November 18, 2010

While outside he was the picture of composure in his seven thousand dollar suit, on the inside Max Anders was seething. He was currently well into the second hour of discussion regarding the recent theft of information with the Board of Directors of his company via video conference. While he was CEO and controlled nearly thirty percent of Medhall stock sometimes he had no choice but make certain decisions that affected the business jointly with the Board of Directors. While he would have loved nothing better than to be rid of them the nature of his mostly-legitimate business made that impossible.

"It seems we are at an impasse when it comes to changing each other's views on this manner Max," said Donald Connelly, one of the leading Board members from the… strictly civilian section of their business. He neither knew and Max suspected would not care to know about the Empire and Gesellschaft majority control of the company. At the end of the day the man only cared about risk, projections and the bottom line.

"I'm inclined to agree with Connelly on this Anders. No one is going to change their position at this point. It's time we took a vote on the matter," said Abelard Weber. Max turned to look at him and had to fight to keep a sneer off his face. Abelard Weber sat on the Board and was usually the spokesperson for Gesellschaft interests in his company. On most things they saw eye to eye and, together with Max, held enough of a majority to push through all decisions.

At the end of the day however the Gesellschaft only cared about Medhall and the Empire in so far as they kept the money flowing. Any other concerns tended to be a… more distant consideration for their sponsors in Europe. Today Max was being unpleasantly reminded of that fact.

"Gentlemen, the course being considered here will only invite further acts of extortion and industrial espionage. To give in to these… terrorists will only further embolden them in the future. Who is to say they will not come back next week and demand even more money? This course of action is ill advised and precarious at best," argued Max, looking at every one of his nine fellow members of the Board in the eye. Two of them were under his control. The rest he would have to sway.

"We've already heard all these arguments numerous times Max," said Weber, a tone of irritation creeping into his voice. "Enough. I call a motion for a vote."

"I second that motion," said Connelly.

"The motion has been entered into the record," said another of the Gesellschaft Board members, one with a thick German accent.

"Then gentlemen, please enter your votes."

Max watched with growing dread as seven lights came up green from the monitors he was facing. Only he and the two members he controlled voted in the negative. This time he couldn't help but glare at Weber and the other two Gesellschaft members who collectively owned a bit over thirty percent of the company. They were supposed to be his brothers, his ideological allies.

Apparently for all their chest thumping about the cause, in the end the Gesellscahft only really cared about dollars and cents. Pride be damned.

"Motion passed," said Donald Connelly. "Now let's vote on the issue at hand shall we? The criminal organization known as the ABB has our medical research data for seven drugs we are developing and is demanding a monthly payout to keep that information confidential. Everyone has heard all the arguments presented by both sides. Do we agree to the pay out or do we take our chances? Esteemed members of the Board, please make your votes known now."

Max Anders grit his teeth as the votes came in exactly as he expected. Four Nays, from his power block and one of the civilian Board members breaking from the rest. Six Ayes, including every single one of the three voting Gesellschaft members.

Fools. Cowards. Every last one of them.

"Well, I for one am glad reason prevailed in this instance," said Connelly with a grim little smile. "Not the most pleasant to have to pay off these hooligans but at the end of the day this shouldn't have any noticeable impact on our next quarterly earnings report. I think we can call that a win in these unfortunate circumstances. Heaven knows things would have been much worse if one of our competitors got a hold of that data."

A win? Max had to refrain himself from lashing out and putting his first through the televised face of that soft, greedy, pride-less worm.

"Of course," said Weber, addressing everyone. "In the end the only purpose of Medhall is to keep up a healthy quarterly growth. We must do everything in our power to ensure that remains the case." Weber gave Max in particular a meaningful look when he said the last part.

"If that will be all gentlemen then our business is concluded," Max Anders said before turning off his feed. It was not procedure and it might ruffle some feathers but right then Max didn't give a damn. Rising from his seat he stormed from the conference room and headed for his office down the hall.

This was a humiliation. Not only had the damn chinks stolen from them but now the board was forcing him to pay them monthly for the favor. He could not remember the last time he had felt so betrayed, so disrespected. The only solace was the only a tiny number of people in his organization would ever know the totality of the blow he had just been dealt.

There would be a reckoning for this.

[][][]The Art of War[][][]

Far from his financial seat of power in the Medhall building Max Anders, now dressed in the armor he created for himself as Kaiser, entered a warehouse-style building that had been converted into a gathering place for the elite of his Empire. People stood up from where they were seated when they saw him. Flanked by Fenja and Menja he made for an impressive sight in his gleaming steel armor and his elaborate crown of blades as he cut towards his destination. All eyes were on him, as they should be. The people gathered here knew they had all been summoned for a reason. It was time for Kaiser to tell them of their new mission.

Without looking at anyone Kaiser walked over to a raised dais which held an impressively large metal throne that he had created himself. People stood and watched him anxiously. Lieutenants, capes, everyone that truly mattered in his organization. They had all come when he'd summoned them. He needed them here to hear what he had to say.

Standing next to his throne and standing in the commanding fashion his father had shown him Kaiser made them wait in silence until the tension in the room rose to a fever pitch. He was in his environment. This is what he was the best at. When he felt the moment was finally right Kaiser began to speak.

"My brothers," he said in a voice designed to project as he began his speech. "For years now our Empire has tolerated an uneasy truce in this city. A truce that, while necessary, had been distasteful for all of us. The truce has been uneasy because it has been with degenerates who do nothing but spread their sloth, their depravity and their filth across this fair city that we have vowed to protect. This fair city that we have vowed to save."

Kaiser let his words hang in the air while he gauged the mood in the room. With a few sentences he could see he had grabbed their attention. Anger was being stoked while they clung to his every word. Satisfied Kaiser pressed on.

"I am, of course, talking about the blight known as the ABB. Lung is nothing but a mad beast. Mad, but powerful. My strategy has been to gather the strength of our people while the dragon did nothing but sit on top of his perceived treasure, doing nothing with his power but occasionally brutalizing the communities of good, decent, hardworking people. If we struck before we were ready we may have risked disaster. However this was not I situation that I, nor anyone else here, would have been satisfied to leave alone forever,"

"Well my brothers I am here to tell you now: The Empire is now ready to face that rabid animal and take from him what should have been ours all along!"

Cheers went up from one or two people at first, and in moments the whole warehouse was roaring with their approval. Kaiser basked in their adulation. The Empire had grown stronger while Lung had stagnated. They had more money, more guns, more equipment, more manpower. They had everything they needed to do this. It was about time someone stepped up and took that dragon down a peg or two.

"The stalemate between the Empire and the ABB had gone on for too long. When all is said and done the Empire will be larger, stronger, and with more of the good people in this city living under our protection. I tell you now my brothers… be ready for a righteous war. Because we will bring righteous war to the subhuman criminals who dare infest our fair city. So prepare yourselves. From here on, we march towards victory!"

The crowd erupted in fresh cheers, loud enough to shake the building they were in. While outwardly he was pleased on the inside his mind couldn't help but think of what he would do next. First he would need to free Cricket and Stormtiger. Then he would need to start taking ABB territory in such a way that it would be impossible for Lung and Oni Lee to effectively respond. Finally he would have to make an example of this new cape that had dared to steal from him and humiliate him. That new cape that was almost certainly working for the ABB. This… Kuro.

If need be he would even hire outside help. It was time to cut the legs out from the ABB. When the smoke cleared and the war ended Kaiser intended to make sure he was the one who came out on top.

Whatever the cost.

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