"…and these are the IV cables for delivering the drug… Soon-a… Som..a?" Miki struggled on the unfamiliar word, pointing to the cable spool in the diagram. The diagram was of the same briefcase he had seen earlier, now open, showing its complex exterior. Countless shapes and angles cluttered the interior, bringing attention to the raised button in the center. It was almost designed for a person to want to push it.
Akira spoke up from the back, she'd taken a low slouch, and her lower back was in danger of falling off the seat. Her hat lay discarded on the chair beside her.
"It's Somnacin, sweetheart." She smiled, as if she had found some way to gain the upper hand again. "It's a powerful sedative that allows two people or more to link their consciousnesses."
"Right…" Miki said, her finger drooping slightly. "Anyway, you instert the needle into your wrist, or in my case, the stump." She said, pointing to her non-hand. "Press the button, and boom, you're out."
Hisao had been listening intently this entire time. When Miki had said they had to become the enemy to find the enemy, his entire perspective changed. If Miki was willing to do this, as were Akira and Kenji, not only would they be risking 10, possibly 15 years in jail, but also their lives. They'd also be angering whatever corporation they were stealing Suzu back from. At least, that's what he assumed. Extractors were usually hired by them, either to commit corporate espionage or to steal expansion plans or what have you.
He casually held up his hand, a signal for Miki to stop ranting. "Do we have this device?" He asked, not taking his eyes off the diagram.
"Uh, no. Not yet." Miki said, as if she were treading on eggshells. She might've well had.
Hisao was about to continue before a voice interrupted him from the back.
"Chill bro, I'm sourcing a dealer right now." Kenji's voice suddenly erupted, accentuated with a couple more key presses.
For the time being, Hisao was slightly glad that Kenji wasn't hung up on the 'feminist conspiracy' anymore. Now, he was useful.
"Do you even know if you have enough funds for this device?" Hisao continued his questioning, earning him the creaking of the chair behind him.
"It's not going to cost money, Hisao." Akira's voice was slightly distant, as if she was pondering something. She'd sat up now, slouching forward instead of backward.
"…It's going to cost a job. Typically an extraction." Miki finished, arms crossed.
"Why would they do that? Isn't it easier to get material worth for it?"
"Most of the sellers work for corporations. They're kinda like talent scouts. The corporation has it's own interest, and due to a shortage of extractors in Japan, they'll gladly give any team that comes along an audition, if they do good, they're… kindly asked to continue to do jobs for said corporation."
"And if they don't do as well?"
Akira grimaced slightly. Hisao hadn't expected her to have this much experience in this field.
"Let's try to do the best we can." She gave him a weak, perhaps even a weary smile. Akira seemed… distant on this topic. What had happened to her? For now, he let the topic drop.
Miki seemed eager to change the topic. "Well, I guess that brings us to roles." She said, taking the opportunity to sit backwards on one of the chairs infront of her, the wood giving a slight creak as she put her weight on it.
"We need to have 'roles'?" Hisao questioned, turning his gaze to Miki.
"Well, yeah. Kinda like how bank-robbers pre-plan how they're going to steal stuff."
"And we're the robbers, stealing from people's minds?" Hisao was still boggled by the other three's commitment to this. What they were doing was black and white, certainly illegal. But did having motives that were grey justify the crime?
He told that particular side of his brain, the rational side, to shut up. He may not look like it, but Hisao was a man presided over by emotion, even if he never showed it.
Miki looked up to the left, as if in thought. "I guess so, yeah." She seemed pretty unfazed about the potential, heavy crimes she was discussing. Did she not think much of the consequences? Or did the safety of one of her only friends override that particular thought?
"Anyway," Miki said, bringing the conversation back to her. "I'm the Forger." Hisao didn't need to ask her what that was, she continued anyway. "Basically, if we need to get information from the Mark, I can disguise myself as someone he or she is close to." Miki seemed like the perfect fit for this type of work, judging on how well she interacted and could influence people, namely him.
She didn't need to say it, he assumed that the 'Mark' was the target of their grey goals.
Miki was about to continue her verbal torrent before Akira interrupted her. "I'm the Architect, I design the layout of the dream we're entering." This confused him, creating a dream? How was it possible to acquire enough detail to make the subject think that they're dreaming?
"Why would you need to do that?" Hisao asked, looking behind him. Kenji made a small utterance from the corner.
"Because, depending on the job we're doing, we need to build varying constructions so that the mark can fill them with their secrets." Akira said, tuning back to that 'matter-of-fact' tone she was probably all too used to reciting.
"Alright…" Hisao said, this was new to him, but he was learning quickly.
"What does Kenji do?" He pointed the question to Miki.
"Him?" She asked, gesturing toward the enclosed cocoon of electronics they at least assumed Kenji was in. "He's the Point-Man, in charge of gathering information." Sounded like a job that fit Kenji alright, but something nagged at him.
"That's the only thing he does?" Hisao asked. Kenji either didn't care about the three of them talking about him, or he didn't hear.
"You'd be surprised how important information is in our line of work, Hisao." Miki flashed another cat-like grin, like he had fallen into another one of her traps.
So, that was all of them sorted out, or well, most of them.
"What role am I? I should guess that you of all people would make me pull my weight."
Her grin shot to the heavens. Hisao silently cursed himself for falling into yet another trap. Hisao supposed of all people, she'd make one of the best Forgers. Her hand might be an issue, however.
"Why Hisao, you're the Extractor." She said, the grin somehow remaining plastered to her face.
He didn't get the chance to ask for her to define that occupation.
"As much as I hate to say it Hisao, you're the leader." He didn't know if she was joking or being serious, but the subtle glint in her eyes confirmed it, he in fact, was the leader.
Akira gave a sage nod behind him.
He took a few seconds before responding. "Why am I the leader? I don't know anything about this kind of work." Kenji's key presses escalated in intensity after he finished.
This time, Akira herself spoke up. "None of us really do, Hisao. I'm the only one here with some experience."
"So we're making this up as we go along?" Hisao asked, slightly trembling. He didn't want her safety in the hands of people who hadn't a fucking clue what they were doing. A bunch of law-abiding citizens in criminal clothing.
No one responded to that, his genuine question going unanswered. It didn't bother Hisao, he hadn't expected an answer. He sighed. Thankfully, Kenji broke up the silence before it became too long.
"Hey guys, just letting you know we should leave in about 15 minutes if we want to meet the dealer." Kenji spoke up to be heard from across the room, snapping Miki out of her current thoughts.
"What?!, you got a dealer?" Miki was shocked.
"Yeah, that's what I said, wasn't it?" Kenji seemed unfazed at the suddenness of his proceedings. Hisao didn't mind, the sooner they got this device, the sooner they could get her back.
He wondered how she was doing. How were the kidnappers treating her? Hisao was fooling himself, of course she wasn't being treated like a princess. He started having thoughts of what he'd do to the kidnappers if they found themselves in his path.
Hisao allowed himself a small, muted smile, not exactly one of mirth. Perhaps one of excitement.