Chapter 1: Shadows
It was a cold misty night in September when Oguma, an adult red deer and CEO of the Horns Conglomerate was having a meeting with several other animals.
"So Mr. Oguma, am I right to assume that everything is going according to the schedule?" a rather large male Tiger in a pristine business suit said.
"Of course," Oguma answered. "We've collected all the necessary materials and they are being delivered as we speak."
"That's good," An older goat gentleman in a scientist uniform said as he stroked his beard. "Thanks to this, we may even move ahead of schedule."
"That all depends on you," an admittedly sexy red fox woman in a green dress said before taking a sip of wine. "Of course, I'm always happy to do my part. Let me know if you ever need any of my boys for extra security."
"Your 'boys' would more likely cause us more trouble," a female swan wearing a black shirt, purple leather jacket, and a purple hat said as she adjusted her small glasses.
"That's what happens when you hire guys who are all muscle and no brains," a muscular panda in a yellow colored shirt and blue jeans said as he smoked his cigar.
"Ironic, coming from you," a male brown horse with black hair said.
He was wearing a black polo shirt, navy blue pants, black shoes, and a red tie. His hair was combed to the side, but he let the front of it fall a bit in front of his face, giving him a more flamboyant look.
"Still, you can't deny their value," he said as he shrugged his shoulders. "Guys like that are easy to come by and they're cheap. Which means hiring as many as possible is hardly a concern."
Oguma let out a cough, getting everyone's attention.
"Well then, if everything is in order, I say we can bring this meeting to a close," He said calmly before standing up, prompting the others to do the same. "May the father of understanding guide us!"
"May the father of understanding guide us!" the others responded.
One by one, the other animals left the room until Oguma was the only one left. Now that he was alone, he got up and headed to his office. Unbeknownst to him however, he was being watched.
Outside the building on a rooftop across the street was someone in a black hooded robe with gray highlights that covered everything except their muzzle, his gray wolf tail swaying in the breeze.
He watched as the animals who Oguma was meeting with left the company building. Now that he was sure the red deer was alone, he made his move.
The canine looked to his left, where there were five more different colored robed figures who also had everything but their muzzles hidden, surveying the area.
One was in a tree and was wearing a dark brown robe. Two were on top of one fence that surrounded the building. One was wearing a maroon robe and the other was wearing a dark blue robe.
One was walking through the streets surrounded by the usual city crowd. His was a dark green robe that looked more like a hoodie. The last one was on top of a separate building wearing a dark purple robe.
He signaled to his partner on the other rooftop, who in turn, signaled the others. As his allies got into position, he climbed the nearby telephone pole and used the wires to cross the street.
At his command, the two allies who were on the fence snuck behind the two cheetah guards protecting the building's entrance.
SCHWING
They slit their throats with their hidden blades before hiding their bodies in the bushes.
With them out of the way, the black robed figure signaled to his partner on the rooftop. They opened up the laptop they brought with them and started hacking the security system. It only took a minute to disable all the cameras and automatic doors. With them down, the hacker gave his leader the thumbs up to proceed.
The wolf nodded and climbed into the building through one of the windows. He was still two floors below Oguma, but with the security down, it wasn't an issue. He made it to the stairs without a problem and after making sure there weren't any guards, he went up to the next floor.
This floor was a bit more challenging since there were more guards than there should have been. However, this presented the figure with an opportunity. He found a lone kangaroo guard that he lured towards him.
SWISH
He ended the animal's life before taking his clothes. With his disguise in hand, he hurried to Oguma's office.
Upon arriving, He relieved the last guard of his post. He then entered the office where he saw Oguma doing some paperwork.
"I'd ask why you're here and tell you to get on with it, but I could use a distraction," the red deer said, not even looking up at his visitor. "Ironic isn't it? We work hard to have easy lives, yet no matter how much money or power we get, we can never escape the paperwork. Truly, it is the bane of all animal kind. Anyway, is there something you need?"
The disguised figure closed the door before walking up to the herbivore. He brandished his hidden blade, ensuring Oguma could see it.
Oguma looked at the figure and as soon as he saw the blade, he stood up. However, it was already too late.
SQWELP