The Hazard Squad: Into the Void

Chapter 4

Two days later, Lea drove her motorcycle down an alley behind a bank and parked near a dead end. As she dismounted, Jennifer appeared out of the shadows to her left.

"What's the count?" Lea inquired.

"Five hostiles." Jennifer replied. "13 customers and employees."

"Anyone hurt?"

"No. It's been pretty calm so far."

"That's a relief. Cops?"

"Out front, trying to negotiate and waiting for a SWAT team."

"Backup?"

"Oscar doesn't get back until tomorrow. Everyone else is covering their sections."

Oscar was in Disney World with his parents and siblings. They knew about his powers, but he had lied to them about staying active with the team, so he had had to go with them as planned to avoid suspicion.

Lea shrugged. "Alright."

"I'm thinking we should do a Pop 'n Slip."

"That sounds good."

"On your signal." Jennifer vanished.

Lea disabled the alarm on the emergency exit and slipped inside. She made her way down the hallway, moving left and taking cover in the doorway outside the break room. Peaking out, she saw two black men, one black woman, and two white women holding shotguns. Everyone else was laying face-down on the ground.

As Lea watched, Jennifer appeared behind a teller's desk when none of the robbers were looking, grabbed the woman laying behind it, and teleported her outside. Less than 20 seconds later, the black woman noticed the woman missing and aimed her shotgun at the nearest hostage - a white man in his 40s.

"Where'd she go?" She asked.

He said something in Russian.

She aimed at his head. "Do you speak English?"

"Yes!"

"Where did she go?"

"I don't know!"

Jennifer appeared next to the man and teleported him outside. Reappearing in front of the woman, Jennifer destroyed her shotgun with a shadowy blade, then held the blade to her neck.

"Let everyone go." Jennifer said calmly. "Right now."

Before the woman could respond, Jennifer heard a click and turned to see one of the hostages - a white man in his 20s - aiming a pistol at her. A moment later, the other ten remaining hostages all rose up and pulled out concealed pistols.

Seeing this, Lea was about to leave the doorway to help when she heard the break room door opening. Her hand went to her SIG Sauer P220 as she turned, but she was greeted by a pair of cops - both Latino men - aiming their pistols at her. One was bald, the other had shoulder-length black hair tied back in a ponytail.

"Get out there." The one with the ponytail said. "Now."

Lea raised her hands as she slowly made her way out to the lobby and joined Jennifer.

"Lieutenant, we caught two vigilantes." The black man said into a concealed microphone. "Okay. Copy that."

A minute later the door opened, and Lt. Patrick walked in.

"Well well well." Jennifer said. "If it isn't the asshole who burned me."

He blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

She turned around and pulled up the back of her top, revealing burned skin that was unlikely to fully heal on its own.

"Oh, I remember. Nightshade, right?"