Roxy hunched over her project, knuckle-deep in the wires of the lastest Sonic Lance that she was preparing for Coil’s men. Making them had become pretty much second nature to her at this point, and though her fingers twitched with desire to improve on her original design, she held herself back. Coil wanted the Lances and that’s what he was going to get.
Plus a little extra, she snickered to herself, popping a small device into place, separate from the rest of the housing. She hid it snugly along the rest of the wires before closing the chassis and turning to place the finished product among the growing pile at her side.
That was her quota for the day, which meant that she could finally begin working on her own projects. Roxy slid her chair further down her workbench, coming to a stop beside a pile of speakers, phones, and other technology that she had been stripping down to suit a better purpose. She picked up right where she left off, carefully pulling the digitizer out of a smartphone and setting it into the pile. She would cannibalize its speakers later, not that they were really good for anything.
Roxy worked in silence for a while, the only sounds the soft click of parts being separated and the hum of her speakers playing a low, steady beat. She’d learned to keep the music at a reasonable volume after the first week—not because of any complaints from Coil’s men, but because her ears couldn’t handle the constant barrage anymore. Even with her power, there was such a thing as too much.
She fell into an easy rhythm with her work, stripping parts and placing them in the appropriate piles. As she worked, her mind fell back to the meeting with the Undersiders just yesterday. Her suit had performed pretty well in its first test drive, and she only needed to make a few modifications to the sonic motors in the legs because they were drawing a bit too much power.
The meeting itself gone about as well as she could have hoped, all things considered. She made a kickass entrance and managed to show off a little. They were scared of her when she first appeared, reacting like they expected a fight. She liked that. Even more because she knew if it came down to it, even against all of them, she’d probably win.
She read up on them a little before she showed up. Between them all, the only one who might have given her a problem was Bitch, and that was only if her giant monster dogs didn’t keep their canine hearing. If they did...
Roxy snickered to herself, imagining the shock on their faces when they realized one of their heaviest hitters was essentially useless against her. The girl’s mirth didn’t last long, however, as her mind went to the other newest member of the group: Skitter. The one who took down Lung and stole the spotlight from her during what should have been her big debut.
There wasn’t any info about the girl online, but Roxy would grudgingly admit that she was pretty damn intimidating. If she didn’t already know that Skitter’s power was trash, she’d probably consider her the biggest threat of the bunch based off of her costume alone. It was well-made and kind of scary, making her look like some giant bug monster with human hair.
Roxy’s was better, though.
The Tinker’s ruminating was interrupted by a sharp buzz coming from the end of her workbench. Roxy’s head snapped towards the source, and her face soured as she caught sight of the flip phone buzzing merrily just a few feet away.
Roxy wasn’t allowed any contact with the outside world apart from what Coil allowed her. She’d already tried to fix up one of the phones she asked for to get access to the internet, but quickly discovered that not only was there no internet down here, but the entire base was also wrapped in a faraday cage that kept all communications firmly within.
Roxy could probably make something to break through it, but Coil would notice immediately and shut that shit down. The only way she could reach the outside world, was this tiny little flip phone that was made specifically for the task of keeping in contact with the Undersiders. It only recieved calls, couldn’t send even texts, and everything she said was monitored.
Sighing, Roxy reached over and grabbed the blocky device. It buzzed in her hand but she didn’t answer immediataly, instead grabbing a small band from a hook nearby. She wrapped int around her throat and pressed a button on its side and was immediataly rewarded with a deep buzz traveling across her larynx.
When she answered the call, her voice came out severely modulated and several octaves deep, just like in her armor. “What?”
There was a pause on the other end, then a deep voice came through. “Reverb?”
“Who else would be answering this phone?” Roxy snapped, “What do you want?”
“It’s Grue. We’ve got a job.”
Roxy perked up. She knew that Coil had a plan in mind for her, but she didn’t expect it so soon. “Already? It’s been like two days.”
“Things move fast,” Grue replied, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Be at the alley by Forth and Central in two hours. You know the coffee shop that went out of business?”
“The one with the boarded-up windows?” Roxy asked, already mentally mapping the route.
“That’s the one. Meet us there.” A pause. “And don’t be late.”
The line went dead before Roxy could respond. She stared at the phone in her hand for a moment, then set it down on the workbench with a clatter.
“Dick,” she muttered, though there was no real heat behind it as she practically leapt out of her chair to prepare for her first real outing. This time, it would be a proper debut.
[Tone]
A little under two hours later, Roxy found herself sequestered deep in an alley, warily eying a puddle that smelled absolutely foul. It was raining, and she had made sure to power down her armor so the lights wouldn’t give her away and cause a stir. She stood with her back against the alley’s end, her arms crossed as she watched the mouth through her visor.
Her armor was getting soaked but it didn’t bother her. She liked the rain anyway. It was soothing, and the perfect backdrop to the impending excitement.
A month feels like forever, she thought, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. I’m glad I’m finally getting to do something.
Roxy’s fingers drummed against her bicep, the only outward sign of her impatience. She’d been here for twenty minutes already, having left early to make sure she wasn’t late. The van should be arriving any moment now, assuming Grue could read a clock.
As if on que, headlights swept across the mouth of the alley as a van pulled up to the curb. It was an unremarkable thing, white and slightly dented, the kind of vehicle that could blend into any street in Brockton Bay without a second glance. Roxy had to give them credit for that much, at least.
The side door slid open, revealing the interior lit by a dim overhead light. Tattletale sat closest to the door, her blonde hair pulled back and her domino mask in place, and grinned as Roxy approached.
“Hey, stranger,” she said, her voice carrying that smug lilt that Roxy was already learning to hate. “Hop in.”
Roxy grabbed the handle above the door and hauled herself up and in. The van rocked noticeably as she climbed up, the suspension squeaking as her armor’s immense weight settled upon it. She settled on one of the benches, powering her armor on as Tattletale closed the door behind her.
“Damn,” Regent drawled from across the van. “You’re heavy as hell.”
“The armor isn’t just for show, dipshit,” Roxy shot back.
Regent raised his hands in mock surrender. “Just saying. Could’ve given us a warning.”
“Enough,” Grue’s voice cut through the byplay. He was sitting near the front, his helmet partially obscured by the shadows. Bitch sat next to him, maskless and petting one of her dogs which sat at her feet.
As Roxy settled in, the van pulled away from the curb, merging into the sparse early afternoon traffic.
The van rattled over a pothole, and Roxy grabbed the edge of her seat to steady herself. The interior smelled like wet dog and something faintly metallic, a combination that she was already learning to associate with this particular group of people.
“So,” she said, breaking the silence. “What’s the job?”
Grue turned in his seat to face her, his helmet obscuring whatever expression he might have been wearing. “We’re robbing a bank.”
Roxy stared at him, a grin slowly forming underneath her helmet. She feigned disinterest, digging for more information. “That so? Which one?
“Bay Central,” Tattletale said. “The big one downtown.”
“Uh-huh. And we’re just gonna do this in broad daylight?” Roxy asked. “I don’t have a problem with that, but I just want to make sure I didn’t sign up for a rousing round of suicide by cop. Downtown is a pretty big hub for heroes, right?”
“They’re mostly out of town,” Tattletale said, waving a hand dismissively. “The Protectorate is running skeleton crews across the board. Response time is going to be slow. Maybe one or two heroes at most.”
“Which is where you come in," Grue nodded at her.
Roxy inclined her head to indicate she was listening.
“You’ll be on hostage control,” Grue said. “Keep the civilians in line, make sure nobody plays hero. And if anyone shows up, you’ll be on defense to buy us time while we finish up.”
Roxy’s mood dipped slightly at the assignment. She’d been hoping for something a little more exciting. Something that would put her front and center, where people could see what she could do. Hostage control was cool, sure, but it wasn’t exactly the kind of thing that made headlines.
Still, she reasoned with herself, it’s better than sitting in that room for another month.
“Got it,” she said. “Watch the civvies, blast anyone who tries to stop us. Simple enough.”
Grue nodded, satisfied. “Good. The rest of us will be handling the vault and the actual extraction. Regent and Skitter will be on crowd control with you, and Bitch and Tattletale will be helping load up the cash onto Bitch’s dogs.”
“Speaking of which,” Tattletale cut in, leaning forward in her seat, “we should go over the layout one more time for the newbie here.”
Roxy listened with half an ear as Tattletale continued outlining the plan. It was a textbook heist: get in, get the cash, and get out with as few complications as possible. There was more to it, but Roxy’s attention was more focused on her big debut rather than all the details.
The van rolled to a stop a block away from the bank, and they all climbed out into an alley basically next door.
“Remember,” Grue said as the van’s engine cut out. “We’re in and out. No unnecessary risks, no showing off. We get the money, we leave. Don’t make this more complicated than it needs to be.”
Because bank robberies are always simple, Roxy thought semi sarcastically.
They filed out of the van one by one, lining the alley. By the time everyone was out, Bitch’s dogs had grown well over a foot and were continuing to get larger.
“Tats, you’re on lookout. Sound off if you seen anything,” Grue said, and she gave a salute. “Let’s get this done.”
They entered through the main entrance, and Grue immediately set about staking their claim. Darkness billowed out from his hands in a wave, swallowing the lights and casting the room into shadow. Screams erupted from the civilians as they scrambled to their feet, knocking each other over and scattering papers in their panic.
“Everyone down!” Grue’s voice boomed through the darkness, amplified by some trick of his power. “Hands where we can see them! Nobody gets hurt if you cooperate!”
At the same time, Roxy strode forward, her boots slamming against the floor, amplified by miniature shockwaves to ensure that every eye was on her. Her armor wasn’t meant to intimidate, but her size did that anyway, and she could see several people shy away as she mad her appearance.
“Listen up!” Roxy projected her voice through her helmet’s speakers, letting the distortion carry it through the room. “You’re going to sit down, shut up, and stay still. Anyone who tries to be a hero gets a front-row seat to what a hundred decibels can do to a human ear, got it?”
A few people flinched at her words. One woman clutched her purse tighter to her chest, her knuckles white. A man in a business suit looked like he was about to say something, then thought better of it when Roxy turned her helmet toward him.
Grue gave her a nod as he passed her by on the way to the back of the bank where the vault was held, closely followed by Bitch and Tattletale. Roxy took up position near the entrance, while Skitter slipped off to check the bathroom and Regent leaned against a column, clearly intent on doing as little work as possible.
“Are you going to hurt us?” A man asked, him. Regent shrugged.
“Wasn’t planning on it, but I could probably be convinced if you annoy me enough.”
His words sent a wave of murmurs across the crowd. Roxy fought a chuckle at the teen’s comment, before settling into her role of surveying the hostages.
She had a good view of the room from where she was standing, and her audio suite was picking up everything from the rapid heartbeats of the hostages to the distant rumble of Grue’s darkness in the back.
Minutes ticked by. The civilians whispered among themselves, their voices low but easily audible to Roxy. She let them talk, keeping an ear out for anything that would actually require her intervention.
The sound of fingers fumbling with plastic caught her attention. She turned her head slightly, zeroing in on a pair of women huddled near the back of the group. One of them had her hand hidden in her jacket pocket, her posture tense in a way that suggested she was holding something.
Roxy pushed off the pillar and walked toward them. The crowd parted before her like water, people pressing back to get out of her way. The woman’s eyes went wide as Roxy approached, her hand twitching in her pocket.
“Pull your hand out,” Roxy said, her voice flat. “Slowly.”
“I—I wasn’t—” the woman stammered.
Roxy’s Thumpers let out a harsh whine, making her flinch. “Hand. Out.”
The woman’s face went pale. Her hand trembled as she slowly withdrew it from her pocket, revealing a smartphone clutched in white-knuckled fingers.
Roxy snatched the phone from her hand and didn’t even bother looking at the screen as she crushed it between her fingers. It fell to the floor in pieces, and the woman whimpered.
Roxy turned to address the room at large, her modified voice washing across the silent crowd. “We don’t plan to hurt anyone, but try something stupid again, and that can change. This’ll go a lot smoother if you all just sit there and play nice. Its not like it’s your money anyway.”
Silence answered her. The hostages pressed closer together, their eyes wide and fearful. A few looked like they were about to cry, but no one else made a move.
“Good.”
Roxy returned to her position by the pillar, her visor sweeping across the room. Behind her, she could hear the others at work, emptying the vault. Everything was going smoothly.
Which, of course, meant that something was about to go wrong.
Maybe ten minutes after they arrived, Roxy chanced a glance outside, just checking to see if anyone had noticed what they were doing, and paused.
“Guys? We’ve got a problem.”
The others gathered around her, following her gaze through the large windows at the front of the bank. Tattletale let out a sharp breath.
“Shit.”
“Hey Tattletale, you know how I call you a fucking idiot sometimes?” Grue said, his voice tight.
Roxy was inclined to agree with him. Tattletale had said they should expect light resistance, but outside the doors, it seemed that a miniature army had gathered just for them.
Basically the entire Wards team has taken up arms just outside. Roxy instantly picked out Vista and Clockblocker in the forefront. Aegis and Gallant stood slightly in front of them, while Kid Win hovered a small distance above. There was also a new guy Roxy didn’t recognize, bulky and broad in checkered spandex. He stood away from the group, but was clearly with them.
“Who’s the last guy?” Skitter voiced Roxy’s question before she could.
“Browbeat,” Tattletale said. “He’s a vigilante that Regent and Bitch took down a while ago. He must’ve joined up recently, or he’s just along for the ride for revenge. I’m betting on the former.”
“You said maybe one or two heroes,” Grue ground out. “That’s six right there.”
“Seven,” Tattletale winced as Grue’s head snapped to her. “There’s someone on the roof.”
Grue hissed through his teeth, taking a calming breath. “What’s the plan?”
Tattletale’s brow furrowed and she bit her lip, clearly trying to think of a solution. Roxy frowned. This was exactly what they had brought her on for, wasn’t it?
Before Roxy could suggest that she go out there and handle things herself, Regenf spoke up.
“I suggest we run.”
“We wouldn’t make it very far with Vista out there,” Tattletale noted. “The second we step outside, she could stretch the distance between us until we’re running a marathon just to cross the street. The dogs won’t make up that difference.”
“Then we use the hostages,” Bitch said, her voice hard. “They won't attack us if we’ve got leverage.”
Grue’s head snapped toward her. “No.”
“We can just—” Bitch started.
“We don’t use hostages as shields,” Grue cut her off. “That’s not how we do things.”
Roxy heard Skitter inhale sharply beside her and glanced her way. The bug controller’s shoulders were tense as she stared out at the assembled heroes.
“We need to catch them off guard,” she said suddenly.
“How?” Rozy asked. “They’ve got us surrounded. They’ll see whatever we try and hit them with.”
Skitter ignored her, turning to face Grue directly. “You guys are masters of escape, right? That’s what you’re known for. The Wards are going to expect us to bolt; that’s why they brought Vista and Clockblocker. They’re expecting a chase.”
“So what?” Regent asked, twirling his scepter lazily.
Skitter’s head turned, glancing toward the door, then toward Roxy, before settling back on Grue. “So we change gears. We fight them head on.”