Okay, if anybody is waiting with bated breath on my other story... Sorry. I guess writing a story really got my creative juices flowing on other ideas. That would normally be a great thing, except that whenever I try to think of my work in progress, I keep thinking about this one. So, in the hopes that maybe I can exorcise this burning desire, I present to you a preview (pretty much my opening scene, except for perhaps some intro) of my other story. Plus, it also doubles as a reassertment of my enviable manliness, because admittedly, writing a Sonic story doesn't quite speak for it as well. Hopefully, I can then actually focus back on my other and finish it off (it's not an epic ya know) because god knows I don't wanna juggle 2 stories at once. Then I'd get freaking NOTHING done.

Now this guy I've been kicking around since 2006. Although when I say that, I mean "I had just watched every John Woo movie with Chow Yun Fat and wanted to see if I could make some awesome shootouts too." Virtua Cop just seemed a logical springboard seeing as #3 was basically the gaming equivalent of a John Woo film. Anyway, I never could choose which of the several possible plots I came up with to use to actually include most of the ideas I came up with. Now, I realize that just about every plot I had sucked except one, and all my good ideas happen to be on that one good plot. Although when I say 'plot', I really mean "a thinly-veiled excuse to have the Virtua Cops meet bad guys and shoot them." No illusions here, this is strictly for entertainment.

Ah yes, I guess I should mention that the following story of cops and robbers isn't quite as cute and cuddly as my other. Instead, it's more like violent and vulgar. Not that it really matters since all the swears are filtered anyway and you can't actually SEE the blood. But just in case, you were warned.

A ring of police cars laid siege to a Glamorous Shine Jeweler's. Officers took up position behind them, firearms leveled on the building's entrances, ready for anything to happen. Unlike the rest, Officer Becker was pointing a pair of binoculars at the building. Through the store's massive front window he could see at least four occupants taking cover behind the counter with weapons of their own leveled. Although everybody could see everyone else clearly through the window, nobody could shoot through the reinforced glass. It was a stalemate.

Becker took notice of an unmarked unit pulling into the lot. Who is that? He could only make out that the driver was male and had blonde hair. It's not the Lieutenant, Captain, or Chief... The newcomer emerged from the car and surveyed the scene. He was immaculately dressed in dress pants, suit coat, white shirt, and tie, but he definitely wasn't brass. After taking in the scene, the mystery man scanned the police line, saw him, and approached. Finally getting a good look at the man's face, he recognized him. Wait, I got it... He came up with a rank and last name, but drew a blank on the first. The man had transferred to Virtua City not even two months ago, and neither of them had really interacted with one another. "Officer Becker," the man addressed him, reading off his nametag. Obviously he didn't know him either.

"Detective... Cools, isn't it?"

"My reputation precedes me," the man replied. "Are you the officer in charge here?"

"Until SWAT gets here."

"SWAT's tied up on a call."

"The boys from the seventh precinct are gonna take this one. What brings you down here, Detective?"

"Thought I might be of some assistance. May I?" He held out his hand, gesturing for the binoculars. Becker handed it over. As he brought them up to his eyes, he asked, "What's the situation here?"

With a sigh, Becker explain the events leading up to the present. "Robbery. A unit in the area responded to a report of shots fired and caught them before they could make their escape. They opened fire on the officers and exchanged fire until backup arrived." He thumbed towards a shot-up squad car that belonged to the aforementioned unit. It was pockmarked with bulletholes and the top lights were gone. "Then they retreated back into the store. Negotiations have gone nowhere. Here we are now."

"How many are there?"

"Four. All armed. At least two have submachine guns."

"These punks have that kind of firepower?"

"Yeah. Welcome to Virtua City."

"Anybody else inside?"

"The clerk; he's wounded but alive, or so they said. They claimed he went for his gun... They won't let us take him out."

"What's the ETA on SWAT?"

"Forty minutes to an hour."

"When did the shots fired call come in?"

"About thirty minutes ago."

The detective scowled. "What are our options for entry?"

"Well, there's the front door... Yeah." He didn't elaborate on that option, as the situation was obvious. The entire front of the store was reinforced glass. Although it was meant to keep bad guys from breaking in, it also kept the police from storming the place or using snipers. The only possible entry without punching through the glass was a single door. They'd have to funnel through the narrow opening and into a hail of gunfire. Definition of 'chokepoint'. Once inside the store, they'd have to contend with a lack of cover. There was nothing to hide behind but a couple glass display cases. He rattled off the other option. "The back door's reinforced steel. No doorknob. It was not meant to be opened from the outside. No getting in that way without C4. An entry is almost impossible."

"Is the front door locked?"

"What?" Becker was taken aback by the question.

"Is the front door locked?" he repeated.

Becker threw up his hands. "Hell, I don't know. You want to go check?"

"Only way to find out." He turned and walked back to the car. He opened the door and picked up a kevlar vest from the passenger seat. Although commonly referred to as a 'bulletproof vest', anyone who knew better called it a 'bullet-resistant vest'. If someone had enough bullets and a big enough grudge, it would just slow them down. He removed his coat and put on the vest. He's not actually thinking about... However, he quite obviously was.

"Oh you're s____in' me... What do you think you're gonna do?"

"Protect and serve. We've got a gunshot victim in there bleeding to death while we sit out here. He might not have another hour to live."

"We're gonna have TWO gunshot victims if you go in there! We don't know if he's even still alive. You can't go in there alone!"

"I'm not," he replied as he pulled out his Guardian, checked to see that it was loaded, then put it back in the holster. He reached back inside the car and opened the glovebox. He took out two clips and a roll of Smarties. The clips went into his pockets. He ripped open the candy wrapping and dumped all fifteen little colored disks of sweetness into his mouth. He then opened the back door and pulled out a ballistic shield the height of a human from the backseat, which he leaned against the car. Finally, he stuck a pair protectors in his ears. He stood for a moment, undoubtedly considering the wisdom of his planned course of action. Taking a deep breath, he picked the shield back up and turned to Becker. "Keep your men back. Have the paramedics standing by."

"Aw Christ..." was all Becker could say.

Holding the shield in his left hand, James drew his Guardian with the right. Constructed of carbon polymers and ceramics, the gun was surprisingly light. It almost felt like holding a toy as opposed to a lethal weapon. However, it certainly didn't feel like a toy when it fired, especially to those on the other end of the barrel. It held thirteen .45 ACP rounds in a clip, fourteen with one in the pipe. The gun was currently in limited production, and the few that existed all belonged to the members of the Virtua City Police Department. The weapon was almost unanimously loved by the force. Nearly every officer carried one, save for a few old-timers who just couldn't retire their sidearms.

Approaching the store, he couldn't help but imagine himself as a modern-day knight. Yeah, a real blue knight... He was now just outside the store. Inside, the robbers all fidgeted. "He's coming in!" one yelled with an almost hysterical voice.

He tapped on the glass with the barrel of the gun. "Police! We have the building surrounded! Put down your weapons and come out with your hands up!" Well, an officer SHOULD always give them a chance first...

"F___ YOU!" somebody yelled back.

Oh well... He flipped the safety off and grabbed the door's handle... Time for the moment of truth. If the door was locked, that would be the end of it. He'd have to turn back, looking mighty foolish. However, the idea had not occurred to the crooks, as it was not. The door opened with a chime and he charged into the store with the shield held in front of him, making sure to keep every part of his body behind it. He expected to be promptly greeted by a hail of bullets, but the gunmen held their fire, apparently too stunned or scared by the lone police officer's actions to do anything but stare with eyes wide as golfballs.

"Drop your weapons and-"

That was as far as he got before the shooting starting. He held onto the shield for dear life as bullets crashed against it. He did nothing but stand his ground as the barrage continued unabated for several seconds, although it felt like eternity. Firing on full-auto nonstop, the two guys with submachine guns quickly found themselves with empty weapons. Now there were 'just' two handguns firing at him. The man furthest to his right stopped shooting. Apparently he was a bit smarter than his buddies and realized he was just wasting ammo. Taking advantage of the reduced firepower, James cast the shield aside just enough so that nothing stood between him and the gunman while still protecting him from the other. He raised the Guardian, aimed, and fired... The man's head snapped back... He fell against the wall and slid down.

"S___!" somebody cursed. He swung his weapon over to the next nearest robber, who was still reloading his SMG. However, the man ducked out of sight before he fired. The bullets shattered the glass display and burrowed into the wood counter. The other guy with the submachine gun, call him Hoodlum, had reloaded by now and resumed firing. This time, the weapon chattered in short bursts. Ah, he's a quick learner... James found himself wondering exactly how many bullets the shield could resist...

The other Uzi-wielding gunman, call him Crook, popped back up with his weapon now fully loaded. He moved down towards the other end of the counter. This concerned the detective. They were spreading out, making it harder to keep himself shielded from everyone. Perhaps they were smart enough to try flanking him. They were. Hoodlum made his way down the other side of the counter. James began retreated back towards the door to keep the robbers in front of him. The tall display cases around him exploded into showers of glass. The sheer amount of lead flying around made exposing himself too risky, so he simply stuck his gun around the shield and fired at Crook, who was coming up fast on his right. The angle was wrong and the shots went wide. But they came close enough to make Crook duck. Hoodlum ducked too, probably to reload. The third robber, call him Malefactor, remained where he was and fired ineffectually with his handgun.

Crook came back up, still moving. They resumed firing at each other without scoring any hits. The Guardian's slide locked open. Now I'm really in trouble... The shield required one hand to hold, so he'd have to reload with just one. He worked quickly but calmly despite the incessant pounding of bullets. With the press of a button, the empty clip dropped out. He trapped the gun between his left arm and his body, pulled another clip from his belt with the now-free hand, and shoved it into the weapon. He pulled the weapon free and thumbed the release. The slide snapped shut. He was back in the fight, and not a moment too soon.

Crook had rushed forward to take advantage of this vulnerable downtime, but instead found himself caught offguard by a loaded gun pointed at him. He went down in a burst of fire. Hoodlum suddenly reappeared jumping over the counter on his other side, trying the same thing as his partner. He succeed in getting on the officer's unprotected flank. Without shifting his position, James crossed his right arm under his left and hammered the trigger. Hoodlum stumbled into a display case and knocked it over.

Realizing he was the last criminal standing, Malefactor panicked and unloaded what was left of his clip at him to no effect. He ducked out of sight. Acting quickly, James jumped over the counter and landed two feet away from the criminal, who was still trying to shove a clip into his weapon. "DROP IT!" he commanded. Malefactor didn't comply, instead trying to get back up to his feet as he slid the clip into place. Cools charged forward and slammed the shield into the man before he could finish. He went down, the gun flying from his grasp. Despite the fact that he had no chance, the robber crawled desperately for his firearm. Oh for the love of... James aimed and fired once... The gun jumped off the floor and away from the criminal, who yelped and grabbed his hand. "Think it over, creep," he said in his best imitation of Robocop. The criminal did.

He turned suddenly, swinging his gunarm around while keeping his shield between himself and Malefactor... Crook was still in the game, pulling himself up above the counter and struggling to aim his weapon with what little strength he had left... James fired first, second, and third. Crook went down again, hopefully for good this time. However, the Guardian was empty once again. Realizing this, Malefactor made a play for his gun. "S___!" Malefactor snapped up his weapon and ran for the door to the back of the store, firing behind him as he did. He fumbled with the doorknob.

Cools had finished reloading just as Malefactor got the door open and disappeared. He didn't know what the gunman's plan was. He could be trying to escape out the back, get to the clerk for a hostage play, or just simply find someplace else to fortify himself. At any rate, he had to end this NOW. He ran into the doorway after the fleeing robber. It lead to a small hallway with a door directly ahead and one to the left. Malefactor was just ducking around the right side of the doorway ahead. He ran forward and dove to the floor, on top of the shield. It slid across the carpeted floor, carrying him through the doorway. Malefactor was backpedaling with his gun aimed at the door. They both opened fire. The criminal's bullets passed harmlessly over his head. His bullets all found their home in his target's stomach. Malefactor flopped onto a desk and rolled across it, knocking its contents off.

James stood up, leaving the shield on the floor. Keeping his weapon trained on the fallen man, he approached and kicked the gun out of his grip. The man was already unconscious. There was a commotion in the front of the store. That was the rest of the VCPD coming in. "Clear!" he shouted, stepping back into the hall to meet the rest of the force. "There's a suspect down in the... backroom..." He faltered slightly as he spotted a body on the floor through the other door off the hallway. He rushed into the room, which was an office. A safe lay open and completely empty. A bag was on the floor nearby, stuffed with what was undoubtedly the safe's missing contents.

That wasn't important now. He kneeled beside the man. "Hey! Can you hear me?" The man didn't so much as stir. He put his fingers to the man's neck and felt a pulse. "WE NEED THE EMT'S IN HERE NOW!" he shouted, as much to anybody within earshot as the officer who appeared in the doorway. He turned back to the wounded man. "Just hang on... We got you... The paramedics are on the way..." He was sure the man couldn't hear him, but he spoke to him anyway.

"Out of the way!" He didn't know who said that, but he obeyed the command. Three paramedics rushed past him and swarmed the fallen man. There was nothing more he could, so he let the paramedics do their job. He walked back through the scene in the front of the store. The robbers were receiving much less attention. Two of them still laid right where they had fallen, although their guns had been picked up. A pair of EMT's worked on the last one, but soon gave up. Realizing his weapon was still in his hand, James holstered it.

"Detective." Turning, he saw Becker approaching him. He waited for Becker to continue speaking, but he remained quiet. Finally, after looking around the store, he simply said, "Goddamn..." They both remained silent. The EMT's wheeled the clerk out of the store in a stretcher and into an ambulance. Becker broke the silence. "Is he going to make it?"

"I don't know," he replied truthfully.

"Yeah..." Becker said, as if he felt he should have known the answer. There were no certainties in this job, especially in matters of life and death. "Well, thanks to you, he's got a chance." After another period of silence, he spoke again. "Guess we better call off SWAT."

Somehow, after having about two hundred rounds fired at him, he found that funny enough to make him crack a smile. "Yeah, we should probably let them know."

With a laugh, Becker slapped him on the back. "Nice work, man! Welcome to Virtua City."

DVD commentary: I hope y'all enjoyed that, because the other action scenes are a lot more exciting. This one is actually pretty standard fare. But hey, the first scene shouldn't outshine the later ones after all. There will be more Woo-neuvers, double-gunning, explosions, destruction, one-liners, and bodies in the future. Well, if I actually finish this story that is.

Any real Virtua Cop fan would know that the Guardian was a 6-shooter, and its successor (introduced in #3) only held 9 or 10 (don't remember off the top of my head) rounds. Having 6 shots was kind of a staple of shooters, although a bit of an anachronism in the world of Virtua Cop so I changed that. It's called a liberty.

Deleted scenage:

I envisioned Smarty jumping over the counter at one point shield-first and sliding down it (the shield) while shooting some sucker. Then I remembered that he only had like 2 feet to slide. Oh well.

I also thought of Smarty actually crushing a thug under the shield, pinning him on the ground. Then he'd reach around the shield and shoot the trapped dude. Then I realized that it was pretty cold-blooded and rather close to an execution. Not exactly good cop behavior, which of course Smarty is. Maybe Rage would do that, but not Smarty. What? I'm not sadistic. Stop looking at me like that.

I freaking LOVED this idea, but it's incompatible with the scenario I had already thought up. After realizing he is the last man standing (and that he is not Bruce Willis), Malefactor reloads, sticks his gun over the counter, and blindly fires at Smarty. With the shield protecting him, Smarty simply walks right up to the counter, reaches around the shield, and shoots the oblivious guy right in his hand pointblank (Justice Shot!)