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Post by Blindside Tex on Nov 22, 2019 22:02:52 GMT -5
Sebastian Hendrick 'The Jackal' “Authorities state that this is the most organized crime in the history of Volk. We are live with the Chief of police on this matter.” A reporter stood before a bank, the windows were all shattered with black burnt edges brushed over the thick stone from the heat of the fire and the rolling smoke that had come from the building the night before. “Chief Reiner, what are you doing to prevent this matter in the future? Was this organized by the uprising villains of the city of Volk?” The reporter asked as he turned toward an officer and held the microphone toward the man that held a grey beard upon his face and sleepy bags beneath his eyes. He hadn’t had a wink of sleep the past evening. “At this time we do not have all of the information as to the group that organized this attack.” “It was the fucking sups!” A man screamed from the crown. The camera panned quickly to him. He looked crazed, his hair stuck up in different directions, his clothes were dirty and tattered. “Haven’t you seen them running around? Huh?” He moved his hand about pointing to others in the crowd at the press conference. “They hid among us. With their powers….some of them act like they are protecting us! Don’t you believe them! Not for a second!” He stared into the camera. “Sups are going to bring this whole city down. Piece by piece.” The reporter cleared his throat. “What would have caused such an intense fire?” He questioned as he looked to the Chief. “Isn’t there a villain that has such an ability?” “Yes. Yes there is.” The chief looked to the camera. “There is some evidence that may point us toward our local Arsonist the Jackal. However preliminary findings are not complete yet and we must perform lab tests in order to link the Jackal to this crime.” The reporter placed his hand up to the ear piece. He drew his brows together slightly. “This just in folks. We are about to show live footage shot from a viewers phone. This viewer was in the bank when the group attacked. This is raw footage and I do advise anyone with children to not allow them to view this.” He nodded and the screen buzzed black for a moment. The sound of screaming filled the screen, heavy breathing from the person that held the phone that shot the footage. Before him about 30 feet away three figures stood. One in all black, with equally dark wild hair and a metal gas mask affixed upon his face. He held his hands up as he cackled. “You’ll give us all the money or we’ll bring this building to the ground. Either way we get what we cam for. Hm?” Two others stood behind him with heavy artillery. They wore ski masks that hid their identity. They aimed the guns at those that lay on the ground whimpering in fear as the man in the gas mask pushed forward toward the vault. The camera panned to him as he waited for the worker to shakily punch in the key. “You’re taking too long.” He growled before he gripped the woman and held his hand up. Fumes came from his hand and spread over the woman, her skin began to bubble and melt as she screamed. Soon enough he dropped the lifeless corps to the ground. He brushed his hands off before he placed his hand against the door. The thick metal began to melt as fumes came from his palm once again. The Jackal had control over combustion, acids, he was one of the worst nightmares for the city of Volk. The other villains were child’s play compared to him. The screen cut black then and the view panned back to the reporter. “This is disturbing footage. What do you have to say Chief? That was clearly the Jackal in that video.” The reporter looked back to the chief. “No comment.” The chief spoke as he withdrew from the conversation. “And just how do they expect us to stop that guy huh?” A cop stood in a dark blue uniform that was freshly pressed. His boots were shined. He was of a tall athletic build. He had longer hair that reached his earlobe that was brushed to one side. Upon his face he held a well kept beard that was the same dark brown color as his hair. His jaw was strong and he held almost a yellow green color to his iris. “You know the news, Officer Hendrick.” The barista spoke from behind the counter. “Always trying to pin the blame on someone.” She chuckled as she set the coffee upon the counter. The officer reached into his pocket from his wallet and pulled out a few bills to pay her for the drink and give her a bit of a tip. He came here every morning for his coffee. The barista didn’t even ask him what drink he wanted anymore, she knew it was him the moment that he parked in front of the store. “I told you that you can call me Sebastian.” He gave a slight smirk as he looked to her as he lifted the coffee and took a sip. “Ah, just how I like it.” He nodded to her before he headed to a table in the corner of the store. His eyes looked up to the television again as the reporter continued to talk about the brutal robbery. Eventually after a few minutes he stood up and walked outside into the frigid temperatures of winter. He looked about the city, the traffic. The people that walked up and down the sidewalks. This was his life. Sebastian had been a police officer for nearly 10 years. He knew it was something that he wanted to do since he was a child. He'd pursued it right out of high school, gaining his proper degree, training his mind and body to what it needed to be so that he could succeed. Though 3 months ago everything changed. He had gotten into a foot chase with one of the 'sups' as many of the civilians coined the super villains, even the heroes. He was closing in on her when suddenly he was wrapped in a cloud of smoke. It encased him and crushed him. He couldn't breath. He couldn't move. Sebastian fought against the cloud as it pushed into his body all while she stood before him cackling. It was then that she'd clicked a button on a small device. It was like a thousand volts of electricity had coursed through his body. When he woke, he wasn't the same anymore. He'd become something entirely different. He could control gas. The air around him. He could cause it to explode. He could pull acids from the world around them and combine them to create something horrible. Here he sat before the leader of the villains. A man that threatened his life. He was forced to abide by the villain. A device was implanted into his neck just beneath the skin, if he decided to act out against the leader. Poof. One touch of a button and that would be the end of Sebastian, or Jackal... Sebastian rubbed his neck as he looked up at the city scape, he let out a breath and a cloud of smoke lifted from his body in the cold air. 3 months felt like his entire life. Everyday he did something that he never in a million years thought he would do. But, when he put that mask on at night, he knew he must. If he wanted to continue to live. |
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Post by Nyte on Nov 22, 2019 22:47:56 GMT -5
Lounging back in a chair, balancing it on two legs rather than four, Sabra Chase sat watching a small TV sitting on the counter of evidence filing. The woman was normally up front working the desk where civilians came in to file reports or check out visitor passes but this week, after a series of tardies, she had been assigned to work the dungeon - evidence. It was boring, slow, and full of catalog work. Most of the officers that turned in evidence didn't have their forms filled out fully so she had to call and harass them for the information she needed before locking the item away. No one had been in as if yet this morning though so she was kicked back and watching the news on the robbery that had happened the previous night.
As they played the footage taken by one of the victims she sighed and picked up the remote to turn off the TV. "Fuck.." she muttered under her breath. To say she felt guilty for what happened to that woman would be a major understatement. The Jackal was a menace and one she had been tracking for some time. Every chance she got Sabra went out and tried to determine a pattern, motive, or something so that she could predict his movements. He was a relatively new threat to the city but had quickly climbed the wanted charts to earn a number one spot on her docket.
At night Sabra took up the mantel of Echo, a hero who manipulated sound waves in a way that allowed her to weaponize or defend herself and others. She could amplify a sound or use the concussive force of sound to bash around those that would cause others harm. Unfortunately she hadn't been able to cross paths with Jackal yet though. When she did though she would make him choke on his own gas, stuff him into a barrel and roll him into the precinct. It would be a glorious day.
"Chase!" Someone screamed and slammed a book down on the counter, snapping her out of her daydream.
"Yes! Sorry!" She stuttered while almost falling out of her precariously balance chair.
"Jesus Christ girl, pull your damn head out of your ass. I need you to file these." It was the Chief, Sterling Barton, a man of short stature and an even shorter temper. He was very intimidating though and Sabra wasn't sure she would even go against him as Echo. He was utterly terrifying.
"Yes, sir, right away." She replied and quickly took the binder as well as a pistol from him that had been used in a fit of anger. The quick response earned her a grumble as Barton turned and left her in evidence alone once more. Something about "fucking bimbo" was uttered, or at least that's what Sabra had managed to catch as he walked away to which she stuck her tongue out at his back as he headed back up the stairs to the main floor.
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Post by Blindside Tex on Nov 22, 2019 23:13:25 GMT -5
“Officer Hendrick, Volk Base.” The radio upon Sebastian’s shoulder buzzed to life.
“This is Hendrick.” He spoke back, though he already imagined that he was going to be summoned to the chief’s office.
“The chief would like to see you.”
“Copy that.” He spoke as he let out a sigh. He finished off his coffee and stepped back inside the coffee shop. The barista looked up to him with a smirk. “I’m a creature of habit, what can I say?” He chuckled as she slid the coffee across the counter to him. “Thanks Lily.” He turned and stepped from the coffee shop. Every morning he’d drink his coffee and then head back inside for a second coffee. He placed a stopper in the lid and slipped into his squad car before he drove back to the station. The streets were heavy with traffic, as they always were. Sebastian watched the sidewalks for any sign of trouble, his eyes surveyed those that walked in the morning shuffle in the blistering cold winter weather. Soon enough he pulled into the garage at the station and he climbed from his car. He scanned into the building and made a hard right, though that wasn’t the way to the chief’s office. Sebastian held the coffee in his hand as he rounded a corner. He leaned on the counter to evidence holding. “Morning.” He spoke with a smile. “Still locked up down here huh?” He placed the coffee on the counter, as he looked to Sabra. “One day the chief will let you out of the dungeon.” He chuckled, “Speaking of the troll.” He grinned, “I’ve been summoned, see you later Chase.” He walked down the hallway and up a flight of stairs.
Sebastian had started bringing in a coffee to Sabra about 2 months ago. It had become a habit. Though he hadn’t had much time to talk to her. It was his way of thanking her for doing all of the behind the scenes work. The stuff that kept the criminals behind bars. Without the cases properly filed and completed many of the criminals would have sprung their case. He rounded a corner and looked to the chief’s office and a sigh came over his lips.
“In trouble again Hendrick?” Another male officer questioned and pat him on the back in passing.
Sebastian walked forward and stood before the chief. “You wanted to see me sir?” He asked.
The chief stood and looked up to Sebastian, his brows pulled together. He had a newspaper rolled up in his hand. He slammed it down on his desk. “We’ve got to put an end to this Hendrick.” He rose his voice. His ears were red with anger, his voice stern. “You’re the best guy I’ve got and you’ve got nothing to give me on this lunatic!” He shoved the paper across the desk at Sebastian. “Come on. There has to be something. You’ve brought down the most of these freaks. There has to be something.” The chief was stressed, to put it lightly. The attacks that Jackal and the other villains had been conducting were only getting larger. A huge amount of the city’s funds had already been stolen by the group.
“Chief, I…” Sebastian sat down and lifted the paper, he stared to the image of what he knew to be himself standing in the bank. “I’ll do my best. The sups are smart. They hide like roaches. You know that. I’ve only caught 2. You make it sound like I’ve caught a hundred.” He scoffed as he sat back in the chair and looked to him.
The chief groaned slightly. “Two more than anyone else in this city.” He leaned across the desk. “Find. Him. Lieutentant.” He stared into Sebastian’s eyes.
“Of course sir.” Sebastian spoke, as he looked into the angry eyes of the chief. He slowly stood making to leave then, assuming the conversation would be over.
“Oh, and Hendrick?” The chief spoke as he came around the desk with a folder that was filled with papers.
“Yes Chief?” Sebastian turned to him.
“Take these to Chase. I want you to go though these files with her. These are all the crimes that we have firm evidence that Jackal has committed. Search though these files. Find something. We can’t keep coming up empty handed to the public. Jackal makes us all look like idiots.” The chief shoved the thick folder into Sebastian’s chest.
“Of course sir.” Sebastian spoke as he turned and left the office. “Great.” He muttered under his breath. He had to conduct an investigation upon himself. The only good thing about it was he knew he hadn’t left much evidence at all behind. He was smart at least. He knew the tricks. Though there were days he wished to get caught by one of the heroes. Days that he wished it could all be over. Living two lives wasn’t the easiest of things. Especially when those lives were at complete opposite ends of the spectrum.
Sebastian walked back down to evidence and he pushed the door open, walking right into the room behind the counter. He looked to Sabra and gave a slight smirk as he set the huge file down before her. “You’re the best we’ve got at this job, Chase.” He flipped open the first page. “Chief wants you and I to find a lead. Anything we can. This is an open file on all of the Jackal cases. Think we can find something?” Sebastian pulled a chair forward. He sat down on it with his arms resting upon the back as he looked to her. “I’ve been trying to track this lunatic down for months. He doesn’t leave a trace. All the evidence that we have is mainly hear say, or poor video footage shot from a civi’s phone.” He searched her eyes. “What do you think of all of it?” Sebastian raised a brow slightly.
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Post by Nyte on Nov 22, 2019 23:31:05 GMT -5
Sabra had just finished filing away the items the Chief had given her when she heard someone else approaching the submissions desk. She sighed, ready to get the regular morning flood of evidence from the night crew, but smiled as she saw the familiar and friendly place of Officer Hendrick. He had become something of a saving grace for Sabra in the last few weeks. Bringing her some coffee every morning to brighten her day with a charming smile to boot. She eagerly accepted the warm beverage, thanked him for the millionth time, and pulled the stopper out of the lid before taking her first careful sip. It was heaven in a cup. When he mentioned being summoned by the Chief she gave him an apologetic look and waved to him before he disappeared to get his briefing.
While she was still alone down in evidence Sabra decided to pull up the files on The Jackal. There was definitely a perk to working for the police when you were a masked vigilantly. Access to police records and ongoing investigations were easy to obtain. Though she had just started to really dig in, sipping on her coffee all the while, when she heard someone coming back down the stairs. Quickly she closed out of the file and sat back in her chair once more as she looked up to see who her next visitor was.
When she saw Hendrick, carrying a thick file, she raised an eyebrow with interest as she watched him walk around to her side and get himself a chair. "You're working with me? Oh man, you must have really messed up then." She told him with a giggle despite his complement on her being useful to the precinct. Not everyone saw it that way. Though she was pleased to work with Hendrick on something her smile faded a bit at the mention of which case they would be working on. "The Jackal, huh. That's a tall order, but I'll see what I can do." She told Hendrick and sat up in her chair as she cleared her throat and set her coffee cup down and out of the way. "I've logged pretty much everything on him so I'm not sure what it is you're hoping I'll find exactly. If there was something that screamed "here's my diabolical hideout" I would have told ya while back."
She flipped through the first few pages of the file, skimming over them a bit. "If you want to know what I think of it.. he's good. Too good. It's like he knows the exact steps to take to not get caught. He's familiar with how the police work. A career criminal perhaps? Or perhaps he's close to an officer or something. It's usually people that we are close to that we least expect, right?" She asked him and looked back up from the file to meet his gaze and flash him a small grin of her own.
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Post by Blindside Tex on Nov 22, 2019 23:49:21 GMT -5
Sebastian leaned on the back of the chair as he watched her curiously. “I’ve combed through the file myself several times. The Chief expects us to pull a miracle out of the pages.” He chuckled softly and smirked when she spoke of the ‘diabolical layer’. He looked back down to the page, “I’d like to see his diabolical layer.” He laughed, “Then again, maybe I don’t want to see it? He’s a strange one.” He spoke and sighed softly. He perked up when Sabra asked him if he wanted to know what she thought. “Of course I want to know. Lay it on me.” He smiled. Though he had to fight to keep that smile on his face, the smile that was perfect for the press. He gave a slow nod as his mind began to race. He gave Chase credit where it was due, he knew she wasn’t a bimbo as the Chief so endearingly called her. “He is too good, I’ll give you that. But close to an officer?” He scoffed slightly. “That would just be crazy.”
Sebastian tilted his head slightly. “Though. What if it isn’t an officer per say?” He looked to her curiously. “What if it is a crime investigator? What if he is one?” He smiled. “He could hide all the evidence in the world then. Couldn’t he?” He flipped through a few pages and sighed. “I still don’t know what the chief wants us to get out of this.” He shrugged. “How about his?” He pointed to the page. “Why don’t we take a field trip? Hm?” He smiled to her. “Get you out of the dungeon?”
Sebastian stood and flattened his coat slightly. “You haven’t see the light of day in a bit.” He winked then. “I need to go by the bank that was hit last night. See if the guys missed anything worth noting. Perhaps your eyes will see something that mine do not?” He opened the door and held it for her. “Three months of following this guy from scene to scene, perhaps I’m missing something. That is what the chief is implying after all.” He scanned his badge into the garage and walked Sabra to the squad car. “You can ride shotgun.” He pulled the door open for her. Sebastian climbed into the car and started it up and before long they were on the streets of Volk. He tapped on the steering wheel as they sat at a red light. “So, Chase. Tell me a little more about you.” He smiled to her. “About all I know is you like the coffee I bring you. Unless you’re just flattering me by telling me such things.” He chuckled as he turned down another street.
As they approached the bank he sighed at the sight of the reporters. “I’ll keep them off of you, hm?” He glanced to Sabra a moment before he climbed out of the car. A few reporters came toward him and he offered a warm smile. Their questions overlapped and he couldn’t make much sense of their questions as they barked them at him. “Gentlemen.” He held a hand up. “I am merely here to investigate the crime scene with my partner. Now, we can’t catch our vigilante if I’m here speaking with you, can we?” He smiled again before he slipped away from the cameras and microphones easily. “Come on.” He opened the door and led Sabra into the burnt building. He lifted up the crime scene tape so that she could enter. The room smelled of smoke. Sebastian coughed slightly and cleared his throat. “Need a flashlight?” He asked as he held a small light toward her. “The Chief is going to have my ass for lunch one of these days.” He admitted as he lowered his head slightly. “If I can’t deliver what he wants, these little bars are going to disappear.” He laughed slightly and shook his head. “We are chasing a ghost...doesn’t it feel like that?” He walked around looking for clues.
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Post by Nyte on Nov 23, 2019 0:08:42 GMT -5
A chance to work out on the streets and get out of the dungeon? Heck yeah, she wasn't going to refuse that offer and if the Chief told them to work together she supposed others could file their own shit for once. "Count me in, but I wouldn't write off my suggestion so easily. I mean stranger things than a cop going rogue have happened." She shrugged, letting the conversation slip away in favor of looking forward to getting to go out. She picked up her jacket from the back of her chair as well as her, phone and wallet from the drawer of the desk then followed Hendrick out to the garage.
"Nah, I love the coffee you bring me. It's far better than the slug they dare to call coffee up in the break room. I look forward to it every morning, but to answer your request I'm afraid that there's not much to tell. You already know what I do for a living, and when I go home I mainly sit and read or watch TV." She shrugged. "Or maybe go walking in the park by my place if the weather is nice. Nothing to exciting I'm afraid." She giggled, enjoying the small talk over business discussion that they were usually restricted to.
When they pulled up to the bank and Sabra saw the flock of reporters that were waiting like a bunch of vultures she cringed a bit. This was something she didn't have to deal with being locked in the dungeon, but Hendrick handled it perfectly. He smiled, spoke clearly and with confidence in a way that even the nosy reporters seemed to listen to him without to much insistence. Once they were inside, on the safe side of the caution tape, Sabra laughed. "You should be the new PR for the police. You'd be great at it." She said in almost a teasing manner before turning her attention to burned scene around them.
"Mmm, not a ghost. Things are still fresh and a bit to real to be a ghost. It's like waking up and you're living a nightmare." The last part of her sentence trailed off a bit and was a quiet as she knelt down next to the spot where the woman had perished from Jackal's vicious toxins. She could feel the pang of guilt make her heart throb and had to stand up once more to turn her attention elsewhere. "I, um, I'm not sure what we're looking for." She admitted and then headed into the emptied vault that Jackal had melted his way into and then quickly picked clean. While Sabra walked around she had her hands in the pockets of her jacket. "What kind of monster does that to someone?" She whispered more to herself and shuddered.
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Post by Blindside Tex on Nov 23, 2019 0:30:55 GMT -5
Sebastian had chuckled to her comment about her life at home. Reading. Such a simple life. He’d give anything to go back to that. Just sitting at home, relaxing. The last word was something he hadn’t known for the last three months. He was quiet as he moved about through the wreckage. Shell casings from the two that he’d been with. “The new PR?” He laughed with a smile, “The Chief would never let that happen, I’d get more screen time than him.” He looked to the charred marble floor. His eyes fell upon Sabra as she knelt where he’d killed the woman. His breath caught in his chest. Each move that he made as the Jackal was ordered. Each and every life that he’d taken was by the order of Ira...his boss so to speak. The man claimed that he’d given Sebastian a gift. It was the worst gift he’d ever been given. That was for certain.
He came to her side as she spoke of this as a nightmare. His eyes looked to her with a tinge of guilt in his chest. His eyes lowered to the spot on the floor that the outline of the woman’s body had been drawn. Parts of the marble were eaten away by the acid that had covered her body. He let out a long breath and nodded slowly as he looked to her. “It’s crazy what people do. Isn’t it?” He spoke as he walked into the vault. He could practically see the scene replay in his mind as they quickly emptied it of everything. “Is he pushed by anger? Is it revenge that he is seeking? If so what did that poor woman do to deserve such a thing?”
Sebastian moved a cloth bag that was left empty he pushed it slightly with his flashlight and sighed. “Or is it fear?” He looked to Sabra. “Do you remember that Jammes murders?” He asked curiously as he walked about shining his light over everything. It truly looked as though he was searching, when in reality he knew there wasn’t a speck to be found. “Ivan Jammes. His family was taken from him and the ransom was a string of murders to be committed.” He nudged a melted desk chair with his boot tread. “He couldn’t call for help, otherwise his family would be killed. It was the only thing that kept him going. At least that is what all the tapes say. The real master mind behind the case was never caught.” He looked to Sabra. “I always wonder if something like that were to drive a villain...what would we see?” He shrugged then as he looked around and sighed.
“To answer your question. I’m not really sure what to look for either. Chief thinks that because I bagged two of the villains that I am some super cop.” He shook his head. “It was luck, to be honest. Nothing more than luck on my side to guide me to catch them. I very well could have ended up dead on the front page of Volk Times.” He blew a bit of dust from the old wooden counter top. “So I come to these scenes and I look around. I try to find something that will point me in the right direction. It makes the chief feel better I suppose.” He gave a smile. “Though I’ve never truly found anything. Footprints maybe.” He shrugged. “We come to look for anything out of the ordinary that might have been missed by our crime lab.” He shined his flashlight up at the chandelier that was covered in soot. “At least he didn’t kill all of the hostages like some of the other villains. Ira would have crushed every last living being in this bank. There would be blood where soot remains.” He looked to her with a focused gaze. “Do you see anything at all?” He asked then after a moment.
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Post by Nyte on Nov 23, 2019 1:04:54 GMT -5
The idea of a villain being scared into committing such heinous acts was not something she had considered. It was also something she found very difficult to wrap her head around. What sort of person would it take to scare someone like the Jackal into robbing and murdering those he came across. Plus he was always in charge of the situation when he came on the scene, with a couple of henchmen to carry whatever it was they were stealing. No, that couldn't be right, could it?
When Hendrick mentioned Ira, Sabra couldn't help but scoff slightly, and rolled her eyes. "I doubt that would happen." As soon as the words came out of Sabra's mouth she wished she could undo them. She might have been able to deafen them if she used her power but that was opening a whole other can of worms she wasn't willing to touch with Hendrick so close. "I mean, why would you kill everyone for just a bank robbery?" She tried to cover her tracks so that Hendrick wouldn't think she knew more than she should for a simple clerk. In truth she had come across that name a couple of times when dealing with other supers. Ira was a like a ghost. Only whispers and rumors but nothing tangible for Echo to follow.
"I, uh, don't really see anything unfortunately." She said looking up to meet his gaze. "Sorry, I know I'm a big help." She shrugged and kicked a bit of rubble that had been left on the floor. "You know. Do you think Jackal wears the gas mask for the terrifying look or because he can't stand his own gases that he uses? Would suck to have a power that hurts yourself, wouldn't it?"
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Post by Blindside Tex on Nov 23, 2019 1:36:01 GMT -5
The quick response caught Sebastian’s attention. He gazed to her as she stumbled to cover it up. His eyes searched hers when she’d look up to him, he was reading her body language. She knew more than she was letting on. It was a knee jerk response. To reply with something like that. Though, he shouldn’t have mentioned Ira in the first place. Only he and a few other Officers that had been working closely on the Super cases knew the name. It was a whisper in the wind. To most. To Sebastian Ira was the words within the earpiece that he wore to every crime that he committed. Ira was what pushed him to do the things that he did, otherwise Ira would push the trigger and end Sebastian’s life. He’d been trying to figure out how to get out of it for 3 months now. Ira was clever, any slip and Sebastian was dead, along with anyone around him when the bomb under his skin detonated.
Sebastian gave a soft chuckle to Sabra’s response. “You’re plenty of help, don’t beat yourself up like that. This was much more enjoyable with a partner.” He grinned to her. “Maybe I can convince the chief to let me drag you around more often?” He teased as he took in a breath. “Though, I did have my hopes up. But, it doesn’t seem to matter how many eyes we put on these crime scenes.” He shrugged slightly and shook his head. Then she posed the question. It caused him to smirk slightly. “I don’t know, that mask looks homemade doesn’t it? Do you think it even works?” He raised a brow as he looked to her. “I mean.” He crossed his arms in thought. “If he could be harmed by his own power...man.” He shook his head. “That would be something we could use against him, wouldn’t it?” He looked to her with a serious gaze. “Though, if he does just wear it for show and we remove it from his face and he isn’t harmed...we wouldn’t be alive to tell the tale...would we?”
He turned and sighed as he looked to the rubble. “Such power, it’s sad to see what the villains do. You know?” He spoke as he looked to the damage to the building. “If we only had more heroes.” He then looked to her and grinned. “Have you seen the shots of that girl Echo?” He asked more cheerfully. He threw his hands out as if he was manipulating the air around him and he made a few playful sound effects. “I bet she’d stand a chance against Jackal. Don’t you? Stop that asshole right in his tracks.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket as he looked to her. “Well, shall we?” He asked as he walked out of the building. Once again reporters bum rushed the two. Once again Sebastian put on his charming smile and he talked them down. He spoke of the ongoing investigation and that the Police of Volk were doing everything that they could to bring the vigilantes to justice.
He opened the cruiser door for Sabra and then he climbed around to his side before they pulled off. “Have you ever wondered what it would be like to meet one of the supers?” He asked as they sat at a red light, he glanced to her. “Some of the heroes do some incredible things for this city. I don’t care what the public thinks. I know it is a mixed response….some love supers...others think everyone with powers should be locked up. What do you think?” He started driving again. “My personal opinion? I think there will always be good and evil. Locking away a few dozen people. That won’t solve our problems. In fact it would drum up more issues, and we would be locking away innocent people that were merely trying to help.” He shrugged slightly.
“Alpha One Nine. Code 257. 133 Arbor street. All responding units. Suspect is armed. One officer down at scene.” The radio buzzed upon Hendrick’s shoulder.
He quickly flipped a few switches and the lights and sirens came on. “Minor detour.” He looked to Sabra before he gripped his radio. “212 copy.” He spoke as they raced through the city streets. They zoomed around cars and skidded through intersections. “Stay in the car. Under no circumstances do you get out.” He ordered as he came to a stop before a large office building. They were the first on scene. “212 scene.” He called into his radio as he climbed from the squad car. There was another car just a few clicks away with its lights on, the door wide open. Blood on the trunk.
Sebastian rushed forward to the car in hopes to find his fellow officer. Nothing. He looked to the office building as a woman came out screaming, blood on her hands. He rushed forward to her as an ambulance arrived on scene. “Are you hurt?” He asked as he looked her over quickly. “How many are there?” He asked.
“T-two….just two...” She whimpered. “G-guns...they have so many guns...”
Sebastian nodded, “It’s alright.” He looked to the medics as they approached and gave a nod before he rushed into the building.
“212.” The station radio chattered in the car. “212. What is your location?” No response.
Sebastian had turned down his radio as he rushed through the halls of the building. He didn’t want his radio giving away his location. He rounded a corner and lifted his pistol. “Drop it.” He called. “I’ll drop you if you don’t drop the weapon.” His voice was commanding.
The skinny man that stood with the assault rifle grinned as he looked back to Hendrick. Suddenly a clatter of gunfire echoed through the hallway. Sebastian pulled his trigger and a bullet sliced through the air as he was knocked back. The bullet sliced into the shoulder of one of the skinny man as another stepped from the shadows. “Come on! Let’s keep moving!” He spoke quickly as they ran off.
Sebastian grit his teeth as he rolled to his side, three bullets caught him, two in the chest that were stopped by his bullet proof vest and a third grazed his thigh, just enough to cause a bit of damage. He pushed himself up and groaned as he rushed down the hallway. “Lopez!” He called out as he knelt next to the officer that the two had taken hostage. He rolled the man over to see his pale expression. He was breathing, but barely. “Alright hold on buddy.” He searched him quickly and found a bullet that pierced through his vest on the right side of his chest. “You’re going to be alright.” He pressed on the wound as he lifted him up. “I’m going to get you help.” He began to drag him backwards. His own bullet wound burned as he took each step he could feel a bit of blood push from the wound. That wouldn’t stop him though, not when he could save a life. He’d already taken too many...
“212? Please respond with location.” The radio within Sebastian’s cruiser continued to ask for an update. No other officers had arrived on scene yet.
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Post by Nyte on Nov 23, 2019 2:07:54 GMT -5
Sabra gave him a genuine smile as he spoke of possibly bringing her along for more investigations. She would enjoy that, hero business or not, and she appreciated the effort he had put into trying to make her life at the precinct a little better. Though when he moved onto talking about Echo she licked her lips and tried not to laugh. His imitation attempt was amusing, to say the least, and she was flattered that he apparently thought so highly of her. "Yeah, well as far as I know Echo has never shown up where the Jackal strikes." She shrugged, "She's crossed paths with everyone but him, but I guess it's just a matter of time." It was hard to deny the destruction the city undertook when two supers met in battle. Sabra tried to keep her damage to a minimum but sometimes it couldn't be helped.
Leaving the crime scene she wrinkled her nose at the reporters. Did they not have anything else to do? Sure it was an active crime scene but it wasn't like there was anything fresh there. They really needed to just move on. "I don't imagine the supers are much different than anyone else you meet. Maybe a little more inflated ego, but still your typical asshole." She smirked and looked towards the radio as dispatch summoned the officers to the scene of an ongoing crime. Listening to police scanners had caused her to learn the codes and knew that whatever was going on was quite serious so the smile disappeared from her expression and she cast Hendrick a worried expression.
When they arrived and Hendrick got out of the car, instructing Sabra to stay put, she frowned. "Hey, you should wait for.. backup." She tried to tell him before he had closed the door and started towards the building. "God damnit Hendrick." She muttered under her breath as she saw a woman covered in blood exit the building. This wasn't going to be pretty. "Fuck this, I'm not staying here." She grumbled and opened the car door just as soon as Hendrick had gotten out of sight and the paramedics started to tend to the woman. There weren't enough people on scene yet to see her slip away and down an ally next to the building that contained the perps, so she pulled the hood of her jacket up and tightened it around her face so that only her nose and eyes were exposed. Just in case someone got a look at her face.
Finding a fire escape she climbed up to the second floor and crouched down as she listened to the sounds that came from under her. It was a handy trick that she could increase the volume of sounds that she heard to make them more audible for herself, however as she heard the gunshots on an amplified wavelength she flinched and her ears rang for a solid minute. "Damnit!" She cursed under her breath while she rubbed her ears through her hood to try and get it to where she could hear normally again. Just as her hearing returned she caught the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs and she slipped behind a wall as the two gunmen came up.
"Damn cop. Does he have a suicide wish rushing in like that?" One of the men hissed in anger as Sabra leaned around a corner to glance at just who she was dealing with. "A couple of thugs, figures." She thought to herself and snapped her fingers, but instead of the sound coming from where she was standing it seemed to come from the other side of the room which made both turn their backs to her. It gave her the opportunity to step out and kick out their knees from behind then deliver a couple of precise blows to the backs of their heads and knocking them out cold. She emptied their clips of their bullets and knocked on the ground between the two unconscious men which allowed her to use the sound to leave an imprint of rippling waves, her calling card, in the concrete floor.
Bandits taken down Sabra quickly made her get away back down the fire escape and then out to the car just as other police officers were starting to show up. She briefly heard the radio in Hendrick's cruiser go off, but as she saw him dragging someone out of the building she rushed forward to help him. His earlier instructions be damned. "Jesus, Hendrick. You always gotta be the hero?" She asked as she saw the bleeding officer that he had pulled out.
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Post by Blindside Tex on Nov 23, 2019 8:46:46 GMT -5
Sebastian reached to his radio, “I need a medic unit, I’m bringing Lopez out now.” He spoke into the radio as he pulled Lopez from the building. Lopez was nothing more than a sack of potatoes by this point, his body had fallen limp, he wasn’t far from the reaches of death. Sebastian grit his teeth as he heard Chase’s voice. He glanced to her and he took in a breath to speak, his normal charming smile was gone from his expression.
“What do we have?” A paramedic rushed forward with a stretcher in tow.
“Gunshot wound to the chest. I’m not sure what else.” Sebastian spoke as the medic and his partner pulled Lopez from his arms. He’d gone through the academy with Lopez. Of all of the officers to get shot. He stood with a blank stare as they pulled him to the back of the ambulance and load him in. With lights and sirens they rushed away, hoping to save the life of the officer. Sebastian looked to Sabra then his brows tucked together. “It isn’t safe, I thought I told you to stay in the car, Chase?” His voice was more concern than scolding. “And to answer your question...if I can save a life, yes.” He searched her eyes a moment before he heard a clatter of commotion.
“Echo was here!” One of the officers came rushing from the building. “She caught them both and packaged them up for us. As per usual.” He grinned as he rushed forward to his Lieutenant.
“Echo?” Sebastian spoke as he looked to the young gun of an officer.
“Incredible huh? She’s the only supe that I would trust.” He chuckled as he turned to watch the other officers drag the dazed and confused criminals from the building.
Sebastian smirked slightly as he watched them taken into patrol cars and hauled off. He then turned to look to Sabra. “We should get back to the precinct hm?” His mind was swirling with questions, so much that he’d forgotten about the pain in his leg from the bullet wound. He led Sabra back to the cruiser where he opened the door for her, “After you.” He gave a soft smile. He then stepped around the patrol car and climbed inside. He let out a long breath as the burning pain brought his eyes to his thigh, his black pants had a small tear and a thick liquid was soaked into the material. “Damnit.” He groaned. “I just bought these pants.” He let out a chuckle. “You’re just in for the full experience today, Chase.” He noted as he pulled from his spot. “We’ll swing by the hospital, get this looked at and see how Lopez is, huh?” He looked to her a moment. “I’m glad you’re okay, but getting out of the car like that was dangerous, Chase. You don’t have anything to defend yourself with...let alone if they realized you were with the precinct...” He let out a breath and shook his head. “The criminals in this city have their own agenda for the police.”
It wasn’t long before they pulled into the lot at the hospital. As Sebastian stood from the car he could feel the stiffness setting in on his leg. He grit his teeth slightly though he pressed forward. He wasn’t one to give up, that was for certain. As he walked through the doors a nurse looked up from the desk over her thick framed glasses. Her brows furrowed slightly when she saw the slight limp that the officer had. Then her eyes honed in on Sabra briefly before she looked back to Sebastian. “Lieutenant Hendrick.” She spoke as she stood from the desk. She motioned to a tech that was sitting at his computer. “Get him a wheelchair would you?” She ordered as she stepped forward. “Were you in that shootout?” She questioned as she stepped forward. She looked over Sabra a moment. “You’re not hurt are you dear?” She asked curiously.
Moments later Sebastian was in a wheelchair and wheeled into a room. The nurse remained at the front desk, she hadn’t allowed Sabra into the room. She leaned forward in her chair and lifted the television remote and clicked a few times to turn the volume up as a breaking news headline scrolled across the screen.
“After the carnage of last night all hope might have been lost. But today a new breath of hope was given to the city of Volk as one of our finest officers rushed into an open hostage situation to save one of his own brothers in blue.” The reporter stood in front of the office building. “I have Ali here to tell us first hand what she saw.” The camera panned to the woman that was running from the building as they had arrived.
“It was horrible. Those men. They came into the building with their guns...ready to kill everyone...I...one of my friends was shot...I tried to stop the bleeding...but I could only think to run for help...” The woman was still nearly in tears, her voice trembled as she spoke. “When I ran outside the only officer that had arrived so far was Officer Hendrick, and one ambulance. He ensured my safety and he ran inside. There wasn’t an ounce of fear in his eyes. I’ve never seen someone with such determination. He knew it wasn’t safe inside that building, but if he hadn’t gone in...I can’t think of how many lives would have been lost. He kept those thugs from shooting more people...more innocents...”
“Such an incredible story of what happened here today. So far we know that this officer is one of the Lieutenants on the precinct. He saved nearly 100 lives today, the office worker who will not be named at this time was taken to Saint Mary’s and is in critical condition. Others were harmed without serious wounds and are being treated at Luke’s Regional Hospital. Though we do have footage of the heroic effort that Officer Hendrick made to save a life.” He nodded as the screen switched. It was panned in on the front of the building as officers rushed in. This was just moments before Sebastian had pulled Lopez from the building. The reporter allowed the video to play as Sebastian handed Lopez over to the medic unit and the camera panned to follow the ambulance as it drove away.
“I’m getting word now that the officer, though in critical condition is likely to survive. Only because Officer Hendrick pulled him from the building allowing him to get care quickly.” The reporter smiled. “Now if that wasn’t enough.” He paused a moment. “I have reports that Echo came to the rescue, taking out the two vigilantes and ending their spree of terror. Her mark was left at the scene where the two men were found, their guns emptied and set by their sides. Just who is this masked hero?” An image of Echo that had been captured from a previous event showed on the screen. “With everyone questioning the good of Supers, this one is going into the books as a hero in my book. Thank you Echo for keeping our city safe. Back to you Mike.” He nodded and the news switched over to another broadcast.
The nurse clicked the volume down. She stood and made her way across the waiting room. “You were right there with him huh?” She asked with a soft smile. “Are you doing alright hun? I’m Paula.” She spoke with a warm smile. “I’ve been taking care of Sebastian since he first joined the precinct. The boy can’t seem to stay out of trouble.” She chuckled softly as she sat down across from Sabra.
**
Sebastian groaned as the doctor cleaned the wound, flushing it with saline. He gripped the edge of the table and closed his eyes. “I’d rather get shot than this.” He spoke through a clenched jaw.
The doctor chuckled softly. “Really? You’ve already been shot a few times there, kid.” He began stitching the wound closed. “You’re lucky you know? Only one wound, you’ve got a splatter of bullets in your vest.”
“Yeah, lucky.” Sebastian grumbled as the doctor secured gauze over the wound.
The doctor smiled to him and shook his head. “You saved Lopez. That’s something.” He stood from his stool. “He is in room 402 if you want to see him. Though, he hasn’t come around quite yet. We had to intubate him, he stopped breathing. If you didn’t go in like you did, he would be dead. Just a few more minutes would have made the difference. Good job, Sebastian.” He removed his gloves and washed his hands in the sink. “Not very many of the officers would have put their lives on the line like that.” He spoke as he left the room.
Sebastian pulled on his pants and he fastened his boots. He tucked his uniform back in and flattened his shirt before he stepped from the room. He found his way easily to the waiting area. “Paula are you harassing my partner?” He questioned with a charming smile.
The nurse nearly melted as she looked to the officer. “Of course not. I would never think of such a thing.” She stood and smiled to him. “I’m glad to see you’re alright, Sebastian.” She reached up and brushed a bit of his hair into place. It was clear that that woman cared for him, or perhaps is was his infectious smile that caused her behavior?
Sebastian smiled and glanced to Sabra. “Let’s go check on Lopez.” He nodded. “Thanks again, Paula.” He pat her shoulder before they headed off down the hallway. He punched in the key code to the elevator and soon enough they were off to the unit. He found his way to the room and his eyes sank as he looked to Lopez. The monitor beeped to his heart rate as the ventilator pushed air in and out of his body. His eyes glazed over slightly as he stepped to the side of the bed. “You’ve got this buddy...” He muttered softly. “You can’t give up now.” He looked to the chest tube that came from the left side where the bullet had entered. He could only imagine the damage that the bullet did to his friend. He gripped the side rail of the bed a moment before he let out a sigh. “It won’t feel like I saved him until he’s out of this mess...you know?” He looked to Chase with sad eyes, the smile gone from his lips.
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Post by Nyte on Nov 23, 2019 12:08:13 GMT -5
Sabra shrugged, giving Hendrick an apologetic look, when he expressed his displeasure with her getting out of the car at the scene of the shootout. She was probably the most capable one out of the whole lot, but she wasn't going to tell him that. She was glad to see that the officer that he had pulled out of the building was still alive, even if barely, but once they got to their own cruiser she frowned as she also looked down to notice the blood pooling from Hendrick's leg. So he had been hit, though obviously nothing vital, and it made her regret not being able to jump into the fray a little faster. She didn't have her gear with her though and the risk of being discovered had been far to high.
When they arrived at the hospital she tried to offer Hendrick a hand as they walked up to the nurse's station. She hadn't expected to be able to follow Hendrick to the room while he was being treated, which suited her just fine, but she didn't like the way the nurse smiled at him with familiarity. Then as the news report was played Sabra sighed and turned her attention back to the nurse as she spoke up. "Yeah, I was there, but he had me stay in the cruiser while he rushed in. Which is fine I guess. I don't have the same training that he does." She shrugged and went to sit down in one of the hard lobby chairs to wait. "Hendrick's got a sort of following back at the precinct. Though he doesn't publicize his injuries so I had no idea that he was a regular here." It was actually a bit unsettling to think that he got hurt all the time. Looking at him Sabra would have never guessed.
Hendrick's visit to the ER was much faster than she had ever experienced. It was like they purposely made people wait to be seen, but when she saw the officer round the corner she gave him a pleasant smile and sat up in her chair from her reclined position. She smirked slightly when Hendrick teased Paula about giving her a hard time, and looked down to his leg that was still covered in a blood where the entry hole was at. When he expressed wanting to see Lopez before they left the hospital Sabra nodded and followed him to the elevator. When she saw the officer hook up to the various machines, monitoring his vitals and keeping him alive, Sabra placed a hand over her mouth as she felt guilt wash over her once more.
"Yeah, I know what you mean. If only Echo had gotten there a little earlier. Probably could have spared both you and Lopez some bloodshed." She stood at the foot of the bed looking down over the officer. How many cops had to get shot or mangled because heroes couldn't react fast enough? If she didn't have to put a roof over her head and food in her belly she would have made the hero gig a full time thing, but it just wasn't feasible. Even if all her tardies were because of her taking extra time to ensure that a few extra people were protected from those that would cause them harm. "Come on, we need to get back to the precinct. I'm sure I'll have an ass chewing to get for leaving evidence and you'll need to accept your next award for bravery." She chuckled and rested a hand on Hendrick's arm, in an attempt to reassure him despite his fellow officer laying unconscious in the hospital bed.
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Post by Blindside Tex on Nov 23, 2019 13:49:52 GMT -5
Sebastian looked to her as she spoke of Echo. “We can’t blame her for not being there.” He looked back to Lopez. “They are people too, we all have flaws. She can’t be everywhere at once. I’m sure she has her own life, her own troubles...” He sighed softly. If she had come sooner would she have gotten caught in the crossfire? He couldn’t imagine what would happen if one of the beloved heroes was injured, or even killed. His mind began to churn the idea, he was certain that the heroes got injured, just as he could. They weren’t immortal. Though they might act like it. Though his thoughts were broken as he felt Sabra’s hand upon his arm. His eyes moved to her fingertips and then he lifted his gaze to her, a soft smile curved up his lips. “I won’t allow that.” He spoke before he pat Lopez’s hand. “Get better my friend.” He spoke before he walked from the room.
He was quiet as he walked through the halls and to the elevator that took them back downstairs. He opened the door once again for Sabra to get into the patrol car before he made his way to his side. He sat down and let out a long breath. It was taking a lot to hold it together. Lopez was like a brother to him. The family that he didn’t have. He cleared his throat and started the car. “So, I’ll protect you from the chief if you tell me something.” He smirked as he looked to her. “I mentioned something earlier that you seem to know about. I’m curious as to how a filing girl knows about the top villain in our city?” He questioned. “You did try to cover your tracks though, I’ll give you credit for that.” He looked forward as he pulled from the lot. “Or you can stay quiet.” He shrugged. “I have been on the receiving end of the Chief’s wrath a few times, it isn’t pretty. We’ve been gone.” He looked to his watch and drew in a breath. “Ouch. Yeah he’s going to tear your head off. Or...” He looked to her as he came to a red light. “I could help you, and he won’t even notice that you were gone.” He tilted his head back and forth as if weighing out the options for her. “Your choice, Chase.” He pulled forward once again driving toward the precinct.
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Post by Nyte on Nov 23, 2019 20:13:35 GMT -5
Sabra's mind was far away as they made their way down the elevator and back out to the parking lot. She didn't want to go back to the precinct. She wanted to go home, dawn her armor and helmet then go out into the city and kick a few trouble makers in the ass. She wanted to go back to the crime scene at the bank and see if she could use her power to discern any additional details that they may have looked over otherwise. So when they were back in the car and Hendrick started giving her an ultimatum she was a bit shocked and looked at him with a stunned expression for a moment. "I.." She started, faltering for just a second. "Hendrick.. I'm just a filing clerk. People talk around me and don't think much of it. I work in evidence so they naturally tell me details about cases their working on." She didn't give names or exact instances, she couldn't. No one had mentioned anything to her at the precinct. She just hoped he didn't delve deeper into her explanation.
"You really gonna sell me out like that Hendrick. Let me fry when it was your idea to go out in the first place? That's cold." She folded her arms across her chest and scoot down in her seat slightly while shaking her head with a disappointed look. "I thought you were better than that."
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Post by Blindside Tex on Nov 23, 2019 20:52:57 GMT -5
Sebastian took a few glances to her, reading her expression as she stuttered through the first bit. He’d made her uncomfortable, that was for certain. Then when she began to pout a chuckle came over his lips. “Alright, alright.” He bowed his head slightly, they had pulled into the garage. He looked to her a moment, the car was still idling. “I couldn’t bare the guilt.” He searched her eyes a moment. “I believe you. I know how some of the hot shot cops can be and I’ll be having a conversation with all of the commanding officers. It is very dangerous for you to know any of the information about Ira. He is incredibly dangerous, in fact he might even kill you for knowing information about him.” He took in a breath, “Luckily, this stays between us.” He smiled to her before he slipped from the cruiser. He walked inside the building and rounded the corner to find the chief standing at the evidence collection desk that was piled high with folders in an unorganized fashion.
“Chase!” The chief began, his face beat red. “If I have to f---”
“Chief.” Sebastian lifted a hand he had soft smile on his lips. “You shouldn’t be yelling at Chase. I gave her an order to accompany me to the crime scene. I took her out of evidence. I didn’t truly give her a choice.”
The chief stuttered slightly and stumbled over a few words. “Hendrick.” His brows pulled together. “Would you look at this mess? She doesn’t have time to be galavanting around in the city with you! Besides you nearly got yourself killed today!” He threw his hands up.
“But I didn’t. And I saved Lopez...” His voice dropped slightly when he said the last part. He wouldn’t believe he saved Lopez until he was awake.
The chief raised a finger, his teeth grit and he let out a groan that sounded much more like a growl. “Well did you find anything worth mentioning?” He crossed his arms over his chest.
Sebastian bit his lip slightly, “The call came out for the officer down...We didn’t hang around there too long before I rushed us to that scene.” It was a bit of a lie, but he’d stretch the truth if the chief would get off his back. “Now.” He placed the charming smile upon his lips. “The files? I’ve got it taken care of. Chase and I will have it handled before you can bat an eyelash.”
The chief pressed his lips together in a flat line. He glared at Chase. “Do not be late tomorrow, Chase. It will be your last tardy with the precinct.” He marched passed them. If the man could have steam rolling from his ears it was very possible that he might have…
Sebastian sucked in a breath, he glanced to Chase and bit his lip slightly. “A bit harsh. But he’s gone...” He sighed. “If I have to make sure you’re not oversleeping I’ll pick you up. I’m not going to allow him to fire you, Chase.” He pushed into the evidence room and began looking through the paper work. He groaned the first folder he opened wasn’t signed by the officer. “Are you kidding me?” He looked to Sabra and shook his head. “How do you deal with this?” He opened another folder, something else wasn’t complete. “Seriously?” He cleared his throat. “Well, this ends right here. This is why you take so long to file everything. If my officers can’t even do their damn job, well...how can we expect you to do yours in a timely manner?”
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