The shadowy council

Ookuma scowled and discarded her corrupted phone into a vat of sulfuric acid. "So Rebelle messed with a talented hacker. I assume then she'll be coming to inform me in person. Seems I'll have to consult with my allies in I.L.U. in order to get some anti-malware security. Hmm, though I can still win even with this setback. After all, I planned to use the investigation spurned by the restaurant incident to constantly drag down the opposition for next year's election. This one should go just as planned, especially with the death of Segawa," Ookuma thought as she picked up her un-corrupted main cellphone.

"So your phone got hacked?" a young girl with long multicolored twintails asked.

"It seems that way, Hilda. Are things secure?"

"Not to worry, my security system's airtight. Besides, I'm sure my father would ensure the meeting is secure.

Ookuma nodded before entering two large double doors and entering a darkened room containing a large table. The table occupied by 12 shadowy figures, one of which shot Ookuma a nasty glare.

"I'll be taking my seat here soon," Ookuma stated as she glared directly at the figure.

"I'M the one who deserves the credit! I raised you after all!" the shadowy figure boasted.

"Akuma, do not try to steal credit from your daughter. She has been proving herself far more capable of being a leader than you have," the shadowy figure at the head of the table stated.

"But I did so much in the past century-"

"All you did was kill off the rest of your family so you'd be the sole member of the Ookuma clan. Then you simply lived like a king flaunting your status as an I.L.U. founding member. Had you not produced an heir, you would have been demoted from the council and forced to surrender your depository key."

"But, my daughter plans to-"

"What she advocates for will ensure we have full control over the future population of Japan."

"Yes, by mandating that all future humans be bred in laboratories, we can assure that they are I.L.U. foot-soldiers from birth. Then, we can simply toy with the stragglers we have yet to mind-control or kill," Ookuma snickered.

"Indeed, you have done well. I now believe you are worthy of sitting on the council. Should you become Prime minister in a little over 1 year's time, you shall become the new head of the Ookuma clan and replace your father at this table."

Akuma extended his long sharp fingernails and sliced them down on the table, slicing whatever device was being used to project him at the council table.

"So Akuma has left in what the children call a "rage quit"," another shadowy figure mused as he adjusted his hat.

"Why do you pay so much attention to young'ins, Frank?" another shadowy figure fumed.

"Because it's good to learn about the world. Perhaps if you paid more attention to your great great granddaughter, she wouldn't have turned rouge, Antonio."

"And you just do whatever you want without even advancing I.L.U.'s agenda most of the time. If you weren't so powerful, we'd threaten to boot you like we did with Akuma."

"Antonio, your branch family is also an important topic for discussion now that Rika Korosekai has committed her first rouge act against us," the leader glared.

"Indeed, though I did manage to regain some control over her, however, she has powerful allies. Just a few hours ago, my phone was hacked and I lost the blackmail material I had on Korosekai. I do have said material backed up, but until the extent of the hack is revealed, I can't risk losing said material," Ookuma stated.

"So this explains the message I received from Hilda. We will indeed look into this mysterious hacker," the leader declared.

"Excellent. That fool Komachi has no idea how doomed she is."

"So how is your campaign going?" another shadowy figure asked.

"Quite well. "Even though my public slogan is "The only thing I despise more than a man is a foolish woman", I tend to frame a "foolish woman" as one that does not strictly adhere to my mantra, but leave some leeway for some to convert to my ideology. Though as you all know, I enjoy a foolish woman, and foolish men, that will blindly obey my back and call. Those true supporters are what has carried me to such great heights," Ookuma stated.

"Spoken like a true politician, here, here," the shadowy figure clapped.

"Naturally, I do hold SOME respect for some of the fine gentlemen here. Particularly the ones that don't remind me of the scum who bred me," Ookuma stated as she shot a glare at Antonio.

"Very well, Ruchi Ookuma. We congratulate you on your recent achievements. Now we must move on to the other items of discussion," the leader stated as Ookuma sat down in the chair, where Akuma had previously been before he left the meeting.

...

Once the meeting was over, Ookuma exited the room and met back up with Hilda.

"You're makin' great strides. Might even inspire little ole me to take a shot at dethronin' my dad for head of the council," Hilda snickered.

"You would make a fine council member, Hilda. Though, the chairman's spot will go to me," Ookuma stated.

"Guess I'll have to take over the EU in order to stand a chance against you in the vote. So ready to go cement your wins?" Hilda snickered as an army of I.L.U. foot-soldiers appeared.

"Just like we do every time. Let's go reward those lovely poll workers with a good microchip," Ookuma snickered as she gazed at the stack of microchips before her.

...

At Ookuma's home, Mao gritted her teeth as she did push-ups. "Damn it. If only that piece of shit didn't have those damn microchips, I could have escaped long ago. But she told me she those things are under her complete control and anyone that has one in them becomes her robot on a string. If I hadn't resolved myself to this long term escape, she might have chipped me like she threatened to. But even then, it's a struggle not to let her persona consume me," she thought.