The Big Scoop [Tag: April O Neil]

Channel 6 News Station
Months Before Foot Prints


12:00 PM


Irma crouched underneath the desk, looking over at the cute guy that just recently had been hired. Average height, muscular, blonde. He was talking with someone who was holding a bundle of papers, which looked like the script for the evening news. The new guy seemed to be aware that he was being watched. He kept tilting his head towards Irma's direction, which caused her to sit upright, her fingers hovering over the keyboard, trying her best to make it look like she has been working the entire time, but the plan didn't work. The guy was fully aware that he was being watched and seemed nervous, even irritated by Irma's constant spying. Instead of a smile, he scowled at her instead, a look on his face that read all too clearly: 'What the hell is your problem', lady?

Straightening herself up and smoothing the rest of her skirt, Irma begin to type away. Organizing today's files into the database. Most of her coworkers had been exchanging odd glances. The scene must've been completely childish to them. Then again, Irma was known for her little quirks and her awkward approach to men is one of those. One of them managed to crack an evil grin. Looks like they will have a new topic to talk about besides today's current events.

Irma had never been a big Giants fan. She's always been more of an A's fan. A mug of coffee with the A's logo sat on her desk next to this month's Entertainment magazine. George Clooney getting married completely broke her heart. She had spend the whole day moaning over Clooney no longer being a bachelor. Like all the other women in the world, she never stood a chance anyway.

It was yet another busy day in the office, but unlike any other mediocre day that had led up this one, the fiery red-head had a reason to be excited. For once, April O'Neil had been assigned to something more than just the usual bland stories that put people to sleep in their easy chairs. No. This was something BIG! Being a bit of a geek, Stocktronics was a company that held her interest, and would soon be a name recognized worldwide! And she would be the first to do a report on it!! Whenever someone bought one of the up and coming inventor's products.. they would remember her face!! -- Okay, so maybe she was getting a little too carried away, but her mind was working a million miles a minute, and she seemed oblivious to the fact that the rest of the world was mourning the fact that Clooney was no longer on the market, or that her friend was going gaga over the new guy.


April slipped up to the desk where her best friend was pretending to be productive and dropped a heavily stuffed file on her desk. It would be enough to startle Irma back into the present. A huge smile was plastered on April's painted lips, her hands resting against her tiny waist. Her fiery red hair was pulled back into a neat pony tail, her banes pinned to one side. She wore a pair of black panty hose beneath a black skirt, her trademark yellow jacket covering her upper body.   The young woman was proud, and for good reason.


"Guess who just landed the story of the century?" The young woman boasted, hardly unable to contain her excitement. One would think that she had won backstage passes to meet the current boy band craze, but no.. to her, this was a million times better!

The sound of the files making contact with the desk startled Irma out of her reverie. Adjusting her glasses, she glanced at the stack of papers that is waiting to be sorted into the computer. With a look of exasperation, defeat with a mix of gloom and doom, she grabbed one file and opened up the program.

"What did you do? Win the lotto?" Irma joked as she begin to type at the file. Irma would steal quick glances at the new guy, which caused him to glance back nervously. He continued talking to his neighbor which just so happened to be Vern. Most likely he was introducing him to the workplace. "That would make for a big story. I'm sure the bosses would appreciate it." Okay, so it was a little bit snarky. But she wasn't in the mood. She embarrassed herself in front of the new guy.

April quickly snagged the very top file before Irma could mistake it as one of the documents that needed to be entered into the computer. Her friend's snark earned a little grin. That was one of the many things that the red-head appreciated about this woman, she kept things interesting and often kept April on her toes. Her personality was stimulating.


"C'mon, Irma. I know me winning the lotto would be breaking news, but.. this is something far more unusual.." She told her friend as she dug through the file and pulled out Stockman's bio. The man's photo was at the very top, looking dignified and those thick glasses reeked of intelligence. "I just 'won a date' with this guy!" The red-head squealed with the same enthusiasm of a young girl destined to meet Beiber. "The Baxter Stockman, and they chose me to do an interview, and take footage of the facility." April grinned brightly.


"Stocktronics will be the next big thing, and I'm introducing him to the public for the very first time." Yeah, this was pretty big for April and her excitement was evident. "He's kinda cute, huh?"

"Hey!" She protested, only to glance at the folder and realized it wasn't one of the files needed to organized. Saved! April's quick thinking had prevented her from getting her ass kicked out, not like she didn't care. This place is hell.

Irma looked at the picture of an African American man who seemed to be at least in his early forties. Her nose wrinkled. This guy was cute? April had strange taste in men. He wasn't pretty enough by her standards.

"I can see him in this year's cover of Vogue." Irma replied in her usual nasally, snarky tone,"Stocktronics, huh? I would be careful if I were you, April. I heard the guy can be a little difficult to work with, if you know what I mean."

Oh wow. So Irma didn't find Baxter attractive? That was strange. Normally she was the man-crazy one. But, maybe he was just too old for her. Whatever the case, Irma was certainly entitled to her opinion. Her answer was just shocking. "Yeah. I could see him as a cover model." The red-head told her friend, keeping a straight face. Stockman was attractive, but not model material. The thing that attracted April the most was how sciencey the guy is.


"Hard to work for, huh? He can't be any worse than Burne." April told her, giving a head nod in the man's direction.

"Burne?" Irma repeated, glancing at their boss, a portly middle aged man. Burne's blood temperature is rising since he has been shouting into the phone for several minutes and snapped at a poor passerby.

"His blood temperature is lower then Burne's, but from what I've heard, definitely nicer." This was Irma's way of saying don't hold your breath. She heard all about Baxter and from what she had seen of him he struck her as quite conceited. "Can't you interview someone a little less...shady?"

Could she interview someone a little less shady? That question earned a quiet chuckle from April. "Annnd, where would the excitement be in that?" She asked, sparing her friend a wink. "Maybe you're wrong about him, Irma. Nerds are usually nice. Nice is good. And 'nerd', well that's a bonus." Obviously she was drawn to that type, and her best friend was proof of that.


"I wish you could get off early. Maybe I could get you to be my 'camera woman' for the day. You would certainly be better company than Vernon.. and you could meet Stockman for yourself."

Every bone in her body is fighting the urge to say no. Sooner or later April's adventurous spirit is going to get her killed, or worse. Oh, she shouldn't think of herself. What about April? What if something bad happens to her? Weird things were happening all around the city. The rising power of the Foot Clan, the mysterious vigilantes who appear out of thin air. Anything could happen to her.

Irma sighed. She was going to regret this, but someone has to look out for her adventurous loving friend,"Okay, you win, April. But you owe me. If Stockman utters one conceited word, I'm going to have him meet my purse."

Casey had been in the area and had always been curious about Channel 6 News. After all, the building was like a monumental centerpiece of the city. Rumor had it Burne Thompson ran the show but was mean, pushy and intolerant of jackasses who don't know their ass from their elbow. He could tell that walking into this building would be against his better nature but Casey wanted to discover the news business and all the wonders that came with such a demanding job.

Reporters got the worst end of it all. Casey couldn't even imagine what it was like for April, always having to please some 'higher power' by endangering her own life and that of her friends. It was kind of like a human version of the turtles. April was the one willing to risk it all and the others just followed suit. Both were like a dysfunctional family but in a funny way. As soon as he walked in, Casey smirked. The guy behind the desk certainly felt as if this character didn't belong.

Dressed in nothing but a Gold's Gym tank top of a gray color, acid wash jeans and a pair of old Reebok sneakers, Casey stood out like a sore thumb. His long hair was tied back into a ponytail and it was clear he had just slapped this ensemble together without much thought or effort.

"Excuse me, sir. Do you have clearance? You know, to be in this building? We don't let just any Joe off the street in here...", the security guy confronted. But the long-haired, dark-eyed and muscled figure simply tilted his head and rolled his eyes. Of course he didn't have clearance. "Nope. Never needed it before. Listen, I'm sure yer job's hard enough as it is. I know someone here an' I wanna surprise 'em. I know it's against company policy or whatever but... Hey, do you like yer knees?", Casey asked with narrowed eyes.

He got the message and took a large gulp to swallow that fear in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't help it, Casey just wanted to pay one of Channel 6's best reporters a little visit. He located the floor map and thumbed around it to see where she might be located in this place. He tried one floor, didn't work. He traversed yet another floor and nada. Casey was about ready to just call it a day when from out of the corner of his eye he noticed something terrifying! Something that nightmares were made of! It was Irma.

Casey's face contorted into some sort of playfully evil emotion as he tiptoed up to Irma, where April was standing around her. Some of the office people played along. Irma was such an easy target, he felt bad -- sometimes. "Ya-Haa!", Casey shouted from right behind Irma as he wrapped his muscled arms around her waist and attempted to lift her into the air. Casey glanced over at April and winked as he lowered Irma back down to Earth. "Hey, ladies! Looks like a party goin' on in here! What's up?", he asked clueless of their 'new scoop idea' concerning a Mr. Stockman.

It was mostly wishful thinking on April's part. Her friend Irma rarely got to leave her desk and sometimes the red-head wondered if they had her tethered under there. But then something unexpected happened. Irma agreed. A smile stretched across April's painted lips. It would be nice to have someone other than just Vernon accompanying her to the job location.  She was certain that the endless flirt would be sent along, but having another female around would certainly help eliminate some of the man's unwanted passes.



"Great! Maybe if I sweet talk Burne, he will relieve you of paper duties for the day." She beamed with hopefulness in her tone. Even though Irma didn't seem too thrilled about this Baxter guy, April wanted Irma to meet him in person, so that she could experience is awesomeness first hand!


The red-head was so distracted by her excitement that she didn't even notice the 'guest', until it was too late. Suddenly Irma was lifted off her feet, and the suddenness of it all caused April to gasp. Then she saw who the 'attacker' was and despite the fact that she had just been startled, a smile stretched across her freckled face and she chuckled quietly. Yeah, April had a soft spot for this guy. It didn't matter that it looked as though a tree year old had dressed him.


"Hey, Jones." She smiled and glanced around, expecting to see a comical trail of the bodies that had been foolish enough to try and stop him. "Wow, I'm impressed. No casualties..."

Before Irma could answer, someone grabbed her from behind and lifted her in the air. She let out a startled yelp, her eyes bulging larger then normal, you'd think she resembled a frog. "You are a dead man, Jones." It was a lucky guess, but only one person can grate on her nerves and that was April's beau, Casey.

Casey Jones is like a big kid. Hell, he was more then that, in Irma's eyes he's a man child. Casey and Irma had loathed each other at first sight. Irma thinks he's a chauvinistic pig, Casey thinks she's a dull and boring. Irma would annoy him with long, boring lectures on facts and figures, hoping that Jones would be enlightened, but instead of using it for education, it became one of her secret weapons, a way to annoy Jones.

Casey smirked. "'No casualties'? Gotta gimme at least a little more credit'n that, Red!, he happily exclaimed with arms out in a shrug. It was obvious that this human being, this chauvinistic meathead, was of an older and more brutish period. Some would have theorized that Casey Jones belonged to an ancient race of cavemen billions of years ago; he would fit right in with their neanderthal culture. Irma would never miss an opportunity to remind him of that.

He brought up his arms and playfully folded them over his chest as Irma attempted to threaten him. What was this now, the thousandth time she had done so? Casey threw his head back and chuckled as the end of his tongue pressed against the wall of his jaw. Irma was something else. "Hey, babe, can't kill whatcha can't catch! So Worma, Casey insulted in a teasing manner as he slowly approached her. "Had any big, strong men hit on ya yet? My guess is... No., he teased.

Casey glanced over his shoulder at April and winked. He wondered if April was aware that these two were like oil and vinegar, and that neither would relinquish their pride. Casey would be letting every man down who had stood up to this sort of woman and he wouldn't be able to live with himself. She belonged in a library, brandishing a ruler and beating teenagers who gave her sass. Casey lifted his eyebrow at her, his lips curling into a sheepish grin.

Chuckling April lightly swats one of those large hands and rolls her eyes playfully, "Lack of casualties is an impressive thing Jones," Her smile hid the slightly exasperated sigh at the back and forth between two people she cared for greatly - but she was fairly used to this as with personalities that clashed, literally like chalk and cheese most outings with the pair of them usually had such banter -

at the very least it meant it was never boring!

And if she could encourage Casey along with them it would further dissuade any unwanted attention, comments or flirty non too subtle passes from Vernon. As long as Casey stayed off camera during any filmed bits of interviewing and facility no one would be any the wiser he was there and neither Irma or Vernon she figured would tattle.

Sides it was so exciting! And she just had to share with them both - but first had to break into the 'would escalate into more tit for tat back and forth' with excitement making her voice at least an octave or two a little higher " The day is still young Casey -" she winks at Irma here, Irma was shy and awkward in her approach to men, it did not entirely mean that she had no interested lookie Lukes' of her own, " I am just about to sweet talk Burne into letting me drag Irma off on an adventure to actually meet the Baxter Stockman!"

And her tone was that of utmost excitement.

"Face it, Ape. Casey wouldn't know who Baxter Stockman is if a copy of Darwin's Theory of Evolution landed on his head." She lightly tapped Casey's head, wondering if there is anything inside that thick head of his,"Well whaddya know, empty. Just like I thought."

Then Casey started to talk about her love life. Irma scowled. Jones really know how to hit her sore spots, and that was one of them,"Men! Who needs them! Nothing but a waste of time." Honestly, who needs them when you can soak into the bath tub with a good book clutched in your hand?

Irma was so fun to mess with. She was the equivalent of the shy little bookworm all the jocks would tease and prod about being hard on for a date. Instead of burying her nose in books maybe Irma should just dress sexy for a change - if it were at all possible - and try to live an actual life. Casey gave her a hard time but he knew deep down that if anything threatened her life he would be right there to protect her.

... He just didn't like admitting to that.

Then, April cut in and mentioned the name Baxter Stockman. Irma chimed in yet again with her quips but this time he was prepared. "Baxter Stockman? Idn't that the geek with the silly bow ties and robots?", the simple gearhead asked with a look of genuine care. Casey had heard the name. He knew the guy was some kind of 'big wig' scientist or something. Maybe he could experiment on Irma.

"'Cause if I know my faces, an' I'm pretty sure I do, this Stockman guy is pretty big news. I don't see why Burne wouldn't let you do some snoopin'. Maybe his lab'll be like the setup from Weird Science.", he chuckled. The idea of creating a woman wasn't invented in that movie but it did help popularize the concept. Geeks... They have no purpose other than to be annoying.

Irma's eyes were practically the same shape as the spectacles,"Well, so Jones can get out of the cave once in awhile." She tried her best to keep a straight face. No point in smiling just yet. So he managed to score one point, so what? She was still smarter then Jones. Jones had never picked up a book in his life, unless of course there are naked girls in the front cover.

Beasts like him need to be locked up and neutered.

"Maybe he should use you for an experiment, Jones. You'd be the perfect specimen. Nobody has captured Big Foot yet. Maybe Baxter Stockman will be the first." Irma tried to imagine Jones being tied up and being prodded with all kinds of scary looking instruments, Baxter Stockman grinning wickedly as he held Casey's still beating heart in his palm.

April raised one lean red eye brow at the back and forth, suppressing a giggle with difficulty and with even greater thought and effort another fond eye roll.

Really she would like to let them keep going, it was a little amusing and she could offer a few points to keep the banter going, but she was eager to be gone and getting on with the story - and meeting the Baxter Stockman!

"Well unless we get this show on the road any and all planning of donations to Baxter's work will only remain theoretical." She smoothly interjects again, this time her excitement not making her voice quiver or just a tad squeaky, but still she had a slight flush over her cheeks. "So hold those thoughts for a moment -" she says firmly, seriously it was always interesting with the both of them and she really did want them to wait until they were leaving to continue the by play.

thought right now, she had to sweet talk Burne.