Chapter 21:

The plan

B.U.T.H.O / ブットホ


The day after the scorpion gang moved base, Ano returned to the Asu Industries building. He had to get everything organized and ready before he could start preparing for the final coup against his enemy. Once there, he went to his boss's office to talk to him and communicate something important.

"Mr. Asu, thank you for seeing me on such short notice." Ano said.

"Well? Speak quickly." The cold inventor replied, as he looked out at the city through the large glass windows of his office.

"I need a week to go on vacation. Although it won't be a vacation, since I'll be going to develop and research the latest improvements to the suit on my own.

"So you've finally realized your mistakes. Very good. You have one week to come back with what you need. If you fail, you will be off the project and you will stop working here."

My mistakes? What is he talking about?

"Of course, sir."

Both inventors looked at each other with their usual cold, cutting stares.

"Go away."

Ano got up from the comfortable chair in Yu's office and headed for his apartment, where he had lived for the past few months. There, he gathered various materials and gadgets he had in storage to build his suit.

Once he made sure his apartment was empty, he went down to the garage and rode up on his trusty steel steed. But just before he left, Miss Yuki appeared behind the young boy.

"Mr. Ano. I have received word that you are taking some time to investigate on your own. If you need me to assist you, please call me." Said his assistant.

"Sure. Take care."

The young boy started his motorcycle, while his young assistant looked at him from behind. She was older than he was, though.

Yuki, I wonder if when we meet again we'll be friends or enemies.

Without looking back, laden with a bag full of materials and gadgets, the young boy set course for the new scorpion’s base, where he would spend the next week preparing the final coup against Yu Asu.

As the young boy was leaving the Asu Industries building, Yu Asu himself, through the large glass window from his magnanimous office, watched Ano ride away on his wheeled weapon, which he called a motorcycle.

"Mr. Asu, Mi Ano has left the building safely." Inui reported.

"I know. Everything is going as we planned two years ago."

The next time these two inventors would see each other will be as enemies. Although that was how it was from the beginning for Ano.

****

That same day, after Ano arrived at his base in district C, the planning for the coup began. Mai stood in front of a blackboard, explaining the plan she herself had devised.

"Thanks to social networks, we will draw the attention of Asu Industries. Every time we announce a protest, they send a group to keep an eye on us."

The entire scorpion gang was gathered around that white board, each sitting in a chair with a table in the center.

Gunner was cleaning a small .50 caliber sniper rifle that took up half of the wide table.

"That's it, little guy. I'm going to let you shine just the way you like it."

Ryuko found herself embarrassed as she looked down at the floor. Everyone is looking at me!! How embarrassing!!!

The chameleon was in his own world inside the Cyber Hut. As if he wasn't there.

Ulf was lying on the side of the strategic board, sleeping.

*YAWN*

Kaboom was playing with something that looked like plasticine. Although there was no play dough for children at the base.

"Kaboom♪ Kabooomm♪♪♪ KABOOM♪!!!!. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

The coyote seemed to be the only one in that gang who seemed to pay attention to what their beloved leader was saying. As Ano watched this scene, his new leader continued to explain his plan.

"We were saving this strategy for the day we would finally overthrow my brother. We will organize multiple gatherings throughout the entire metropolis of Neo Shibuya. This way, they will have to send people to all the protest points. This will cause the security of the main building to weaken."

"And how will you keep your brother from suspecting your plan?" The young inventor asked.

"My brother still thinks I'm too naive. I've been building my personality for years."

The scorpion leader seemed very confident and proud of her plan.

It is certainly a brilliant idea, and the fact that she acted for years in the same way to make her brother think she was naive must be admired. Ano thought.

"We'll take advantage of their guards leaving the main building to break in and kidnap my brother."

"Now I know why your brother thinks you're dumb. It's because you really are." Said the wolf.

"Damn you, Wolfy...!!!"

"Your first part of the plan is brilliant. It's actually kind of impressive that you got your brother to think you're a simpleton."

The woman blushed after receiving such compliments. She went from an aggressive state to a tender state thanks to being told a positive comment about her plan. However, she completely ignored the wolf's negative words.

"It's a plan with a lot of cracks in it, though. But don't worry, I know how to make your plan work."

The young boy stood up, took the pointer from his leader's hands, and took possession of the holographic digital strategy board. He began to draw his idea of the plan instantly. In the last few months, his drawings have improved enough that anyone could understand the basic concept at least. Once he finished drawing the various phases of the plan, Ano set about explaining everything in detail.

"Five days before the coup, Ryuko..."

Ryuko shuddered at the sound of her name. Oh no!!! He said my name!!! How embarrassing....!!!!

"...on the scorpion group's social networks, will post 6 strategic points where they will call for demonstrations. These 6 points are scattered in such a way that access from one to another is relatively easy. The reason for doing this is to avoid raising suspicions. If we choose points of difficult access or with poor communication, Asu's people will be suspicious and will become more cautious. In fact, giving two days' notice will also help them think it's another Mai’s tantrum."

The leader smiled superiorly. She thought that part of the plan was the most important, and it was all thanks to her.

"Once the people gather at the demonstration points, Asu’s assets will start acting as usual and they will try to break up the demonstrations. At this point, Kaboom plays her role. She will prepare enough explosives that we will place at 2 nearby points of the demonstrations. We will call them Alpha point and Beta point."

"KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!"

"Non lethal explosives.”

“Kaboom…” Said sadly.

“We need to attract attention. You will prepare several visual explosives, several acoustic explosives, and a couple of disruptive bombs. The visual and acoustic explosives will make it look like the explosion was very large. However, there will be no damage of any kind around it. In other words, holographic explosives. At just about the same time, the disruptive bombs will be detonated. As you know, these bombs directly affect the perception of those with brain augmentation implants, which all Asu’s guards have. Coyote, you will help create those bombs."

"Yeah... I can't wait to work with Kaboom." Coyote said sarcastically.

"Kaboom????" Said the little artificer meditatively.

Ano continued with his explanation.

"When all the Asu’s agents from the other four strategic points arrive at the Alpha and Beta points, which have been alerted by the explosions, Gunner and Coyote will have to block these two bridges. You will place a truck in the middle of both roads to slow down the advance of Asu's guards and keep them away from the main building. But this won't be enough, so this time you will have to destroy the bridge on the other side of the truck so Asu's people can't get through.

"KABOOM!!!"

"Yes Kaboom, you will make those explosives too."

"Kaboom, kaboom." She smiled and folded her arms in superiority.

"While the protesters and bombs caught Asu's guards attention, both Mai and I will infiltrate Asu's main building through the garage with your van."

"HA!!! Another one of the key points of the operation thanks to my great ingenuity!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Laughed Mai out of control.

Ano ignored his leader and continued to explain the last phases of the plan.

"Gunner and Coyote, once you detonate the explosives and destroy the bridge, you should head to the Asu’s main building as a backup. While all this is going on, Mai and I will enter the building undetected. Thanks to our knowledge of the building, it will be easy for us to bypass and eliminate what little security there will be inside."

The young boy caught his breath to explain the end of the plan.

"Last and not least, Chameleon will be the ghost that will be in charge of attacking Asu's AI the moment we break into Yu's office. This will make it so that he can't call for reinforcements and we can, between Mai and I, neutralize the tyrant of Neo Shibuya."

"KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!" She shouted contentedly.

"I like your plan, Wolf. I wish there was less violence though." Said the steel giant.

"I have to admit you have it well planned. Like you've been planning it for years." Said the coyote as he put his hand on his leader's shoulder in resignation.

"WOLF!!! You're missing the most important part of an operation!!!! The name!!! Without it, this will fail. We could come up with a name like The Savior Scorpions or..."

Ano ignored his leader as she kept talking and putting absurd names to the plan.

A name, huh? What could I call it then?

"Let's make a world where everyone is happy!"

I see... So that's how it will be!

"...or we could call it operation How Smart is Our Leader, that will motivate the young people..."

"Alright!!! I baptize this operation with the name operation [Blossom]." The young boy interrupted his leader's chatterbox.

"Oooooooh!" Kaboom, gunner and even Ryuko exclaimed at how good that name sounded.

"AUUUUUUUHH!!!" Howled Ulf.

While all the members were celebrating their new plan, Coyote went straight to work on his part of the plan. There was only a week left until the day that would change the world forever. They had to hurry.

****

Ano followed the coyote and left the other members talking in the main room. Coyote was already welding various parts in the workshop they had set up at their base.

"I like that you don't waste time." Ano said.

"I liked your plan. I could see in your eyes the hatred you have towards the leader's brother. I don't blame you. Something similar happens to me."

"You also lost something because of Asu?"

"I don't know if it was because of Asu, but my parents died in a car accident when I was a kid." He said with a cold yet warm look on his face after remembering his late parents.

"I'm sorry, Coyote." Ano said without changing his usual cold expression.

"But that was not an accident. My parents were political activists, well positioned in the upper echelons of government. When they were about to legislate a law that would end the injustices of this world, someone had them killed. For years, I have been on the trail of those who organized that assassination with the intention of taking revenge and discovering the truth. But the only thing I have discovered is a code name, [Shadows]."

Ano remained silent as he listened to what the man said.

"However, it is impossible to get any closer. At least not at the moment. Once we get hold of Asu and his technology, I'm sure I'll be able to get the information I seek."

“So you’ve been seeking revenge for years now.”

“Yes. But I wouldn’t call it revenge or vengeance. I would some years ago, but nowadays I call it justice. Vengeance is the justice of the fools.”

From what he says, those shadows may be to blame for this world being rotten to the bone. If I want to save the world instead of destroying it I will have to find out more about them.

"Then let's work together to avenge our families."

"No, Wolf. Let's work together to create a world full of smiles."

"Yes... That might be good too."

The bond between Ano and his new companions began to subtly forge thanks to the coyote opening his heart. Over the course of the week, much stronger bonds would form.

At this moment, a small yellow presence began to look at Ano from a distance.

*Huhu!*