The auction commenced with an air of expectancy. The elegant hall was bathed in a soft, warm light, accentuating the opulence of the surroundings. The first item, a rare antique watch, was placed on a velvet-covered pedestal.
The auctioneer, with his melodious voice, began the bidding process. Hands rose throughout the room, paddles held high, as eager participants vied for ownership. Bids soared higher and higher, the excitement palpable in the room, until the gavel fell, sealing the item's fate.
The second item to be auctioned was unveiled a priceless piece of art. The room was hushed in reverence as the auctioneer described its origins and significance. Bidding cards waved like a field of tall grass swaying in the wind. The competition was fierce, with wealthy collectors and art enthusiasts locked in a fierce battle of wealth and desire. Again, the gavel came down, marking the end of the bid.
Seated beside Douglas Hastings, was Kimberley, her presence an enigmatic mystery amidst the affluent crowd. Her earbuds discreetly concealed, she maintained a seamless connection with her partners in crime, Alko and Udo. The trio, all dressed in impeccable black suits and masks, exuded an aura of both elegance and danger.
As the auction's initial proceedings unfolded, Alko, stationed outside, patrolled the vicinity, his restlessness palpable. Udo, on the other hand, leaned casually against a wall opposite the entrance, his boredom evident. Kimberley, with her earbuds firmly in place, initiated the communication.
Her voice hushed. "You two doing okay?"
Alko, his tone tinged with ennui, responded, "Nah, I'm bored. When does the fighting start?"
Udo chimed in, his voice equally disinterested, "Yeah, I can't lie; I'm tired of watching all these old people remind me of how broke I am."
Kimberley shared their sentiments. "Tell me about it. Just stay focused, though; they might pop up at any minute. Ata, you have a view of the whole area, right?"
Ata, also dressed impeccably in a suit, chimed in, "Yep! All dressed up in my suit as well."
Alko couldn't resist a jab, "Why're you wearing a suit?"
Ata's voice held a hint of annoyance, "Because I wanna feel included, Alko."
Three hours had passed, and fatigue had overcome Alko, who lay sprawled on the floor outside the auction venue, and Udo, who dozed while leaning against the wall. In stark contrast, Kimberley's unwavering gaze remained fixated on the proceedings within the auction hall.
Kimberley muttered to herself, her patience wearing thin, "Seriously? It's the last item! Where are they?" Udo's condition mirrored her frustration as she observed him sleeping on the wall nearby.
Sending her thoughts through the earbud, Kimberley remarked, "Yeah, I feel you."
Finally, the time had come for the last item of the evening—an illustrious OPPENHEIMER BLUE DIAMOND. As the auctioneer revealed the starting bid at a staggering £49,000,000, Kimberley couldn't help but express her disbelief. "For that?"
Sitting next to Kimberley, Douglas Hastings took a moment to educate her on the item's significance. "Blue diamonds are among the rarest of all coloured diamonds. Only a tiny percentage of diamonds exhibit any blue colouration. It was named after its previous owner, Sir Philip Oppenheimer, a key figure in the diamond industry as a member of the De Beers board. This ring represents the pinnacle of blue diamond quality."
Kimberley muttered to herself, unimpressed by the lengthy explanation. "What is he even yapping about?"
The auction for the magnificent blue diamond began, and it wasn't long before a fierce bidding war ensued. After a prolonged battle of bids, the gavel finally came down, sealing the deal at an astonishing £58,000,000. The thunderous applause that followed roused Udo from his slumber.
Udo, disoriented and still waking up, mumbled, "Huh? Is it over?"
Kimberley, her eyes never leaving the auction floor, responded drolly, "Yup. I just watched a bunch of stuck-up rich people flex their wealth on my head for 3 hours."
Just as the auctioneer began wrapping up the event, the entire atmosphere was shattered by a deafening explosion as the wall was torn asunder, sending shockwaves through the venue.
Gasps of terror rippled through the hall, and a panicked frenzy erupted as guests scrambled away from the looming danger.
In the midst of the chaos, Alko jolted awake, instantly alert to the commotion.
All eyes in the room converged on the point of impact as the dust slowly settled. There stood Trevor, sporting boxing gloves, his presence the cause of the abrupt destruction.
Troy followed him with a puzzled expression on his face, sporting his own gloves.
"Bumba..." he chuckled, "Oi Trev, chill, it ain't that deep."
Trevor shot his gloves a resentful glare. "Dammit, I didn't put enough power into that."
Troy stared at his brother in utter confusion. "Bro, what do you mean!?"
Casually strolling in last was Charlotte. Her arrival left Squad 0 bewildered.
"What the hell?" Udo voiced his disbelief
Atamai's voice crackled through the earbud. "Kim! Isn't that-"
Kimberley stared in shock, her voice trailing off as she recognized..."Charlotte...?"
A heavy silence hung in the air, shrouding the hall in shock and confusion. The guests, previously revelling in the opulent auction, now stood petrified by the sudden intrusion.
Breaking the silence, Charlotte's authoritative voice cut through the tension, "You're all arrested."
In an instant, the tranquillity shattered as hundreds of Dove officers stormed the area, armed to the teeth with rifles, police batons, submachine guns, and pistols. They swiftly moved to apprehend the bidders and security guards, their actions executed with precision.
Some of the officers cornered Udo, their weapons ready as they barked orders, "On the ground and hands behind your back, now!"
Udo, his voice transmitting through the earbud, whispered to Kimberley, "Kim! What do we do?"
Alko, finding himself cornered by three officers himself, chuckled in response, "What we always do, Udo."
In a fraction of a second, Alko disarmed all three officers, rendering them unconscious with a single precise strike each.
Udo, determination in his eyes, muttered, "They're using vibration guns, so they're most likely first-rate hosts."
He smirked confidently, "I can do this," and charged at the officers, taking them out one by one with swift wrestling throws and counters.
Kimberley watched in awe, muttering to herself, "I guess this is what Kelly was talking about. Udo's a first-rate host like them, but the near-perfect vibration control his Fiend vibration experience gave him makes him battle at a second-rate host level; impressive."
As some of the officers rushed Kimberley, she remained unshaken, effortlessly taking them out with her BB pistol, all without moving an inch from her spot.
Kimberley communicated with them through the earbuds, her tone determined, "Guys, our job here is done. This isn't what we're here for. Let's focus on exiting the area."
Alko sighed in resignation, "Ugh, fine."
Atamai's voice chimed in through the earpiece, offering guidance, "Use the rear entrance, Kim. You can get there quicker through one of the windows in the bathrooms."
Kimberley responded with a touch of humour, "Ha, it'll be like I'm ditching my date or something. I've never done that before, by the way."
Atamai's reply dripped with sarcasm, "Surrrrre."
However, just as Kimberley prepared to make her escape, Douglas, in a desperate act, grabbed her arm and demanded, "Where the fuck do you think you're going! You're supposed to be protecting me!"
Kimberley stared at him blankly for a moment, then retorted, "Nah. Enjoy prison, though."
Without hesitation, she fired a BB at his hand, causing him to release his grip, and then bolted away, leaving Douglas behind.
Amidst the chaos, Charlotte kept a close eye on Kimberley from a distance, her gaze unwavering.
"Charlotte, did you see that?" a female voice rang through Charlotte's earbud.
"I did," she replied.
Meanwhile, in the midst of the turmoil, Udo bolted towards the main exit, taking out numerous officers on his way. However, his progress was suddenly interrupted as Trevor appeared at his side, seemingly out of nowhere.
Udo was caught off guard, muttering, "Huh?"
Before he could react, Trevor delivered a thunderous punch that clobbered him, sending Udo flying through the air. His body zoomed past everyone engaged in the fight outside the building, including Alko, who watched in complete awe.
Udo's airborne journey ended as he crashed into a car nearly 480 meters away from the building's entrance. Alko couldn't help but grin from ear to ear.
Alko exclaimed, "Now that's what I'm talking about."
Troy strolled towards Trevor, an unamused expression on his face. He remarked, "Ayo, leave some for me, blud'."
Trevor replied, "Gotta be quicker, g."
Troy couldn't help but chuckle. "Trev trying to chat to me about speed, uno..."
As Alko approached them, he added, "Hey! I'm guessing it was one of you who just sent my friend flying earlier? Pretty impressive, I can't lie."
Troy narrowed his eyes, asking, "Yeah? And who the fuck are you?"
Alko retorted confidently. "How about you come and find out?"
Troy smirked and said to Trevor, "Trev, let's mess this yute up."
Troy took a single step and flashed away, appearing behind Alko in a millisecond. Alko was caught off guard and muttered, "What the-?"
He turned around and was immediately met by a rapid hook from Troy. Stunned by the unexpected speed of the punch, Alko stood there, bewildered.
Alko exclaimed, "What the hell?" as he shook his head, trying to shake off his dazed state.
He then threw a wild uppercut at Troy, who slipped the attack with ease.
Alko followed it up with more strikes, but Troy bobbed and weaved through them effortlessly.
Troy spotted an opening within Alko's attack and countered with a lightning-quick three-punch combo. The punches sent Alko flying a few meters away, but he landed on his feet, groggy from the damage.
Alko chuckled and said, "Well, I can tell it definitely wasn't your punch that sent my mate to Mars earlier."
Suddenly, Alko heard a voice right over his shoulder. Trevor declared, "Yeah, that was me."
Alko muttered, "Huh?" before Trevor clobbered him with a vicious hook, sending him crashing through the wall and slamming into one of the Dove officer SUVs parked in the courtyard.
Trevor and Troy strutted out of the hole caused by Alko's crash and found him jammed in an SUV dent. Alko chuckled, jumped back to his feet, and stretched, cracking his neck and fingers.
Alko quipped, "Yep, it was definitely him."
-------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile, Kimberley strolled towards the rear exit of the compound, but she suddenly began to slow down. Atamai's voice came through her earbuds, "Kim..."
Kimberley acknowledged, "Yeah, I know."
She looked over her shoulder and noticed none other than Charlotte.
The tension between them was palpable as they stood facing each other. Kimberley, her posture relaxed, held her ground while Charlotte, with an air of authority, seemed determined to get answers.
Kimberley broke the silence with a mocking tone, "Didn't expect to meet Squad Holland here."
Charlotte corrected her, "Charlotte. Squad Charlotte."
Kimberley sniggered, "My bad, Squad Charlotte. What are you doing in London? Aren't you lot in charge of Birmingham?"
Charlotte responded without missing a beat, "Watch the news. We're the new head squad of the Britannus Kingdom. We run this shit now."
"Not surprised. You were the only squad at the same level, if not better than Squad Barclay. Congrats on your promotion."
Charlotte shifted her focus, her eyes narrowing as she questioned Kimberley, "I saw your little gun performance earlier, I was impressed. But I know you weren't here for the auction, nor were you here to guard it. Who are you, and what were you actually here for?"
Kimberley, unyielding, responded with a hint of sarcasm, "Why do you assume I wasn't here for the auction? Do I look too bummy for you?"
Charlotte's patience waned, and she issued a warning, "Answer me, before I make you."
Kimberley sighed, "Sorry, but I don't plan on telling you anything about me or my business. Now, if you're going to take me down, let's get straight to it."
Charlotte, with an annoyed click of her teeth, decided to take action. She clasped her hands together and chanted, "Kalo: Deific '17."
In an instant, a Glock '17 pellet gun materialized in her hand.
Charlotte challenged Kimberley with a determined look, "Let's see who the better gunwoman is then, yeah?"
Kimberley sniggered in response, ready to accept the challenge, "You're on."