D.C. was a ten-hour drive from Nashville, and Christina could have made it in eight hours had Kuro not demanded that they stop in Knoxville so she could get some real food, shop for more clothes than those on her back, and get some sleep. Not necessarily in that order, but Christina did as asked, pulling into a hotel parking lot in downtown Knoxville and grabbing them a room. Once they had their room, Kuro grabbed first dibs on the in-suite bathroom, deciding she was getting a bath after six years of minute or less showers. Christina let her, ducking out to go grab a couple of sets of clothes for Kuro, and some food for them.
In all, she was only gone for a couple of hours, and when Christina came back into their hotel room, she came to a dead halt, the door swinging shut behind her as Kuro stepped out of the bathroom and into her path, dressed only in a short bathrobe and towel drying her long, black hair.
"Back so soon?" Kuro asked, raising an eyebrow when she noticed Christina.
Christina blinked, and then shook her head sharply, "Uh. Yeah." She held up her bags, "Wal-Mart is a handy convenience when it comes to harboring an ex-con and I hope you like Cook Out's burgers, because that's all you're getting until regular restaurants are open tomorrow."
"I'll manage," Kuro said, dryly. She walked over, bare feet padding on the white carpet, and took the Wal-Mart bags from Christina, the towel dropping on the floor. She walked deeper into the room, upending the bags on to the bed closest to the balcony. Christina followed, setting the bags of food on the table in the corner, "… You said you were getting the basics."
"For you," Christina scoffed, digging her own burger and onion rings out. "That includes everything you see there."
"Aw, CC, you spoil me!" Kuro cooed as she pulled on a pair of sweatpants.
Christina bristled, turning away as Kuro dropped her robe. She heard Kuro pry open the package of regular white tees and bit her tongue to keep her temper in check, "I don't answer to that anymore."
"What? CC?" Kuro asked.
"No," Christina replied, popping an onion ring in her mouth. "Not since the last time I saw Chris. We… we had a fallin' out, over a business deal he was in the middle of, about five years ago. We haven't spoken since."
"Christina," Kuro said, as she walked over and dropped in the seat across from Christina. She gave the blonde woman a look, "Do you think I came to you just because we're friends?"
"What are you—"
"Nemesis Corp," Kuro spoke over her friend. "Has a habit of partnering with well to do businesses, ones that deal in anything from stock and bonds, to realty, to cars, to weapons manufacturing—anything that can be profitable. They partner with those businesses, raise the prices to the point that the owners of those businesses have to sell or go bankrupt, then buy those same businesses for their own corporation and lower the prices back to get even more customers. It's a classic con, and every bit of it is done legally, even if someone doesn't think it is. In the end, the owners of those businesses that Nemesis Corp bought out… they're left with nothing." Kuro's eyes hardened a little, as she pulled her own food out to dig into, "And yeah, I know that Cadelle Corp was one of those businesses."
Christina blinked slowly, like a cat. Kuro just shrugged and continued to eat, silence falling over the two women as they worked through their meal.
"I told him it was a bad idea," Christina said, quietly.
"Hm?" Kuro hummed, finishing off her fries.
"Chris…" Christina swallowed, and took a sip of her Dr. Pepper, "I told him it was a bad idea to get involved with Nemesis Inc. He… he told me off. Said that I couldn't speak jack shit about bad ideas considerin'… considerin' my own lifestyle. Said I was a good for nothin' criminal and that he only stayed in contact with me because he wanted to make sure I didn't get myself into anythin' too deep."
Kuro stared at her, "He said that."
"… Albeit, with a lot more cursin', but yeah."
"And… when he had to sell his company? What then? Did you call him?"
"And tell him what? 'I told you so'?" Christina snorted, "Sure, that woulda gone over spectacularly."
Kuro inhaled deeply, eyes falling shut, and then letting it out slowly. Christina recognized it as one of her cooldown methods, as she fought to keep from snapping. After a few seconds, Kuro opened her eyes again.
"When we pull this job off, Christina," Kuro said, reaching out to grab Christina's hand in her own, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Not only will Chris get everything he worked for back, but I'll see to it myself that he understands you are so much more than just a criminal."
Christina's lips ticked up, "You promise?"
"Or my name isn't Kuro Blackheart."
The next morning, Kuro gratefully did herself up with the clothes and makeup Christina had gotten her the night before.
"Did you steal all this?" Kuro asked, voice carrying from the bathroom.
"I don't like what you're accusin' me of, darlin'," Christina called back. "… And the answer's no. I bought it all. I don't particularly feel like getting arrested because of shopliftin', of all things in the world to get arrested for."
Christina finished packing her own bag, zipping it shut and looking up as Kuro stepped back into the main room. She paused, visibly looking Kuro up and down, mentally patting herself on the back for the outfit she'd put together for the woman.
Kuro was wearing a pair of blank ankle boots over faded dark blue jeans. She sported a white, low-cut sleeveless shirt and a black blazer with silver accents. Her long black hair was pulled back in a high and tight ponytail, and her make-up, as always, was done to perfection, with her eyeliner sharp enough to cut a man and lips blood red.
Christina licked her lips, then jumped when Kuro snapped her fingers in her face. She startled, straightening up sharply, and gave Kuro a sheepish smile.
Kuro, for her part, just smirked, "Like what you see, doll?"
"You know I do," Christina shot right back. "You ready to go?"
"Yeah. Let me pack away the last of my things, and we can get going to D.C.," Kuro paused. "After we get coffee."
Christina grinned.
It was good to have Kuro back.
Seven hours later, they were in D.C., and Christina was wondering if Kuro had lost her mind in solitary. There was a coffeeshop sitting on an outlet of the Potomac River called the Blue Bottle Coffee Café, and that was where they met the apparent 'downfall of Nemesis Inc.', in the form of a young man with piercing blue eyes and a sharp tongue to go with his ginger red hair.
"… You are insane," Christina hadn't broken her staring contest with the man in question. She wouldn't, not until she was sure he wasn't going to stab them in the back.
"Mm. Some people think insanity is a precursor to genius," Kuro hummed, as she sipped at her third coffee of the day. Christina was beginning to wonder if she should limit her caffeine intake, then decided she didn't want to be on the receiving end of Kuro's wrath when she went through withdrawal. Kuro set her cup down, and then smiled over the table at the young man sitting across from them, "Lucas, I am so glad you agreed to speak with us."
"You… sat here… when I was already sitting down," The man deadpanned. "I don't have much of a choice but to speak with you now, do I?"
Christina leaned over, lowering her voice for Kuro so no one nearby would hear, "Kuro. Lucas McKandless is the son of Caspian McKandless—" Christina noted that Lucas's eyes narrowed to slits at his father's name "—who is the CEO of McKandless Tech, a company that works closely with Nemesis Inc. Lucas is set to inherit and take over a company that is worth five million dollars. Why are we talkin' to him?"
"Who says I want that company?"
"Who says Caspian isn't a mark?"
Christina blinked, looking back and forth between Lucas and Kuro, who'd spoken at the same time. Lucas took another bite of his strawberry scone and Kuro sipped her coffee.
Alright then.
"How do you two know each other?" Christina sighed, exasperated.
"Before I got busted," Kuro sat back in her chair, a coy smile playing at the corners of her lips as she met Lucas's gaze, "I was working with Lucas here. He was feeding me intel to take down McKandless Tech for embezzlement, tax evasion, fraud, theft, money laundering… seeing as the statute of limitations had run out for Lucas to be able to press child abuse charges against him."
Christina blinked.
Processed.
Wondered if she wanted to go to prison for murder.
"Valid question to ask oneself, but by the time we're done with Caspian, other people will be handling the messier aspects of his demise," Kuro grinned, wolf like in every sense of how she looked like a predator stalking her prey.
"I didn't say anythin'," Christina frowned.
"Your expression was doing the talking," Lucas said, dryly. "Trust me, everyone who learns just how monstrous my father is, they all get that look on their face."
Christina hummed, "Alright then. So, what's Luke's role, Kuro?"
"Our inside man," Kuro replied. "He'll be feeding us certain bits of information we'll need to pull this job off."
"Yeah? And what information will that be?"
Kuro looked up over at Lucas, "Can I tell her, or do you want to?"
Lucas smiled. It wasn't a pretty one, with all teeth and cold promise in his eyes.
"Two and a half months from now, the president and founder of Nemesis Inc., Rago Black, will be hosting a gala to celebrate the opening of the newest attraction to hit the strip," Lucas sat back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "The Armageddon, a five-star luxury resort and casino. On the list of guests, he's personally invited to this gala, as well as it being open to the public, is nearly everyone he's ever destroyed. Konzern, Cadelle, Tategami, Hagane, Reynolds…" Lucas trailed off, eyes going distant for a moment. He shook his head and huffed out a breath, "Every big name that you saw in the headlines, the businesses and corporations that were publicized being bought out by Nemesis Inc… they'll be there."
Christina narrowed her eyes, "He's rubbin' his success in their faces."
Kuro nodded, "Mm-hm. Grade-a jackass, don't you think?"
"So, how does Lucas come into this?"
"He's got access to the casino's security system, and the list of every employee and guest that'll be at that gala," Kuro said. "Because McKandless Tech is behind the security that the Armageddon will have."
"It's essentially a knockoff of Tategami Tech's security measures," Lucas scoffed. "Because why the hell would father ever provide his own design when he can make money off of someone else's genius?"
"Uh huh, and how will we be destroyin' Nemesis Inc. by infiltratin' a party?"
"I'm not saying that until we have our entire team, Chrissie," Kuro stood up and gave Lucas a smile, pulling a card out of her pocket and sliding it across the table towards him. Lucas took it with a nod.
"See you in Vegas," Lucas smirked, and Christina recognized a dismissal when she heard one. She stood up and followed Kuro out of the shop back to her car.
"… Who else did you have in mind for this team?" Christina asked, once they were back in the car.
"We'll need a fence," Kuro mused. "Is Nefertiti still studying up at Princeton?"
So now we have Lucas getting roped in, and the location where the job will take place. Yes, I'm paying homage to the Ocean's 11 and 13 movies by having it set in Vegas.
Hope ya'll enjoyed the chapter and will leave a review! Until next time, ciao!