Anthem slips out the same way the Runner bolted, switching back to Sonic Well to see if she can determine which way he went. If she can catch up to him she will (she can move 120MPH).
Cliff lands and goes to talk to the lookers-on.
"Crisis averted! The robbers have been defeated or run off, and the hostages are saved! That will show them to try something in our city!"
Atsuko moved outside, completely bypassing the walls... and most of the crowds, for that matter, as she got behind where the police were, found a safe spot to remove her concealment, and hurried over. The sooner the law had information about what the robbers were capable of, the easier it would be to track down the ringleader and prepare countermeasures for their abilities.
And throughout it all, she was very thankful that the tendrils didn't obviously come from her... that would've been a bit of a giveaway.
Joe plucks the grappled Runner's gun out of his hand before catching the tossed restraints. "There we go. I'd hate to have to squeeze you." After tying their hands behind their backs, he grabs one in each hand and steps (with a slight wobble) down to the ground floor.
He strides outside, criminals in hand. Outside, he spots Patricia Kim and her cameraman, filming again despite everything. Joe lets out a sigh. "That could have gone a whole lot worse."
He brings the criminals over to the now-gathering police force.
"I believe these guys belong to you. There's a few more unconscious in the building; nobody should be seriously hurt."
Satisfied with his treatment of the wounded woman, Warden gets another of the hostages to help her out to the waiting medics. He then walks over to where Dough Joe and Meteor Man is standing and talking to onlookers/police. Resting his arms on Joes shoulder he turns to the 2 of them "All in a days work, huh boys? I was thinking of taking the rest of the night off in case you feel like joining me for a beer?"
Turning to the crowd, Warden instinctively smiles under the helmet while waving his armored hand to the crowd in a manner similar to what he imagined Meteor Man would do.
Anthem catches up with the Runner half a block away. When he sees her coming up the sidewalk like a vengeful Lamborghini, he just stops and puts his hands up. "Aw, c'mon!" he whines. "We weren't gonna hurt nobody! Look, just don't hurt me, okay?"
Outside, Patricia Kim is interviewing the former hostages. When she spots Dough Joe heading toward the police, she seems about to come over. "And now, one of the heroes is emerging. He appears to be carrying two of the robbers calling themselves the Runners. He seems to be quite strong. Let's see if we can get--"
Just then, Meteor Man lands and a cheer goes up among the gathered crowd. A few among the former hostages clap; most still look shaken. Among the onlookers, the cheer steadily rises to a roar. People clap their hands and stomp their feet.
"Oh! And here is another. I believe this man was the source of the fog that filled First National moments ago. It appears that earlier speculation that the heroes might be pow-- Cliff?!" Patricia Kim cuts off her own narration to shout at Meteor Man.
"Cliff! What the hell are you doing here?!" Then, seemingly remembering where she is: "It seems that one of the heroes is none other than Action News' own Cliff Briskly! What a turn of events! Cliff, how about giving your ol' friend Patricia an interview? Maybe you could introduce me to your friends." She gestures at Warden and Dough Joe, then mugs for the camera. Everyone in Emerald City knows that Patricia Kim would do anything for an interview; it's kind of a running joke by now.
"Glad to Patricia. Maybe we can do it over dinner tonight, eh?" he gives her a little wink.
Then he elbows Joe in the side and whispers to him.
"Hey what's your name there kid? Need to know so I can sell it for the crowd. You too Shotgun guy."
Atsuko watched as Patricia Kim headed over to get an interview with one of the locals. The news' own staff man had been involved here? She hadn't noticed, but if she were to be cynical, that seemed like a bit of a setup...
...
On the other hand, those who'd helped were going to be regarded as heroes, and sooner or later, she was going to be found out. Trying to get attention was frightening - her culture generally didn't desire that sort of thing - but it was better to get things done her own way. With that, she carefully made her way not quite to the camera... but to the no-longer-hostages, where the camera would be soon enough.
"Is everyone all right?" she asked. "I'm sorry if the tendrils frightened you - it was all I had to protect you with."
Joe felt a little dejected; he met Meteor Man once before while stopping a purse snatcher. He didn't hold it against him, given that this was Cliff Briskly after all.
Channeling his inner hero, Joe shows off his stretchy fingers by kneading his hands.
"You can call me Dough Joe. Name's what I am. Probably a pun in there too."
Cliff stifles a laugh, and turns back to the crowd.
"Yes, yes, I appreciate the praise," he says, making a "settle down" gesture to the cheering crowd "But I couldn't have done it without these two brave souls. Let's all have a hand for Dough Joe and the Warden!"
"And two others, but they seem to wish to remain anonymous, given how they disappeared. That doesn't reduce their contribution, of course." he adds as an afterthought.
"Right, buddy. That would explain the bullet wound." she pokes her bloodied uniform. "Lucky for you I'm not interested in hurting you, as long as you surrender. Come on, let's get you back to the police. Nothing funny, or we'll find out how many bones I can shatter while stripping off that gadget on your leg."
Anthem marches the man back to the police, hardly seeming to notice the press of media and onlookers. On the way back, she suggests he tell her what he knows about the leader-lady. Then she flags down the nearest cop. "Got one of them here for you. Probably ought to read him is rights and give him a chance to be fully cooperative." the last words sound somewhat like a threat.
"Ah! And here she is now, our mistress of the shield herself!" Cliff calls out and points at Anthem, spotting her comeing back.
Patricia Kim rolls her eyes at Cliff, but is careful to ensure it isn't visible on camera. All the home audience hears is a girlish giggle. Can't have Action News' biggest new asset embarrassed on the air. She is nothing if not professional.
"Oh Cliff," she says, saccharine sweet. She pauses as Dough Joe and Warden are introduced.
She would have to pause anyway, as the onlookers have drawn closer to be near the heroes. Everyone has been curious about these people with powers. It appears the police line is no longer being maintained now that the danger has passed; some of the police have even joined the gawkers. Some of them, civilian and officer alike, look cautious. However, it seems that Cliff's natural charisma has overcome some of the wariness the general public has about this unknown element. They let out another brief cheer when Cliff's "friends" are introduced.
"Dojo and Warden, ladies and gentlemen!" Kim says, missing the joke.
Elsewhere, Anthem is marching the last Runner back to the police. He cooperates, but seems pretty smug about the whole situation.
"Look lady, you can't hold me. I mean, obviously you're holding me right now. I mean that you can't hold me, ya'know? Outrunner ain't messin' around. You can't catch her. Literally, you can't catch her. Have you seen what she can do? No one can stop that lady. And when she needs me? She's coming for me, you understand? No cop, no freak in a costume, and no cell is gonna stop that. She rewards us, you understand? Family. That's what we are."
Around this time, the duo make it to the police, who have now fully integrated themselves with the crowd, with the exception of a couple that are busy securing the captives in the back of an armored prisoner transport van. One of the officers in the crowd steps out to receive Anthem.
"Hey! We didn't realize one got away. I'll take him from here. We've got all the others ready to go." The officer moves to take custody if Anthem lets him, unconcerned by the thug's ranting.
Patricia Kim calls out to get Anthem's attention: "Miss! Perhaps you'd like to come introduce yourself to Emerald City?"
In the crowd, a man speaking with Atsuko seems confused: "Tendrils?"
"She means the tentacles honey," a woman responds, looking frightened.
"The tentacles! That was you?!" He visibly withdraws, putting one hand to his mouth. The ring on his finger marks him as the woman's husband. "But I mean, she was trying to help us, right? She didn't mean no harm." The man turns to his wife, seemingly for confirmation.
"Tendrils." Atsuko said firmly. "Japan has enough problems with tentacles, so they are tendrils."
That was one thing she definitely didn't plan to back down on.
"And yes, I was trying to cover everyone as best I could, so you could get out safely. Is anyone hurt and in need of urgent care, or do you think you're all fine? Don't worry, I won't do anything weird - I'll just hop over to the paramedics and get them to come over and help."
Anthem gives her best smile. "I suppose I should." she tries to catch a little bit of the sun on er shield if possible, standing in a manner similar to military attention. "My name is Anthem, and I'm here to protect the citizens of Emerald City in any way I can. When I saw your report, Miss Kim, I felt compelled to lend a hand. I hope that the citizens of Emerald City, and the ECPD understand the decision to intervene seemed necessary, given the strange actions and armaments of the perps."
Warden takes a moment to survey the situation, before trying to get the attention of the crowd. "Would the press and any none-emergency personnel be so kind to give the police the room necessary to do their. I am sure Cliff would LOVE to answer all your questions. But there are wounded that needs to be helped first." Still reeling after going from the frying pan to the fire, Warden is only moderately aware of just how clear his accent comes through in his little speech.
Looking to the police, as if trying to remind them to do their job, and get the crowd under control, he continues: "Me and my colleagues will of course answer any questions the police have to us. But if we are no longer needed, then i think we should have the right to go home and lick our wounds."
After a couple of seconds, Warden thinks to loudly ask the other heroes "Anything you want to say?" Though the phrasing is awkward, it sounds like a genuine question.
Among the crowd of survivors, EMTs have begun to arrive and triage the injured. Most have only scrapes and bruises, aside from the one woman with a gunshot wound to her forearm. All in all, things could have easily gotten much worse in the chaos.
"Thank you for your help, Miss," one of the paramedics says to Atsuko. "I caught a glimpse of your... tendrils, on the news on the way here. Impressive." He seems unnerved, but genuinely thankful for her assistance.
After Anthem and Warden introduce themselves, some police officers approach the scene and begin to usher the media away. It seems that someone higher ranking in the ECPD has arrived and is taking control of the situation.
"One last question!" yells Ms. Kim as she and her cameraman are gently pushed back. "The people want to know: are you here to save us from these new threats? And what do you call yourselves?!"
Once the media has been led away (after having either received a name shouted by one of you or been left without a name because no one could think of one), a fit middle-aged man approaches the scene. He isn't in uniform, but given the scattered salutes and deferential nods he receives, he's pretty important in the ECPD hierarchy.
"I'm Captain Jerry Wilcox and I'll be locking down the scene." He gestures at the heroes assembled. He eyes Warden's firearm for a moment, but doesn't remark on it. "I saw your heroics on the television. I also saw what this... Outrunner chick can do. We're not equipped to deal with this. Not yet anyway. I'm sure I'll catch some heat for this up the chain, but I would like to ask for your assistance. Can you lot bring her and her thugs in? I can't speak for the force as a whole, but it would go a long way toward ensuring my men see you as heroes, like in the comics, and not the vigilantes you appear to be."
Here, he nods at Warden's gun. He seems good-natured; jovial, even. Behind him, several of Captain Wilcox's subordinates watch with wary curiosity.
"That would be nice." Atsuko said wistfully. "I have no desire to... take the law into my own hands." Indeed, the most interaction she'd had with the gang members was (ineffectively) attempting to distract them. The huge majority of what she'd done had been protecting the hostages and getting them outside as quickly and safely as possible. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to hire us for this as... say, specialist contractors?" If they were getting paid, their actions and behavior were subject to review.
Furthermore, most people would be considerably less worried about what they were doing if they were essentially getting paid by the state to do it (and this was made public). Even if they split off later - forming an independent company, or working solo, or whatever - official sanction now meant they could operate more directly and with less worry about interference. Atsuko's powers were fantastic, but in the end, she was still a person - she was plenty worried about things like getting sued for "incorrect" resolution of problems.
"Of course we're here to help! As for a name, uh..." Cliff thinks for a moment at how many bad guys they struck with bullets, lightning bolts, and who knows what else.
"We're the Trouble Shooters!"
Warden instantly likes Captain Wilcox. After the others have had their chance to speak, he chimes in. "We're happy to help, in fact i think most of us would help with the Outrunner case whether you liked it or not." It's said in a semi joking manner, but it's clear that Warden intends to continue the hunt for Outrunner even if the police had attempted to dissuade them.
"As for Julie" Warden says as he pulls out his shotgun and shows it to Captain Wilcox and the other officers within view. "I can guarantee you it's loaded with strictly none-lethal shells" - A white lie, an unlucky shot could most definitely both kill and permanent cripple someone, but he didn't want to be known as Emerald Citys mad vigilante gunman.
"Captain Wilcox." instinct kicks in and Anthem stands a bit straighter, but she resists the urge to salute. "I think all of us appreciate your willingness to take on the asschap. As for Outrunner and the Runners, whatever AWR they've bolted to, we'll sniff it out. Seems like she can disappear pretty easy, but she seems to have a special interest in Warden." whichever one that is "And we might be able to use that as a diversion. I doubt she can evac if she's unconscious."
"The Stormchasers! You've heard it here first folks..." Patricia Kim's voice fades as she and her cameraman are led away.
"Uh, yes... well..." Captain Wilcox stammers at Atsuko. "I'm afraid I can't authorize that myself, but I suppose I could run it up the chain... See what my boss thinks."
When Warden speaks up, Wilcox seems not to hear him at first. As the words register however, the Captain acknowledges him for the first time. He takes the time to carefully inspect Warden's gun then nods curtly. "Carry on, son. I'll admit some of that tech is a little out of my wheelhouse, but it's nice to see you taking precautions. Still, a stray shot... Just be careful with it. Get the media on your side and the chief won't have a reason to send me after ya."
He takes a step back and gestures at Warden to put his gun away as Anthem begins speaking. He listens carefully, nodding here and there. "Military, are you?" He grunts. "Me too. Did a tour back in Desert Storm. That first Gulf War was a little easier than what you kids had to put up with recently. That was a real cluster--" Wilcox suddenly seems to remember where he is and returns to the task at hand.
"Anyway, we appreciate your help. All of you. We have officers spread throughout the city looking for any sign of the perps. We believe they're still within city limits. Gutierrez tells me there have been multiple crimes fitting this M.O. in the last few months. No one took it seriously, but now... If we find her, we'll pass word along. He pulls his own radio and hands it to Anthem, seeming to take an instant liking to her. "Still, if you can think of any way to find her sooner, go to it. We also need to figure out a way to lock her down once she's in custody. I figure a medically induced coma is a weapon of last resort. I'd rather not have to explain that reasoning to the media if it gets out."
Atsuko looked at the police captain for a moment. "If she has some kind of... unusual movement... and it seems like she does, there are only three ways of handling it - find a countermeasure she can't get through, keep her unconscious, or keep her dead. I'd pass that one up the chain of command. The best way to capture her would probably be a knockout - some kind of fast-acting gas, maybe, or something else that could catch her by surprise."
"Alternatively, we could try to get her to turn herself in. If she can be convinced to cooperate, maybe by her underlings making appeals on television or something, that would be far less costly and far more likely to result in a resolution acceptable to everyone." Atsuko suggested.
The captain nods slowly, listening to Atsuko. "I don't think she'd listen to me, but it could be that someone with your abilities could be more persuasive in this instance. A gas might not be a bad idea... Listen, I'll check in with HQ and see if we have anything like that lying around. Typically we stick to tear gas, but it could be that our SWAT unit has something fits the bill. Let me get back to you."
"Meanwhile, if she's operating in the city, likely, she'll need a rabbithole, if not for her, for her men at least. Probably someplace big enough for her to have made those gadgets they were all wearing on their legs. Also, she seemed to know Warden, to be calling him out." she looks at the men. "You want to tell us what that was all about, now that the gawkers have been swept?"
"I don't wanna be annoying, but based on my past experiences with Outrunner, she's never gonna come quietly no matter what we do. She's not in it for the money, she's doing it because she thinks it's funny." Warden comments apologetically.
After a moment of thought he adds "Though she might take it as a challenge to get her guys out of prison. But then we're using living bait, which i'm not sure i like. Where ever we go with this, i do have a method to prevent her from teleporting temporarily, but i need to hit her with it first" As warden is saying this, he grabs one of the nail slugs from his belt and weighs it in his hand.
"Would it be possible we could talk about this, under more private, erhm, conditions?"
Wilcox nods, then leads the group back into the bank through the shattered doors. Men have begun stringing up police tape, but no one has made it inside to investigate the scene yet. This affords them a great deal of privacy, as the heroes and Wilcox are alone for the moment. The bank lobby is remarkably quiet compared to the chaos of only minutes ago.
"Okay, somewhere secluded, but with plenty of space. Good thinking Anthem. I hadn't thought of her constructing those gadgets herself... You know, most of Emerald City is residential or commercial property. There's really very little industrial space. Down near the docks would probably be her best bet. The fishing industry isn't what it used to be, nor is shipping with the economy the way it's been. There are probably quite a few vacant warehouses near the waterfront that would suit her. The only other area would be the Eastern District, but I think one white lady and her primarily white crew would stand out like a sore thumb. The various Asian communities are pretty tight-knit."
"Now Warden, you know this lady? Personally or just as..." He starts to point at Warden's costume, then turns the gesture into a dismissive wave. "Never mind. Now you think that you can keep her from teleporting. Is there some way that this could be used long-term, to keep her captive once she's caught? Oh uh, one sec."
Captain Wilcox gets on his radio borrows his radio back from Anthem for a moment and asks to have the security in the back of the transport van doubled. He notifies his subordinates that 'the leader', as he calls her, may have a way to free her men. He also asks to have their search concentrated along the miles of waterfront. He hands the radio back to Anthem when he's done, then waits to see if anyone else has something to add.
Atsuko blinked a bit, then crossed her arms and tried to think. It was... kind of true that the Asian districts of the city weren't too big on non-Asian visitors. It was one thing if they were customers, but by and large, non-Asian groups weren't encouraged to stick around in the area. Had she heard of anything like that recently...? She was trying to remember...
...and after about two seconds of thinking, she realized that she'd been paying no attention whatsoever to the rumor mill lately.
"Maybe we can set up a hotline? Air the number on tonight's news. If anyone sees her, or thinks they see her, call in."
"Could be slow, but a good fallback."
After his own introduction, Joe was content to stand back and let everyone bask in the glory and talk with the police. Though not very physically taxing, this ordeal was awfully stressful for this doughy guy. Joe was happy to relax and let everyone else deal with the people.
He actually didn't recognize the Japanese girl mingling with the rest of them, but she seemed to know what she was talking about. Was she there too? The fog made it impossible to see inside, and he never saw her outside til now.
A yawn escapes from Joe's mouth. "Oh. Uh, heh. It is getting kinda late," Joe says as eyes fall on him. "I like you guys, though. I'm gonna get going, but can you pass everyone my contact, Anthem? If we're taking down this teleporting lady, we'd better be able to get in touch."
Joe stretches his legs over the crowd, stepping lightly until he finds room to build some bouncing momentum. Eventually, he bounces himself a roundabout way home.
"Sure thing, Joe. Good idea about the hotline, Mr. Briskly, but, if she's doing this for fun, as Warden says, wouldn't she just make appearances all over town to flood the hotline? Especially since she can literally be anywhere seconds apart?" Anthem scratches her chin.
"I think we'd be better served finding her either on our own or with ECPD's help. Is there anything you can tell us about her now we're secluded, Warden?"
Cliff's face twists in a moue.
"I should have thought of that."
"Not much you haven't figured out on your own. We have a history, used to work together, i get my gear from the same guy, she used to get hers from, although it seems she've found herself a new supplier based on her friends gear. I'm not sure where she could be hiding, she's good at lying, and fitting in everywhere. If Wilcox think she has a warehouse somewhere, then i trust his experience. I suspect she also has something a bit more, how do you say, homely? Cause who wants to rest their head in a warehouse? Not sure how it would look, probably something big and flashy, that still reminds her of the homeland." Warden spoke slowly, trying his best not to give too much of his info on Outrunner away, that had the potential to backfire hard.
"As for keeping her captive, i might be able to make something more longterm, but i can't guarantee she won't just break out of that, she's unfortunately very good at her craft."
Atsuko nodded a few times as she listened to Warden talk. "If you can't find them, you have to make them find you." she mused. "If we have a few hours, I can ask around the International District and see if anyone's seen anything that matches this... group."
Even not knowing where someone was could be helpful, if you could start narrowing down the places they weren't - that was actually a fairly good search strategy, and once she was free, she began moving at her top normal speed to start asking around.
Cliff starts asking around the Waterfront about anything suspicious.
"Have you seen this woman?" he asks, holding up a picture or police sketch of what Outrunner looks like.
Anthem will check out the docks. Her experience with hidden bases may help her out in finding a place that would both be big enough and not as quiet as it should be, hopefully. Since she can move at pretty high speeds on foot, she should be able to cover a lot of ground over a short period of time, and hopefully narrow the search area down, at least.
Investigation
She spends a frustrating afternoon/evening searching out for the most likely spot, only to realize at the end of the day, Emerald City is not the sandbox, and these are not "insurgents", they're criminals, and hardly hardened ones at that. Maybe one of the others will have better luck.............
Warden spends an evening or 2 trying to get a grasp of the runners gear (if Anthem/Wilcox will let him burrow some of the confiscated tech.) Specifically he's trying to look for signs of who could have manufactured - are they handmade or machine made, do they include tech he've read about elsewhere, do they look inspired by his designs etc.
After a few hours of non-committal tinkering, Warden gets a fresh cup of coffee, cracks his knuckles and properly gets to work
Joe bounces into the secluded street of the dojo and ducks into an alley, stretching himself up to a window he left cracked. His phone buzzed a few times on his way as his comrades messaged him, sharing their numbers. Climbing inside, he sees Sensei Kim waiting for him with a smile on his face.
"You did good, Joe. Thank you. Sorry for doubting you."
"Thanks, but I'm not done yet. I just had to get away from all that commotion. I feel kinda bad about splitting, but..."
"No, it's fine. I get it. I'm not fond of crowds either, and I'm not the one with dough powers." The two share a laugh. "I'm just glad nobody got hurt."
Joe checks his phone, responding to a message. "Well, it looks like we're on a manhunt for someone who can be wherever she wants at any time. Have you got any input, sensei?"
The day after the robbery, Warden makes some discoveries about the devices the Runners were wearing on their legs. Initially, the officers aren't keen on releasing evidence, but Cliff takes a break from looking around the docks to sweet-talk the lady at the evidence locker into letting him "borrow" a few pieces.
Once he has some time to poke at it, Warden quickly discovers the devices are based at least in part on his own technology. The alloys used, the space-saving design, and the simplicity all bear some similarity to his own work. To a layman, it would probably seem they were made by Warden himself, but of course that isn't possible. When Warden last saw Outrunner, she wasn't capable of this level of work.
The devices themselves are pretty simple: they resemble hydraulics, in that they give the wearer great strength, but an attached electrical component allows them to act far swifter than most hydraulics allow. While wearing this exoskeleton, a wearer should be capable of jumping extremely far and may even be able to execute a kick that would kill an unprotected victim.
The electrical components integrated near the top are strange: they seem to resist Warden's ability to decipher technology. He is able to grasp bits and pieces of how it works, but seems to have trouble assembling an understanding of the whole in his mind. It is almost as if the device actively resists his understanding.
Early that evening, Anthem and Cliff meet up by chance while exploring the dock area. While still having no luck finding a likely spot for Outrunner to be hiding, comparing notes reveals they have heard many of the same rumors. People speak of a Creature that prowls the docks at night. They say it hunts for those with powers. One woman claims the Creature took her son, a man that was using his minor control over fire to show off and earn tips at a Teppenyaki (hibachi) restaurant.
With no hints where this Creature might live or any reliable witnesses to speak of, the information does no good right now. Still, it's something to keep in mind, if one finds the threat credible.
In the mid-evening, around 8 PM, Atsuko finally finds someone who both knows something and is willing to talk. There is a bit of a language barrier, as the woman is Chinese, speaks no English, and has only a halting command of Japanese. After struggling to convey what she has to say, she instead beckons Atsuko to follow her.
The Chinese woman--Lien--leads Atsuko through alleys and down narrow streets to her house. There she retrieves a bike and coaxes Atsuko to ride on the handlebars. She rides the two of them a couple of miles down the road, out of the Eastern District and into the Sunset Hill neighborhood.
Named for its beautiful views of sunsets over the Pacific Ocean, Sunset Hill was once the home of large, stately manor houses. As Emerald City has become more urbanized, most of the old manor houses have been replaced with lawyers' offices, small businesses, and condominiums. Still, a few manor houses remain here and there, either as museums or as private residences.
It is to one of these rare manor houses that Lien takes Atsuko. She stops a block away and speaks in hushed tones. Her palpable nerves seem strange in such a friendly, well-lit neighborhood where people walk their dogs at night without fear.
Lien dismissively waves off Atsuko's attempt to explain that this isn't what she had in mind. The language barrier makes it tough to make out exactly what is being said, as Lien switches between Japanese and Mandarin. Still, snippets are clear. Atsuko gathers that her mother cleans at this home, that things have "changed recently", and that something is "not right". Actually, her mother claimed the place had an "evil air", but that doesn't really translate right. She may not mean literal evil.
Meanwhile, Jin-Soo has called Dough Joe back into the dojo:
"Thank you for coming, Joe. I have been thinking about what you told me and I believe I may have some insight. I do not wish to speak ill of our law enforcement, who work so hard, but... I believe they may be on the wrong track. If I were this woman you say you were after, I would not hide in such an out of the way place. She steals because she desires luxury. Would such a woman keep herself locked away in a warehouse when an escape is as easy as snapping her fingers? No, I believe you are looking for someone hiding in plain sight, Joe..." He sighs. "I realize that complicates things considerably. I wish that I could narrow it down further. Well, there is one thing..."
Atsuko tilted her head thoughtfully. She wasn't entirely sure that this was the place, and she didn't want to call everyone together if it wasn't. What she needed, then, was to properly scout this place out - and she promptly set her phone to mute, just so it wouldn't ring at an inconvenient time and give her away. She exhaled slightly a moment later, focusing on the energies within her, then retreated somewhere out of sight and simply vanished from most senses. She began warping around the building a moment later, scanning it from the outside and trying to get a better sense for what might've been going on here.
Cliff takes a break from looking around the docks to sweet-talk the lady at the evidence locker into letting him "borrow" a few pieces.
Atsuko doesn't have to wait long. A few teleports later, she found herself looking through the dining room window at a strange dinner. Outrunner sits at the head of a long, antique table eating Chinese takeout while wearing a pretty blue dress. Her costume is incongruously visible underneath it. At the opposite end of the table, a man is eating in silence. He wears nice business attire and an expensive watch. He doesn't seem scared, but he is intensely uncomfortable. He steals glances at Outrunner when he thinks she isn't looking.
Between the two silent diners are six places set with food. Next to each plate of food is a weapon. Some places have pistols, others have baseball bats or a shotgun. These places sit empty, aside from the food and weapons. No one sits at the table with Outrunner and her strange guest.
Atsuko watched them for a few moments and then - with her phone still on mute - stayed quietly and invisibly outside as she sent a text message to the others to let them know the location. As soon as that was done, she focused on remaining hidden, trying to overhear as much as she could as she waited for the others to show up.