The morning news along with newspapers and online news sites are abuzz with the event that happened the night before. Reports say that a group of armed mercenaries led by the infamous Max Kade attempted to rob the guests of the charity ball to help promote the Brisbane Clean-Up-Crime program, who were thwarted by the super vigilante Omega Magnus with relative ease. None of the guests at the ball were reportedly harmed, and all the guests evacuated safely whilst Omega Magnus was dealing with the mercenaries. The police's ability to continually deny the existence of Omega Magnus had become even more difficult, with certain guests actually managing to get some snapshots of Magnus fighting off the mercenaries. The biggest surprise came from the Lord Mayor.
"I've heard stories about the vigilante for a while." the Lord Mayor exclaims in a TV interview. "But I cannot deny that he has definitely done this city a service. He save my life, and the lives of the guests at the ball, including Ms. Queen. I know vigilantism is by no means lawful, but in the desperate state the city is in, I believe this vigilante has been a breath of fresh air that has really given us a glimmer of hope."
"Well at least the Mayor's on my side" Magnus happily exclaims,
"Yeah, but you still have the commissioner and the sergeant on your back." replies EJ.
Back in the Magnus Lair, both Magnus and EJ are lounged at the computer investigating on the Benefactor and recent events that had transpired.
"The strangest thing that happened was that the Commissioner Keith and Sergeant Carter disappeared before Kade showed up." Magnus says,
"Why didn't you have your eye on them?" Asks EJ,
"I was dancing with Ariel."
"Wow! You dancing with a girl? That's an achievement! Well done!"
"Stop busting my balls, EJ!"
"Did you talk to her today?"
"I rang her this morning. She's okay, she's just taking it easy. Wouldn't stop talking about Omega Magnus though."
After Magnus flew off the night before, he quickly changed back into his tuxedo and met up with Ariel outside the Convention Centre after saving her. She thanked Steven for bringing the police, but she couldn't stop talking about Omega Magnus.
"Do you think the sergeant may have been involved?" asks EJ,
"Yes, but if anything, I suspect that Commissioner may be the brains." replies Magnus, "The sergeant may be a hard-ass on all fronts, but he basically retreated back when the Commissioner stepped forward and started talking. If Carter really would've been the brains, then he would've come across as a power hungry ogre. But I didn't see that."
"I know this is a stretch." EJ goes on, "But do you think that Christine Keith might be the Benefactor?"
"She does have influence, access to state funds and a lot of bodies on her side, that's for sure." Magnus continues, "And she is a woman, which fits the only description we have."
"So what do you propose?"
"Try not to get too upset?"
"What do you have in mind?"
"Search her office."
"What?! Fighting criminals, sure. But breaking and entering?"
"This is the first solid lead we've had. We can’t just sit back and wait for another."
As much as EJ opposes the idea, she sighs with defeat with there being no other choice.
"So what's the plan?" asks EJ,
"Her office is on the twentieth floor with a balcony that has a view of the city." Magnus goes on. "I can get to the roof first from the train station across from it and rappel downwards from there onto the balcony. From there the rest is through improvising."
"You had me until you got to improvising."
"I just break in and search the place."
"But what if there's a trap waiting? Word got out that the Commissioner and Sergeant ran off. Social Media is off the rails with that story. And there are the reports of the team of tactical soldiers they've supposedly brought in, so they're bound to take precautions."
"I know. If it happens, I'm ready for a one-on-one exclusive."
It's a highly dangerous situation. Having to break into a police precinct is like having to venture into the lion's den. But given that this is the first solid lead on the actual possibility of revealing the true identity of the Benefactor, Magnus prepares to suit up.
Meanwhile, in Commissioner Keith's office, Keith and Sergeant Carter discuss their current situation whilst a team of SWAT soldiers stand in a straight line facing the Commissioner, all decked out in the latest in tactical gear and weaponry.
"I've had it up to here with that stupid vigilante!" shouts the Commissioner. “That robbery at the ball was supposed to liven things up in this city. We needed more criminal activity to get the public to turn to us more. But Omega Magnus ruined everything.
"We'll take him down. Though we should never have gone to Kade in the first place." ensures Sergeant Carter, "I've called in a favor from a few of my federal friends, and standing before you are the best the Federal Police's SWAT team has to offer."
"I'm surprised you don't want a piece of that vigilante yourself."
"I'm more of a planner and a manager. Each to their own strengths."
"Finally, this so called Omega Magnus will be brought to his knees."
"Let's toast to that."
The two grab glasses of champagne and make a toast.
The leader of the SWAT soldiers looks on and looks away, as if he's questioning himself on what he has to do.
The Brisbane Police Precinct. A 25-story building that has a very aesthetically Gothic look to it with a strangely brick and stone appearance. Then again, the original police precinct was burnt to the ground two years ago courtesy of Max Kade's antics of trying to garner attention from the country for his so called work. The new police precinct took over the current building from an office company specializing in accounting, law and conveyancing. Rumors persist that the office company was forced out and went out of business, but no one has seen the owners since the whole ordeal. Other rumors persist that the police were after the building for some time, seeing it as more suitable than the old building they previously preoccupied.
Overlooking the precinct from the train station just across the road, Omega Magnus surveys the situation from a high vantage point. The train station looks more modern than the precinct and is 30 stories high. It acts as the central hub for the Brisbane City area.
It's 11:30pm, and the top half of the precinct has no lights on, save the bottom half which is mostly still manned by night shift officers. The top half of the precinct consists of the higher staff that mostly work desk jobs, delegate and lead the police force in designated hours in the day. That's the high life of a higher-up for you.
"No one on the roof." Magnus thinks to himself. "I can zip-line straight down."
Magnus has upgraded his inventory that makes up his utility belt. Knowing full well that if a fire fight should break out, at least he is fully prepared. In addition to his Battle Baton and smoke bombs are twin dual blasters, which are twin HK Mk23 SOCOM handguns that were modified to fire non-lethal rubber pellet rounds and tranquilizer rounds, with suppressors being equipped. Even though he doesn't believe in killing, he found a way to make handguns useful.
Magnus grabs from the back of his belt his zipline gauntlet attachment, the very same gadget he used to escape the Convention Centre with Ariel. He aims the gadget at a small block on the roof and fires the zip-line. From there, Magnus zip-lines high above the street. Fortunately the street is dimly lighted, so he won't risk being noticed so high in the air. Magnus lands on the roof, and proceeds to the edge in which the balcony to the Commissioner's office is located.
"That's the balcony." Magnus mutters to himself. "Time to rappel down."
Using the cable launcher from his left gauntlet, Magnus attaches a cable to the edge of the roof and proceeds to rappel down. He has to go at a decent pace. The quicker he gets down the better, but being careful if anyone is patrolling the premises.
Magnus finally gets within dropping distance to the balcony, and drops down as quietly as he can. Pulling out a electronic lock pick from his belt, he proceeds to unlock the balcony's slide door. Rather than utilizing the traditional pins and lead sticks that are most famously used, Magnus' electronic lock-pick uses magnets to easily open locks within seconds. Within seconds, Magnus is in.
Commissioner Keith's office is rather spacious, but very plain and boring. Just a desk, two chairs in front, a couple of filing cabinets and a wall displaying awards, accomplishments and newspaper clippings. You'd think the office belonged to a boring accountant.
"Boring and soulless as her personality." Magnus mutters to himself.
Magnus surveys the area. Looking where to start.
"Filing cabinets, but too easy to suspect." Magnus mutters, "The computer on the desk, but that'd be too obvious."
Raising his right hand to the right handle of his sunglasses, he presses a button to activate his glasses infrared analyser mode. His sunglasses are no ordinary glasses. His was specially created as Augmented Reality goggles in the form of sunglasses, which allow Magnus to see real time data and information which are relayed to and from the main computer in the Magnus Lair.
Looking around the office, his sunglasses detect a hidden safe behind a painting on the other side of the office. Magnus proceeds to the painting, pulls it open like a door and finds the safe to be an old fashioned safe.
Fortunately Magnus does not require a fancy gadget to break into a safe. His aunt taught him a few tricks about safe cracking, his aunt having lived a very adventurous lifestyle. Magnus starts to turn the unlocking wheel very slowly, with his ear to the safe's door.
"Remember what Aunty Stefani taught you about old fashioned safes." Magnus thinks to himself, "Turn the wheel very slowly and keep an ear out for the click."
He hears the first click.
"Okay, now turn the wheel in the other direction."
He hears the second click.
"Now turn the wheel in the other direction. One last click."
He hears the final click. He turns the handle and opens the safe.
Inside the safe, besides a few valuables and files, Magnus notices a ledger book. He picks it up and browses through.
"This ledger contains personnel and payment files."
The files contains information about certain people, but they're not police personnel.
"This list contains big time criminals that I've been taking down within the last two years." Magnus mutters in shock, "Payment information, lists of weapons and equipment being issued, money and valuable intakes."
The last name on the ledger catches his eye.
Max Kade, paid $2500 and issued Uzi 9mm sub-machine guns and body armor to undertake hold-up of the Brisbane Clean-Up-Crime Program charity ball.
"That bitch!"
Commissioner Keith was behind the charity ball incident.
Suddenly, a noise emits from the hall outside.
The door opens. Commissioner Keith enters the office.
She is shocked to find the sliding doors open, but more shocked that her safe is open. However there isn't a soul in sight.
In a frantic panic, Christine Keith rushes to the safe and searches it to ensure the contents are all present.
"The Ledger! It isn't here!" Keith yelps.
"No, it isn't!"
Keith turns around to find Omega Magnus standing in front of her.