In the heart of London's bustling city center, a cacophony of beeping cars and lively chatter filled the air, while the imposing edifice of the Aurora Holdings Bank loomed over the throngs of civilians below.
Inside the bank, a scene of controlled chaos unfolded. A pair of stern, uniformed men, armed with rifles, vigilantly patrolled the premises as the bank's staff attended to the needs of customers.
Amidst this organized commotion, a familiar figure stepped into the bank's interior—a woman named Leah Hendriks.
The armed officers swiftly positioned themselves in her path, effectively blocking her way.
One of the officers, with an authoritative tone, commanded, "Empty your pockets and raise your arms."
Leah let out an exasperated sigh and reluctantly complied. She retrieved her bank card and smartphone from her pockets and then raised her arms as instructed.
The police officer proceeded to pat Leah down, searching for any signs of contraband or threats.
Leah, with a hint of irritation, remarked, "Enjoying yourself, you perv?"
Once the search was complete, the officer reluctantly stepped aside, allowing Leah to continue her journey into the bank. She shot him a final disdainful look before approaching one of the bank's staff members.
"Excuse me," Leah began, holding up her bank card, "my card keeps declining. What the hell is that about?"
A staff member, attempting to maintain a calm demeanor, stepped forward and asked, "Hi there, ma'am, what can we assist you with today?"
Leah's frustration escalated as she retorted, "Are you deaf? I said my card keeps declining!"
The staff member, taken aback, stammered, "Oh, sorry to hear that, ma'am. Just to be sure, do you know if you have sufficient funds in your account?"
Leah raised an incredulous eyebrow. "What, are you calling me broke?"
Stammering slightly, the staff member attempted to defuse the situation. "J-just come with me, and we'll sort out the issue, okay?"
Leah reluctantly followed the staff member to an in-building ATM.
The staff member gestured toward the machine. "If you could just insert your card here, we can determine if it hasn't been canceled."
Leah complied, sliding her card into the machine, which promptly displayed the PIN entry page.
With a wry grin, she warned, "Don't look, you weirdo."
The staff member quickly turned away, granting Leah the privacy to enter her PIN.
Leah's fingers moved hesitantly over the ATM keypad as she attempted various combinations.
"1-0-1-0," she murmured, only to quickly doubt herself, "Wait, I don't think that's it..."
She erased the digits and started anew, entering 1-1-0-1. But once again, she hesitated and decided to erase it.
"Wait, wait, it's not this either," she muttered in frustration.
A nearby angry customer couldn't contain his impatience any longer, shouting, "Hey! If you're stuck on the pin page, then it's probably not your card, mate. I mean, can we keep it moving, please?"
The bank staff member tried to mediate, saying, "Just hang on a minute, sir," before turning his attention back to Leah. "Everything alright, ma'am?"
Leah responded with a forced calm, "Yeah, just give me a sec."
She made one final attempt, entering 0-6-0-4. As she hovered over the "enter" button, hesitation gripped her once more.
Frustrated and sensing the mounting impatience from the angry customer behind her, Leah abruptly pulled out her phone.
"Just gonna text my brother. It's his card, you see," she explained to the staff member as she began texting her brother Volker.
Meanwhile, the disgruntled customer couldn't contain his anger any longer and stormed toward Leah.
"Are you taking the piss? I'm in a bloody hurry here!" he yelled.
Leah's response to her brother was concise: "Nu."
Seconds later, a deafening crash interrupted the tension within the bank. Dust billowed through the air, obscuring the view. As it slowly settled, the shocking sight that emerged revealed Volker Hendriks, who had plummeted into the building.
Amid the chaos and terror inside the bank, screams echoed as some unfortunate patrons were crushed to death by the fallen debris. The security guards, their weapons trained on the unexpected intruder, opened fire as soon as Volker crashed into the bank.
In a dazzling display of agility and martial prowess, Volker performed a corkscrew flip, avoiding the barrage of bullets. With lightning speed, he delivered a rapid spinning kick, snapping the neck of one guard, and then, with brutal force, punched a hole through the chest of the second guard. His actions left the bank staff members in utter horror, their faces etched with disbelief.
As Volker swiftly dispatched the guards, he tossed two drawstring bags toward Leah. A sly smirk graced her lips as she caught them and proceeded to make her way toward the bank's backrooms.
Leah navigated the labyrinthine corridors and security measures with ease, possessing knowledge of every code needed to unlock the doors. She finally arrived at the imposing vault door, and once again, it yielded to her effortless manipulation.
The vault swung open, revealing a vast horde of money that gleamed temptingly within. Leah wasted no time in seizing the opportunity, and within a matter of minutes, she and Volker emerged from the bank, each with massive bags of ill-gotten gains slung over their shoulders.
However, their escape was cut short as they were met by a formidable lineup of armed police officers, their heavy weapons trained on the duo.
Leah sighed, her voice dripping with resignation, "You'll take care of them, right?"
Volker nodded confidently, replying, "Yeah, sure."
With determination, Volker charged at the police officers, employing fluid MMA striking techniques to incapacitate them one by one.
Meanwhile, Leah placed her bags of money on the ground and her fingers formed a steeple
She uttered an incantation, "Benedi: Vanish."
In an instant, Leah disappeared into thin air, leaving behind only a shimmering distortion in her wake. Simultaneously, the bags of money vanished as well, leaving no trace of their presence.
Nearby, two motorbikes had been parked, one of which also disappeared.
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Inside the welcoming ambience of Kelly's Watford residence, all five members of Squad 0 found their places within her cosy living room. Teacups clinked as some indulged in the warm brew, while a telltale beer can betrayed another member's preference (we all know who that was). At the heart of the gathering, commanding undivided attention, was Kelly herself.
"They've been around for about six years now," Kelly began, her gaze shifting between her companions, "and I only worked with them for about 2 years before quitting, so I can only tell you what I know. I'm not sure how much things have changed over there."
Kimberley, her posture relaxed yet attentive, chimed in with reassurance, "It's fine. We'll take what we can get."
Ren, nodding in agreement, added, "Yup. It's better than nothing."
Kelly, taking a thoughtful sip from her teacup, nodded and continued, "Alright. Let's start with their greatest strength: Division of Labour."
She leaned forward slightly, her hands gesturing to emphasize her points, "One of the main reasons they have been able to thrive despite their size is the way they effectively allocate their tasks. There are four main roles in The Herd."
As she spoke, her fingers counted off each role, "The Assassin, whose main job is to take out anyone who's seen as a potential threat to their plans; The Bank, whose job is quite self-explanatory, bringing in the money; The Preacher, whose primary goal is to convert as many people to Fiendity as they can; and The Butler, the pillar of the organization."
She paused for effect, her gaze flickering with a hint of unease as she mentioned the last role, "He recruits, fires, and works directly with their leader. Which brings me to... Shepherd. The founder himself."
Alko, leaned in closer, taking a sip of his beer "What was your role?"
Kelly met his gaze with a solemn expression, "I was the Assassin. I was then replaced by Akira, who was just recently killed by Udo."
Her eyes scanned the attentive faces of her comrades, their expressions ranging from concern to determination. Kelly explained further, "Whenever there's a vacancy in one of the roles, the Butler acts immediately to fill the position. So right now, they're out for another assassin."
The weight of the information settled in the room, and the members of Squad 0 exchanged glances.
Kimberley's voice pierced the contemplative silence, her words echoing through the room like a whisper of intrigue. "Shot in the dark, but do you think this could be an infiltration opportunity? One of us volunteers to be their new assassin."
Kelly's brow furrowed as she considered the idea, her fingers gently tapping against her teacup. "You would have to convert to Fiendity to join them."
Udo, chimed in optimistically, "But we could just use Masked Vibration. We make our Dove vibration look like Fiend vibration."
Kelly's expression remained sceptical as she countered, "To be able to do that, you'd have to be an expert at it, which there aren't many in the world."
Kimberley leaned forward, her eyes alight with determination. "So how do you suggest we go about this? What would be the best opportunity for us to get to one of the Herd members?"
Kelly leaned back in her chair, her gaze focused on a distant point. "Interrupt their operations. There will be an auction taking place in three weeks, organized by the Hastings Family. That would be the perfect chance to come head-to-head with their Bank. Despite their tendencies to target financial institutions, what doesn't hit the news is their underground work. They will definitely be ready to pounce on the auction items that day."
A smirk curled on Atamai's lips as he interjected, "And we'll be ready to pounce on them."
Kelly nodded in agreement, affirming, "Exactly."
Ren, his expression pensive, posed a critical question, "But where is this auction taking place?"
Kimberley, already formulating a plan, directed Atamai with unwavering confidence, "That won't be an issue. Ata, find out where Douglas Hastings lives. We'll meet up with him tomorrow."
Kelly offered a sincere conclusion, "I hope I have been of help today."
Kimberley, her gratitude evident, rose from her seat and stretched, her voice laced with determination. "Oh, you've been more than just of help."
With a newfound sense of purpose, she addressed her team, rallying them with a fierce determination in her eyes. "Ata, Ren, Alko, Udo. Let's break the Bank."