Quoted By:
" This is Mox Mimicry, still live but... keeping my voice down. Just emerged through what I can only describe as the most uncomfortably maintained ventilation shaft in the city."
[Camera drone captures Mox's final awkward shimmy out of the vent, then pans across the lobby scene]
"The lobby of Apex Spire presents a very different picture from upstairs. We've got SWAT, EMTs, and... interesting... Red Crane operatives. Working together like old friends. That's... unusual. They usually bully each other. No Fed likes working with people who don't kiss the flag and probably have better dental"
[Drone carefully moves to capture the elevator bay]
"One elevator shaft is... well, 'destroyed' might be an understatement. Initial analysis suggests a fall from the 57th floor. The impact crater tells its own story. But here's where it gets interesting..."
[Camera focuses on bullet damage near the elevator]
"These impact patterns... someone came out fighting. The spacing suggests... defensive fire? Moving while wounded, maybe? But look at the height variation - our survivor was still combat-effective after that fall. That's some serious hardware they must've been running."
[Panning to the body bags]
"Eight casualties. Carefully documented and wrapped. But notice how the Red Crane operators keep checking them? Almost like they're making sure of something. Did they lose friends today? "
[With a twitch, the camera-feed sweeps across destroyed security infrastructure]
"And this... this is methodical. Every camera, every terminal, every digital eye in this lobby has been systematically destroyed. You might think that's in the chaos of combat - but no, look. Few bulletholes, little collateral damage. That's precision strikes. Someone didn't want any record of what happened here. Do you think it happened before or after the elevator apparently crashed, chat?"
[Quick pan back to the elevator]
"Think about it - you survive a 57-floor drop, try tofight your way out while wounded, but take the time to destroy every recording device? While being shot at? Sounds desperate. Sounds maybe a smidge superheroic. Sounds a little unlikely, but I'm sure if you check your feeds tomorrow that'll be the story the insurance company gets told."
[Camera returns to wide shot of the lobby]
" If you're just joining me, am I right if I say this... this feels like watching a play where someone forgot to remove the stage directions? Everything's just a little too... precise. Now, the Red Cranes do good work, I'd never publically admit to besmirching their name, but you gotta be some top-tier security talent to defend the lobby this fiercely but forget to arrive in time to save Dr. Despango. Well, at least they got who-ever shot him up. You know. All eight of them. Not that I remember seeing any bullet casings in his office, chat... "
