As much as Alex hated how she kept him there, her plan was brilliant. Now that he was going to be preoccupied for the next six hours, they had to work swiftly. It was daylight in Japan right now. Osiris was readying a jet to go to the quarantined island to wait for Alex. Demeter and Hephaestus were on their way to the hospital that Sakuma's mother was being held in.
Through the hive link, they agreed not to take over any of the doctors. They weren't needed right now. The best thing to do was to camouflage their way through the hospital with mild duplications from blood. Scout drones went in first and located the unconscious woman. After she was located, a scout drone knocked out one of the hospital staff for a sample of blood. Now with an hour of human duplication, it moved swiftly. Another hospital staff member was quickly subdued for the same thing to happen.
The camera feeds were watched carefully as to when to move her and when to stay put. Only when she was safely removed from the hospital did Demeter take her own sample of the woman's blood to take her place. She took a bit more than the usual to keep the ruse up for the next several hours. That was needed. She was carefully moved back into the hospital bed the mother was in, and the scout drones were able to take her back to her room. The true mother was now secured swiftly and taken to a waiting submarine that was hiding offshore.
The Sakuma drone was notified that the trap was set. Hephaestus was waiting in the hospital room in a camouflaged state. Hades and Hathor were waiting nearby, but they were securing the place that Alex was going to be staying. They were also keeping tabs on the base entrance by monitoring and studying the security guard shifts. Sekhmet and Geb had just arrived on the Japanese shores and moved swiftly to where the trap was waiting. They needed to ensure that the brother they needed to take over would show up.
The Sakuma drone showed up at the hospital first. It showed complete concern and, at first, it was denied access to see the mother. With a fit of rage, it shouted in Japanese, "This is my Mother! I demand to see her now! Since when does a hospital not allow family to see family?! This is an outrage and a demonstration of malpractice!"
"We are so sorry," a nurse said quickly. "Your mother was a victim to an attack. She is resting and stable. Your...um...father did not wish her to be distressed."
"I don't care about what my Father thinks!" the drone snapped. "I want to see my Mother."
"Follow me. I can give you limited access. Possibly an hour, at the most. It is the least I can do. Since she is recovering, and it is visitation hours, I can do this. You just cannot stay for as long as you wish," a lead doctor said. He knew how powerful this family was.
"Thank you. You don't even have to say that I was here. I just want to see her," the drone frowned. "I just want to ensure that she is fine."
"I understand," the doctor nodded.
"Can you tell me what happened to her? Please?" the drone asked.
"Well..." the doctor hesitated. At the concerned look, he relented. "she has a skull fracture that is pretty severe. As the nurse said, she is stable, but we don't know if there is any mental trauma. We didn't see any damage to the brain, but what we don't see now may show up later. It's a bit...ah...touch and go right now. We will know more when she wakes up."
"I see..." the drone frowned. It would use this information to set a trap. A cloaked scout drone followed them. When they got into the elevator, and the doors closed, the doctor was knocked out. The scout drone took a bit of his blood for the trap, and a little more was collected in a vial in case it lost the form. The doctor would now be taken into the room the other two faculty staff were being hidden in. The scout drone was quick to assume the doctor's form, and various other drones were able to easily take the unconscious human away.
The Sakuma drone was led into the room. Now the trap was fully set. Demeter was sitting upright in the bed and sipping some tea. It was what the mother would have done while recovering. She knew she would have to play unconscious, but that could wait until the others arrived. The Sakuma drone now took out a cellphone and called the next victim.
"Yasunori! It's Sakuma!" the drone hissed out.
"What do you want? I'm on a date with my man!" the brother growled in his light tone.
"It's Mother! Dad did something to her again, and she's in the hospital! Unconscious!" the drone snapped. "I need you here!"
"You are not serious! Mother was hurt?! Um..." Yasunori hesitated.
"You'll get your dick sucked later! This is Mother! You think I'm fucking with you?!" Sakuma was only known to swear if the situation was serious.
"How do you know that Father did something?" he asked.
"Why in the hell do you think I'm with Mother now?" the drone countered.
"Okay, okay! Um...do you think I can bring Nariaki with me?" the brother hoped. At the mental nudge to do it from Sekhmet, the Sakuma drone let out a long sigh. It was how Sakuma would have normally reacted to show he might be swayed.
"It's supposed to be family only..." the answer was given with indecision.
"Just say he's a cousin!" Yasunori insisted.
"Fine. Just don't tell me about your fucking adventures when you get here!" the drone growled. "Hurry up. I only have an hour window to visit her. I may get kicked out after that."
"Does Tsuneo or Toshimichi know about this?" Yasunori asked.
"Not yet. I was going to call them next."
"Hmm. You call Toshimichi. I'll handle Tsuneo."
"Okay. Remember! We just have one hour! Hurry!" the drone urged. When the call was done, the hive link applauded the performance. The phone was accessed again, and Toshimichi was contacted. He was deeply involved in a new book, but, when he saw who was calling, he took it seriously. My brother only calls me when something was dire. They spoke face to face on casual matters.
"Sakuma! What's going on?" Toshimichi asked. He had a rather deep, soothing voice that could calm and ease any situation. It was now going unheeded.
"It's Mother. I'm at a hospital with her. I only have an hour to visit," the drone said.
"Father?"
"Yes. He did it. It wasn't verified, but why else would she be here?"
"I want the hospital location. I'll leave now."
"I'll send you directions. Um...the others will be here, too. We can't let Father know we saw Mother. You know how he gets."
"I know. Any word from Hikari?"
"Not since I last talked to her. I...also saw her. When I said I was going out with friends. I left to see her. No one else knows."
"Are you fucking with me?" Toshimichi asked now.
"No. She mentioned that something big was going down. That she was a part of it. I kinda am, too. I...know of a cure that might help Mother. But, we have to move her out of the hospital. Secretly. I know, I'm being cryptic, but Mother's condition is actually worse than we know. Father fractured her skull this time. She may have brain damage."
"Oh no..." Toshimichi swallowed. "This thing that Hikari told you...it could help Mother? It can heal her?"
"It's possible, but it's VERY experimental and just as dangerous. We would have to transport her to the United States. Commander Murlow was working with vaccines, as you know. He may have stumbled onto a cure that may work beyond being an antivirus. In experiments, it showed it regenerated damaged tissues and cells. It could reverse the damage to Mother, but it may do other things, too. We don't know. I can't let the others know that I told you this. We can't let anyone else come with us. I don't know how else to tell you..."
"This is for Mother. Fuck it, I'm in. I'll meet you at the hospital. When do the others plan to appear? It may be safer for me to show up after they do."
"Yasunori wants to bring his boyfriend," the drone said with a roll of its eyes.
"Yasunori can go fuck himself!" Toshimichi snorted with disgust. "This is family only, but whatever. I don't care what he does, but he should not bring outsiders in to see Mother. Pathetic. He's likely talking to Tsuneo, I bet. They'll be showing up as a small group. Call me when they leave. It's either that, or I just wait in the lobby."
"Wait in the lobby. When I call you, it will be easier. No heavy traffic, and you can take your time to get here. Thanks for understanding."
"That's not my true worry. If you went out to see Hikari, then something bad must have happened. I want to know what happened."
"You come and see Mother. I'll fill you in," the drone promised. The agreement was made, and the call was disconnected.
"This is far too easy," Demeter muttered.
"We are dealing with children. That's why," Hephaestus chuckled. "They don't know a trap when they see one. We also outnumber them. They can't hide from us if they declined."
"It will be interesting playing out as a man," Sekhmet giggled.
"With feminine qualities, so it may not be that different," Geb smiled. They kissed softly, but forced themselves apart. Each mated pair wanted to be together, but it wasn't safe yet. Amaterasu thought to the hive mind from where she was to remind them that Sakuma did want to try and get Tsuneo as part of the group. That made them think on how to go about it.
"Maybe we can hint that something is known. See if we can get him to follow where we take his mother," Demeter mused. "Have our drone as the doctor talking to the two drones that took over the forms of the other humans. Say that they need to prepare her off-site for the experimental drug. When he sees Toshimichi with the group, he'll want to know what's going on. He would feel the need to follow."
"Very true," Hephaestus nodded. The hive link reported that Yasunori was approaching the hospital, and everyone got into position. Demeter lay back down in her disguise to feign sleep. The others in the room cloaked to hide or leave to set the next part of the trap. The Sakuma drone was now pacing the room with intense thought to show a form of distress. Tsuneo was the first to appear. His black hair was lightly tinged with gray, but it was a rather professional look to his striking features. He wasn't very filled out in the chest, but the suit he wore hid that fact. Narrowed, dark brown eyes studied the room grimly, as he thought with a rather intense expression. He was tall and lanky, but all of Sakuma's family held that trait.
"Tsuneo! Where's Yasunori?" the drone asked.
"He decided to stop the elevator. He's a fucking disrespectful pervert!" he growled. "No matter. What is Mother's condition? Do we know?"
"It's bad. Head fracture and possible mental trauma. She's stable, but that's all they know. Toshimichi will be here soon," the drone muttered. At the glance Yasunori got with his boyfriend, they both gave small blushes. "You're one ungrateful bastard!"
"We just made out, okay?!" Yasunori scoffed. His black hair was tinted with blonde tips and spiked up slightly. He was slender in the silk suit of dark blue he wore. His face had a touch of a feminine look from his mother's features, but he was as tall and lanky as the rest. His eyes were a bit more golden brown than dark, and his skin was paler than the darker tones of his brothers. The man with him was a bit more muscular in form, and he sported a black tank top with velvet blue pants. He wore his hair in the same style, but it was more black than brown. His eyes were just as black as his hair.
"Is Toshimichi here yet?" Tsuneo asked.
"He was on his way. Where he is driving in from, I think the traffic is rather bad. He's trying to get here quickly," the drone explained. Tsuneo nodded and walked back out into the hallway. It was here that the drones that held the face and form of the doctor and two associates were. They were lightly discussing a possible experimental cure, but they stopped talking when Tsuneo appeared. They lightly coughed and walked away. One sheet of paper purposely fell from a notebook with the plans to move the mother off-site.
"What's this?" Tsuneo blinked. He waited for the drones to leave, and he picked up the sheet. At what he read, his eyes widened. A new cure?! It was obviously something from Father. A location to where Mother was going to be at is marked on a map. It was listed as top secret, too. And they wanted to test this on Mother? I don't like it. I have to stop them. Right now, though, it's too out in the open and broad daylight. I would have to meet them there and show up. He pocketed the directions and walked back into the room.
"Tsuneo?" the Sakuma drone asked.
"I have to go. Call me if anything happens with her," he said.
"Where are you going?" the drone asked.
"Possible business venture. I'll fill you in later," he responded. The drone nodded and returned its attention to the disguised Demeter. Tsuneo walked out and called for a cab. A drone was already in place to transport him. Now with him gone, the Sakuma drone looked over at Yasunori and his boyfriend. Sekhmet and Geb were in position right behind them.
"It's a shame," the drone sighed. "Such a shame that you were not into women. We could have let you live, if you did. But, well, you are of no use to us this way. Sakuma does not care for you. Thanks for showing up. It will help us continue with our plans."
"What?" Yasunori blinked. Then he saw his supposed mother sit up in the hospital bed and revert into a beautiful, blond-haired woman with striking pale blue eyes. She smiled softly and nodded to the stunned men before her.
"The two of you are now going to serve us in another way," she whispered. "I am Demeter. I hope you understand. No hard feelings."
"Yasunori?!" Nariaki winced. The Sakuma drone reverted into Demeter's scout drone. The two men paled even more. This was a trap. The whole thing was a trap. Yasunori knew his father despised him for the path he chose in love. That it held no honor to the family. Despite everything thrown at him, he followed his heart. He succeeded in doing what he wanted. The only thing he could think of was that he was going to die happy. He just didn't realize how soon it was going to happen. He honestly thought that this was something his father planned out to get him fully out of the way.
"I've always loved you, Nariaki. I just...wanted to confess that..." Yasunori swallowed. He knew he was going to die, and he would show no fear. If there was one thing he gained from his father, it was the ability to be fearless when the end was right in front of him. He won't back down. Even when he and his partner were forcefully shoved to their knees for blood to be removed, his heart was pounding. He didn't even scream when they both were finally taken over. Now with the new memories being shared with one of Alex's drones from a small amount of blood, they knew the next step.
"It's time to bring Tsuneo and Toshimichi into the fold. Let's not delay that any longer," Geb said lightly. "Toshimichi is in the lobby. Let's get him here."
"Call him," Demeter said to the Sakuma drone. "Geb, you and Sekhmet should leave. Track down where the father, Hedeyasu, is currently residing. Yasunori was known to be a pest for money. We don't want to give up that façade."
"Quite true!" Geb grinned. He kissed his mate passionately before reforming into his new body. They both left soon after. When they were gone, the Sakuma drone contacted Toshimichi and had him come up.
"I saw them leave," he growled, as he walked in. "They wouldn't stop touching each other! Even a decent husband and wife would stand at a respectful distance!"
"Well, Yasunori admitted to being in love with Nariaki. I think that's why," the drone shrugged. He saw the human cringe silently, but then he shook off the feeling.
"Whatever. Anyways, what is going to happen with Mother?" he asked.
"The doctor needs to transport her. It needs to be done off of the hospital grounds, since it is an experimental and non-listed drug. It could be a liability. I can convince him to let us watch for security. Give me a minute," the drone said. It walked out the door, and a conversation was heard. Of course, the usual argument for safety ensued. At the final relenting being done, the drones walked in to start preparing Demeter for travel.
"We are leaving now? Should we wait until night?" Toshimichi asked.
"If we wait, we risk being suspicious. If we do this now, during the day, it would be easier. They always say that it is safer to be in public rather than in seclusion," the doctor drone explained. Toshimichi blinked at this, but the Sakuma drone winked. That had him nod. Various files were already changed in the system that the mother was fully recovered and released. When they approached the ambulance, it was an unregistered one from another hospital. The license plate numbers were changed out to that of a handicapped car, but done in a hospital frame. Many would not even pay attention to such details. It was tested and easily noted. They drove off to the port.
In the distance at the port, Tsuneo was waiting behind a few fishing crates. When he saw the ambulance with his mother getting unloaded, he paused. He saw his two brothers helping to assist the hospital workers. He felt outraged. They knew of this?! And they didn't tell me?! Now he knew he had to follow them to get his answers. He was led to a secured part of the docks. Quite a few drones had already taken over much of the port. He was left undiscovered, as they moved about normally.
When they got to a submarine, he gaped. There was a United States submarine here?! This was big. He recognized the insignias and design structure. Why wasn't it stopped? As he sat there in silence, he suddenly paused in shock. A drone in the form of a security guard had easily snuck up behind him and pressed a gun to his back.
"What are you doing here?! This is a classified restricted area!" the drone snapped.
"My Mother is being moved onto that submarine!" Tsuneo growled.
"Your mother? Hah! Sure. And my dog is being awarded the best actor!" the drone sneered. "You have seen too much!"
"And what do you plan to do about it?" he asked. He didn't expect the blow to the back of his skull to knock him out. Now the drone chuckled, and others came to help restrain him and carry him into the submarine. He was carefully hidden in a back storeroom for transport. Demeter was expertly swapped out for the true mother's unconscious body. She needed to stay in Japan. She had two extra vials of the woman's blood to help her until a clone could be made.
The submarine was now boarded and underway. A fresh stock of various foods were also loaded for transport. The passengers were soon underwater without any further delays. Now, as Toshimichi regarded the Sakuma drone with intense curiosity, he would get his answers. But, it would be in a way unlike anything he ever experienced before.
