I BITE MY THUMB
like the first half of this chapter is exposition and I'm so sorry. I just need to get some stuff out to set up. Haha. This chapter kind of has bad flow. Just stick with me OTL
EDIT: Trimming and flow. sorry for everyone who had to read the first version it made less sense haha.
*tick*
*tick*
The large, industrial grandfather clock in Geese Howard's office clicked loudly, accentuating the passage of time. Outside, the sun hadn't yet risen over the horizon, but Geese Howard and his staff were wide awake. They had been preparing to meet with the Fourth Elder for the past two hours - and now the time of reckoning had come. Mr. Big had called the Yagami Clan last night to urgently request an audience. When he did so, he conveniently refrained from disclosing the finer details of what the exchange would entail. The Fourth Elder doubtless thought he was trading amnesty for territory - per their previous talks- and agreed to fly down.
*tick*
*tick*
But now, Geese Howard made it very clear to the counterparty how drastically the stakes had changed. SouthTown's kingpin had no intention of handing over territory, and especially not territory as valuable as San Francisco... Instead, he had something much more important. Someone who was currently locked in a concrete box at the bottom of PortTown bay.
*tick*
*tick*
And Iori Yagami wasn't just a run-of-the-mill family member either. Geese had done his research.
Geese Howard knew how the 'Sacred Treasure' bloodlines worked. Each channeled the flow of Orochi's power in different ways - but always through a clan heir. The strength of each individual clan member waxed and waned according to the head's ability to harness the heirloom.
Kusanagi passed about the heir-ship like a hot potato. They held massive internal tournaments every couple of years for the honor of being the vessel for the Kusanagi Sword. That was the method by which they kept the clan strong. The current Kusanagi head had reigned effortlessly supreme in their intra-clan battles for the past ten years - but his case was atypical. Kyo Kusanagi was something of a genius fighter.
Yata was more relaxed about their headship policies. They had since rebranded as 'Kagura' and seemed to be more focused on making money than their priestly duties. As far as Geese was aware - Chizuru Kagura was the only member of the Yata clan - and was quite a behemoth in her own right. She wasn't a physically powerful woman, but her amazing mind, and web after web of devious schemes made her one of the most dangerous people in the world.
And finally, the Yagami clan. The most interesting of the bunch. If the previous heir had no male children, the new one was chosen by luck of the draw. The first child to be born after the previous heir died was given the Magatama, an incurable curse, a split personality and a 30 year timer on their lifespan. If the they could overcome the limitations, they were granted ridiculous power - a power the rest of the clan capitalized upon for the remaining years of their life. Yagami heirs were batteries. Nothing more, Nothing less… but this particular battery was uniquely valuable. This battery was ridiculously strong.
Iori Yagami was theoretically worth his weight in gold. Realistically - however - Iori was only going to last another three or four years. Geese Howard wasn't exactly sure what the Fourth Elder would give for him, but that was what this meeting was for. Geese was here to assess the price of his hostage.
He eyed the old man sitting across from his desk. He was an old, wizened specimen who had insisted to come dressed in traditional Japanese garb. He was accompanied by his entourage of twenty odd red-haired men and women in suits. They were his band of advisors, bodyguards and specialists. Fitting for the leader of the Japanese Yakuza.
*tick*
*tick*
Geese observed the Elder carefully in an attempt to gauge how much he'd be willing to give for Iori Yagami. Word through the grapevine said the Fourth was almost a father to the Yagami heir… but given his current reactions, Geese doubted it. The old man had flown in this morning with his entourage of advisors and guards. Billy Kane had put a computer screen in front of them - where he played a re-run of some of the footage their chief torturer had collected yesterday. At the moment, their esteemed overseas guest was watching his precious battery gnaw off his own thumb with a cold detachment. If he felt any displeasure, he didn't show it. The old man simply folded his hands over his cane and met Geese's eyes with his own placid gaze.
"Well… this is certainly a surprise."
The old man scorned the translator to speak to Geese directly. Now was no time to add additional people, and thereby additional room for error, into this conversation. It was the right decision. The Fourth Elder's entourage lacked the composure their head retained. Some of them were already seeing red. Geese noted their reactions calmly, and responded with equal composure.
"You can deal with surprises, can't you Fourth?"
"Hmmm… I can't say I like the one you've prepared for me."
Geese Howard leaned back into his chair and took a drag from his cigar. Behind him were a small group of bodyguards led by Billy Kane. They seemed nervous, but were doing their absolute best to hide it. Obviously, they were well aware of just who the Fourth Elder was. This old man's reputation preceded him.
Even so, Geese remained calm. His own situation was dire, but not quite as dire as the Yakuza's. The Yagami family would suffer greatly if they walked away from this deal empty handed. Three more years in power was worth a lot - and if they wanted that power, they needed to retain the heir alive. Geese wasn't sure what Iori's relationship with his clan was, but the fact he had put the Pacific Ocean between himself and the rest of his family certainly meant something. He didn't dare push too far - but he certainly wanted to leverage Iori as best he could.
In any case… Geese was just as eager to strike a deal as the Fourth elder was. It was just a matter of what the Fourth would give.
*tick*
*tick*
(Ugh… I can't believe he did that.)
(Is he on drugs? Did they drug him?)
(Should we call Kagura. Fingernails grow back, but not bones…you need your thumbs to fight...)
Geese looked over to the muttering crowd. It seemed that the footage was coming to an end. Judging from the audience's reactions, it looked like Iori had just succeeded in detaching that particular part of his body.
*tick*
*tick*
The clock continued loudly. Time flowed like molasses. Geese eyed down the old man. The Fourth eyed him back. It was a contest of who would break first. Who would be the one to bow their heads and open negotiations? Geese couldn't be the one to show weakness here… There were already rumors that his organization was falling apart (it was), and if he rushed to make this deal - he would likely confirm the Fourth Elder's suspicions.
And if the Fourth gauged he was weak, then it would be very likely he'd throw his chips in with Kain. The last thing Geese needed was the Yagami family throwing their chips in with the anti-HCon coalition.
*tick*
*tick*
The footage ended. The screen clipped off, and one of Kane's men went to remove it. For a long moment, nobody dared to breathe.
...
...
"Well then, Mr. Howard..."
The Fourth interrupted the heavy silence.
Geese put down his cigar.
"I suppose you didn't just bring me here to show me snuff films. The day is young, but I haven't much time. Your proposal?"
The Elder's voice was measured, but Geese caught the undertones of impatience and frustration. This was a man who wanted his boy back, and he would give much to have him. After observing him, the Kingpin had concluded Iori Yagami was much more important to the Elder than he was letting on. He had room to maneuver, and he was going to get as much as he could for the boy in the box.
Geese grinned. He knew he could push. He made his voice nasty.
"My proposal? Sir… you're here to negotiate for your heir. I'm very happy to let him suffocate at the bottom of the bay. Besides, I feel that the Yagami family owes me an apology."
Geese felt Billy's crew staring holes in the back of his head. They were surprised. The Fourth Elder's group muttered angrily amongst themselves. Somebody ducked to speak to the Fourth Elder, but the old man held up a hand. Silencing them.
"Pray tell… what sort of infraction are you seeing recompense for? The Yagami doesn't bow it's head to anybody… and certainly not to kidnappers!"
Ah, the Elder was showing his true colors. He was gripping his cane in anger, his eyes had narrowed at the provocation. Behind him, all twenty of the Fourth's advisors glared at him - as if they could blow his head off with their gazes alone.
Geese let his enemies marinate in their rage as he took another languid drag from his cigar. The flow of the conversation had turned in Geese's favor. Time was his luxury.
*tick*
*tick*
"Well, Fourth… you know I'm a peaceful man. I don't kidnap people for no reason, and I certainly have enough respect for the Yakuza not to attack your heir unprovoked. Three years ago, I had come under the impression Howard Connection and the Yakuza were to stay out of each other's business, and for three years - I refrained from stepping on your toes, just as you refrained from stepping on mine..."
The Fourth's advisors muttered. Geese spoke over them.
"So imagine my surprise when I find one of my old associates back in town - blowing up my warehouses with funding from your very special someone. How do you want me to respond, Elder? I cannot reason with him. My only solution was to either kill him, or capture him… and for the sake of our broken alliance - I've retained him here, alive, for your collection. I believe I deserve an apology. Don't you think so?"
*tick*
*tick*
The Fourth glared at him, his face stony. However, judging from the less controlled reactions of the advisors, it appeared that Geese's accusation wasn't far-fetched at all. The group had accepted his explanation without much difficulty, and appeared to be angry at the heir for once again causing trouble.
The Fourth Elder solidified that sentiment.
"We can pay recompense for whatever building the boy destroyed. It's a small matter for us, just send us an invoice… but one thing concerns me. Is Howard Connection so crippled that the repair costs for a few warehouses is something to cause trouble over?"
Geese blinked and emitted a chuckle. He stuck the cigar back in his mouth and leaned forward over his tabletop. The Fourth's statement stung - but both parties knew they needed to come to an agreement. Geese Howard had something only valuable to the Yakuza. The Yakuza had something Geese Howard needed. The foreplay had gone sour - but that didn't mean they walked away from business.
"No trouble. Two Hundred Million will cover it. Now - onto the bigger things… My proposal for your boy. I want clemency - and I want it by tomorrow morning. I want the group Iori was funding out of my hair - also by tomorrow morning. Finally… Every trade route that runs from your new acquisition - Shanghai - to San Francisco? I want those as well. Is this acceptable?"
The Fourth Elder didn't show any emotion, however his group made approving nods. One of them even pulled out a chequebook. Geese suppressed a nasty grin. He felt like he was a mind-reader playing poker. The old man would surely give his advisors a scolding once they finished this meeting. They had made things far too easy for SouthTown's Kingpin to read the atmosphere.
Are Billy's crew making faces behind me, as well? hmm...
*tick*
*tick*
There was a fashionably long moment of consideration before the Fourth Elder sighed in resignation. He nodded to the man recording the debit in the chequebook - and motioned for another to make a phone call. His voice was tired, but he had gotten what he wanted out of this exchange for an expensive, but reasonable price. He stood to his feet. His voice was gravelly.
"Your proposal is acceptable to me. We will wire the funds now, and when you receive them - you will take us down to retrieve the heir - alive. If he is not alive... well, we will deal with that as it comes. The remaining articles of your proposal will come with tomorrow. Is this acceptable?"
Geese didn't bother to stand. He simply twirled his cigar in his fingers before eventually dropping it in his ashtray. Only when Billy tapped him on the shoulder to notify him the 'apology' funds had come through, did Geese stand to his feet and close the deal.
"Very good, Yakuza. My associate will take you to the Heir. It's been a pleasure."
So I googled and the Yakuza does 13B a year. that's IB a month, That's 33M a day... 200M is painful but reasonable.
FINALLY I CAN GET MY BABY.
We got Terry and 4th both trying to get their troublesome kids back lol
EDIT: wow I had to reorder everything because reading through it was making me cross eyesd