video;

[hotshots]

[ Video starts, and it's Neil. Don't mind the messy apartment behind him, because he has a sharp enough look in his eye that you'd probably be better not to call him on it right now. ]

Sup, kids? Neil here.

So! If any of you have turned on the news the past couple days, I'm sure you've seen some crap went down in Vegas. Given all that, I think it's safe to say...

Ladies and gentlemen? The honeymoon's over.

[ He sighs a bit, and leans back in his seat. ] So. Here's the thing. Down here at Giant Robot HQ, we've got some handy dandy access to the FBI. All things told, things haven't been that shabby for us. Everything's been on the up and up.

[ He waves a hand. ]

Then you get something like this. So what I'm tellin' ya, it's for your own benefit, folks.

Thanks to this Goldman kid, FBI presence is ratcheting up. Both cities. They're gonna be on the lookout for anything stirring up shit and causing trouble out there.

[ He leans back to the camera, propping his head up on one hand. ]

This doesn't mean you run and hide, this doesn't mean the FBI's out to get ya. What it does mean is everyone needs to be careful. This is about a hell of a lot more than just us, and the only way we're gonna be seen right is if we act right.

Is it fair one kid's screw up puts the spotlight even harder on the rest of us? Maybe not, but hey - that's the way the world works. We've gotta deal with it now, and the only way we will is if we watch our asses from here on, 'cause now we gotta do it even more. Especially you all with powers. Watch your heads, okay?

I know I don't have to tell this to a lot of you, but think before you act, guys. And maybe remember... it ain't just us out there, now.

[ With that, he cuts the feed, and only after that does he give a long breath.

Boy.

This was gonna be fun. ]

Comments

[pheromonecoffee]

... Sorry. [Matt feels kind of responsible. As. You know. The Chaperon.]

It's hard to prove you're innocent without any crime you can even be blamed for. It sounds like we're playing a losing game. You'd think, you know, saving an entire city from alien snakes would've been enough.

[hotshots]

You'd think, you know, inciting a riot would have registered as a bad idea on any sensible person's radar.

But it clearly didn't, so that's why we are where we are.

We did just that, we saved the city, yeah - but that doesn't mean is absolves people screwing up our good will.

It's real simple, kid - don't do dumb things.

audio;

[orangehoodie]

Any idea what they'll do if there is trouble?

audio;

[hotshots]

They'll act, I imagine. I mean - they can't not. Especially after all of that.

Video

[squicksilver]

[ There's only one thing he hates more than murders and cultists and vermini and rogue aliens and attack lobsters. ]

Fuck!

[ and that's law enforcement. ]

Video

[hotshots]

[ Neil holds a hand up. ]

Chill, bro.

Unless you were out there attacking people, just keep it together. You'll be good.

[talkshitgetsis]

Kind of nice not to have to worry about that, don't you think?

Those of us who already find ourselves in our United States Government's warm embrace.

[hotshots]

Eh, only remotely. I got people to worry about out there, otherwise.

[ Like his sister. ]

text;

[needsmorezippers]

[WHELP. as if Neku wasn't worried enough about the FBI possibly deporting him or some shit.]

Damnit. Knew it was going to happen sooner or later, but still.

text;

[hotshots]

Hey, keep your head together and it should be fine.

This is just a heads up.

video; private

[featherduster]

I agree with what you're saying here, not that I think it's actually gonna work much, but...

Your delivery is kinda unnecessarily ominous in places.

[ Don't make his job harder by having everyone preemptively point their pitchforks at the FBI, or anything!!! Heaven forbid!! ]

video; private

[hotshots]

[ He scratches his head, laughing nervously. ]

Sorry man, not trying to be. Hell, I'm saying they shouldn't be running for the hills.

But they need'a know this is kinda dire, and I guess I'm not one for sugar coating things.

[Text]

[scarlet_devil]

This all sounds rather ominous. What's next? Will we all end up having to register our names?

[Text]

[hotshots]

Maybe a little; but most everyone here's likely to keep their heads together, so it's not necessarily gonna hurt you. Just... they're keeping an eye out for trouble even more. That's their job, and this gives them even more reason for it.

...as far as that goes, I couldn't tell you. I'm just the middleman here.

Text

[icy_heavens]

I can't believe somebody was stupid enough to think that was a good idea.

[Really. What part of "manipulate an angry mob to kill somebody" sounds like a good idea? Even the most brain-dead idiot should know better.]

Text

[hotshots]

Yeah, I get you, and it's something he'll have to answer for. But... for us, we need to focus on what WE'RE gonna do after rather than focus on that.

And make sure it doesn't happen again.

[video]

[peacefulwinter]

I've known this since we started. Since I decided I was going to fight. That my actions reflected on more than just myself. We're... different. We have to act like it. P-prove that we're not something you have to be afraid of. That we're... we're people too.

It hurts. It hurts a lot that one of my friends did something like this. But I can't j-just sit back and... let it keep happening! [There's a fire blazing in her eyes through the sadness on her face. It's small, but... it's a start.] I said I wanted to keep people safe! I want to make people happy! I... I want to make sure nobody else has to get hurt because of us!

[She deflates, just a little.] We keep making mistakes. Things keep happening to us. I don't... I don't want to lose that dream.

[video]

[hotshots]

[ Neil leans back as she talks, taking it in - or moreover, letting her get it out. ]

It's a good dream, really. It's all a lot of us want - to keep people safe, whether it's those close to us, or even further than that.

[ He smiles. ] Your friend, huh? Sorry to hear that. You realize I gotta at least ask if you saw anything that would've made you expect something like this. Anything I could pass over to our FBI buddies, even if it's just saying you were clueless. At the very least, cover yourself.

[ He gives a slight shrug. ] But now's the time, I think. If we're gonna prove those things to everyone, we gotta watch ourselves, and show 'em what we actually are made of.

[amajin]

Hooold on.

[He looks concerned, perhaps too concerned]

There's a Giant Robot HQ? Why am I not there? Is it in Vegas? I'm coming now.

[hotshots]

Man, I wish it was in Vegas.

I say we motion for one there. Y'know.

Just to cover all our bases.

text

[testsonseashells]

Benwick and friends still cooperating?

text

[hotshots]

Ain't seen 'em since that spaceship meeting, but hey... So far, so good, so far as anyone can tell.

[senseandcecilbility]

[ Cecil is not surprised by the recent developments. He has always known that most music is evil anyway.]

Suppose, hypothetically, that one Numbered or two cannot quite control their so called powers?

[hotshots]

Personally speaking?

I'd actually GO to them. See if there's any way you can - HYPOTHETICALLY - be helped with that, or at least so they know.

What'd be worse? Them going off at the worst possible time with no one knowing what's going on, or them going off with everyone having a clearer idea of maybe how to keep things under control?

text;

[saviorsoul]

[ Yeah, since that awkwardness, Alexi has reverted back to his old method of using text posts only, unless he's familiar with the person on the other end. He's too young to get caught up in all this crap. ]

isn't there anything we can do to idk smooth things over for the rest of us

text;

[hotshots]

Beside advice?

Don't be an idiot. If you're gonna act, be smart about it.

text;

[show_my_cannons]

what kind of giant robot HQ are you exactly?

text;

[hotshots]

That'd be the one that's taken over big parts of LCU facilities for the FBI to house the Gundams and Evangelions.

Video

[buildyourworld]

Think they'll listen at all?

[ Giant Robot HQ still has him snickering ever since Neil first mentioned it so it's no surprise that he's spotting a small smirk. ]

Private Video;

[hotshots]

[ Shrug and a frown. ]

Some might, some won't. S'about what I'd expect, really.