“I agree,” their leader said with a nod. “Unless there is an upset in the next match, they seem to be the most competent.”
“It’ll be good practice,” the woman commented and peered down her scope. “Our targets are from Nexus, right?”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean they are all the same,” the hacker countered. “If it was that easy, the Academy would have been closed down long ago for how many failures they pump out. If everyone fought the same way, once you learn the trick. it’s over.”
She nodded. “Still, the training has to be topnotch. To see a group in action will give us some median for their ability at least.”
“They are fun to watch in action,” Lycan admitted and cracked another beer. “The last six matches were all bores. These guys at least aren’t all huddled together and turtling across the field like team four.”
“I’ve only paid half-attention,” the hacker admitted. “Still, do you think it’s related? These guys being here and our upcoming gig?”
“I would say it’s a hell of a coincidence otherwise,” Lycan grunted and shifted in his seat for a better look at the field below. “Think about it. We’ve been here a few times. Have you seen a group of academy students make field trips here?”
“Either way, it’s not our concern for now,” the leader pointed out and drew the attention of the other three. “We don’t know all the details or the pay, but we got a million credits simply to hear the potential employer out. For now, observe them. If we can gather any information, we can use that to increase the payout and as a potential advantage.”
His companions exchanged looks before Lycan shrugged and put the beer can to his lips. “Fair enough. There’s no use jumping the gun. If we did happen to find this Kaiden guy or Chiyo girl and took them out here without knowing the full scope of the job, we could potentially lose money or the gig. They might say we already killed them so why pay for a job we didn’t take?”
“That’s why I hate the secretive types,” the hacker complained.
“That’s ironic, coming from you,” the sniper pointed out.
“Time is more valuable to me at this point than money,” he stated and closed the holoscreen. “That employer wanted a meet-up, probably to make a spectacle to convince us to take the gig.”
“Hey, now. A spectacle usually means a free meal,” Lycan stated with a wide grin. “The fancy stuff too. I can’t say that’s not worth the trip.”
“Can you really not buy your own filet mignon?” the hacker muttered.
“Of course I can.” The other man huffed, crushed the beer can, and tossed it into the trash bin across the room. “But it always tastes better when someone else pays for it, and those rich guys always have connections to the really good stuff.”
The hacker shrugged, withdrew a pack of cinnamon gum from his jacket pocket, and peeled the silver coating away. “Either way, if this is an assassination job and we had the chance to do it here and spare us hours or potentially days…” He popped the gum into his mouth and started chewing. “I’ll be seriously annoyed.”
“A truly frightening prospect,” the sniper muttered sarcastically. She looked at one of the screens. “A minute and a half left, and they have already passed our score by three hundred points.”
“Impressive,” the leader conceded. “This arena isn’t exactly a challenge to those with real skill, but I like the fact that they still take it seriously. It shows spirit.”
“Same here,” Lycan declared and pounded a fist into the couch.
“Great, he’s already drunk,” the hacker complained and blew a bubble with his gum.
His teammate glared at him. “I drank a six-pack. What kind of lightweight do you think I am?”
The hacker peered across the table at another box. “These cans have an ABV of six percent each.”
Lycan shrugged. “And your point is? I’m simply excited. The last three times we came here, we steamrolled to a win. This time, it might actually be fun.”
“And yet this is always your suggestion when we come into port,” the sniper commented, leaned her rifle against the side of the couch, and sat in the adjacent chair.
“You won’t let me get into bar fights anymore,” the man retorted and leaned back in the couch.
The leader chuckled and the hacker sighed and threw his hands up. “You’re hopeless.”
“And that is it,” the announcer cried. “With a final score of 84,900, team eight are the overall winners of the first match.”
Flynn glanced at the final scores.
Jaxon – 25,600
Flynn – 20,200
Genos - 19,900
Indre – 19,200
He sighed but his smile was still a little satisfied. It was close between him, Genos, and Indre and he was happy that he had been able to climb to number two. But damn, if Jaxon still didn’t have a hefty lead. He had to admit that like Kaiden, the ace could back his talk up with action.
He merely hated to think what it would mean to have two Kaidens running around.
Chapter Twenty
Chiyo deactivated the Genesis and had a clear point of entry to her destination. She looked across the rooftops to the agency five blocks away. The sun had begun to set and they would have to move before too long. Assuming Kaiden arrived relatively soon, they could start just after dusk.
She felt something poke at her back and spun as she reached for her blade. Kaiden held a box in an outstretched arm.
“Howdy,” he said cheerfully and popped a fried ball of some kind into his mouth “I brought you some food.”
“I…uh…oh.” She moved her hand from the hilt of her blade and put the Genesis device away as well. “Thank you. I suppose I should have been more aware of my surroundings.”
“Chief said you had several traps and trip wires set up even a couple blocks back.” He handed her the container. “I think you were more than enough prepared, but I know what to look for by now.”
She accepted the box with a nod. “I forget how perceptive you are at times.”
“It’s more how I’ve learned to be.” He took a few steps past her and studied the scene. “Is that the agency? The silver building with the blue top?”
“Yes. Fortunately, since we got here so quickly, they haven’t moved the neurotech device to a warehouse or down to earth yet.” She opened the takeaway and a familiar scent drifted from it. “Takoyaki?”
“Yeah, and it’s good too.” He held a skewer up with two of the four takoyaki balls already finished before he removed another and popped it in his mouth.
Her meal contained four skewers and a couple of cups with different sauces. “You should try this sauce with the last one,” she recommended and showed him a dark-colored sauce.
Kaiden turned. “Really? It looked like Worcestershire sauce and as I’m not a big fan, I didn’t bother.”
She tossed him the cup. “It’s similar to that but not as intense—takoyaki sauce, made specifically to be paired with takoyaki, obviously.”
He shrugged, opened the lid, and moved the last of his takoyaki to the top of his skewer before he dipped it. “So, now that you’ve had a look, how do you think this should go?”
“Honestly, you may not like it,” she admitted, opened the Japanese mayo, and dipped one of the snacks into it.
“Why’s that?” he asked before he ate the last ball. He raised his eyebrows, impressed at the taste. “That is good.”
“I’m glad you liked it.” He handed the cup back to her before they both looked at the agency in the distance. “There isn’t much room to maneuver in there, certainly if we want to avoid being detected, but I found a way to access the device without having to sneak it out.”
“I thought we already knew that. We were simply gonna use that Genesis device to download everything on it, right?”
“We were and still can, but that’s plan b now. I believe I can access it remotely if I’m close enough.” She tapped the device on her hip. “It can send a s
ignal, briefly activate the device as if it connected to another mind, and in that time frame, I can get what we need.”
“Cool. I’m enjoying this rather laidback start, to be honest. It’s a pleasant change of pace.” He ran a hand down his coat and hovered over the hole. “For the most part, anyway.”
“You were shot?” Chiyo asked and noticed the mark for the first time.
“Yeah, but I’m all right. Better than Julio might have been,” he grumbled. “Or he might have been all right too. The dude’s good at sweet talking. I only want to break a finger or something now instead of stab him.”
“That’s deescalating to you?” she inquired.
“Yeah…I was shot,” he said and picked his teeth with the skewer. “That’s damn near generous, really.”
“I suppose.” She sighed, finished one of her skewers, and picked up the second one, then blew on it briefly to cool it.
Kaiden looked over the edge at a trashcan on the street. He flicked the skewer casually into the air. The wind carried it to the receptacle and it hit the rim and fell in. “Anyway, this sounds good. So what’s the part I’m supposed to hate?”
She walked up beside him and pointed to the agency with her skewer. “I have to be close for the signal to reach. It looks like I can stand beside the building or out front, but there’s a risk that someone will get suspicious. I shouldn’t need more than a few minutes since I can simply download the data and look at it on the ship, but I’m sure the police would be on edge if someone hovered around the agency, especially after what happened.”
“Good point. So I assume you need me to cause a diversion or get their attention?” he asked.
“Yes, and I have a suggestion for that,” she answered and indicated a building nearby. “There’s a bar there, one that has a reputation for brawls. The cops usually patrol nearby because of it.”
He grinned. “It’ll need to be a big brawl to really get their attention.”
“I think it’s well established that mayhem is your forte,” she reminded him.
The ace nodded. “Oh, that won’t be a problem. Getting out of there without being caught up in it myself might be the tricky part, but I’ll manage.”
“Then if we’re agreed, we’ll move soon. The rush should start within the next twenty to thirty minutes,” she stated.
Kaiden nodded. She was on her final takoyaki skewer. “Wow, you went through those quickly.”
She chuckled and bit into another ball. “Takoyaki is one of my favorite foods, actually. I usually have to go into town to get some when we’re at the Academy.”
His smirk was a little smug. “Really? I’m glad I chose them, then.”
“It was my suggestion, though,” Chief reminded him.
He shrugged and nodded. “Good call,” he muttered under his breath.
“Either way, it probably meant more coming from you.”
“You think so?”
“Yep. I don’t even have to give you a readout. Take a look.”
The ace was puzzled but another glowing arrow pointed him toward Chiyo. She smiled as the sunset illuminated her in silhouette and certainly seemed happy and even serene in that moment.
For once, he didn’t think of the action ahead and allowed himself to simply enjoy a peaceful interlude.
“Sir, there was an accident. Have you seen the new reports?” Rei asked as she entered the room and composed herself quickly. “I’m sorry for barging in, sir.”
“It’s all right,” Gendo said, his eyes focused on the screens in front of him. “And I’m looking through all of them now. It seems something is afoot—more so than we thought.”
“All those people…” she stammered. “Who would…how could they?”
“Strategically, no one would link the Urahara group to us. We weren’t officially involved or partnered with them,” he stated as if he rattled off stock market information. “They must have discovered the projects we kicked to them. I can’t tell if they looked for those projects or hoped they would have more information on us that they could exploit.”
Rei was shaking. Whoever had broken in, they had no problem causing a scene, even if it was one that no one would find until later. “Maybe it was simply a break-in that turned violent?”
“That is doubtful,” he responded dryly as he dragged one screen across and enlarged it. “If it was merely ruffians looking to make quick cash, I doubt going to a business district with guard patrols and advanced security was a wise move. Even the most spontaneous or irrational thugs would pause at that, and the area wasn’t close to any areas with high crime rates. This seemed flawlessly planned and executed.”
She walked up beside her employer and winced at the photos onscreen. “Executed… That’s appropriate.”
“You are correct with at least one facet of this, Rei,” he said curtly as he leaned back in his chair and adjusted his glasses. “They aren’t being subtle anymore. They could have made this look like a crime for profit or left evidence to point to some other reason for their presence. But they targeted the group that worked on our projects. This is a message as well as an assault.”
“What kind of message, sir?” she asked. “That they will target us next?”
“I doubt they would escalate that quickly. They would have to know this would immediately put us on the defensive and that we’d plan for an attack like this.” He stood and strode to the window and the view of Tokyo, his hands clasped behind him. “I believe they know we will watch for whoever they are. They want to show us what they are willing to do to accomplish whatever their goals are and that if we don’t acquiesce to them, more will suffer because of our inaction.” He sighed and turned back. “This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. It’s a common fear tactic.”
Rei observed her boss. He seemed calm and collected and simply considered the issue in his head as if it were a mathematic equation that needed to be solved. It seemed rather cold, considering the loss of life, but she could see that something troubled him.
“Still, I am worried,” he stated and paused for a moment. “While it’s clear they are after us in some way, I have no idea why.”
Chapter Twenty-One
“Well, that was pointless.” Indre scowled at the scoreboard.
Team 8: 101,600 points
Team 6: 49,200 points
“No kidding. We have more than double their points.” Flynn yawned and stretched with his rifle across his back. “Did we get a bad group or is off-season merely this off?”
“The other team seemed rather young,” Jaxon noted and gazed across the arena floor at the other team, whose members sulked as they retreated into the opposite tunnel. “Perhaps they are apprentice mercenaries or something like that. Maybe they were here to see where they stand currently.”
“If that’s the case, I hope we didn’t discourage them too much,” Genos replied. “They had good form and didn’t take too much damage. They have potential.”
“It could have been an amateur team or something,” Indre suggested. “This is actually a sport with pro teams and all that.”
“They definitely need more practice, then.” Flynn watched the screen as it called for teams one and four to approach the arena. “I guess we’ll see who we’ll be up against at the end of this. Who wants to head back to the locker room? I could use a juice.”
Genos looked at Jaxon and nodded. “That sounds good. They have screens in there so we can still watch.”
As they turned to leave, their assistant waved at them and shouted congratulations. Jaxon paused for a moment to study team one when they emerged from the western entrance. All wore helmets except for the large one in front, who had wild long hair and a feral grin and pounded his fists together in excitement. They had the highest score before he and his team had taken the lead—but only by a few thousand—and even from this distance, they seemed different than the other teams he had watched and played against.
He wanted a good challenge. It would b
e a good test of skills, but something seemed off about them. It had something to do with the way they carried themselves, even the cocky one in front. There was form and a deliberation to it, not the impression of a team of people looking for a good time or even a simple perception of strength. They carried the air of professionals who knew their skills and abilities and hadn’t seen anything to put them on edge.
The ace frowned, a little uneasy at the instinct that warned him that he and the others would need to be more alert than ever.
Dario sipped the coffee in his cup and scowled at the screen in annoyance. It had taken far longer to peruse this information than he had hoped. If he had known that he would spend the rest of his night twiddling his thumbs, he would have taken longer at the Urahara building than he did.
But Yvette insisted that they wrap it up quickly. She was certainly skilled, took orders well, and worked fast—maybe too fast. Perhaps she should learn to enjoy the experience. He glanced back to see her cleaning her weapons. She’d been rather quiet since the night he’d picked her up. Eventually, he would have to make good on his promise to help her spring her former leader. He wondered if that would cause an issue in power balance. The EX-10 were a team made up of traitors, after all.
“Are we done for the evening?” she asked and snapped him out of his thoughts. She stood. “If so, I’ll retire for the evening.”
He smiled and ran a hand through his hair as he returned his attention to the screen, which confirmed it was sixty-seven percent complete. “This thing has a while to go, then I’ll ship it off to have it examined. No more work for now.” He stood, walked up behind her, and reaching into a cabinet above them. “Have you eaten yet?”
“I have a stock of replenishment bars. I’ll be fine until we’re done,” she answered.
“We’re at a rather nice hotel and the kitchen is run by a celebrity chef of some kind.” He took out a bottle of wine and closed the cabinet. “I’ll order room service. Would you care to join me for dinner?”
Animus Boxed Set 2 (Books 5-8): Revenant, Glitch, Master, Infiltration Page 76
