Even the slums of Akihara seemed a little more pleasant on a spring evening. A few small-fry gangs wandered the streets, making small talk and deciding how they'd pass their night. At other times, cars sped through, not stopping for anything. Occasionally, a fairly ordinary person would come through, passing by an old house without comment.
The house itself wasn't anything special. It was two stories tall, with nearly all the windows cracked. The second floor had numerous bedrooms that sat empty, with thick, black curtains over their windows. On the first floor were common areas that were filled with sheet-covered furniture. The backyard consisted of a mound of dirt, some grass, and little else. What was underneath the house was a bit more interesting. Its basement sprawled out across both the underside of the house and its backyard, with any necessary plumbing semi-hidden in the support beams. It was divided into a large storage room and an open area. This made it the perfect place to hide Nova's key members.
Even though it didn't have any windows, the Boss's office—converted from the storage room—featured few lights. While some criminals he'd met didn't like the idea of acting like a comic-book supervillain, he embraced the image. After all, it was only temporary. The only light was soft, coming from monitors adjusted so he wouldn't go blind from hours of observing them and the back of his overly tall chair, which danced with patterns of fiber-optic lights. He almost hadn't been able to convince Atsuki to rescue his chair from the previous base; just one more reason why the man was a fool. He waited, folding his hands behind him and letting his head rest there.
First to come in was Yumi, her arms crossed tightly near her waist. There were four chairs in the patch of light where his followers traditionally received orders, arranged in a semicircle. She took the one furthest to the left, looking over at the other three with a nervous gaze while her hand fiddled with her opposite sleeve.
"Afternoon, Boss!" Atsuki strode in, cheerful and confident. As he entered the semicircle, Yumi flinched away, her eyes locking onto a tile on the floor. "Hey, girl," he said, dropping into the seat next to her and slapping her on the back. "What's up?" She straightened, still not acknowledging him, gaze resolutely fixed on the Boss's chair. Atsuki laughed.
"Hello, all!" Montaile's smile wasn't dampened by his dark surroundings. He sat across from Yumi and waved to Atsuki. With a crooked smile, the muscular man waved back. "I hope everyone's come prepared for the big plan!"
"Of course we have," Black said from behind them, taking his seat next to Atsuki. His brown eye was dull and unreadable as he said, "But even if we hadn't, would it change anything? I don't think there's any stopping us now."
"There's always a weak point, Black," Atsuki reminded his younger friend. "It's not over 'til it's over."
"Well, we're all here," the Boss said. "It feels like it's been some time since we last met, doesn't it?"
"Since before our big operation at the Ministry," Atsuki agreed. Yumi shifted in her seat. Looking at her, he continued, "What a great success, huh?"
"Yes," Black said before Atsuki could continue to pester her. "I've essentially completed the Devil."
"Then why are we still waiting?" complained Montaile. "Let's return to the Ministry now!"
"As Atsuki said, there's always a weak point," Black countered. "It will be barely effective as it is. It needs more hit points, more power—power that can be obtained by gathering other programs."
"Like Navis?" asked the Boss.
"I see you remember Gospel as well." Black explained, "As you probably know, there are only so many Navis and similarly important programs we can gather in one area before we get widely noticed."
"So we split up," Atsuki said. "To different countries?"
"For some. I was thinking Jawaii is suited to a man of your temperament and talents. Montaile, you'll be on your way back to your home hemisphere. Creamland, perhaps with a little stopover in your home country if you like?"
"Oh, I like this," Montaile said, rubbing his hands together.
Yumi's head tilted up. "And where do I...?"
"You and I are staying in Japan," Black told her. "I'll have more specifics for you later." To the group, he explained, "I'll be sending you with special programs and a few viruses to help your Navis defend them. Just let the program run—it'll rip out anything it can use nearby and pipe it to the Devil."
"So we need to fight off anyone who finds us," Yumi said. "How long do we need to stay out there?"
"We got a lot at the Ministry—I'd expect only a day or two of harvesting will get me what I need," Black informed her tonelessly.
"And then, we attack," the Boss finished. "I'm happy to hear you've made so much progress, Black."
"It's what I'm here for," the hacker said. "That's all I have to say for now." His dead eye turned to the center chair. "Boss?"
"Our plans are just about to deliver us the ultimate prize," he said. "But until then, stay sharp. Dismissed."