Zero Sum

Armed Response

"Anyways," the storytelling coworker continues, putting on his mask and getting back into character. "Before I was rudely interrupted."

The office building background fades away, as the other coworkers let him continue. Back at the bank lobby, the storyteller continues...

The bank robbers are slowly making their way to the back exit one by one. Bags packed presumably with stolen loot. The savvy robber is the first to start heading out of the lobby. Kabuki mask walks confidently between the hostages sizing each of them up as if he were selecting a loaf of bread. 

"One minute," whispers the zip tie robber to Kabuki mask. Unresponsive he continues to size up each of the hostages, slowing suddenly, stopping, turning around on his heels, then slowly points and singles out a hostage.

The loud robber complies heading in the direction of the unfortunate victim, a female bank teller. 

"Forty-five seconds" whispers the zip tie robber.

Walking up behind her and kicking her trembling feet apart the loud robber is putting one of his own between them. He calmly states, "On your knees, do it slowly, and don't turn around." He holds his weapon ready pointed in her direction.

"I thought the hostages were facing the robbers" chimes in one of the coworkers voices. Prompting the hostages to position themselves facing the robbers.

"No no no! I said they were face down facing away from the robbers!" Shouts the storyteller, prompting the hostages in the story to yet again change positions and face down on the ground.

"Like I was saying," continues the storyteller "the guy takes the hostage..."

The teller, still shaking, in disbelief at her suddenly worsening plight, only manages to utter a single breathless, "What?"

"Get up," he repeats "I won't ask a second time."

Looking around at the other hostages briefly as if pleading for help from them. Pushing her palms into the floor as she tries to pick up her limp body. She staggers with what feels like an immense weight on her body, adrenaline pumping, and manages to balance herself on her knees.

"Thirty seconds" states the zip tie robber.

"Stand up," commands the loud robber, "and walk back towards me."

"Fifteen seconds"

Kabuki mask remains motionless, standing now facing the entrance of the bank.

The remaining two robbers look at each other uneasily.

"Five sec..."

The countdown is interrupted by a crashing noises coming from the back of the bank. The two unmasked robbers turn around quickly, the loud robber does so without easing his weapon off of the bank teller, now turned human shield, as she is pulled closer to the man with his hand on the trigger as he puts her between him and whatever commotion is coming from the back.

The crashes stop. Kabuki mask starts turning slowly. Painstakingly slowly. Towards the noise coming from the back. They wait. No signs of any further movement from their savvy accomplice. The loud robber calls out to him but receives no response back. They wait. The countdown has ended and by now they have calculated that an armed response would come ready to meet them.

Armed response, in these days can mean one of either two things. The police forces, colloquially called cops, armed with their badges, firearms, and troops. Or, although less common to a certain extent, but all the more frightening by the same degree. It could also mean an armed response from the superpowered troops, government enabled  and subsidized, capes, as they are commonly referred.