
The teller nodded,and led Artemis and Butler to the back. There,they met a security officer,who greeted Butler with a handshake. "ID and key,please." Butler presented these things to the security officer. The ID was fake,of course,giving the information of the non-existant man Jerome Eugene Morrow. However,the counterfiet ID was of such quality that no one on the surface of the Earth would be able to tell the difference. Those below,however...


The guard nodded,and handed back the items. "Good to see you,Mr.Morrow. Is this your son?" "Yes. This is Vincent. Don't be so rude,Vincent. Introduce yourself." Artemis scoffed,as rehearsed. "Whatever. You've done it for me." This response was quicklly rewarded with a well rehearsed smack upside the head. "Manners,Vincent! Kids these days." "Don't get me started. Right this way."


Artemis and Butler followed the guard to a metal detector. The guard held out a metal pan,into which Artemis and Butler emptied their loose metallic objects. Butler went through the metal detector without a sound,while Artemis set it off. When the guard approached him,Artemis beared his teeth,revealing metal bars on them. He spoke around his teeth; "Braces." He closed his mouth,and said, "Are you done? I wanna blow this joint and go home. You're both cramping my style." The guard silently fumed,and led them to the door to the deposit box vault. The guard turned around to give his standard lecture.


"The room behind me is monitored by a security camera. I will walk in every five minutes to check up on you two,just in case the camera missed something." He then looked at Artemis. "And I'll be watching you,punk. You slip up,and I'll be all over you like grease on bacon. Are we clear?" Artemis looked the guard in the eyes,and replied, "Crystal."


The guard stepped aside,and allowed them to enter. Butler opened the box with his key,and pulled out a painting tube. He removed the painting,and handed it to Artemis. "Hold this." Artemis complied,and Butler opened the painting,holding it before him. Artemis whispered to him, "Shift it about three inches to the left. I'll have about five more feet of cover." Butler nodded,and complied. Artemis removed from the tube another item;a collapsible pole. It was painted to look exactly like the room. He placed the tube in his inside pocket,and extended the pole. It was able to reach both ends of the small room. It hung there,supported by the walls.


Artemis slipped out of his sneakers,and stood on the pole in a crouched position. He moved along it slowly and carefully,until he found what he was looking for. Box #103. Artemis examined the front of the box,and found what he was looking for on the front of the locking mechanism: A very faint trademark stamp, Blokken. They made most of the worlds locks for safety deposit boxes. Artemis opened his mouth,and removed one of the bars. The "braces" were actually keys. He slid the key into the keyhole,and it unlocked the box. Replacing the key,Artemis opened the box,revealing another painting tube. He placed the tube that was in his inside pocket in the box,and taken the one that was already there,and put it into the pocket. He closed the box and locked it again. Artemis returned to Butler's side,and slid back into his shoes,then collapsed the pole,and slid it into the tube. He nodded to Butler,who then placed the painting into the tube.


Then,the guard walked into the room. "You come here to spend five minutes to look at a painting?" "I had to make sure it wasn't damaged." The guard nodded,then asked, "Are you done,or do you need more time?" Butler shook his head and waved his hand. "We're done." "Very well. Come with me." As they left the back areas of the bank,Artemis cracked a remark, "Man,it'd be easy to rob this bank...The security is so lax.". The guard stopped Artemis,and said, "For someone with so much talk,you don't walk. I watched you the entire time you were in there. Your feet didn't move an inch."


Artemis simply smiled,and continued on his way with Butler. When they were back in the Mercedes,Butler asked, "Did you get it?" "Of course I did." Butler nodded,and drove them to the hotel.
 
Hotdogs in hand, Ryker walked down to a somewhat less-filthy street while munching his dinner. Of course the term "less filthy" really didn't say much. The hotdogs were probably not the healthiest meal imaginable, but Ryker found himself able to eat just about anything and survive, it was mostly just a matter of taste, and not vomiting it back up afterward.


As Ryker watched in the shadows, a fancy car drove up to a nearby hotel. He scarfed down the remains of his last hotdog and followed curiously. Rich kids in THIS neighborhood? what could that be doing? Without thinking, Ryker found himself drawn to the car. Maybe it was because he felt a twinge in familiarity that he had never felt before with anyone else that he had stumbled upon. maybe because his blood was rushing to his stomach, depriving his brain the oxygen to think clearly. Whatever the case, Ryker found himself a mere few paces away when a particularly large man stepped out of the vehicle.
 
" Weird stuff going on. "


" ... I wonder if that's the cause... " She muttered to herself still deep in her train of thoughts.


" Scarlett, I need to go check somethi--- "


Before she could finish her sentence two thugs came in, one of them carrying a revolver which he quickly pointed at everyone who had the instinct to stand up and run.


" GIMME THE MONEY, NOBODY MOVES! HURRY UP AND GIVE ME THE MONEY! " He shouted at the teller and everyone in the coffeeshop.
 
As the fire spread, Gear's adrenaline kicked in. As her head cleared, her hand cooled down to normal. Not even noticing that, she shot towards the 'living room', which was basically a rotting couch and a busted radio. Grabbing a full jug of water off the floor, she returned to the burning room.


Kicking the broom towards the sink, Gear uncapped the jug with her teeth before throwing the water on the flames. As the flames started to sizzle out, she kicked the rim of the sink and swore at it. "Bloody thing. " She growled. Shaking her head, she marched out of that room to what she called a bedroom.


It was really just the basement of the thing, go figure, but it worked. Pulling on a long sleeved hoodie, and covering most of her face with a scarf and dark sunglasses, she climbed out the basement window, onto the street. Keeping to herself, and avoiding contact with a person of any kind, Gear headed towards the inside of Metropolis, a bit to on edge to stay in her 'home.'
 
Scarlett's thoughts wandered to what Superman had said about finding a mentor. Eve's thoughts seemed to have wandered off as well. She mumbled something that Scarlett hadn't heard, but suddenly speaking up had tugged Scarlett back to reality and what was happening then and there. And what was happening then and there was a robbery. In the middle of Eve's sentence some armed thugs burst through the door demanding money.


Some people got up to try to run out the door and escape the situation, but when a gun was pointed at them and they were told not to move, they lost their nerve and complied with the robbers. Scarlett knew, as soon as the robbers had entered the coffee shop, that trying to get up and leave probably wouldn't go over too well. Instead of trying to escape, she stayed put. They seemed desperate but hopefully everyone would cooperate, the robbers would get their money and leave everyone in one piece.


Not that she thought these guys deserved to get what they wanted, but she definitely preferred everyone coming out of this unharmed even if it meant the robbers getting away. And she sure wasn't going to try to be a hero. Even if she did have this 'virus,' two back lumps wouldn't do much to help. Maybe gross the guys out. She felt her heart jump when the guy pointed his gun at her, but before she knew it, it was pointed at someone else.


The person that the gun was now pointed at looked terrified and Scarlett wished she knew how to help. "Hey," she'd spoken up before even realizing what she was doing. The gun was pointed at her again and she was relieved and afraid all at once. They looked like they were expecting her to say something, but she had only meant to draw their attention, she hadn't really had anything to say. That didn't keep her from opening her uncharacteristically bog mouth again "Leave them alone, you can keep it pointed at me..." she tried to coax him calmly.


She did value her own life, but at the moment she was more concerned with keeping everyone else safe.
 
The robber with the gun pointed his weapon at the origin of the rebellious sound. He came closer and placed the barrel of the gun on Scarlett's forehead.


" What do we have here? Related to Wonderwoman are we? " He spoke softly and venomously.


The smell of his breath even reached Eve, a mixture of pure stench and alcohol. It almost made her gag but instead she reacted instinctively at the cause of Scarlett's threat.


Eve swiftly leaned in and placed one arm in such a manner that she could bend the robber's arm upwards while grabbing the gun with her free hand and turning it to face him. Having bend his arm beforehand while not retracting her arm he couldn't keep hold of the gun unless he wanted his elbow to snap.


Suddenly being in the possession of the gun, she found herself standing upright and pointing it at the robber like it was an everyday occurance for her. She didn't really knew what to do next and her eyes kept shifting from one robber to the other before a voice came out that was much colder than she thought she could sound.


" Leave, now. "
 
Well, if she'd known that the guy with the gun was drunk Scarlett might not have been so brave. She could smell the alcohol on his breath even before he was right next to her. She stood her ground and remained where she was seated as the guy approached, heart racing as he placed the barrel on her forehead. She closed her eyes, she didn't want to see it coming if he pulled the trigger, and heard a few quiet gasps from the other customers. Was this how it was going to end? Had she made this worse than it already had been?


The barrel was removed from her forehead but she was a little afraid to open her eyes still. When she heard Eve telling the robbers to leave though, she finally opened her eyes and a relieved sigh escaped her. Eve sounded cold, but she was now in possession of the gun and Scarlett's bravery was beginning to return. It was a lot easier to be brave when the bad guys had been stripped of their only weapon. They were still kind of big guys, but they were outnumbered and if nothing else, Eve had a gun pointed at them.


She didn't know how Eve had gotten the gun out of the guy's hand, it made her wish she'd opened her eyes sooner. Whatever she'd done though, Scarlett was thankful. She wanted to thanks her ad also ask her how she'd gotten the upper hand, but she still was still a little afraid of these guys and thought it would be better to wait until after this fiasco was over. The guy looked pretty peeved right now and she didn't want to tick him off anymore, but Scarlett got to her feet "You guys seem like you're having a really bad day. Maybe you should just go home and sober up." she suggested, her voice just as soft and calm as if she were talking to a friend across the table.


Maybe reasoning wouldn't work with these two, but it was worth a try and if her attempt to convince them to leave was a failure then at least Eve had a gun. Maybe that was why she felt so safe standing a step behind her friend.
 
Noticing Scarlett's movement, Eve felt reassured that she wasn't the only one facing the robbers anymore. The odds seemed to be fairly balanced, 2 girls with a gun versus 2 guys without a gun. Although Eve knew she would never actually shoot someone, even a robber, she hoped it would be enough to send the pair running. Her hope was in vain though, as the man whose gun she had stolen was clearly infuriated, humiliated and intoxicated. A bad combination.


" You aren't going to shoot me, are ya? You, don't, have, what, it, takes. " With every word he made a step closer to Eve and Scarlett.


Not knowing what to do, Eve grabbed the gun with both her hands and aimed it at the ceiling before firing off a round. In the hopes that she finally succeeded in scaring them, she aimed the gun at the man again. The man had halted his advancing for a second and the 2nd man, who was standing farther away, was clearly scared and ready to run away.


" C-come on Jack, let's just go. Let's go man! " He begged the other robber, who was now close enough for Eve to smell the alcohol surrounding him again.
 
The angry robber didn't seem like he was going to budge at all as his scared companion tried to get him to leave. He seemed like he was intent on coming after Eve and Scarlett and giving in to his angry impulses, even with a gun pointed at him. After a moment though, he managed to peel himself away from the two and he hesitantly followed his friend out of the shop. Once out, the two began running, trying to get away from the scene, no doubt so that they wouldn't get caught. Or maybe they just didn't want to get shot.


Scarlett let out a breath that she hadn't even realized she had been holding. Once the robbers had run off she felt a wave of relief wash over her. The other customers seemed relieved as well and while some took off as soon as they felt it was safe, other stayed behind, many calling loved ones or close friends in order to tell them what had just happened. Scarlett sat back down and a man caught her eye. He smiled at her and gave her a nod as if to thank her. Then she realized that this was the man the gun had been pointing at when she'd drawn the robber's attention to herself. She smiled back at him and then turned back to Eve.


"How did you get the gun from him?" she asked curiously. She'd missed it and as far as she knew Eve wasn't an undercover cop or anything like that. She leaned back in her seat and felt something bump her back, and it felt really sore all of the sudden. That was when she remembered her lumps. In all of the excitement she had completely forgotten about them. Now they hurt more than they ever had before. If her toe felt like this she would guess it was an ingrown toenail, and she really hoped she wasn't growing toenails out of her back. But it sure felt like an ingrown toenail. She wanted to feel them or go look at them in a mirror but she resisted while she was in public and instead tried to give Eve her full attention "Thanks, by the way. That guy was messed up."
 
Eve's shoulders were tensed to the max as the man kept approaching her. At long last common sense seemed to have sunk into the man's brain and he turned to flee. Finally she could relax, she lowered the gun and then placed it on the table. This whole thing seemed like a dream now.


She quickly sat down on a chair and was abruptly taken back to reality as Scarlett asked her a question.


" I...I don't really know. I did some weird manoeuver with my arms to disarm him but I have no idea how I came up with that or even had the courage to do it. I just saw what was happening to you and I really, really, really wanted to do something. Before I realized what was happening, I had that gun in my hands. "


" Don't mention it. And yeah, he was messed up for sure. "


Eve's eyes drifted down and saw that her hands were shaking slightly but uncontrollably. With an apolegitic smile she looked at Scarlett.


" Sorry, the excitement really got to me. My adrenaline's still pumping like crazy. It'll probably go away soon. "
 
As Butler exited the car and held the door open for Artemis,he watched a boy who was suspiciously close to the Mercedes. Artemis stepped out and began to walk briskly to the door of the hotel,and although he looked like a street rat,he carried himself like a nobleman. He was happy,and rightly so. He had successfuly stolen a long lost Vincent Van Gogh masterpiece. He "Robin Hooded" it,for lack of a better term.


Butler followed behind Artemis,but placed himself between him and the strange boy,glancing around the entire area,but his sight always lingered on the suspicious boy whenever he entered Butler's field of vision. He instinctively closed his fists,ready to fight him off if the suspicious boy made a wrong move.
 
Talon hadn’t been outside her hermit-encasement in well over a week, but today, she had a reason to be. Her predicament started about 4 days ago, when weird things started happening to her at work; gold was much easier to lift, money started floating and she dropped a stack of paper that cracked through a desk.


Upon the requested leave she asked from her boss, she was told about a virus being spread around and assumed she had it. Her senses were probably just messed up from the stress, and it was making her see…and do things. With one eye on the news, as this new anomaly made her furniture break or float up to the ceiling, she continued to live.


The reason she was out today, was that she was headed towards a military base, where those with the virus were told to go. Although she didn’t completely trust them, she didn’t completely trust herself either, as she was making the concrete crumble in her light steps.


What kind of virus was this exactly?
 
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