[IC] Stockholm Syndrome [AllOurPrettySongs & bittersweetsymphonia]

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Yolanda Grieg woke up to the sound of her alarm, just as she did everyday. Groaning, she sat up slowly and blindly fumbled with the snooze button, finally hitting it after an embarrassingly long time.

Opening her eyes properly, she took a deep breath in, attempting to wake herself up. 8:15 AM on the dot. She thought she'd be used to the routine by now.

Swinging her legs off the side of the bed, Yolanda slowly stood up and stretched, a satisfying crack emanating from her lower back. Shuffling to the closet, she pulled out her uniform.

It was a dowdy thing, all subdued colours and heavy material. Siging, she slipped on the skirt first - it came down respectfully past her knees - and the white button up blouse. Top button done up at all times, can't forget.

She put on the heavy jacket last before clipping on her name tag. She wasn't even sure why she bothered with a name tag; most couldn't pronounce her name and others barely made an attempt.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Yolanda slicked back her hair to an acceptable degree before practicing her smile. 'Smile like you've just won the lottery', something her boss reminded her of frequently.

Dropping the smile, she walked from her room and to the kitchen, not bothering with breakfast before grabbing her already packed bag and walking out the front door, locking it behind her. Taking a moment to check that it was definitely locked, Yolanda nodded to herself before walking down the stairwell, out the entranceway and onto the street.

[bittersweetsymphonia]

The dawning of a new day saw Silas on the roof of a run down apartment building. Many of its windows were boarded up, and the bright red paint on it had faded into a murky brown. It was located in the shadier part of the city, a place most people avoid at all costs. It was a place filled with people you never want to meet in a dark alley, but for Silas, it was home.

The door to the roof burst open and a young woman approached Silas, who was in the middle of her early morning workout. The woman, Slanie Griffin, approached the half-naked man with a small smirk on her lips. "Today is the day, brother."

Silas jumped up to fully face his younger foster sister and nodded, a huge smile on his face. Slanie was right. The day they had all been preparing for for weeks had finally arrived. The Federal Bank of New York would be stormed, and no one would be prepared for it. How could they? They were far too confident in their bank's security to even imagine a group of delinquents to rob them. This heist would be their grandest act yet.

Together, Silas and Slanie returned down to their safehouse in the apartment where the rest of the team were waiting. Colin Reed, Silas' childhood friend and their inside man for the job, was putting the final touches to his security guard uniform. He'd been working at the bank for two months, and they'd made sure that no one would suspect him. Silas offered Connor a fist bump before he headed towards Slanie, who held out a suit. That was the plan: Silas would enter the bank as an average Joe while Connor would disable the bank's security systems. Then, Silas would give the signal for the rest of their team to storm in and gather all the money the bank had to offer. And for a bank as big as the Federal Bank of New York, that meant a lot.

Dressed in the suit and tie, Silas turned towards his friend with his usual boyish smile. "Do I look good or do I look good?" For their part, Slanie and Colin did their damndest to try and keep in their laughter. Silas rolled his eyes as the two disastrously failed. He could appreciate their laughter. A suit and tie definitely wasn't his style, but he had to admit that he looked good in it.

It took the arrival of the rest of their team to sober the two up. Now focused, they left to do their own parts in the heist. Silas would enter the bank a while after it opened. And then, all hell would break loose.

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Yolanda walked down the street, bag slung over her shoulde. Glancing at her watch, she sped up her pace as she saw that her bus would arrive in a few minutes. Reaching the bus stop with what she estimated to be thirty seconds to spare, she barley had time to retrieve a few loose quarters for payment before the bus pulled up.

Joining the line, Yolanda soon reached the front and stepped aboard, smiling politely at the bus driver as she bought her ticket. She sat down near the front, not bothering to find a more comfortable spot as it was only a short trip to the bank. She had been in New York long enough to learn how to ignore the homeless and lowly individuals that populated the public transport.

About ten minutes later, the bus pulled up a few meters from the Federal Bank. Standing up and casting a brief 'thank you' to the driver, Yolanda stepped off and jogged the few meters, looking at her watch the whole time. Her boss was extremely particular about his employees being on time and she didn't want to be on his bad side.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she pushed open the front doors, hastily crossing the floor and entering the doorway marked 'Employees Only'. There were a few loitering workers in the break room, gossiping among themselves. Yolanda didn't bother to greet them, instead rounding the corridor and going through yet another doorway, finally finding herself in her assigned sector.

She sat down and opened the blind of the small window. Thankfully, the bank was not yet too busy. She glanced one last time at her watch. 8:40 AM.

[bittersweetsymphonia]

Silas checked his watch. 9 am. From the black car parked down the street, a couple of blocks away from the bank, he had a clear view of who entered and left its premises. So far, only five have entered: two businessmen, a woman in a suit, an old lady and a young man. None of them seemed like the types to try and be a hero, so Silas knew they wouldn't be having a problem. He turned to Slanie, who sat at the driver's seat and was talking to their colleagues. "Is everything a go?" he asked, a heavy British accent coating his words.

Slanie turned away from the call and chuckled. "Of course," she said, attempting and failing at the accent, "Mr. Stonem."

Silas rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his slicked back hair, cringing at the feeling of clay on his fingers. He hated having to put anything on his hair, but it was necessary for his disguise. The suit was itchy too, and he would rather have worn some old tee, but some sacrifices had to be made. After this job, they'd be filthy rich and he'd be able to afford Slanie a college education. That was what's important, and he had to focus on it.

It didn't take long for his own phone to vibrate with a text. Colin was in position. It was time for Silas to enter the building. He fixed his tie and checked the tiny earpiece Slanie made him wear earlier. Normally, technology like that wasn't afforded to people like him, but the people who asked for their help in the job seemed like they had the proper equipment for it. They seemed like they were the real deal, not the kind of people Silas would usually associate with. Some part of him wondered about why they hired street rats like them. It didn't feel right, but Kelly was the one who introduced them to each other, so that shouldn't mean harm for them, right?

Sighing, Silas exited the car. He straightened his suit for the last time and put on a charming facade. With that set, he entered the bank. He underwent the usual security proceedings before he was allowed full entrance. Once inside, he took inventory of his surroundings. Personally, he'd never been inside the bank before so he didn't know what to expect. It was grand enough, but not really his scene. He'd rather they finish the job as quickly as they could, so he set to work. He looked at the tellers and saw one without a line. It was for a woman with blonde hair and dark eyes. She was beautiful. It was a pity that she'd be losing her job soon.

Silas approached the woman's booth with a small, boyish grin. "Good morning, angel," he greeted, catching her eyes as best as he could. "Would you mind answering some questions for me?" He chanced a look at his watch. It was almost time.

[AllOurPrettySongs]

"Good morning, angel. Would you mind answering some questions for me?"

The heavily accented voice caused her to jump a little in surprise as she had allowed her gaze to wander absentmindedly to her nails. She hadn't even noticed the male's approach, nor when he had leaned against the edge of the desk. She gave him a brief once over; he was undeniably handsome.

Her mind prodded at her briefly, reminding her that the man had asked a question. Right. Yolanda gave him her practiced smile and nodded.

"Of course, sir," She replied, picking up the pen to her right in case she needed to write down any important information for the man. "What would you like to know today?"

[bittersweetsymphonia]

'Buy us some more time, Griffin,' the rough voice of one of Kelly's associated echoed in his ear, almost causing him to flinch, but thankfully he held his stand.

Silas leaned closer towards the bank teller and shot her a grin. "Would you mind telling me when you have to go back to heaven? Because I'd love to take you out later." He chuckled at his own cheesy pick-up line before he cleared his throat, a more serious look taking over his features. If he needed to buy some time for them, then he'd definitely do so while having as much fun as he could. Besides, the woman truly was beautiful. Perhaps if they'd met in some other circumstance, he'd have asked her out to dinner for real.

"All joking aside," he continued, "I was wondering if you were spoken for? What am I saying? Of course such a lovely lass as yourself would be taken." He gave her a once ovee, allowing his eyes to roam her body as best as he could. "If not, then I'd volunteer to help change it." He chanced a look at his watch. Quarter to ten.

A low buzz in his ear came after. 'It's time.'

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Yolanda's practiced smile slipped, almost turning to a scowl at the man's antics. She was never much of a fan of what he was selling. Getting the distinct feeling that it would be unnecessary, she placed the pen to the side ans laced her fingers together.

The smile returned as her composure reformed and she looked the man in the eyes. "No, sir. I am not spoken for. However, I can direct you to an establishment that may cater to your needs. Perhaps the business down on third? There are some truly lovely ladies there, I hear. Inexpensive, too."

Yolanda's tone of voice was professional and polite, though a quirk of her eyebrow gave indication to her true feelings towards the man.

[bittersweetsymphonia]

"I've already visited that place. All of their ladies combined doesn't even come close to your beauty," Silas answered back without missing a beat. "And you, my dear, are invaluable."

Silas looked over his shoulder and saw that one of his associates had entered the bank. Following him were two more people, masked enough to hide their identities, carrying guns as casually as they could. The first man who entered, armed with only a small knife, took out the on-duty guard quietly. It wasn't impossible for a person to see their little act, especially when the two armed men raised their guns to the air. A moment before thier audience released a scream, Silas leaned over the booth and whispered, "I suggest you duck because-"

"This is a bank robbery!" The first man, free of a mask and now holding out an automatic handgun, shouted. The other two, to be identified as Beta and Zeta, pointed their guns towards the people and the employees. The unmasked man identified as Alpha and ordered, "Get down on the ground or get shot."

Beta moved towards Silas and offered him a Thompson. "Grab a teller and make them give you the money, Omega."

Silas felt the weight of the gun in his grasp as he pretended to mull over the order. He eyed Yolanda from his peripheral and shot her a smile that could be considered childish if not for their current situation. "Would you mind helping me, angel?"

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Yolanda barely registered all that happened in the past few moments. There were shouts and screams and - this is a bank robbery! - she whipped her head from side to side, catching sight of the other frightened tellers ducking below the desk. Hadn't she been told to duck?

It didn't matter now. Her eyes returned to the smiling man, now armed with a gun. Would you mind helping me, angel? Her head ached, a dull throbbing at the back of her mind. Everything was happening to quickly.

Focus. Focus. Yolanda had been warned that this could happen when she was given the job. Of course it could happen, it was a bank. People robbed banks. She realised then that the man had asked the question and she had been standing, silent, for far too long.

"...Yes, sir. I would be happy to assist you today." Yolanda responded automatically, practiced lines from a near frozen mouth.

[bittersweetsymphonia]

Silas nodded, thankful for the woman's cooperation. If she'd attempted to put up a fight, well, Silas didn't know what Alpha would have made him do. He was just happy that it didn't come to that. He was a man of very few morals, but he was no killer.

He shrugged off his coat, breathing much better without the uncomfortable attire, and handed it to Beta before jumping over the booth and joining the woman on the other side. He pointed his gun at her, finger on the trigger but careful not to shoot. "Lead the way." His voice was light, cheery, and a grand smile played on the corners of his lips. While the other employees were cowering in fear and this associated wearing scowls beneath their masks, he was humming a happy tune. He was the image of glee amidst the terror.

He allowed the woman to lead him, passing the security room where two sedated guards sat outside. Colin was inside, watching over the bank from the cctv cameras. Slanie was outside, in a van with their other associates, and keeping an eye out for police. Alpha was in the bank lobby, gathering the phones of the employees and customers. And Silas. Well, he was following a woman, quite possibly the most beautiful he'd ever seen, towards the safe that held New York's money. As they walked, he attempted to strike up a conversation. "What's your name, angel?"

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Yolanda stepped back as the man jumped the desk and pointed the weapon at her, still the face of good nature and pleasantness. She gritted her teeth, more frustrated now as his attitude began to grate on her already fraying nerves.

Passing by the guards, she cursed quietly at the sight of their sedated bodies. No help there, then. She supposed that the robbers wouldn't be doing their 'jobs' correctly if they were unable to subdue people without brute force.

She glanced at the man as he asked his question, apparently under the impression that now was the perfect time to get to know one another. "Yolanda. My name is Yolanda," She responded. "What's your name, dom verloorder*?"

Yolanda was near certain that she wouldn't be understood and couldn't resist adding a subtle insult. It made her feel a little better about her situation.

['Stupid loser']

[bittersweetsymphonia]

Silas chuckled. He had no idea what Yolanda had just said, but from her tone of voice he knew it wasn't something flattering. Lowering the gun, he made a bow. "You can call me Omega." He grinned. If he gave his real name, who knew what would happen. He was already in danger enough having his face unmasked.

Raising the gun again, he said, "What's a girl like you doing in a place like this? You look like you'd be more suited as a runway mod-"

Silas was cut off by a sharp noise from his earpiece. He wasn't able to hold himself and a hand flew towards his ear as he cursed under his breath. What he heard next made him blurt out a louder expletive. 'Brother, there are four police cars outside the bank. They're calling for back-up. They have all the exits blocked so we can't send in Gamma and Kappa.' It was Slanie's voice this time. 'Orders have changed. For now we'll be keeping the people hostage until we can find another way in.'

"I understand," Silas answered, eyeing Yolanda. He raised his gun and pointed it towards her. "Things have changed. Someone called the cops," he told her, abright smile on despite the worry in his voice.

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Yolanda allowed herself a small, albeit wry, smile at the display 'Omega' was putting on. She strongly doubted that was his real name but admitted it was possible. It wasn't like her name was the most common in the world.

The small smile disappeared as Omega's act disappeared momentarily. She glanced at his ear and could see a small plastic object within. She supposed it was some kind of communication device but wasn't by any means a technology buff.

Yolanda stopped walking and turned to him, eyes flickering to the gun now pointed at her. She returned her gaze to him and tensed. "Yes, that's usually something people will do when faced with criminals," She couldn't resist being a little snippy. If she was going to die, then she'd do it while being a pain in the arse.

"And what do you plan on doing now?"

[bittersweetsymphonia]

"What do I plan on doing now?" Silas parroted, mulling over Yolanda's words.

He used the tip of the Thompson to poke Yolanda's side. "Right now, you're my hostage," he declared with a rather pleased smile. He didn't doubt that the others could control their end of the bargain, so he had to do his job right. "We'll be staying over at the safe." He pointed towards the enclosure where the huge safe holding all the money was at. His hands itched to grab hold of all the cold, hard, cash it held inside, so he poked Yolanda again, hoping to get her moving.

Unable to resist, he quipped, "Don't go developing Stockholm Syndrome on me."

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Yolanda scowled as her side was prodded but silently moved over to the safe, her hands submissively by her sides. She turned and leaned against the wall beside the safe, slowly crossing her arms - she wanted to be cautious in her actions, in case they were perceived as a threat.

She rolled her eyes at his last comment. "I wouldn't think to even go near you. So please, don't flatter yourself, teef*."

[*bitch]

[bittersweetsymphonia]

Silas leaned against the wall next to the safe's opening, keeping the Thompson pointed towards Yolanda. "That's what they all say in the beginning." He chuckled.

Silas pressed a hand to activate the ear piece and spoke clearly, enough for the piece to pick up. "Alpha, I'm at the safe."

'Good,' Alpha replied. 'We're still sorting things out so stay put.'

"Got it," Silas answered before he turned back to Yolanda. "How about you open this baby up and we can chill inside? We'll be here together for quite a while." He flashed Yolanda a charming smile. "Better spend that time getting to know each other."

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Yolanda muttered something under her breath before pushing herself away from the wall and retrieving her identification, which featured a small bar code at the bottom of it. She stepped over to a small scanner protruding from the door and stuck the bar coded end of the laminated plastic underneath.

There was a pause as a red light mulled over Yolanda's offering before a dull buzz emanated. Approved. She placed her identification nack on the small hook that hung from one of her belt loops and waited until the the door unlocked and swung slowly open.

Yolanda stepped inside and took a seat on one of the benches near the side of the vault. It was decidedly warmer in the vault; no, it was stuffy. Suffocating. She removed her heavy jacket and stooped forward, forearms on knees. The dark lines of her extensive tattoo were barely visible through the somewhat flimsy material of her blouse.

[bittersweetsymphonia]

Silas entered the safe and gasped at the amount of money stored there. He'd never seen so much in one space and he looked every bit like a child at a candy store. Completely ignoring the woman for a time, he ran his fingers through the stacks of bills and the storecases that lined the walls. He pulled one open and saw that it was filled to the brim with diamonds. "Holy shit." He took out one and examined it, seeing the light reflected on its edges. Pocketing it, he turned back to Yolanda.

"Sorry you had to see that," he said with a light chuckle. Yolanda had made herself comfortable on a bench, but Silas wanted sometning more. A brilliant idea struck him and he pulled out stacks of bills to create a makeshift throne. He pulled out his phone and took a picture of it, sending it to Slanie.

He sat down on his throne and grinned up at Yolanda. "How long have you worked here?" he asked, attempting to get a conversation started.

[AllOurPrettySongs]

"No, it's fine. I love to see a grown man orgasming quietly to himself." Yolanda shot back instantly, rolling her eyes at the display.

The man - Omega, she reminded herself - was having far too good a time. She sighed quietly before straightening her posture; subconsciously, it was an attempt to retain some power. After all, she was sitting before a man atop a throne of money with a gun. Both the epitome and caricature of power.

Yolanda looked him in the eye as she responded. "Two years. I got the job after I moved here from South Africa."

[bittersweetsymphonia]

Silas nodded, biting back a reference from Mean Girls. Honestly, he blamed Slanie for having such a love for that movie, always choosing to watch it whenever it was her time to pick a film for movie night. Now he had such a girly movie stuck inside his head as if playing in a loop. He mentally cursed his younger sister and her tastes.

Clearing his throat, and his mind, he leaned forwards. "And your family? Are they here?" He wondered briefly why he'd chosen that topic. Perhaps it was because he'd thought of Slanie, the only family he had left. Oh, there was Colin and the gang too. They were his family. Their bond was stronger than that of mere blood. He smiled to himself, thinking of that old phrase - blood is thicker than water - and how it was so often taken out of context. The full phrase was 'the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb', and it suited him and his friends perfectly.