OTA

[quartermaster_q]

Outside of work, outside of his relationship with James, and outside of the various naughty activities (both online and off) he got up to in his spare time, Q lived a fairly normal life. He rode the tube, picked up his shopping, took care of his beloved cat... Normal things. Boring things. ...Things that kept him grounded at least somewhat in the world all the normals and civilians called home. It was nice, usually- A tiny escape from the reality he knew.

Though it was also, on occasion, painfully dull- And living in said world meant dealing with normal inconveniences, like going to the bank- and having said bank held up when all you wanted to do was deposit a bloody check- Something you could have done online if their website hadn't been so bloody rubbish.

He was sitting on the floor, along with several other hostages, watching as four armed men shouted at the two cashiers and the bank manager. They wore masks, so Q didn't feel as though he was in any intimidate danger (more likely to just take the money and run than shoot), but he was feeling a touch inconvenienced. The sooner this was over, the better.

Slipping his hand casually into his pocket, he sent off three texts.

The first went to Bond:

If you're not terribly busy, perhaps you could come fetch me? 4m4g17hSparrow

The next went out to all of Q branch:

Activate LCCTV44670. Thank you. - Q

The last went out to a special list he'd compiled of local agents and officers. Not just five and six, but anyone he'd deemed competent and worthy of a small amount of trust:

If anyone would be so kind, I could use a little help. Code 8967-793Q

With any luck, this would all be sorted soon enough.

(Open to all! If you are police/agent/whatever feel free to assume you got Q's text (and that the code given lets you know who he is and why you should go get him). If you are none of those things, feel free to be a hostage as well, or simply passing by! I'd prefer if no one got hurt or anything (it's just meant to be a tiny bit of excitement), but if you really want your pup to get hurt, that's fine.)

Comments

[codenameathos]

Normally, Five didn't bother with bank robberies. That was what the Met was for. But the Musketeers had got a text from a Six quartermaster, and everything had happened fairly quickly after that. They were now standing at the back entrance of the bank in question, three men in casual clothes.

'Police reinforcement is on their way. ETA five minutes,' the analyst on the other end of their comms told them.

"Let's make the most of those five minutes," Athos casually suggested. "And let's try not to kill any of the four of them, shall we." He meant the bank robbers, of course, whose number they knew thanks to CCTV footage from inside the bank (amateurs, honestly, to leave the cameras in one piece).

[codenamearamis]

“No promises,” Aramis joked, his smile at a mischievous slant. Looking to the other two, he arched a questioning brow, “So, shall we all rush in, or should we make it a fair fight?” There was a roof access into the building that, according to their Intel, led to a rarely used balcony. In short, the perfect place for a sniper’s nest. But, that was only if they wanted him as a watchful eye, and potential back-up.

[codenameporthos]

"Oh, definitely rushing in," Porthos commented, pulling on one of his gloves a little tighter. "Don't suppose they'd share any money we save, will they?"

[codenameathos]

"I wouldn't hold my breath," Athos confirmed, and typed in the code their analyst was giving them to open the door. Bankers became surprisingly cooperative when you asked them for something to help safeguard their money.

The door clicked open, and he opened it silently, pulling his gun out as he walked in. He preferred working with knives, but they were much less threatening than guns to the average person, and it would be best not to actually have to kill anyone.

[codenamearamis]

Aramis drew his gun and, at a wordless gesture from Athos, went inside.

The back entrance led into an employee lounge. Someone’s half-eaten pizza sat getting cold on the peeling linoleum table, and a vending machine hummed in the corner. Aramis moved quickly through the room, crossing it to the only other door. There, he pressed himself against the wall beside it and peered around the corner, out into a short hall lined with offices. Glancing back to his teammates, he gestured that the coast was, so far, clear.

[codenameporthos]

On his way past, Porthos picked up a little trophy from someone's 'employee of the year' win--good on them. He hefted it in one hand and kept the other on his gun. Never knew when something like that would come in handy.

He started down the hall, for once keeping the sass quiet as they approached the main lobby--or so the blueprints had led them to believe. He placed one hand on the door and looked to Athos, waiting for his count to open.

[codenameathos]

Athos listened to what was going on next door for a few seconds; the robbers seemed to be divesting their hostages of anything of value they might have on their person. Amateurs, really; they should already be on their way out.

He caught the eye of Aramis, then Porthos, checking that they were ready, then used his free hand to count down three, two, one, go.

[quartermaster_q]

The robbers had spread out, one near the front door, two by the tellers, and one watching the hostages.

It was sloppy and ridiculous, and Q hoped that someone would get his message and turn up soon. They weren't even watching the back entrance, hadn't even bothered to lock the doors or shoot out the security cameras. Really, they were a disgrace to robbers everywhere.

On top of all that though, he'd had quite enough of sitting on the floor and having a gun waved in his face.

[codenamearamis]

Aramis shared a look with Porthos and, on ‘go’, they both went straight for the teller counter, moving quickly on quiet feet. The bank robbers’ backs were to them. Both of them bent over register drawers, counting and arguing over money. In seconds, they had reached them and Aramis grabbed one, arm hooked around his throat and hand over his mouth, and dragged him to the ground.

[codenameporthos]

In synch with Aramis, his most serious face in place, Porthos leapt and grabbed the other robber lording over the tellers. He took the man by the throat, grabbed his gun, and wrestled the man to the ground with mostly silence--just a little thrashing here and there.

Too much thrashing. Once they were on the ground, that trophy he'd picked up came in useful, and he clocked the fellow with it. Then gave Aramis a, "Well, what was I meant to do?" look and a grin.

[codenameathos]

In the meantime, Athos had moved over to the man watching over the hostages. He shifted his grip on his gun and silently walked up to him, but the look on one of the hostages' face gave him away. Unfortunately for the robber, he only turned around in time for the butt of Athos's gun to catch him on the side of the head, and he dropped like a stone.

As one, all three men pointed their guns on the remaining robber standing by the front door and alerted that something was wrong by the sound of his friend here dropping to the floor.

"I suggest you put your weapon down," Athos calmly stated, taking a few more steps to position himself between the man and the hostages. His tone might suggest that he cared very little, but there was no sign of hesitation in his stance.

[quartermaster_q]

The other hostages all seemed to be caught between shock and awe- While Q watched it all unfold with mild interest, noting who had turned up, and then pulling his phone out to let James and six know that five were here and were taking care of things.

They all seemed to flounce about a bit to much for his taste, but- Ah, well. One couldn't really complain so long as things were taken care of.

The remaining robber lowered his gun, and it was little shock to anyone that the police chose that moment to come storming through, in hopes of catching just a bit of the glory.

Emergency vehicles lined up along the pavement outside, but as the rest of the hostages were rushed out to medics outside, Q made his way over to Oliver and his fellow agents at a leisurely pace.

"Perhaps I ought to start doing my personal banking elsewhere. One of those banks that let you simply email your deposits, for instance," he mused thoughtfully, turning to one of the men as he spoke. "What do you think?" he asked.

[codenamearamis]

"And miss out on all this?" Aramis asked, gesturing to the room with a toothy grin.

[0_0_7]

Ever the faithful hound, Bond got the message and raced to the scene. There were police, a strike team, members of Five and Six. He smiled to himself at the thought of the poor bastards inside having the human half of Q's arsenal dropped down on them.

Bond walked up the the man who appeared to be in charge of tactical and spoke with him about going in. The plan wa simple and totally by the book. Bond took it all in and nodded. But as he walked away he decided a different approach was in order and he walked for the doors-

- and straight into the bank.

He stood like a wall as the panicked robbers wheeled on him.

[quartermaster_q]

How very subtle. Though Q supposed he could expect nothing less from Bond really.

One of the gunmen began to shout, turning his weapon on one of the tellers who let out a frightened cry.

Q looked at Bond, raising a brow and offering a look that was easy to read.

Let's not get everyone killed, hmm?

[0_0_7]

Bond caught the look and arched a brow, then leveled his cool gaze on the one with the active hostage. They were all hostages, but it was only the frightened woman with the gun to her head that Bond was worried about.

"Who the fuck are you?" the robber demanded.

"I'm negotiations," Bond said. "I've come in to let you know you have two choices. You can be arrested or you can be shot. Which would you rather?"

He ws so calm, so serene that the robbers almost had no idea what to do.

[quartermaster_q]

The robbers looked baffled for a moment, until finally one of them spoke up.

"Nah, mate- What's going to happen is this. You're going to get us a car, you're going to tell the cops to fuck right off, or this girl's going to have her brains on the wall. We clear?"

One of the others, however, was clearly a touch brighter than the rest, and had noticed the exchanged glances between Bond and Q. His face was hidden behind his mask, but the look in his eyes was unmistakable. Q could pinpoint the exact moment the man put two and two together.

Well. Bugger.

"Get up," the gunman said, turning his weapon on Q. "Get up and come 'ere."

Q calculated various outcomes, then reluctantly stood and made his way over. ...So much for ending this without anyone winding up dead then.

"How about that car now?" the robber said, looking Bond right in the eyes.

Q wondered if the man would have been quite so bold if he'd realized he'd just threatened one of the deadliest men in the world.

[0_0_7]

The gunman targeted Q and then things began to move very, very quickly. Bond took a step forward and as he did he reached into his coat. Not even a breath later and the gunman near Q didn't have a chance to put his hands on the boffin before a neat hole appeared on the forehead of his mask and he dropped like a stone. Bond's gun turned on the man with the teller in his hold and he paused.

"There won't be a car," he said simply, then fired. The teller screamed but the man behind her fell just as his companion had.

Those were the two most imminent threats, both neutralized. Bond stopped to see if anyone else wanted to choose the messy end, or if jail was the clear choice.

[quartermaster_q]

The two remaining men lowered their guns and raised their hands in surrender- Just as the police finally came through the doors.

Q seemed to relax then, making his way over to Bond.

"Do you think it's terribly hard to get blood out of a cashmere blend?" he asked, looking down at the small splatter near his collar as he spoke. "It's not an issue I've ever encountered before. Can't imagine my dry cleaner will be pleased."

[0_0_7]

"You can get blood out of most anything if you try hard enough. Your cleaner won't have any trouble if you point it out to them. And a word to the wise- don't entertain them with a story of how it got there. Just ask them to get it out," Bond said blandly as he tucked his gun away and then slid an arm around Q's shoulders to escort him out.

[quartermaster_q]

Q hummed, then returned his attention to Bond.

"Hope I didn't pull you away from anything too important," he said as they stepped outside.

[0_0_7]

"Just Downing Street," he replied, so dryly it may have been a joke...though this really wasn't a moment for being light. It left it to Q to wonder why the PM would talk to Bond personally and not go trough M.

[quartermaster_q]

"They let you visit with the PM?" Q asked with a quiet snort of laughter. "I dread to think how that went."

[0_0_7]

"I have impeccable manners when it's necessary," Bond reminded him. "Some people even think I'm charming."

[quartermaster_q]

"Some people like frozen dinners, it doesn't make then right," Q smirked, the smile fading as one of the officers approached them.

"I'm sorry, but we'll need statements from both of you," the man said. "I'll meed you to come with me- And I'll need your side arm," he added, nodding to Bond.