After Lucifer had basically barreled down the hall like a hunting hound on a scent, Honey and Fred had felt more like those humans on the other end of the leash of a dog who is much stronger and faster than they were. By the time they'd caught up to him, one guard was unconscious and another was close to it as the devil held him by the throat, the man's feet dangling an inch or so from the ground.
Honey gasped at the change in Lucifer's eyes, which somehow made him look ten times scarier than usual. Hearing the sound, Lucifer looked her way but didn't release his grip on the man in question. "How many more of you are there?" he asked, using a tone that suggested this wasn't the first time he'd asked.
"Um..." Fred hawed, a bit uncomfortably, "this isn't exactly the way we do things." He gave the devil a pointed look, hoping the other guy on the floor really was unconscious and not dead. It was a little hard to tell.
With almost a sarcastic eye roll that translated to the slight motion of his head, Lucifer lowered the man so he wasn't dangling any more. "My friends' benevolence has saved your life," he said in a hard tone, "but, unless you tell me what I want to know, that might not matter."
Before either Lucifer, or the man he had in custody, could do anything else, Honey had programmed a chem ball and tossed it at their prisoner. Colored foam surrounded him, immobilizing him. Thankfully, none got on Lucifer, though Honey was tempted to throw a second one at the man, just in case he decided to get even more violent.
Arms now pinned to his sides, the man in question gasped as Lucifer released his hold on his neck. Unfortunately, he couldn't massage the area in question, though it was possible he'd peed his pants somewhere during the whole process. And, thanks to the tightness of Lucifer's grip, and the man's own fright, he was incapable of actually uttering anything more than a frightened squeak.
Lucifer let out a disgusted sigh and then sucker-punched the man, who went limp in his foam prison. "Utterly useless," he muttered to himself. He then gave Honey a slightly reproachful look, only slightly shocked when she didn't cower but held her ground. Seeing the expression, one Chloe would often use, he released his anger. "Shall we keep going?"
Fred flipped up his hood long enough to give Honey a look, making sure he wasn't facing any cameras that might catch his image. One never knew when those might reactivate and he didn't need that kind of heat. None of them did.
If what their briefing had projected was true, chances were good they'd already neutralized the so called second team, but there was always the possibility there were two more sweeping the building. It made sense to go in teams, and two teams were better than just one. It was better to be safe than sorry.
At a nod, the two heroes followed after the devil, hoping to keep him in better check should they encounter anyone else who shouldn't be there.
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Chloe had not expected to see Tony Stark appear in her chosen area. Admittedly, he did look a bit worse for wear as he landed near her. She'd managed to make it down to the field. "Thought you were staying near the college," she quipped as he fell into step with her.
"Got it taken care of," he replied, keeping things terse. "Figured you could use a hand here since you don't have the same kind of goodies at your disposal."
There was still something that grated on her nerves when it came to that man. Maybe it was his ego, but she couldn't deny that they were spread a bit thinner than she'd care to admit. "Fine. Go scan the place or whatever it is you do," she said with a resigned air. That way it would keep him out of her hair while she looked at some of the abandoned tents they'd set up after the hotel bombing. In theory, no one else should be there, but she wasn't willing to take the chance.
Motioning several officers ahead of her, Chloe marched as best as she could towards the closest area in question. She supposed they'd set up the tents to offer a sense of privacy, but it certainly made her job more difficult. It would be easier to just dismantle each tent, or simply cut them down, but she couldn't justify damaging more property than was necessary. Besides, there were people who'd frown on that, including the precinct's chief.
She watched out of the corner of her eye as Iron Man jettisoned back into the air, hovering near the top of the dome as he scanned the area. She doubted if his technology would be able to get the areas not immediately visible, such as hallways and locker rooms, but at least it would speed up the process.
An officer moved to the tent flap in front of her and carefully entered, gun at the ready. He then disappeared inside for a brief moment before exiting it. "Clear," he announced before nodding at a member of the bomb squad assigned there. So far they'd had nothing to distress the bomb sniffing dog the officer had on a leash, but that didn't mean anything.
Chloe nodded, trusting her man to know what he was doing as she moved to the next tent over. Her leg already ached with the unexpected exercise and she was slowing down a bit, though she hated to admit it. At least the whole field wasn't covered in tents. They'd at least managed to keep them to one end, closer to the home team goal posts. That helped, but the field was still massive. Secretly, she felt glad for Tony's help, even if she resented it.
"Got something," Tony called, tapping into her radio frequency. She'd almost forgotten she had the thing in her pocket but quickly pulled it out to receive the message.
She followed his path of flight as the billionaire aimed for the far side of the building. "Looks like some kind of radioactive signature. Might want to send some of those bomb boys over here."
Chloe glanced over at the nearest bomb squad member and nodded, relaying instructions to send several over to the area in question. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be anyone else over there, outside of Iron Man. So, if something did go off, unless it was large, or dirty, the others should be okay. "Can you tell me anything about it?"
She could imagine Tony shaking his head just from the tone. "Not offhand. It's not high enough to suggest a dirty bomb, but it looks large enough to do some damage."
Well, at least there was that, she supposed. Sure he had things well in hand over there, Chloe decided to continue on her current inspection tour, heading once more to the next tent while several officers nearby averted their attention to the far end of the building.
A soft click sounded as Chloe's foot pressed down on something harder than Astroturf. She cussed as her heart raced. Slowly, not sure if what she'd stepped on was vibration sensitive or not, she moved the radio to her mouth. "Tony, I think I need a little help," she admitted, her voice far from steady.
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GoGo crept down the stairs leading to the money vault, her skates clipped back onto her back. She noticed Kally finally join her after what could have been a costly delay. There was no time for hesitation in an operation like this and the sooner the half Valkyrie learned that the better. She acknowledged her presence with a nod of her head as they neared the bottom of the stair well.
A door, reinforced with steel, stood in their way. But, again, it was slightly ajar. Whether this was because whoever had entered the room beyond didn't want to get stuck or because of carelessness was anyone's guess. There was a keypad on their side, and presumably one on the other, along with a little touch point for a security card, which they didn't have.
Careful to not disturb whatever was holding the door slightly open, GoGo pulled the door open. It made sense for it to pull instead of push, though she didn't give it much thought as she was more worried about making sure they didn't make any noise. She needn't have worried.
Two men were visible around the first cage of currency. One filled the vacuum tube with a bag, which was then sent up top. Meanwhile, the other rummaged around in one of several other cages for the next load. From all appearances, they'd already managed to get what they wanted from at least two cages of foreign currency. Diamonds, other precious jewels, and cars of precious metal stood in several other cages they hadn't yet touched, though chances were good they wouldn't stay there long if something didn't stop these thieves.
While GoGo reached for one of her throwing discs, she noticed Kally move to her left side, removing her retractable baton from one pocket. She held the door with the other so it wouldn't come slamming on them or into the wall. Regardless of their current situation, they would both have to enter the actual chamber beyond to do much with their weapons. Their current position didn't allow much room for maneuvering, even for throwing something as small as a disc. That and the angle didn't help either.
GoGo held up her hand, looking directly at Kally with a nod as she held up three fingers, mouthing the countdown. If she could step far enough off to one side, she should be able to clock one of the men in question while Kally charged the second. They could both only hope there weren't any others in the room that might came at them in the process.
As GoGo folded down her last finger, both girls sprang into action. GoGo, as planned, stepped into the room and off to one side on silent feet. The disc left her hand before either man could look up, clocking her target near the temple.
Kally had a bit more space to cross to get her weapon where it needed to be. Unfortunately, that allowed the second man enough time to drop what he was doing and pull out a gun, which he fired, just trying to get a shot off before the young woman charging him had a change to reach him.
The shot went wild as Kally dodged the bullet and a grunt came from behind her as it impacted with GoGo's body, but she didn't have time to worry about that as she flicked the button on her weapon as she swung it towards her target, knocking the gun from his grip. This movement was followed by a round house kick to the man's gut, doubling him over.
A second disc flew through the air, though the aim wasn't as sure as the previous thrown, and was followed by a grunt of pain. The flying disc grazed the man's head but didn't render him unconscious as he tried to fling himself up and into Kally.
Only mildly taken off guard by the disc, Kally managed to recover enough to knee the man in the nose as he tried to come back up. Blood spewed from his broken orifices and he swung haphazardly, trying to ward off his assailant. The Valkyrie didn't give him a third chance as she smashed her baton down across the back of his neck and he went down with a groan. Thankfully, there wasn't a third person in the vault.
Sure the threat was over, Kally quickly turned to run back towards her companion. "GoGo!" she exclaimed, seeing the yellow-clad hero clutching at her side. She subconsciously retracted her baton and stuffed into one pocket as she reached her friend. "How bad is it?"
GoGo growled as Kally tried to move her hand to see the damage. "Right down the side," she assured. "Didn't hit anything vital." She swatted away Kally's hand. "You should tie those guys up in case they wake up." She nodded towards some braided rope, possibly used to secure some of the many money bags.
Realizing she was right, Kally went to work with the ropes, securing their prisoners. She made sure each as breathing before leaving them to return to GoGo's side. "Let me help you up the stairs," she offered. "I can carry you if necessary."
But GoGo waved her off. "I got it," she said through clenched teeth. As far as she could tell, the bullet had grazed her ribs, cleaning exiting, though she wouldn't be surprised if they'd broken something with the impact. The best thing was to get upstairs and help the others, hoping Baymax was handy to confirm her self-diagnosis.
Hoping no one else would show up, especially unwanted entities, Kally followed GoGo back into the stairwell. She kicked the random sack holding the door ajar out of the way, letting it close behind them. Chances were good it would lock and not let those inside out, unless they had a security card. And even if they did, they'd still have to untie themselves first.
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Static sounded over the radio as Jack switched frequencies. He glanced down at his borrowed uniform with an eye roll. It didn't quite fit right, but at least he looked respectable. His attention changed as a shaky voice came over the radio.
"Uh... could be better here," Chloe Decker said over the radio. "I'm pretty sure I've stepped on a land mine."
Jack cussed under his breath. He should have known better than to send her off on her own. He should have at least made sure someone else could have her back. He didn't quite trust the other officers to do that. They had their jobs to do. And, from what he'd observed of the Detective, she had a way of doing her own thing, even with Lucifer there, which he wasn't. "Anyone else near you?" he asked, hoping for the best.
More static filtered through before Chloe's voice cut through it. "Stark's inspecting a bomb on the other side of the arena. Not sure he's on this frequency though."
Even better, Jack thought to himself. He quickly looked back down to his vortex manipulator. No matter how he looked at it, the thing likely wasn't going to get him there in time. "Have you tried contacting him?"
"Not yet," came the reply, causing Jack to cuss even more. What was wrong with that woman? Did she have a death wish or something?
Taking a moment to calm himself, Jack thumbed the talk button once more. "I'll give him a go then," he said, sure the Detective had her mind on other things, like not moving too much. "I'd rush over there if I could but I've got a bit stuck on my end."
A sigh sounded over the wireless. "Take your time," came the sarcastic reply. "I'm in no hurry."
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For the briefest of moments, Hiro was no longer in the hallway of the upper level of the Federal Reserve, but in a warehouse with his brother. And, standing not too far off was Professor Callaghan, a smoking gun in his hand, pointed at his brother. The expression on the man's face was cruel and unmoving, almost gleeful with insanity. And Tadashi was falling in slow motion, his hands tied behind his back.
Hiro shook his head as a large, carbon-fiber glove settled on his shoulder. He hadn't heard Baymax's inquiry but the touch was enough to help shake him from the memory and he shivered almost violently to get rid of it entirely. The sound of a gun firing had certainly taken him by surprise, but he had work to do and couldn't allow his focus to falter again.
"I'm alright," he assured his robotic companion in hushed tones, hoping the sound hadn't carried into the room beyond. His brain came up with several scenarios he might find inside, including Loki being shot, the would-be thief being shot, or the gun firing widely and hitting who knew what. That or the thing had exploded in the man's hands. But there was only one way to really find out.
Almost hesitantly, Hiro moved forward as stealthily as he could. He didn't hear any voices, not entirely sure how many seconds, or even minutes, had passed since he'd heard the sound of the gun going off. It was hard to tell when he slipped back into a memory. Sometimes no time passed at all. Sometimes a lot longer than he'd care to admit.
The sound of a struggle filled the silence the gunshot had left behind, making Hiro guess that only a second or two had passed this go around. He peered around the door jam in time to see a man he didn't know go flying against a bank of hardware. Looking up, he saw Loki fling back his long hair, hands at the ready should the man get back up.
Not waiting to see if the Asgardian wanted help or not, Hiro launched himself at the downed assailant, tackling him before the man had a chance to even contemplate getting up. His efforts sent the air rushing from the man's chest and they both lay there slightly stunned.
Loki produced some rope from the folds of his clothes and quickly tied up the man, who appeared to be coming around now that Hiro wasn't sitting on his chest. "You might want to check the main terminal," the god of mischief stated, looking pointedly at the pint-sized hero. "I think he did something we might not like." He tightened the ropes as he spoke, causing the man to grunt.
Ignoring the glare from their prisoner, Hiro quickly headed over to the keyboard in question and started typing as fast as his fingers could move. "Looks like he's released some kind of virus," he reported, trying to program ahead of it, but the thing already had a good head start. "It's wiping out the entire server! I can't stop it!"
The Asgardian looked up in concern. If the whole server was wiped out, any data not backed up elsewhere would be lost. Unless the man he held in custody had somehow transferred it. Of course, the government did like to keep things diversified, but that didn't mean information hadn't been lost. And, with it all wiped, there was no real way of knowing just what the man had been after. Presumably, it had to deal with currency. Greed, after all, was one of the oldest sins in the book.
"What did you do with the transferred files?" Loki demanded as he hauled the man up to eye level. He got a surly look in response, making him feel more inclined to just gut the villain. Instead, he began searching the man's clothes for a downloadable device. At the very least, the virus had to come from somewhere. The firewalls wouldn't have allowed him to download it from an outside source. After a few moments, he found a small data fob and tossed it towards Hiro.
The teen managed to catch the fob by sheer luck. He'd barely had time to register Loki was tossing it his way before instinct took over. Unfortunately, he was too late to stop the Trojan program from wiping the system. Letting out a heavy breath, Hiro began rapidly typing again; creating a basic operating system so he could access the data on the fob. If it contained the virus, they'd know really quickly.
Baymax moved closer to his young charge, observing the whole interaction with the technology. "Your heart rate has increased," he observed, noting the almost feverish typing of the teen. Given the circumstances, it wasn't surprising, but still something to keep an eye on.
"Come on! Come on!" Hiro urged under his breath as he finally finished the basic algorithms. Well, basic to him. He inserted the fob to the appropriate port and opened the resulting file folder, scrolling through the date. "Looks like an executable," he reported as soon as he'd found the program that had invaded the system. He quickly quarantined it so it couldn't cause any more mischief, and then moved on with the rest of the data.
Meanwhile, Loki had turned the man to face Hiro so he could observe the man's reactions as he watched the teen work. The man squirmed a bit, trying to get away, but Loki only tightened the ropes, threatening the man's circulation. He'd somehow also managed to find a gag between tossing the fob to Hiro and Hiro creating the operating system, which he's stuffed in the man's mouth.
The sound of the keyboard clicking and clacking continued as Hiro dove deeper into the contents of the fob. After a few more seconds, he came to the conclusion that it actually connected with a cloud storage server. "Whoever these guys are, they're good," he admitted. "They've sent the data to a secure cloud drive, with encryption that possibly only my brother could crack."
Baymax watched Hiro carefully for any reactions as the teen mentioned his brother, but nothing happened. And now that he wasn't feverishly typing at the keyboard, his blood pressure seemed to have gone down, much to the robot's relief. "Are you able to trace where the server is located?"
Hiro shook his head. "They've got an ace programmer on their payroll. And either they've created a really great program to keep outsiders out, or they're actively countering anything I do to try and get in."
A grunt came from the man Loki still held up. His fingers were now turning purple from lack of circulation, but the man's face was red. Hiro strode up to him and stared him down. "Mind telling me where it all leads?"
Explosive words tried to escape the man's mouth but they didn't make it past the gag so it was anyone's guess what he was saying. Clearly his blood pressure was rising.
Tired of the game, Loki clocked the prisoner on the side of the head, rendering him unconscious. "I highly doubt we'll get anymore more from him," he said by way of explanation. He let the man drop to the floor as he searched for the gun from earlier. The bullet had managed to somehow miss not only Loki but the server behind him, embedding into the wall. Finding the gun in question, the Asgardian pocketed it, using a handkerchief to pick it up. "I'm sure the police will be more than happy to see this."
Static sounded over Hiro's radio and it took him a moment to realize he'd muted it without thinking. He quickly changed the settings. "Report," he said, keeping things concise lest anyone else be listening in on their frequency.
"We've got a few bad guys out down here," Honey's voice came over the headset. "Lucifer's looking for more. You might want to know that a few are a little worse for wear." Her voice sounded apologetic.
Well, at least Fred, Honey, and Lucifer were good, Hiro thought. And, as far as he could tell, Loki wasn't hurt either, so there was that. "GoGo? Kally?"
"Could be better," GoGo grunted over the wire. "Got clipped taking out the guys in the basement. Everyone else is good though."
Hiro felt reassured to hear Kally mirror GoGo's sentiments. "Looks like they were trying to get away with anything valuable in the place," the Valkyrie added. "They had a couple SUVs ready to cart it off. "Maybe now's a good time to call the police?"
About to answer, Loki held up a finger, silently requesting he wait a moment before saying anything. "Might I suggest gathering all of our unwanted guests and making sure they're secured before calling in the cavalry?"
"I believe that would be a wise idea," Baymax inserted. "That way I can assess any injuries at the same time, and administer first aid as necessary."
Hiro had to nod at that. He wasn't sure how the others had subdued their foes, or what condition they were in, but thought both the healthcare robot and Loki made good points. "Okay, guys. Listen up. I want you to gather everyone you took out to a central location where they can easily be held without escape. Baymax wants to make sure none of them have any life threatening injuries. And make sure you bring any of the victims you are still alive to that location too. I'm sure they'd appreciate it when the cops show up."
It was only at that moment that Hiro remembered the reserve manager and quickly looked around to see if he could figure out where that person was. Correctly interpreting what the teen wanted, Loki shook his head. "The man was already dead by the time I'd entered the room." He indicated a body slumped out of the way near one of the server towers where it had lain hidden by shadow.
"That detective isn't going to be too happy about that," Hiro sighed but he supposed it couldn't be helped. "We might as well bring him down too. Baymax?"
While Loki picked up the assailant and flung him over one shoulder like a sack of grain, Baymax carefully lifted the lifeless body of the man they'd hoped to save and hadn't. It was a hard blow, hurting more than Hiro had expected. Logically, he knew he couldn't save them all, but he'd really hoped. And part of him couldn't help but wonder if that moment of hesitation on the roof, or even in the hall, had cost the man his life.
Loki brushed against Hiro as he headed towards the stairs. He'd seen the door leading to them marked earlier and so took the lead. "If you're going to call the police, now would be the time," he said, sure he could guess the thoughts behind the expression he'd seen on Hiro's face.
Jolted back to reality, Hiro resisted the urge to nod as he quickly fell into step behind his robotic companion. He didn't want to see the corpse any more than he had to. "Right." He changed frequencies on his communicator, not sure who he would get, Jack, Detective Decker, or Tony Stark.