6044/Who robs banks anymore

Who robs banks anymore
Date of Scene:	26 April 2021
Location:	Third Gotham Bank and Trust
Synopsis:	Waller sends the SUICIDE SQUAD to retrieve some documents from the Gotham Bank. Easy peasy right? Nothing is ever easy for the Squad! But they get the unexpected help from Roland who stamps down on any banditry afoot.
Cast of Characters:	Harley Quinn, Roland Livingston, Cole Cash

---

Harley Quinn has posed:
Some hours ago:

Amanda Waller is sitting at her table, going over a few debriefs from DEO agents. There's usually a perpetual frown on her expression but this time it's deeper. She isn't happy at whatever she is reading. And whatever that is calls for immediate action. And that's the Suicide Squad... So of course that Cole is called in to her office and given a mission, which is as simple as it gets.

"Cash. Go to the Third Gotham bank and Trust. I want you to go to deposit box 1257, retrieve the contents, then come back. Simple enough, mmm?" Knowing Waller things are *never* that simple. Specially since she then adds, "Bring whoever you got available from the squad to go with you." a roll of her eyes, "Just not King Shark." because you don't want a shark in a bank or something. She extends the man a key to bring. Presumably it will open up the safe.

And look at who is available! Harley Quinn! Doing her monthly visit to Belle Reve to make sure she isn't breaking her parole or doing anything out of the ordinary. She has just finished up her gumbo and is stepping out of the kitchen. "Aaaahhhh, Spiral was right. This Gumbo grows on ya..."

Roland Livingston has posed:
Tracking down mystical artifacts can be expensive, sometimes shady business. It pays to have accounts in a few banks. Normally, one wouldn't have to come into the bank to make a transfer but there's a lot of money changing hands right now and Roland's presence was requested so that he could confirm the transaction. The young man finds himself sitting at a desk across from one of the bank employees, chatting in a friendly enough manner with one another.

"I appreciate the extra security your institution offers," Livingston says in his crisp, upper class English accent. "It gives me great piece of mind to know that my money is safe here."

Cole Cash has posed:
"Why don't you send one of the DEO guys from Gotham?" This is Cole making rhetorical questions. "You have not done anything useful in months, why am I paying you?" Replies Waller with that tone that means 'not gonna answer because I am a bitch'.

Of course Cole knows it is not that simple, and even less when he finds two airplane tickets in his cellphone. Waller never pays his trips to Gotham. They also have very little time to catch that plane. "We have a quest, Harley," he says as he grabs the clown on the way to the mess hall. "Just an errand. But I bet we end being chased by aliens or something. If the Wall is in a hurry, the shit is about to hit the fan."

Gumbo? Again? Now Cole feels guilty every time he eats gumbo. Spiral did something to the prison cooks that are unlikely to be good for them.

A quick plane trip later. And a nearly just as quick ride into central Gotham (rented car, fake names, he is not paying the speed tickets). Two -totally- no suspicious individuals step into the bank. Who knew Cole had a tie and a jacket somewhere in his wardrobe? He almost looks like a normal businessman. Although one that forgot to shave last morning.

Harley Quinn has posed:
"Well, of course. Truly, with the state of technology these days only fools would attempt to take on our bank. Even if we are talking about Gotham." Yes, Gotham is a city of it's own, with it's crazy people, crazier villains and a penchant for bank robbers. "We haven't had a robbery in a long, long time." it appears to be a matter of pride for the bank employee tending to Roland. "And we are certainly happy with the trust you have put in us, Mr. Livingston." this while the man is going through the usual bureaucracy on the computer, making sure all is good.

---

"Aliens? Been theah, done that!" Is what Harley replies up to Cole when he speaks about aliens. "They have a weakness ta rockets apparently! And that means, do I get to bring some explosives?" there's always an excuse to bring those. And of course, there's never enough explosives.

But with her request for explosives denied it was time to go. And Harley even dresses up, and so when Roland is inside the bank so are the duo of Cole and Harley getting in. She is dressed in a non-colorful outfit for a change, sort of a business-woman outlook, a pantsuit even if instead of heels she is in a pair of boots. The kind of boots with a metal front. But other than that she seems just a normal client! If one doesn't pay too much attention to the paleness of her skin, or the blondness of her hair with the blue and red tips. But at least she doesn't have it in pigtails, just on a ponytail.

"I am tellin' ya, we should had brought some guns if we want ta rob this joint. I know how this goes, I am an expert..." She tells Cole in a low voice.

An employee comes out and approaches Cole, "Welcome to the third bank of gotham and trust. How can we help you?" the man asks, all polite.

Cole Cash has posed:
No explosives. Too short of time to smuggle even a small grenade into the plane. He has his guns because he had permits for those. "Wade is still not picking up the phone. Maybe for the best," grumps Cole. He is pretty sure Deadpool would have managed to smuggle explosives, and would be as eager to use them as the blonde.

Enough explosives solve everything. True. But maybe this time they won't be needed.

"Good day, sir. We come for the contents of a deposit box," explains Cole to the employee. "Please, guide us to the vault."

Roland Livingston has posed:
"I'm very glad to hear that," Roland tells the bank person with a little smile. "You know, this is the first stateside bank I've chosen to trust since moving to this country."

Livingston prepares himself to enter his signature electronically on the little pad thingy when it's time to make the actual money transfer, though he first pulls out his cell phone. "Just want to double check everything on their end before sending the money along. Auction houses are good at accepting payments, but the ones I'm dealing with are a little bit stranger than the typical sort."

Harley Quinn has posed:
"A deposit box? Of course." It's almost as if these employees are carbon copies of each others. All polite, all smiles. Mostly talking in the same manner. They do have impeccable training! "Do you have the key?" he gestures in an elegant manner for Cole and partner to follow him on. "Which deposit box number is it?" he asks while on the way. Harley is following along for the moment, a look here and there as if taking in the sights. But she is mostly taking in the people around and ...

What the heck...

Why are there 'men in black' standing near the camera places? And the hidden ones to boot. Because yes, Harley cased the place to rob it a few years ago. She still knows! And they don't look like security guards... In fact, isn't that Stefano. Known thug, usually working for big name families like the Falcones. Well, shit.

Harley tugs on Cole's sleeve when the man is telling the employee which deposit number box it is. "Cap, think somethin' is gonna come down..." which is when they hear a voice mirroring Cole's, and asking for the same deposit box, "Yes, box 1257 if you please." seems like they aren't the only ones going for that box!

As for Roland, the employee tending to him nods promptly and sets down to wait while he goes for the calls. But while he is doing so he notices the same. The sketchy-looking figures spreading around the bank in a few strategic spots.

Roland Livingston has posed:
It doesn't take Roland much time to check on the things he needs to and eventually he puts the phone away again, smiling, "Superb! I'm quite excited to get this piece in my collection." Then he leans forward to grab the pen and place his signature on the line, "Since my family collection was lost it's been very difficult to try to rebuild it. I'm going to have to test this amulet thoroughly when I get it, analyze it's mystical..." He catches on to the person he's talking to growing distracted and looks to see if he can identify the source. The dark clad guys get the young Englishman to frown, "This seems like it might be most unfortunate."

Cole Cash has posed:
Cole also notices the 'MiBs', although he has not recognized Stefano because he is not that familiar with Gotham's thuggery crew. For him, they could be from anyone of the many groups that Waller doesn't get alone with. From CIA to Maggia, or even Hydra. They employ the same kind of thugs. And most everyone hates Waller.

And Waller hates everybody, so it is okay.

"I have the key here," replies Cole. Patting his pockets, then showing a slightly worried expression, as he wasn't finding said key. "Maybe I left it in the car," he offers, stalling, to see what the thugs are up too. Too many of them for this to be a peaceful operation.

Harley Quinn has posed:
"Unfortunate?" The teller near Roland replies. He blinks once, perhaps not having caught up with what Roland means, then looking around again with a touch of confusion. But then he smiles, "Anything the matter, sir?" now the man gets a bit worried, perhaps something is wrong in the way he is tending the client! There goes his monthly bonus ... As for the nearby men, they seem to be waiting for some kind of signal, eyes in the area where Cole and Harley are, near the entrance to the vault itself. The man that just presented a key starts being led down towards the vaults, hair all slick, suit a dark red, clearly a notch above the rest of the thugery around.

Harley whispers up to Cole when he stalls, "Lots of thugs here in the bank." she says, "The bad kinda thugs.." because there's a good kind.

They can still hear the teller saying to the red-suit man, "Wait a moment, sir." this when they have just gone past the entrance to the vaults. "This key isn't the original.." oh no, an employee with a good eye. " We will have to deny your entrance and ...." the red-suit man speaks something quietly, most likely to an earbud.

And that's when all heck breaks loose. Clearly the signal the men spread around the bank were waiting for. A few get out a spray, hitting the cameras with a foam to cover it while others start reaching out for guns.

Clearly not a peaceful operation. Nope!

Roland Livingston has posed:
"Crouch down below your desk, hit the silent alarm and wait until you have an opportunity escort the other patrons out," Roland says to the fellow he's talking with as he stands up and starts walking towards the nearest Man in Black. Not particularly quickly, not yet at least, "Excuse me, but is that an HK MP7 personal defense weapon? I've been trying to source some for myself." The adventurer is ready to react, however, ready for the bad guy to try aiming his weapon. Then he'll spring, subtly moving his hand towards the knife inside his waistband. There's a gun on the other side, but it's best to avoid making noise at this point.

Cole Cash has posed:
At this moment the only good thugs would be DEO thugs. But Waller didn't want to send them. So... "yeah," agrees Cole, passing Harley one of his handguns. "Cover me, okay? I am going for the box."

So, the second the thugs start moving, Cole dashes for the dark-red suit man, a good kick to the head should work to render the thugs leaderless. That is his cunning plan/improvising as he goes.

He really could use some explosives. Or at least body armor.

Harley Quinn has posed:
The signal comes right when Roland is getting close to the guy and making that question. The man still looks a bit confused at Roland's question. Prey isn't supposed to talk back! But then there's the signal. Time for action. "Outta my way, brit!" he says, reaching to draw out his gun, but not exactly as fast as Roland is...

The others start spraying up the cameras, then level guns up. A scream erupts from one of the employees that notices guns.

"Gun!" followed by a shot to the air and the eternal words, "This is a robbery! Everyone down!" meh, Harley would give it a 3/10 where bank robbery speeches go. But she takes the gun with one hand, aiming it to the guy that just spoke up and shoots him on a shoulder, sending the man sprawling.

"That's not how ya go about robbin' a bank! Ya need ta be moouh decisive!" Is it class time for Harley and these thugs? Apparently they don't want to listen as they start shooting her way, making her jump behind a counter so she doesn't get shot to death! "Now that's moouh like it!" she yells from behind the counter.

When Cole goes for the head it apparently is a weak point as the guy wasn't expecting for someone to be there for the same thing as he was. There's that satisfying *crack*, and the man falls forward in a heap. Red leader down!

The employee near Cole shrieks. "Help! Robbers!" clearly Cole is being labelled as one of the robbers.

Roland Livingston has posed:
Roland's knife is drawn with his left hand as he darts forward to try burying the blade in the bad guy's eye, "Stupid yank." The knife will be retrieved and sheathed as Livingston draws his gun with his right hand and looks for another Man in Black to engage, using the sounds of the woman getting shot at to cover his own gunfire.

He slides down next to one of the thick bank columns and takes aim, lining up the red dot sight on his weapon with a bad guy's torso, cycling the trigger to rapidly fire off a few rounds.

"I'm just glad that I finished my transaction before this occurred," says the young man to the hopefully cowering bank employee. "I'd hate to get my delivery held up by a little failed robbery." *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

Cole Cash has posed:
"I have my deposit key here!" Protests Cole. He robbed some banks way back, but never in the USA. It would be anti-patriotic! Of course no one is listening to him, so he is going to have to dodge thugs and guards. Just great. Where are the boxes anyway? He spots a likely location and slides into the corridor, punching a thug along the way.

Gunshots behind him. Harley is having fun. And chances are everyone recognizes her. But this time it is Waller's fault!

Harley Quinn has posed:
Nah, the employee near Roland is long gone. Or maybe just hiding under that table. Might be a good thing too that he didn't spot Roland murdering someone inside the bank too! Even if they may be thugs... But indeed the thug does slide to the ground, lifeless after that knife through the eye. As for the one he shoots next he does seem to be wearing a bulletproof vest as there is no big spray of blood. The impact is felt though, some grunts and the man rolls behind cover. Some appear to have noticed and divert some of their shooting towards Roland.

"Damn it, is Batman here?" One asks, "Don't be dumb, I didn't see any capes." then another speaking up. "Besides, he doesn't kill!" because hey, dead body on the ground.

Harley whistles. "GUYYS! PAY ATTENTION HEAH!" and then she starts blasting with a couple of guns towards the area where the thugs are at, shots ringing through the air to send some more into cover. She yells over her shoulder. "Betta make it fast, Cap!" because she knows they can only be held back for so long. Then a look to where Roland is, "And you theah with the cool-lookin' hair! Get down!"

The employee near Cole continues to shriek, not listening, a couple of guards coming by but getting duly punched in the face for the matter. No thugs here just yet though, just the guards that are coming out to intercept. Some deposit boxes show in the way. 200, 300... He appears to be on the right way.

Roland Livingston has posed:
"Give me a moment to kill these chaps and we'll get down together, if you'd like," Roland calls back to Harley as he maneuvers, running to change positions in an attempt to get on the enemy's flank. As he moves he pops off a couple more rounds, though these are aimed higher. Like head height. As he nears a heavy, solid looking desk he dives forward and tumbles up to a knee behind it, pausing for a moment to get his bearings and figure out his next move.

"Are capes what makes a superhero? I've always thought they looked rather silly," he asks before quickly leaning around the side of the desk to try shooting bad guys in the face. "You're hopelessly outmatched! Surrender or face the consequences, villains!"

Cole Cash has posed:
"Yeah, yeah..." mutters Cole. Next time they will bring Killer Croc. He can stay outside until the shooting starts, or something. Fortunately Gotham cops aren't the fastest. Unfortunately his face is in the security cameras. He will have to make himself scarce in Gotham for a few months, until he gets an ironclad alibi proving he was in Poland at the time of the robbery.

Nevertheless, he pulls his red mask from a pocket and dons it. Without missing a step. 1000, 1100, 1200... there we go. He draws the key with a hand and his other gun with the other. The trick now is opening the box without getting shoot.

Harley Quinn has posed:
Most of the thugs are learning to duck now, keeping behind the counter while they exchange shots with them. One of them gets hit though. "Augh, that guy is shooting to kill!" one complains. Because hey, they are used to getting a beating, not being shot to death by vigilantes! And everyone knows Gotham police are like Stormtroopers... Except Gordon. That one's good! So they aren't used to this!

Harley speaks up, "Hey, I like men that like goin' down!" whatever that means! But then she lounges out of her perch, moving quickly and sliding towards the cover where a few of the thugs are at. She sweeps the leg from under one and sends him to the ground with a punch.

Some of the thugs start throwing their weapons away, clearly they are not being paid to die here, raising their arms up to show they are surrendering. "Stop shootin'! We surrender!"

Cole finds that deposit box, or rather, he finds a guard coming out of the room, almost butting heads together. "What the ..." he swings a punch at Cole, not a badly thrown one.. But the prize is right after the man. Beat this one and he should be able to get it!

Roland Livingston has posed:
As the guys start throwing down their guns Roland maneuvers to try to get a better look at them to see if they're all complying, keeping his weapon at the ready. "You should lay down on the ground and extend your hands straight out to the sides. Any of you does anything suspicious and I'll put a round through your skull."

"Thank you for the assistance, Ms." He says to the lady with the colorful hair as she takes out thugs in hand to hand combat. "Need a hand?" He gets ready to engage anybody who still dares to hang onto their weapons.

Cole Cash has posed:
Cole is not going to shoot a guard, so he takes the punch, and replies with an elbow to the face. That is better than a bullet, right, even though it looks he broke the guy's nose.

"Jezus, the only bank in Gotham with gutsy guards," he grumbles, unlocking the box and pocketing the documents inside, barely glancing at them. Then it is running back to the lobby, dodging recovering guards.

Harley Quinn has posed:
The employees weren't joking when they said they had hired good security measures! Gutsy guards is part of it! Besides all the cameras and technology ... But Cole won't find much of a fight getting back out of the place. Sirens are being heard in the distance already though as cops are starting to near the place. Not just yet. But soooooon!

"Harley Quinn..!" Harley replies to Roland with a big-ass smile, hands resting on her hips as most of the thugs are now lowering themselves to the ground, guns tossed aside. A wail or two is heard from those guys that were shot, but mostly they seem to stay out of attempting to go for aggression towards the group.

"Man, bad luck that we are trying to hit the place when Harley fuckin' Quinn comes to rob it too..." One comments. Harley then replies in an upset manner, "I AM REFORMED!" She nears the guy that said it and kicks it in the ribs, "R-E-F-O-R-M-E-D."

Clearly Harley is known to these guys. But then again it wasn't that long ago that the Clown princess of crime was going through a wave of terror in Gotham.

"Cap! Did ya get what ya needed?" She asks over a shoulder when she notices Cole coming out.

Roland Livingston has posed:
"Harley Quinn? Pleasure to meet you," Roland spares her a glance and a grin. "Roland Livingston, at your service." As the criminals are all complacent, the Englishman goes by and starts grabbing weapons to toss them further away from their owners. "You probably shouldn't work them over once they've surrendered, though. With being reformed."

Seeing the guy in the mask, Livingston nearly turns to engage them before he realizes he's with the lady who first shot at the crooks. Instead he gives the fellow a nod, "Good day."

Cole Cash has posed:
"Got it," confirms Cole, glancing at Roland. But if he is not shooting at Harley... "friend of yours?" He asks the blonde. "Anyway. We better go. Technically we could explain all this, but she-who-should-not-be-named would yell at us like nobody's business."

That means no more kicking thugs. He attempts to drag Harley out, "pleasure making business with you" he yells to the covering employees. "To the Squadmobile, princess. Oh, and give me back my gun."

Harley Quinn has posed:
"We awhe woikin' foh Voldemort now? That explains it..." Harley mutters when Cole speaks about who-should-not-be-named. She lets out a sigh. "Duty calls! Thank ya foh the help. We'll leave ya ta clean Rolly." already with a nickname. "We need ta get scarce befouh the cops arrive." and then Cole is tugging at her for them to leave. "Hey!" she grumbles. "I may not have paid foh the suit but no need ta wrinkle it.."

She looks over a shoulder to Roland while on the way out, "Claim self-defense! It always works in Gotham!" She advises Roland.

The gun is given back to Cole. "Suwah. I already got a spare one too." and she shows the OTHER gun she got from one of the thugs. But then they are out ...

The sirens do start to get closer. Turns out there's still a tradition of Gotham banks being robbed in 2021! Who knew!

Roland Livingston has posed:
"I've got lawyers and insurance for this sort of thing," Roland replies to Harley with a smile. "Good luck, Ms Quinn. Look me up if you make it to Manhattan." Then he's back to paying attention to the bad guys, ready to bust some caps or kick some ass. "Who wants to tell me what you were after in here? I'm quite curious as to why you'd choose to attack my bank."

Cole Cash has posed:
"Always have a spare one, or three," approves Cole. The 'Squadmobile' being an old sedan he had parked in an alley near the bank by doing some phone calls to 'friends' in Gotham from the plane. Who says he doesn't plan anything ahead?

"We better drive out of the city before the start looking for you," he mutters. "Maybe Bludhaven. Yeah, that is a good place to get lost. Unless those thugs were from Bludhaven. With our luck..." nevertheless, that is where he drives to.