Pay close attention to the times stated in blod; this means these events have happened previously, and not in line with the current tradition of only moving forward through the story. I'm starting to flesh out certain bits now things have got going.
3.30PM
Nexus Commercial Bank
Outside Bank Vault
"Nanoha," said Hayate simply.
"Mm," replied Nanoha, cheerfully, having removed her balaclava.
"Why did you bring me here?"
"I brought you here to chat with me."
"Chat?! You're robbing a bank, Nanoha!"
Nanoha held her finger to her lips, indicating Hayate should hush. "You're my friend, Hayate. I didn't want to harm anyone, least of all you. But, you are part of my plan. I might have to put you in danger, if you force me to. So, I'm here with a proposition."
"What proposition?"
"Simply put; you help me, you get rich. We all live happily ever after."
"I'm not going to help you! What on Earth happened to you Nanoha? You used to be so kind, so sweet…"
"You see this?" asked Nanoha, her voice suddenly sharp. She slipped her hand behind one of her bangs, and swept it aside to reveal a long scar on her left cheek. "I have many more like this; all over my body. This is what happened to me, Hayate."
Silence, and then: "H-How?"
"I was screwed over. Sold out, Hayate, by my allies. I've had to hide – hide for so long, all my friends abandoned. My lover – forever forsaken," she paused. "And now I'm paying them back. I'm going to take all the money I could ever spend, the money they use to wage wars, and I'm going to live happily ever."
"Who…?"
"The Government, Hayate, screwed me. I used to be in the FBI. I was an agent when I met you… you and Fate. Fate found out; I couldn't keep it from her, but I never let on to you," Nanoha paused. "While I was working for them, I touched on something I shouldn't have, and suddenly I find my contacts disappearing right and left," she faltered. "This isn't relevant; I don't want to talk about it anymore."
"N-Nanoha… what are you going to do?"
"Fate…"
"What?"
"Fate is going to come, Hayate," continued Nanoha. "I didn't pick this bank at random. Your employment here, and her team having jurisdiction over this area, is making this possible."
"I'm not going to help you, Nanoha. Whatever has been done to you – however you have been hurt… I am sorry; truly, sorry. But this is wrong, and you know it; I'm not going to make it any easier for you."
"If you don't co-operate, and this goes wrong, it's likely you and others will get seriously hurt. You care about Vita, don't you? And about Signum, Shamal and Zafira?"
Hayate averted her eyes, and bit her lip. "What did you drag them into this for? Shamal had a great career here; she was destined for management! And Signum and Zafira; our friends; they were doing so well raising Vita!"
"I told them what happened to me. They were all involved in Government, except Vita of course, and when I told them what I found out they were severely disillusioned with their chosen direction. I offered them riches. They accepted, like any sane person would."
"You're not the Nanoha I used to know. Think of what you're going to do to Fate when she finds out! She accepted you had died, that she had lost you. She cried for weeks, wouldn't leave the house for months; it nearly ruined her career. But, in the end, she moved on. You're about to bring this crashing down upon her-"
"Things change," interrupted Nanoha. "And, Hayate, I want you to stay down here. It'll be safest here once the guns start going off…"
4.02PM
Nexus Commercial Bank
Outside Bank Vault
"Ah, Manager, thank you for joining us," greeted Nanoha. "Now, if you would be so kind as to open this vault…"
The manager stood tall defiantly, her arms crossed. "You have got to be joking."
Nanoha sighed. "People carrying loaded guns rarely joke, I'm afraid. And since our schedule is tight, I'm not going to be cute about it; if you don't open the vault in the next minute, I'm going to shoot one of these hostages," she threatened, motioning at the crowd behind the manager. "And then one more for each minute thereafter that you refuse to co-operate."
"But- two senior employees are needed to open the vault," the manager protested.
"And here's the second one," said Signum, pulling Shamal out of the crowd of hostages, and moving her into place beside the manager. "Now, what'll it be? Will you make this easy for us, or are we going to have to shoot… her." Signum gestured with her AKS toward a shocked Hayate. "The death of one of your own employees would be on your shoulders."
"I- refuse."
"Really?" asked Signum, surprised. "Well, I guess there's no reason to continue our first countdown, then." She raised her assault rifle, brought it to her shoulder, and fired a burst of three rounds into Hayate's chest.
Hayate fell forward, and the hostages screamed. All colour drained from the manager's face. "Oh… my God," she said simply. "Ok, ok, I'll open the vault. Just don't hurt anyone else."
"Right, Signum, take the body upstairs. You know what to do," said Nanoha. "I'm going to supervise the hostages as they empty this place.
Signum nodded.
4.20PM
Nexus Commercial Bank
Offices
"Element, fall in," ordered Fate, and set off down the corridor, her team taking their place in line behind her. "Blue, check the room on the left. Team Red, take room to the right," she said. "Mirror under the door prior to entry.
Both teams complied, and after spying no suspects, both doors were simultaneously opened, and both rooms checked carefully.
"The room's clear."
"This one's clear as well."
"Fall in, Gold," instructed Fate. "Perform the same drill on the last two offices."
Rooms were searched, and found to be empty. Fate radioed the command post. "We've cleared the upper floor and are descending to the lobby."
"Ah, affirmative, Captain. Keep it up," crackled the response.
Fate walked down to the end of the corridor, stopping in front of the elevator that connected the ground and top floors. "Bravos, pry this open. Keep it quiet though."
Subaru and Caro stepped forward and together managed to slide the metal doors apart. Tia pulled a fire extinguisher from the wall and jammed it in the gap to keep the doors open.
Switching on the flashlight on the end of her G36C, Fate pointed her gun through the gap and then downwards, casting the beam about.
"Shaft is clear. I'm going down. Follow me, and keep it quiet," she instructed, throwing her rifle's strap over her shoulder and climbing through and down the maintenance access ladder.
4.20PM
Nexus Commercial Bank
Ground Floor, Rear Corridors
"Are the traps in place, Vita?" asked Zafira.
The redheaded teenager nodded before arming herself with her Glock once again. "Everything is ready."
"Good," concluded Zafira. "Now we wait for things to play out. And remember, Vita, aim for the legs and arms; we're shooting, if we have to, to incapacitate, not to kill. And don't hurt Fate, whatever you do; we need her."
"Okay, okay," replied Vita indignantly.
The two of them were sheltering behind a collection of overturned desks and chairs that formed a makeshift barricade that also offered rudimentary cover. In front of them, at the end of the wide corridor leading away from the bank's lobby were the chrome elevator doors that Fate's SWAT team would emerge from.
Hidden in the shaft itself was a motion detector, which would cause a radio, carried by Vita, to sound a harsh beep once it detected movement. Beside the doors were custom rigged concussion charges, and periodically down the corridor, hidden under red carpet, smoke mines.
4.30PM
Nexus Commercial Bank
Elevator Shaft
"Everyone good?" asked Fate.
Tia, Subaru, Caro and Erio nodded.
"Red, can you get these doors just wide enough apart to let Caro fit an Optiwand through?"
Tia and Subaru nodded again, and pried the doors apart just far enough for Caro to mirror through the gap.
"I see a barricade, captain, but no suspects are in view. The corridor is long with no cover," she said.
"Right," began Fate. "Red, open that door a little more, and Blue, I want a CS grenade in there each, followed by a Flashbang each. Then follow them in and clear. Go when ready."
Her instructions were executed with professional precision. The doors opened a little further, and two grenades spewing CS gas were hurled into the corridor, rapidly filling it and the attached rooms, and then two flashbangs, that exploded with a blinding light and deafening bang. Immediately, the doors were slid apart completely, and Fate darted through first, followed by Tia and Subaru, and then Erio and Caro.
Fate felt a bump in the carpet before she put her wait down upon it, and just avoided tripping the mine, but knocked into Subaru as she side-stepped, and her footing faltered, tripping a hidden wire. She grabbed Caro and literally hurled her smallest team member several paces down the corridor as thick purple fumes engulfed them. Someone tripped another cable in the confusion, and there was an enormous explosion from behind them. Fate felt herself lifted, and then hit something hard. She lost consciousness immediately.
Once the smoke cleared, Vita and Zafira stepped out from cover to survey their handiwork, only to narrowly miss being caught by a blast from Caro's Nova Pump. Before Caro could fire again, Zafira had shot the already maimed SWAT member in the hand that held the shotgun.
Before she could reach her radio with her remaining functioning hand, Caro was knocked out by a well placed whack with a rifle butt.
Vita looked down at her, and then to Subaru and Tia whom had collapsed in an undignified pile, and finally to Fate, who was lying face down on the floor.
"Vita, tie the others up. I'm going to take Fate into the briefing room for Nanoha."