Hello, I still have no idea who gave this prompt. I'm expecting this to be five chapters though. I'll try my best to post everything before christmas or new year. LOL emphasis on try. I have the whole story planned though. It's not beta-ed though so if you're reading, it would help to tell me what I could improve on or if there are any typos.

Enjoy!

Mike may have been too immersed in his own research that he did not hear the gunshots only a few floors down. Either that, or he was just too high up. Eventually, he found out anyway, his mother had texted him to be careful, to stay where he was and that there was a hold up in canary wharf. Being the curious journalist he was, Mike decided to completely ignore his mother's advice and go to the scene of the crime for himself. What he didn't expect was to arrive at the scene of the crime soon after he exited the elevator.

A man with dirty blond hair and a gold tooth was waiting outside the elevator. He aimed his gun at Mike as soon as the latter entered the lobby. Mike had to bite his lip hard to stop himself from showing anything more than a poker face. He did not expect that at all.

"Next to the blond boy." He growled.

Mike felt something cold and metallic on his side. He didn't have to think twice to know what it was. If it were a knife, he would have had a good chance if he fought back. A gun pressed to one's side was enough reason to surrender for any unarmed citizen. He kept his eyes trained on the blond boy the man in the ski mask had mentioned a while ago. The boy looked to be about fourteen years old, blond hair and brown eyes. The most striking thing about the boy though was the fact that he was covered in mud and was wearing a soccer jersey and cleats. If he wasn't one bullet away from certain death, Mike would have wondered what the boy was doing there.

The blond boy stared back at him with surprisingly serious brown eyes. He looked away a few seconds after and started scanning the room as if looking for a way out. There was no fear or surrender evident in his eyes. On the contrary, he looked like he was deep in thought.

As the man with the gold tooth talked in soft mumbles to his companion who was wearing a black cap, Mike scanned the faces of the group of hostages beside him. They all looked terrified, a mother hugging her child, a few college students huddled together, two old men who were holding their brief cases a tad too tight and the bank tellers standing too straight. Nevertheless, the blond boy still stood out like a sore thumb. While the others looked terrified, the blonde boy narrowed his eyes at the two men congregating to the side as if he was trying to make out what they were saying.

Soon after, the two men herded the hostages into one group like a shepherd to sheep about to be slaughtered. Because he was in the back of the group of hostages, the gun stayed pressed to Mike's side the whole time. Only a few paces in front of him was the blond boy. The man in the black cap had his gun trained on the boy's side, in a similar manner. He could not see the boy's facial expression from behind but the boy's posture seemed much calmer than the others in front of him that Mike found it almost calming to stare at the boy as they were herded to a vault at the back of the bank.

"You will stay here while we negotiate the terms of your release. Anyone tries anything funny and we will make sure you regret it."

The vault door closed behind Mike with a loud slam and he let out a deep sigh.

"What do they want with this bank? We don't have as much as other banks, even if they squeezed us dry, they wouldn't get as much" One of the women from the group said, almost close to tears. She was in a business suit, her name tag said Laura. A bank teller. Mike concluded a second later.

"I don't think they picked this bank for its assets. They picked it because of its security. From what I'm seeing, this is far from a simple bank robbery. They took us hostage for more than that."

Mike looked back at the group and just as he had expected, it was the young teen talking and he had the whole group listening, housewives, men and college students. In any normal situation, they probably would not have listened to him, he seemed the most level headed though and the rest of the people in the room were at their most vulnerable.

"Why do you say that? You sound pretty sure of yourself for a fourteen year old in a hostage situation." Mike pressed.

"In an average robbery, they would ask you to take out all your phones and valuables first. This time They didn't bother to take any, which begs the question why." He leaned on the wall behind him and sighed. "I just thought you would want to know this. it gives you more reason to be careful of the two men."

"But why should we listen to you, a teenage boy." One of the older men asked, his voice raised. He walked closer to the blond. His footsteps sounded more like stomps especially with the hard metal floor of the bolt. Mike soon realized that the old would actually hit the boy then and there. Mike walked discreetly and slowly behind the old man, keeping himself ready to intervene if a hustle between the two started.

"I gave you a logical explanation as to why. What else would you need?"

"You're with the two men aren't you? What do you want from us. Is this some sick joke?"

The older man grabbed the front of the boy's shirt, raising his other hand as if ready to punch the blond at any moment.

"This is no time to be fighting." Mike went between the two and lightly pushed the man away from the young boy hoping it was enough for the older man to stop.

"I was just trying to help you. My name is Alex. I was playing soccer in a nearby field. I saw one of the men walking down the street, he was carrying a heavy bag and I just thought I'd follow him."

"How did you know he was carrying a gun in that backpack?"

"I didn't, but it seemed suspicious for someone to hold a heavy backpack and head for a banking district so I followed him and turns out I was right."

Mike narrowed his eyes at Alex. In a way, he understood the sentiments of the man who had fought Alex just a moment ago. It was just too much of a coincidence.

Alex shrugged. "I play a lot of shooter games"

The boy must have sensed the suspicion the rest of the people in the crowd felt and Mike almost felt bad for him. He smiled and put his hand out for Alex to shake.

"I'm Mike Howell by the way, a journalist. I was doing some research in the library in the fifth floor when this happened. I want to trust you but how can we make sure you're not with them?"

Alex put his hands up. "I'm unarmed and I probably would have picked something better to wear if I were going to rob a bank." He commented. Mike could here the stifled laugh at his own remark.

Mike narrowed his eyes at the the boy who had made such a joke at such a time. "To be honest, I can't think of anything better to do in this situation. This is risky but there's still a chance this boy will get us somewhere."

"He's a teenage boy." The older man argued. "Any average teenage boy who was innocently minding his own business wouldn't have ended up in a bank like this. All they know is drugs and schoolwork."

"If you can think of a better idea then let's hear it." Mike argued.

The older man opened his mouth as if to argue and stopped himself at the last minute. "Fine, I'll listen. My name is Howard Tanner. I'm here with my daughter and my granddaughter and I love them more than anything. If it turns out you are an accomplice, I swear to god, I will make sure you don't get out of this alive."

"I won't disappoint you."

Mike looked to the corner of the room to see a mother huddled there hugging her daughter close to her and talking to her soft whispers. Those were probably the two people Howard had been referring to.

Alex looked around at the other people in the room, he made sure to make eye contact with everyone. That was enough signal for Mike to know that they should listen."First things first, we need to know what's happening. They haven't taken our phones, if anyone has cellular data, follow whatever you can. Facebook, Twitter, BBC, CNN. We need to know what the two are planning, if there are any negotiations being made and when help will be" coming."

Howard nodded. "Alright, that we can do."

"Just give me a second, I need to check on something." Alex turned back and went deeper into vault.

"Wait" Mike said as he hurried behind Alex. "What about you? Where are you going?"

"I'll be looking for a way to eavesdrop on the two."

" So deep into the vault? I'm coming with you."

"You probably won't be so useful.I'm checking the vents."

"You know, what you're doing is very suspicious. How would they know you won't ditch or sell us out?" Mike asked

At that moment, Mike heard the sound of a phone vibrating. It took him less than a second to pick out where the sound was coming from. Alex pulled out a phone from his jeans. He clicked on the speaker setting on the phone.

"Alex, there is a hostage situation in canary wharf. It's pretty near your game. I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"Yeah, I'm fine, I might go home late. I'll text you if I can make it home by dinner. I might go out with the team."

"Alright, don't stay out too late."

As Alex hang up, he smirked at Mike. "You still think I'm some spy?"

Alex would not have been able to easily pull it off if that were a trick. He had accepted the phone call without reading the caller ID. The person on the phone also sounded genuinely worried. It was either the terrorists were just really good at planting kids in hostage situations or that teenager in front of him was as authentic as the situation itself.

"Well, that was an authentic phone call. Sorry for doubting but a fourteen year old who is pretty lax in a hostage situation is pretty strange."

"Well, let's just say, I'm not an ordinary 14 year old."

Alex turned back and went deeper into the vaults, Mike following close behind.

Transparency

"I told you, you wouldn't fit in the vents." Alex said as he climbed on Mike's soldiers and into the opening close to the ceiling.

"Well, you wouldn't be able to climb in without me." Mike grunted as he pushed Alex up.

"Believe me, I'd find a way. By the way, while I'm inside, check your phone. I want to see what the robbers are negotiating with."

"Alright." Mike said as he opened the cellular data on his phone. He opened the twitter application. He had an account but he barely used it for anything other than following celebrities.

Negotiations are underway for the bank hostages.

There are still at least 15 hostages trapped in the bank vaults.

Workers from upper floors escaped through fire exit.

Nothing helpful. Mike thought to himself as he waited for the latest tweets to load. Although there was cellular data in the vaults, it was at two bars.

"Anything from there?" Mike asked as he mindlessly watched the loading wheel in the twitter app.

No reply.

"Alex?"

Did he ditch? He must have found a way out. Was he calling for help?

So many things were running through Mike's mind. He was panicking. "Alex, if you can hear me, please answer with anything." Mike said again, much louder.

Still no reply.

"We need to hurry."

Mike jumped at the voice and looked back to see Howard holding his cellphone in front of him for Mike to read.

"We are not afraid to kill hostages and we will prove it to you says the hostage taker. We have killed children before." Mike felt his blood freeze as he read the quote out loud. For some reason, it felt more real that way.

"Alex!" Mike almost screamed, the only thing he stopped him from shouting Alex's name at his loudest was the fear of the terrorists hearing him.

Still no reply.

Mike closed his eyes, bit his lips and prayed. Whether you were a spy the whole time or a boy who just wants to make it home for dinner, I pray you at least grow a conscience.

You can't fucking leave us like this.

Sorry again, for the delay in the prompt. I wanted to set the scene first before he answers the question.

Tell me what you think!