Golden River Crusade: "What Goes On In The Dark"

We'll use the confusion when the real one turns up, if he turns up, as an immediate means of ambushing them. Right when they realize something's amiss, we drop on them, save the hostages, and take out the leader. Simple, but it's a good thing you mentioned that. I totally forgot about it.

Garm had indeed forgotten to consider that approach. If it worked out, then they would easily sweep this incident out from under, or rather above, their feet. Heads. Whatever. The ex-cop kept his eyes open, searching for the missing robber.

Xavier also considered the possibility of the "real" Jeff showing up at anytime. However, that is the least of his worries. His main priority is killing the leader of the gunmen. At first, he taught about waiting for the leader to turn and, in a swift motion, creating a silent pistol and assassinating him on the spot. Then he thought about a head-on approach with him just tossing his disguise aside and just bumrushing him with automatic guns. Then, of course, he could wait for Zane and Garm to show up and let them take out his henchmen, leaving him helpless and forcing him to surrender. Each scenerio seems practical, but each one also had a extremely crucial flaw.

The little girl held hostage ....

I can't kill him yet , thinks Xavier. If I shoot him now, I'll risk putting that girl's life in danger. I'll need to pick my spots. Play it smart. Wait for an opportunity to strike. I have to remember there are four other gunmen, plus one that has yet to arrive. One slip up could mean the loss of a life. If not a hostage, most likely mine.
At that moment, the leader is seen turning from Xavier and facing in the opposite direction. "Hey, idiots!" he screams. "I'm not sure if you love the smell of money, or if you're just plan retarded, but we ain't got all day! Hurry up!"
"Sorry boss" responds one of the gunmen in the safe. "We're still filling the bags. It's a lot of money!"
"I don't know why he stuck me with you rookies to begin with!" he says, continuing to rage. "You move like old men! Pick up the pace a little" Amidst his rage fit, he ends up squeezing the body of the little girl tighter. Muffled moans of pain are heard underneath the tape over her mouth.
Watching the girl suffering forced Xavier to make a decision. I'm taking the shot , he thinks, reaching for his watch and pressing a dial. A small amount of golden gel drips out of it and forms into a silent pistol. With the head honcho still facing away, Xavier raises the gun and aims it at the head of the leader, looking for an instant kill. Unfortunately, before he could fire ...

The front doors swinging open and another henchmen in a black robber bursts into the bank. "Sorry, I'm late boss! I had to fill the car with gas!"
"What?" yelled the head honcho, turning to face back around. "I thought you said that hostage was bothering you and -- Huh??"
"Crap ... " whispers Xavier. "We're busted."

Just then, the head honcho pulls out his pistol and aims it at Xavier, figuring out that he is an imposter. "Who are you? Answer me!"
Xavier freezes in place and goes silent. The operation is a bust and it is now up to Zane and Garm to infilitate the building and stop the henchmen, before the leader decides to get trigger happy and kill someone.

« Last edited by KOG on Dec 20th 2012 »

Garm falls from the ceiling, landing on the leader's head and pulling him away from the little girl, cuffing him with the material used to make the microscopic spikes on his suit.
He keeps a foot on the guy's back, to force him to the floor.

"Ladies, Gentlemen, please wait just a moment, this is all..."

Two Glocks form out of synet streaming from Garm's mechanical hands, with tranquilizers rather than bullets. He didn't want to traumatize the kids. He aims one at the back of the boss-beneath-his-foot's head and the other at the real Jeff, who got a tranq to the neck.

"Last chance to drop the guns, Gentlemen. Or it'll get real messy in here. I only need two alive after all."

He figures his bluff might work. After all, they're clearly not cops. The robbers didn't know how far he'd go.

Garm had fallen just before Zane, who swooped down onto the gunman closest to the boss, and the first to react. He knocked the rising and firing gun arm downward, lodging the shoot into the floor, and slammed the man with his tactical modified shock gun sword, releasing a powerful charge into the gunman and leaving him breathing but limp on the floor. He fired a shot from the weapon, firing off a sticky substance that attached itself to the next gunman and released the same charge, but on a much more grand scale, bursting with smoke at the end to help solidify Garm's bluff. With the blindfolds, the smoke effect was merely for the robbers.

"Really now, you don't want to end up like your friend over there do you?"

The real Jeff views the tranq pointed at him and immediately raises his hands to indicate that he surrenders. "Okay man, take it easy. You got me."
"Of course we did" says Xavier, wrapping the arms of Jeff behind and cuffing him to the floor. As this happens, Terry rises up from the wall and speaks on his communicator.
"Dr. Rivers, the robbers have been apprehended" says Terry, reporting to their boss. Immediately, a voice responds:

"Excellent work, boys. Apologies for calling you on such short notice, but our numbers were low. This will definitely help your chances of becoming official squad members."

"Awesomeness!" cries Xavier, ecstatic about their accomplishment and the idea of finally accomplishing a dream.

"You guys pack it up and head back to headquarters. I'll contact the lieutenant and have him take the robbers into custody. Great work."

"Copy that" responds Terry, ending the communication. "Alright, you heard her. Time to pack it up and -- what?"
At that moment, the leader of the robbers rolls out from under the foot of Garm and pulls out his handgun, pointing it in the direction of Xavier. He fires immediately, not giving the rookies time to think.
"Watch out!" yells Terry, luckily pushing Xavier out of the way in time. The bullet ricochets off the metal wall behind them and rebounds toward the little girl, catching her in the leg!

"Ahhhhhh!" screams the innocent child in pain, falling to the ground. Two tied-up adults, a male and a female, begin squirming in rage. These are her parents.
"NO!" Terry rages. He is consumed by anger and, in his blind rage, generates a saber from his earphones and charges the leader, slashing wildly at his arm. The saber connects and literally cuts the arm from the body of leader.

"RAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! MY ARM! YOU CUT MY DAMN ARM!"

The armless leader falls to his knees, blood sprewing from his large wound. A killer glare appears in the eyes of Terry, as he walks toward him, looking to deliver the killing blow to him.
"No Terry, control yourself! Don't do it!"

A single shot could be heard as one of Zane's gel packs hit him in the arm, though this one exploded in a startling BANG and light gray smoke.

"Don't be an idiot, not only is the little girl injured and bleeding, you just gave a do not kill target a life threatening injury. Priorities. Xavier, get the girl, I'll get her parents. Garm, take care of the boss?"

The whole series was more of question, he wasn't one to give orders but at least this meant he was focused on what was happening.

« Last edited by Craizen on Dec 23rd 2012 »

Garm simply nodded, using the synet liquid to seal the wound and also dragging the man to his feet.

"I hope that you suffer in hell when you die. Scum."

Garm dragged the screaming man outside and handed him over to the police, making way for the medical professionals to enter by using synet to restrain the rest of the robbers and piling the guns up in a corner of the room, away from the hostages and the criminals.

"That was not good."

The cloud of smoke confused Terry and Xavier for a second, but after hearing Zane's instructions react quickly and head towards the girl. Xavier lifts her into his arm and carries her outside, off towards the medical professionals over by a set of ambulances. The professionals take her off their hands and immediately began working on her. As this happens, the chief of the police force approaches Terry from behind:

"What happened in there?" said the chief. "I thought you said you had it under control."
"We didn't have causalities" responded Terry, trying to calm his nerves. "It isn't like we're bringing out dead bodies here. The hostages are fine and all of the robbers have been apprehended. The little girl getting hit was an accident, thanks to the leader. He paid for it though, and I'm sure the girl will be fine. So get off my back."
"Yeah, you got lucky this time ... this time" warned the chief, walking away.
As he walks away, Terry mutters under his breath. "They should have let me kill him ... "

« Last edited by KOG on Jun 8th 2013 »

Garm observed his squad-mate and, at least in terms of field experience, junior. He could tell that the boy hasn't learned to shelf his emotions and keep composed in all situations. It took time for that. But the explosive temper?he felt that, as the most experienced field officer in their group, he had an obligation to confront Terry about this and help him gain more control. Acting without thought like that could one day get them all killed, even with all their fancy gadgets and skills. There is ALWAYS someone more skilled, more experienced, more well-funded, luckier, or just more intelligent and composed.

"Xavier, can you come here for a second?"

(Garm is calling Xavier, not Terry. I'm not going to do this if it'll get in the way of plot progression.)

(( Actually, I'm glad you did it. That was why I left it open like that. ))

"No need to be secret bro" Xavier responds to Garm, showing how easy-going he is. "Terry and I are cool enough to where you can tell us anything."
"It's fine" says Terry, standing up. "I need some time alone anyways." Terry walks away from the medical area and takes a walk, looking for a breather.
"Uhh, alright then .... " mutters Xavier. "So, whats up Garm?"

« Last edited by KOG on Dec 26th 2012 »

"I'm sorry to pry, but as the only one with years of experience dealing with criminals on this side of the law, I know for a fact that a temper like Terry's will get himself, us, and possibly many people around him killed one day. Cops with anger issues got them solved or lost their badges. So, I have to ask, how long has he had this...control problem? Or rather, lack thereof. I want to help him get past it for his own sake, and the same of hostages in the future. Is there a reason he has trouble controlling his temper, how long has he been unable to keep himself in check, and are there any meaningful instances from the last where he went off like that? I need to know these things if I'm going to help him. I'm even prepared to be hated, so long as it gets the job done and done right. All of us should be, since not everything that needs to be done is what people want to be done."

Having finished his experience cop bit, Garm waited for Xavier's response. He hadn't thought about what his reaction to this would be, but Garm felt like he was recruited to the group for the purpose of helping them adjust to the job and mature mentally and emotionally to the point they need to so the work doesn't get to them.

Xavier expected one of his teammates to be concerned about Terry's dark, maniacally behavior. However, for the time being, he decides to play it off, feeling it was not the right time to explain his story.

"Listen, it is nothing to worry about" Xavier said, patting Garm on the shoulder. "Terry just felt bad that he allowed an innocent girl to get hurt and he lost control for a second. It happens, you know. He was already ticked at the guy for attempting to kill a girl from the start. And, well, Terry has a ... very unique sense of right and wrong. Sometimes, that sense of right and wrong can get the best of him."

Xavier knows he is dodging the question Garm asked him. He at least decides to answer it with something. "Let's just say, for Terry, sometimes locking up killers ... isn't enough."

Zane was listening but not saying anything right now. Both had points, but Garm was right in the long run. What he couldn't figure out was why Xavier was dodging the question, unless something really was up with Terry. He dismissed the thought and continued releasing the hostages along with the police, comforting some and asking general questions of others, just trying to get more information, he eventually finished up and left the rest of the processing to the police. He strolled over to Garm and Xavier.

"Hostages have been freed, and are being processed and released. We done here?"

"Yeah, we're done" said Xavier. "We should probably head back to our base now. Uhh, well, that is after Terry comes back."

In actuality, Xavier is just as concerned as everyone else. He decides to keep his true feelings hidden out of respect for the man he calls brother. 'What Terry did does not concern me that much' he thinks to himself. 'What concerns me is what effect this will have on his chances of joining the squad.' As he thinks this, Terry returns to inform them of the instructions he received.
"Dr. Chelsea is waiting for us back at our base" he said. "She just called me and told us to return immediately. She does not sound happy."
"I figured as much" said Xavier. "Listen man. We saw what happened. We'll be your witnesses and back you up."
"Thanks" mutters Terry, creating a hoverboard with his synet headphones. He hops onto the floating device and speeds towards the base, not even waiting for the others to join him.
'I think Terry knows more than any of us that he screwed up big time' thinks Xavier. "Guys, let's go. Dr. Chelsea Rivers is waiting for us." Upon saying that, Xavier follows suit, releasing the golden liquid from his watch and watching it form into a hoverboard in the air. He hops on and chases after Terry.

As they leave, the scenery begins to dissipate. Hostages are seen being helped off to the police station to report the incident and the robbers are seen being put into cars, while the leader is shipped off to the hospital for treatment on his arm.

Garm had wanted to make it clear to Xavier that this wasn't a topic that would be dropped indefinitely. In fact, he had only spoken to Xavier first as a courtesy to the two friends. Terry's issue, whatever it was, would hinder them in the future and let killers and criminals get away with more than that they deserved. He had the agrument pretty much planned out in his head, but it would all come down to how the younger man would react. Garm would have to take a stict tone and an intimidating stance with this if he wanted to get the point across. He wished that he didn't have to do it, but there was no way around it either. If he wasn't careful about this though, Terry could end up doing something that would get him a court marshal.

Xavier, I don't care what happened in the past. If the baggage will be a problem, then Terry could risk much more than simply getting kicked out of the squad. He could risk the death penalty.

Garm once more forms the rings that boosted the capabilities of the hover boots and followed the two, still contemplating the best way to deal with Terry. A therapist was likely the worst choice. Someone who could sympathize...that would be best. Yes. He needed to know the root cause.

« Last edited by penguinlord352 on Dec 27th 2012 »

Within ten minutes, the squad exits the city and heads to the rural civilized area of the city with farms and grass. They come out to a red house in the middle of nowhere where we see cows eating grass and a lady in a farm attire picking corn.



Terry, Xavier, and the others land at the front gates of the building. The lady in a country red shirt and jeans see the rookies land and approach them. At close view, the lady had familiar red hair and glasses, revealing herself to be Dr. Chelsea Rivers under cover.

"Nice costume" mutters Terry.
"Thanks" responds Dr. Rivers, acknowledging her true identity. She looks from side to side, checking to see if anyone else followed them. After checking if the coast was clear, she takes the corn on the cob in her hands and hurls it at Terry! Terry fliches at first, but watches the corn pass right through his body, being a hologram.
"What happened back there!?" yells Dr. Rivers. "Do you realized what you've done!??"
"Look Doc, I know it looks bad but -- "
"Looks Bad!?" interrupts Dr. Rivers, walking up to Xavier. "Your friend cut a man's arm off! He is severely wounded and could have died. Didn't I specifically tell you there is no killing on this force?"
"Yeah, we know that but -- "
"Geez, I knew it was a mistake sending in rookies" says Dr. Rivers, now walking back and forth, trying to calm herself down. "If this hits the news, that cannot mean good things for our force."
"But ... "
Terry holds his hand out at Xavier, telling him to say no more. His words are simply making the situation worse.
"Well, I hope you realized you just killed any chances of you joining our squad" says Dr. Rivers. "We will not allow any killers to ruin the honor and credibility of the Golden River Crusade."

"Dr. Rivers, if I may interrupt? He hasn't killed yet, and while I agree with you that it is only a matter of time at this rate, if you give me some time with him on a trial basis, I may be able to help him with his...anger issues. I've seen too many good men lose their jobs because they couldn't handle their emotions. You don't have to put him in the squad right now, but give me a few weeks and then evaluate him yourself to see if there has been any improvement. Would that be alright? I'd like to give it a shot, but I also don't want to risk sending him back out into the world with this kind of attitude either. Angry people tend to run their mouths when they go off, and in my opinion, and this isn't meant to be an insult or anything along those lines Terry, but it will only be a matter of time before you actually kill someone. Vigilante behavior is common in people who get denied entry to any form of law enforcement agency due to problems like uncontrolled emotions."

Garm spoke with honesty and sincerity in his voice. He really believed all of what he said. He also felt that Terry shouldn't be cut if the problem could be solved. Especially since, with some training and experience, Terry and Xavier looked like they'd shape up to be top agents when working together. He also feared losing Xavier to this incident, something he didn't want to happen. Then the squad would be down two members and a lot of manpower and tactical options would become impossible. Even if they filled the slots, the team now felt much more cohesive than he could have hoped. He knew he was on thin ice, but Garm stood his ground.

Dr. Chelsea Rivers listened to the words from the former officer, Garm. She could sense how sincere and honest he is what he wanted to do. She decides to consider it.
"Well, what do you guys think?" asked Dr. Chelsea Rivers, looking at the rest of the squad.
Xavier decides to stay quiet. He knows he wants to say something, but out of respect for his brother he awaits the responses of his comrades.

"He can stay as far as I'm concerned. If he doesn't find a way to channel his emotions properly I would like to see him out though. We may Garm right now to guide us in a way but at least for me, I don't have a lot of experience in this. I don't want to get stuck in a firefight because of a reckless mistake."

He wasn't looking at anyone in particular, he just hoped Terry the best. Frankly the situation got him thinking about his last employment, where he would have favored a rageful boss.

"Sounds fair" said Dr. Chelsea. "Anyone else wanna chime in?" The doctor now stands firm, hands on hips and eyes sharp, glaring over the rookie soldiers. She begins to radiate with confidence and a strong sense of authority. Weak personalities would easily crack under this sort of vibe. Luckily for Terry and Xavier, they were not one of those weak personalities.