The Hydros silent alarm system was triggered five minutes into the Goner's visit to the 'illustrious' establishment that was Rufo's Pawn, Lawn and Bail Bond Services. Really, the clerk didn't know what this idiot was expecting, coming into a (mostly) reputable establishment like this and trying to sell clearly stolen goods not a week after the news was talking about a jewelry store getting robbed by cape who matched her exact description, right down to the black ski mask. He just hoped that the heroes would manage to take her down without too much property damage. Even if it didn't come out of his paycheck, he'd still be the one sweeping up the mess afterwards if they got into it inside the shop.

Landing with a thud outside, the Galacterian Knight glared into the store. Her Lunar helmet connected with her right Solar arm and her Solar chestplate, tracking the heat and electromagnetic signatures inside of the shop. Her legs where set to Lunar on the left and Solar on the right.

Snapping off her solar leg she aimed down its sights, tracking the heat signature inside. Ignoring the one standing still in a state of surrender that was likely the clerk she shouted inside. "THIS IS AN AGENT OF HYDROS, YOU HAVE 5 SECONDS TO VACATE THE PREMISIS AND SURRENDER OR I WILL FIRE. 5, 4, 3..."

A look of confusion, followed by sudden hurt flashes across Goner's face. "What? I'm not here to ROB you! Shit!" She dives behind a shelf full of used DVDs and DVD players, leaving the stolen goods (and the rest of her belongings) in the duffel bag on the counter. With a deep breath, she starts charging up her power. She can't just stay here and get shot, but she can't leave without the money. That's her this week's groceries money, her getting a real costume money, her getting a new LIFE money!

The roof! She'll teleport up there and find something to whack this crazy Robo-Cop wannabe with. It's not a good plan, but it's the best she can come up with in the two seconds she has left.

As soon as Goner appeared on the roof Galacterian's aim snapped up, quickly releasing a heat based shot from the barrel of the leg, which smoothly curved over the lip of the roof, being controled to fly straight towards center of mass.

The hero repeated again. "DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE PARAHUMAN POWERS TO FLEE. IF YOU STAND DOWN YOU WILL BE GIVEN A FAIR TRIAL IN A COURT OF LAW."

Down inside the pawn shop, there's a noise like someone slamming a baseball bat against the floor, followed by a louder noise as the shelf Goner was hiding behind tips over. Plastic DVD cases and old boxy electronics crack open as they scatter onto the floor.

Almost immediately after landing on the roof, Goner gets hit. No time to dodge. She rolls on the ground clutching her abdomen, howling: "CARAJO! I'M NOT STEALING ANYTHING, YOU METAL FUCK!" Nothing broken, but it hurts. There's a two-by-four someone left here, aged from sun and rain. She grabs it, wielding it with both hands and prepares to teleport down, behind the Galacterian Knight. Right to the back of the head!

As Goner prepared to teleport down, Galacterian prapred to jump up, her lunar leg glowing with power as she inverted gravity, leaping up onto the roof. As she jumped the two-by-four cracked them into the back, sending them falling to the ground clutching their leg.

Pulling themself up from the ground they replied calmly. "That is a matter for the courts to decide. If you require a lawyer the government will provide one for you, if you do not trust the governments lawyer then Hydros will subsidise one for you."

Goner's eyes flick down to the board in her hands and then up to the Tinker trying to arrest her. Her shoulders slump and she tosses the board aside. She clearly wasn't going to be able to do anything to Galacterian with it. Other than maybe piss the robot off and get herself shot with the heat ray again.

"If I let you arrest me, can I get my stuff back from inside the store? All my clothes are in there. My phone, my ID."

Galacterian nodded, relaxing her shoulders just a tad. "Your personal belongings will be returned to you once you are no longer in custody. In the meantime they will be sealed and no-one will have access to them unless you wave that right or a warrant is given. If you understand and agree to these terms please lie down on the ground face down and close your eyes.

Assuming the other cape agreed, Alice's torso would flicker, being replaced with a normal human chest wearing a backpack. She reached in and grabbed a pair of handcuffs and a blindfold. "You're doing the right thing, I know its scary but this is the first step."

There's a moment of hesitation, with the teenage cape clearly considering trying to run. But the fight is out of her for now. She lies down on the ground and let herself be arrested. "I really wasn't robbing that place. I was just trying to sell some stuff. That's not illegal."

"I'd love to belive you, but I don't get to be judge, jury or execuutoner. My job is to take you in, if I just trusted you that you where innocent too many masters could abuse that. Now let me read you your rights."

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have a right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you either by the state, or by our own organisation if you would prefer. In order to use any of these rights you MUST actively state it and continue to use it. If you just say 'I want a lawyer' some cops will take that as a statment of face and not get one for you."

Once Goner was trussed up, GK went into the store and grabbed their stuff, returning to sit by them as they spoke. "Just called pickup, they're on their way. Want to get your side of the story out to me whilst you wait?"

Goner is quiet for a moment. She didn't remember the last half of that warning from TV. Would the cops really do that? She hadn't ever been arrested before, but she knew from experience that the cops were scumbags if you weren't white enough for them.

"I think I should wait for a lawyer. What's the difference between yours and the government ones? Do they cost money?"

"So, this kinda comes down to the whole reason for Hydros. The Protorate and wards try their best but... they're government, and that too often means that the cheapest option wins." She shrugs rolling her shoulders. "If the city pays for a lawyer, they're going to pay for one of the same five to ten lawyers that handle EVERY case. That means they have alot of incentive to just process you through the system, even if thats not whats best for you."

She paused, taking a moment to collect her thoughts. "Hydros isn't perfect, because yeah, we'll subsidise your lawyer, but until they're more official they can't fully pay for it, think of it like... half off? More than that individual heros chip in to help, but you can't relly on good people doing good forever, you need a system."

"So the difference is, in short. City will give you the cheapest possible option that just wants to get it over and done with, Hydros will pay for a proper lawyer to hear out your case, maybe get you to sign up with us as community service or a work release program."

Goner really wishes that she could see the other cape's face, to look her in the eye while deciding if this whole Hydros thing is legitimate or not. She sounds sincere and what she's saying lines up with what she's heard about good lawyers being a lot better than public defenders. But it's hard to trust someone when you're lying on the asphalt and they just cuffed you.

Ultimately, fear of the law wins out over fear of the cape.

"I want the Hydros attorney. Um. I'm invoking my right to an attorney."

Though the other cape couldn't see, Galacterian nodded, bringing out her phone again to call. "Yup control, this is GK code of the day is Mango. Local sticky fingers wants a lawyer through us.... Uh-huh. Gotcha. See you soon then."

With that, Galacterian stayed quiet, watching over Goner until the pickup crew came to take them over to the secure holding cells at Hydros HQ.