Shell Shock (Unedited)

Chapter 1

Third POV

•

"Hey, HEY!" Yannis called out seeing April running off. Sighing at her recklessness, she tried to catch up to her friend. Landing a hand on the wooden surface of the barrel she swings herself over it, and caught right next up to April.

"Mr. Rivertti! Mr. Rivetti. Mr. Rivertti please," She insisted catching his attention. Making a halt, he turns and stare them down.

"You're the most persistent human... I've ever met in my life, I swear. Look, I already told the cops everything, alright." He gruffs continuously walking away as April follows, while nodding. Yannis sighs as she thought about the event that happened the night before. Being a trainee, the only think she cares was the experiences she gets, while April on the other hand is the busy journalists. Crossing her arms, she just waited on the side.

"But maybe there's a detail you could've forgotten to share with the police..." She suggests getting her notepad ready, but the constructor just shook his head.

"Sweetheart, you don't forget something like that. Ten guys storm in here, broad daylight, force us to the ground at gun point. And these are restricted chemicals. Benzyl cyanide and some deaminating agents too. You don't just buy these stuffs, even on the black markets-" April jot down all of the points, before looking over notes and pointing the red pen at him

"Wait, you said deaminating agents, those are used in genetic researches. Is there anybody else that's trafficking these sort of chemicals besides you?" she asked, consistently writing down more notes.

"There's one other high security facility along this waterfront." he points out to the east distance with his writing board on hand.

"But?" Yannis questions.

"But they don't move nearly as much cargo as we do." He finishes which April nods to.

"O'Neil! Narre! We're late in 30 minutes!" Vernon informs loudly.

"Neil." Yannis taps her shoulder.

"Uh...no, no, no, I'll be right back. Please don't go anywhere. I'll be right back." April hurriedly says. "Please watch him for me." She instructed Yannis where she nodded at. Soon enough Yannis just stood there observing the frustrated man with a scoff, as April rushes to Vernon.

"Come on, you're killing me." Vernon gestured his hands out.

"I'm working..."

"That's a paying job?"

"No..."

"Because we have an actual paying job. Look, you don't think that every crime reporter in the city has been trying to work this Foot Clan story?" he ask while April steps forward. Vernon opens the van door and hopped in.

"I know that, but there is a new angle on this, and I am this close to getting it." She gave a determined looked and a pinching hand pose, while Vernon just sighs.

"I just need a couple of more-" April turn back to find Yannis alone. April stared in daze as Yannis approached them.

"Wha-what-where did he-"

"Lost em. He said he had 'a lot' of work to do," Yannis look back at the cargos and crates being moved about in the air.

"Wha..."

"Face it O'neil... Let's just stick to what we're good at." April then looked to her friend.

"What he said." Agreeing, Yannis leans onto the the van.

"Cuz we're good at it-"

"Oh give her a break fern," Yannis rolled her eyes.

"I'm serious. We're good at it. And its VER-NON, with a V-" Vernon went on a ramble marathon as She just sighed and shook her head. Tiredly rubbing her face, she turns to the disappointed April.

"Come on," sighing again, Yannis gave her a pat on the back. Vernon and Yannis closed off the doors, while April got into the passenger seat. Yannis held onto both of the front seats and stabilised herself at the back.

"Let's go..."

________

Chewing a gum, Vernon placed the camera over his shoulder. "In five...four-" With his raised hand on the side, Vernon proceeds in lowering each finger as April adjusted herself and plastered a perfect smile. Leaning by the hood of the white van was Hyannis with her double shot, large mocha latte. A smug smirk on her lips as she slurps her beverage.

"Hi guys, this is April O'Neil from Channel 6 News and I am here in beautiful New York City on the first day. And you know what that means...its time to shed that pesky winter weight. And here with me today is celebrity fitness trainer Harley Pasternak. Hi Harley-" April greets handing him the microphone, he leans towards it as Yannis turns up beside Vernon. Nudging him, her playful smirk grew wider. He nods his head in acknowledgement.

"Good morning April!" Harley greets back turning his gaze to the camera.

"Twenty years I've studied the animal kingdom. There are fat pigs, there are fat cows. There are no fat birds. Alright, I want you to visualize a sexy seagull." Harley announces walking up to a mini trampoline, April hops onto one and spot her smirking friend on the side, holding up her phone. Realizing on what's happening, She slowly shakes her head in disbelief at Yannis. "Oh no..."

Yannis still smirking, slowly nods her head. "Oh yes..."

"So we're going to squat down and flap your wings. Right over there. Full extension." He demonstrates, April with the rest of the performers copies his moves. Her face turn to a sour look when she stares at Yannis's camera.

"Picture you're leaving that cold north and you're flying. You're migrating."

_________

"Four years of journalism school so that I can do that?" April says grabbing her jacket, as Yannis slurp on her coffee smiling at her.

"It was fun though."

"It was embarrassing." April 'corrects' her now snickering friend while puts away the camera equipment.

"Not for us it isn't~" Yannis grins.

"You're really smug right now aren't you,"

"Yeah, a little bit."

"But seriously! Four years of my life you guys... It's so humiliating..." April complained once more, finally putting on her yellow leather jacket. Tossing her a bottle a water, Yannis continued leaning onto the van. Twisting the lid, she drank the content while Vernon folds up the tripods.

"Look, O'Neil, I get it, you want to be serious journalist. I see you sniffing around the newsroom for the big stories." Vernon starts off glancing at Yannis. Not taking in the signal he is giving off, he just continues looking at her cup.

"But it's also okay to just give people something a little lighter. A little... Little froth." Without saying anything else he swipes off a bit of Yannis's foamed milk off her cup, showing it to the still perplexed April.

"Heyyyy....."

April furrowed her eyebrows, now smiling. "Froth?"

"Froth." Vernon repeated, eating the 'froth'.
With the raised eyebrow look, April leaned back a bit and crossed her arms.

"You know~ how... When you get a coffee, its just like coffee, than they put a little froth on it. WHICH was delicious..." Yannis grumbled the last part still glaring daggers at Vernon.

"That's foam." She giggled a bit.

"Same shizz." Yannis shrugged.

"Yes, foam, froth... You get the idea O'Neil," Vernon said as Yannis nudged him.

"Its just... It's nice. It tastes good, it's candy. You ever heard the expression; never take a candy from a baby? Its because even babies love candy! Its nice. And you're giving people Soothing they like that's good and nice. They look at you and they see, 'Wow! There's a nice...there's...candy'" He kept on diffusing excessively, until Yannis had to stuff his mouth with a glazed bagel.

"Look, the point is, we think that you, should be rewarded. Not punishing yourself."