Rhinonia, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, 2014
After having been taken away from their homes in Los Santos, San Andreas, Franklin, Michael and Trevor each took up residence in the homes they managed to find in Rhinonia. Michael took up residence in Alex's former mansion, Franklin took up residence in Tank's former house, and Trevor managed to get a new house built at Nook's Homes, which was being run by a human man named Samuel Norris after all the animals and humans disappeared from Rhinonia.
Franklin was currently in the middle of doing push-ups inside his new Rhinonia home when he suddenly got a text from Michael. Franklin stopped doing push-ups and pulled out his phone to check the next Michael sent him.
"Meet me and Trevor at my place. We got business to talk. – M" The text read. Franklin put away his phone again and proceeded to start walking over to Michael's house before knocking on the door, then went inside. As Franklin went through the hallway, he ran into Michael's wife, Amanda.
"Hey, Mrs. De Santa. How you doin'?" Franklin greeted Amanda in a friendly tone of voice.
"Oh, hello, Franklin. And please, call me Amanda." Amanda greeted Franklin back in an equally friendly tone of voice. "I'm fine. Michael is in the living room with Trevor." She informed him as she proceeded to head upstairs.
"A'ight, thanks." Franklin replied as he walked over to the living room, where Michael and Trevor were sitting on the couch.
"Hey, Frank. Glad you could make it, kid. Have a seat." Michael told Franklin as he gestured for him to take a seat, which Franklin did.
"So what did y'all want to talk about?" Franklin asked Michael and Trevor.
"Well, Franklin, I think it's needless to say that the ways to make money in this world are the most boring ways to make money ever! Catching bugs and fish, digging up fossils, and all those other stupid fucking things? Is this really what we want to be doing with our new lives in this cutesy shithole?" Trevor asked, cutting straight to the chase.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with you, T. I mean, I might be retired for real this time, but even I won't deny that I don't want to spend my retirement in a cutesy cartoonish world like this. All those bright fucking colors are bad on my eyes, and it's making my brain hurt." Michael chimed in.
"So what are y'all planning to do about it?" Franklin asked Michael and Trevor, raising an eyebrow as he wondered where Michael and Trevor were going with this.
"Well, Franklin, I'm afraid to say it, but I think I have to come out of retirement a second time and that the three of us have to dust off the planning board, get the heist crew back together, arm ourselves to the teeth and start pulling scores again." Michael informed Franklin as him and Trevor proceeded to get up from the couch they were sitting on.
"Aw, fuck me..." Franklin sighed as he also got up from where he was sitting.
"I know, Frank. It sucks, but if we wanna have a chance of financial survival in this new world, we have no choice. Mike already contacted Lester, and we'll be seeing him at his new base of operations he set up in this new world. Let's go." Trevor told Franklin as the trio began to leave the house and began making their way over to Lester's new base of operations, which was an ice cream factory at the edge of Rhinonia.
Michael, Franklin and Trevor soon arrived at the ice cream factory, and Michael pressed the doorbell at the front entrance. Lester soon came onto the speaker. "Ah, hello, my friends. I'm impressed you managed to find me in this new world we were sucked into." Lester spoke as he looked at the trio through the camera at the front entrance.
"Yeah, yeah, Lester. We don't have time for this bullshit. Just let us in so we can talk business." Michael told Lester in an annoyed tone of voice.
"Of course, of course. Come on in." Lester replied as he opened the front entrance of the ice cream factory, allowing Michael, Franklin and Trevor to head inside as they began making their way up to Lester's office, where he was sitting inside his wheelchair.
"So, you gentlemen are in need of work?" Lester asked the trio as they entered his office.
"Yeah, 'cause we're a bunch of penniless dudes after that rainbow sucked us into this cutesy ass world, dog." Franklin replied as he proceeded to sit down on a couch that was inside Lester's office.
"Yeah, 'cause even though you robbed that jewelry store, we robbed that bank in Paleto Bay, you guys robbed the FIB and we robbed the Union Depository, that rainbow didn't bring all of the money we earned from those scores with us to this world." Trevor chimed in as he started leaning on the doorpost.
"Mhm. So we, ah, we're hoping you'd have some work for us, Lest." Michael chimed in as he leaned his left hand on Lester's desk.
"Uh huh. Well, not to worry, my friends, 'cause I've been doing a bit of research on the riches that this world has to offer, and illegal work is just as much of a lucrative market as it is back home in San Andreas. Now, we've got two options for our first score we'll be taking in this world; We can either hit the department store on Main Street in town, or we can hit a bank I managed to locate in the sticks. It's your call." Lester offered the trio.
"Well, we don't know how tough the cops in this world are gonna be, so a department store would be easier to take for the time being, right?" Franklin reasoned from where he was sitting.
"Frank's got a point. Besides, we don't need some big bucks right now. Just a couple million to get ourselves settled into this weird ass world." Michael added.
"Alright, a department store it is. Let's go and scope the place out. I've got two vehicles waiting outside for us to use." Lester spoke as he proceeded to get up from his wheelchair, grabbed his cane, and began leading the trio outside, where a pair of cargo bikes was waiting.
"Cargo bikes? Really?" Michael asked in annoyance.
"Well, this world ain't exactly rich in automobiles, so it's the best I could do. Now get in, we gotta get over to Main Street." Lester said as he got seated into the front seat on the first cargo bike while Michael got into the driver's seat. Trevor got seated into the front seat on the second cargo bike while Franklin got into the driver's seat. The four of them then began biking over to Main Street.
"So, your FIB buddy, Dave Norton. Does he know you're gonna be back in business?" Lester asked Michael.
"No, he doesn't. I haven't even seen him since we arrived in this crazy world. But I'll bet my loafers that he came to this world as well, and if he did, no doubt has the FIB set up shop in this world alongside the Agency." Michael replied to Lester.
"So what are you gonna do once he comes knocking on your door for taking scores again?" Lester asked Michael again.
"Remains to be seen. At least we won't have to deal with his annoying boyfriend, Steve Haines anymore, 'cause he's back home in San Andreas, six feet under a tombstone with his name on it, right where he belongs." Michael reasoned.
"Maybe, but for all we know, your pal Norton could have hooked up with another Special Agent who could be even worse than Haines was. And when that Special Agent comes knocking on our door alongside Norton, we have to be ready to get roped into the FIB's crooked schemes once more." Lester pointed out.
"I'm well aware, Lester. And unlike last year, I'll take full responsibility for anything that happens as a result of me fucking up." Michael assured Lester.
Lester chuckled. "My, how much growth you have made over the timespan of a few months last year."
"Yeah, yeah. Don't let it get to your head." Michael rolled his eyes. Soon, the crew arrived on Main Street and parked outside T&T Emporium.
"Alright, we're here. You three, take these glasses." Lester told Michael, Franklin and Trevor as he each handed them a pair of glasses.
"My eyesight's fine, dog." Franklin pointed out.
"Yeah, so is mine. Besides, I'll look like a jackass with that fucking thing on my nose." Trevor chimed in.
"They're fitted with a camera and radio relay. I'll be running the operation from the front seat of this cargo bike, while you three are in there, getting what we need. Now get to it." Lester explained to the trio as they proceeded to put on their glasses and went inside.
"Trevor, you're staying on the first floor. Franklin, you're going up to the second floor. Michael, you're going up to the top floor. Now, I need you three to take shots of the store's security features; The alarm system, any ventilation systems the store happens to hold, and the security cameras. Locate all of that and photograph it, then we'll talk." Lester explained on the radio.
Michael, Franklin and Trevor then proceeded to do as Lester told them to, photographing the store's security features as needed. "Alright, I got the shots. Got the cameras, the alarms, the vents, I got 'em all. Now each of you go speak to a staff member on each floor and see if there's anything else we need." Lester informed the trio, who once again did as they were told to.
"Hey, pal. I need to pick up a little something to use in my day to day life." Trevor told the sale attendant on the first floor, who happened to be a dark skinned human male with short shaved black hair and brown eyes wearing a light blue dress shirt along with black dress pants and black dress shoes.
"Of course, sir. Anything in particular you might be looking for?" The sale attendant asked Trevor in a kind tone of voice.
"Just the basics; A fishing rod, a net, a shovel, and maybe a plant to lushen up my home. I'm a bit short on my dough, so I'm looking to get all of that for no less than maybe...three grand?" Trevor explained.
The sale attendant nodded at that. "Our tools start at 500 Bells, our plants start at 1000." He told Trevor.
"I see, I see...Is this stuff built to last, or am I just paying for the T&T logo here?" Trevor asked the sale attendant once more.
"Not at all, sir. We use the finest wood Rhinonia has to offer for our tools, and the finest seeds Rhinonia has to offer for our plants. Nothing but the best." The sale attendant informed him.
"Alright...Well, I'll think about it, and I might come back at a later time to make a sale, pal. Thanks for the info." Trevor replied as he began to leave the store again and got seated in the front seat of the second cargo bike.
Meanwhile, Franklin approached the sale attendant on the second floor, who happened to be a Caucasian male with short shaved brown hair and green eyes wearing a light pink dress shirt along with dark blue dress pants and dark brown dress shoes.
"Hey, what's up, homie? I'm looking to get some new furniture for my crib." Franklin told the sale attendant.
"Certainly, sir. We could be of assistance with that. What's your taste, exactly?" The sale attendant asked Franklin in a polite tone of voice.
"Nothing too fancy, I'd say. I'm looking to get stuff no higher than, uh...five grand or so?" Franklin asked the sale attendant.
The sale attendant hummed in affirmation. "Well, most of the basic furniture we own is sold at around 1000 Bells, while the more thematic furniture is sold at around 3000 Bells." He explained to Franklin.
"A'ight. Is this furniture good to furnish my home for years to come, or is it bound to break down in a few months time?" Franklin then asked the sale attendant again.
"Not particularly, sir. Each piece of furniture in this store is crafted with the heaviest amount of attention to detail and the utmost level of care for the consumer." The sale attendant told Franklin.
"A'ight, I'll holla at you if I plan on buying anything. Don't go away, y'hear?" Frankin replied as he began to leave the store as well and got seated on the driver's seat of the second cargo bike.
Meanwhile, Michael began to speak with the employee running the fashion boutique on the top floor, who happened to be a Caucasian woman with wavy brown hair that turned into curls at the end and blue eyes wearing a white dress shirt underneath an unbuttoned black suit jacket with black suit pants and laced up black boots.
"Hey, beautiful. I'm looking to pick up a gift for the love of my life." Michael told the employee.
"I'm happy to help you with that, sir. What's your wife's taste?" The employee asked Michael with a kind smile.
"Fortunately, cheap." Michael replied with a chuckle. "Well, I'm not looking to spend a whole lot, so I'd like something no lower than ten grand." He told her.
"Our pants and skirts start at about 3000 Bells, whereas our shirts start at 6000 Bells." The employee explained to Michael.
"Uh huh. So what goes into making these clothes?" Michael then asked her curiously.
"The best of the best, sir. Every clothing piece we have on offer here is woven with the finest silk and any of the other finest materials clothing can have." The employee informed him.
"Alright, that sounds promising. I'm gonna have a look around, contemplate what's the best thing to buy, and then I'll come back at a later time to confirm a sale, baby. Speak to you soon." Michael told the employee as he too began to leave the store and got back onto the driver's seat of the first cargo bike.
"Okay, before we go back to the factory, I'd like to find out where the ventilation system ends up at. Drive us around the block." Lester told the group as they began driving around the block before they proceeded to find a construction site.
"Man, this feels like déja vu, dog." Franklin remarked.
"You're telling me. You go up that construction site, Frank. You're fitter to deal with climbing and shit." Michael told Franklin as Franklin proceeded to get off his cargo bike and began heading into the construction site, making his way up to the roof.
"Shit, okay, dudes. I'm on the roof." Franklin informed the crew.
"Alright, good. There should be a vantage point from where we can get a clear shot of the ventilation system, similar to the one we used when we robbed the Vangelico store. Take a shot of it with your glasses, then head back down here." Lester informed him. Franklin arrived at the vantage point and took a picture of the ventilation system using his glasses.
"A'ight, picture taken and sent." Franklin informed the crew again.
"Good work up there, kid. Now get back down here before someone spots you." Michael replied.
"That vantage point would be a great place for me to sit and snipe any of those weird animals that walk around this world." Trevor mused.
"Save it for another time, Trevor. We're on the job right now." Lester told him. Before long, Franklin arrived back at the crew's location and got back onto the second cargo bike.
"Here's your glasses back, dog." Franklin told Lester as him, Michael and Trevor each handed their glasses back to Lester.
"Let's head back to the factory, we'll discuss things further there." Lester said as the group began driving back to the ice cream factory.
"So, is the material we got you useful?" Michael asked Lester.
"Yeah, yeah. Nothing that should cause any unnecessary mental gymnastics of any sort." Lester informed him.
"I agree. To me, it looked just like that simple set-up we saw back at Vangelico in Los Santos; Cameras that broadcast to a remote server, should be easy to wipe out if we get a talented hacker on the heist crew we're about to assemble. Didn't see any security guards around the store, so no need to neutralize any civilians." Michael mused out loud.
"Good eye, Mike. Much like Vangelico, the alarm system should be linked to the door lock. Like you said, if we hire a talented hacker, we should be able to get a good window to strip the joint." Lester agreed.
"Mhm. Anything else we should know of?" Michael asked him.
"The more valuable merchandise on each floor should be the plants on the right side of the first floor, the thematic furniture in the center on the second floor, and the shirts in the bottom corners of the fashion boutique on the top floor, so those would be a good place to start on each floor. All the merchandise isn't guarded by any glass or plastic casing, so you should be able to swipe all of that easily, but everything will be locked in a storage complex at night." Lester explained to Michael.
"So much like Vangelico, we gotta go in when it's open then." Michael concluded.
"Exactly. Once we've reworked all the tools, the plants, the furniture and the clothing to make it look like it hasn't been stolen, we sell it, and that should be a decent score." Lester replied.
"Yeah, man. Just that it's a shame we can't go in outside of business hours. I really saw an opportunity in those vents." Michael replied back.
"Well, if we were able to flip them another way at Vangelico, we can sure as hell do it again here." Lester assured him.
"I assume we'll be flipping it the same way as Vangelico?" Michael guessed.
"You'll hear more about it once we get back." Lester told him. Before long, the crew got back to the ice cream factory and went inside. One of the factory workers handed Lester the photos that Michael, Franklin and Trevor took.
"Here's the photos you needed, Mr. Crest." The factory worker told Lester as she handed him the photos.
"Good thing my workers migrated into the ice cream factory business with me after I burned down the garment factory business back home. Now let's head into my office and get things set up." Lester said as the crew went into the office and Lester began setting things up.
"So, how y'all feelin'? We getting set to start robbing motherfuckers in a new world, so this gotta be good, right?" Franklin asked Michael and Trevor.
"Feels just like we're taking scores back home in LS, Frank, so it ain't nothing special for me." Michael replied to him.
"Well, taking scores in a cutesy cartoonish world like this feels kinda fruity to me." Trevor admitted.
"I know, T. But this is our only shot at getting a decent income in this shitty ass place, so we gotta take our chances with this." Michael told him.
"Whatever you say, amigo. Whatever you say." Trevor replied before the group turned to Lester.
"So, whatcha got for us, Lester?" Franklin asked Lester.
"Well, it's pretty much the same as the raid on Vangelico we peformed back in LS. It's been a while since we did that, so let me explain the deal for you, especially since Trevor's now involved with this." Lester began to speak before he began to explain the deal to the trio.
"Alright, there's two ways of doing this job: We do this the wise and cautious way, or we do it the loud and hotheaded way. If you remember those vents, we could pump a little knockout gas through there and raid the store while everyone's unconscious if we go about this wise and cautious. You'd have to source the gas, but then we wouldn't have to worry about crowd control slowing us down, netting us more money in the process. Like Vangelico, we'll be using pest control as a cover, so no one would look at us funny if we head in there with gas masks on. It'd mean having to source a pest control van though, but given we've done this before, that shouldn't be too much of a hassle. But if we go about this loud and hotheaded, we'd need our social skills and an arsenal of carbine rifles. We can't risk purchasing them and leaving a long paper trail to our door, but as I've mentioned when we first planned to take down Vangelico, this type of gun is the weapon of choice for the police's tactical teams, so if we hit one of their vans, we'd be highly likely to find the guns we need in there. A hacker can disable security, how long they can disable it is dependent on how good they are. Much like Vangelico, the exit strategy is practically the same for both approaches; The driver we hire will source a number of bikes, and once you get out of the store with the loot, you get on your bikes, make your way through the caverns on the outskirts of town, lose the cops from there and then link up with the rest of the crew by the beach." Lester explained to the crew.
"A'ight, cool. I could handle myself on a bike back when we hit Vangelico, so it should be the same kinda shit we'll be doing now. That said, I'll volunteer for getaway." Franklin immediately offered.
"I'll join him. If I can be a skilled pilot, I should be able to be just as skilled with a land vehicle." Trevor chimed in.
"Okay, okay, if you guys feel confident on the bikes, then that'll be your positions on the heist crew. Michael, how do you wanna go about this? Are we gonna run through the front door, or do this smart?" Lester asked Michael.
"If we could do this by playing smart once, then I'll play smart again this time." Michael told him.
"Ah, so you really did become wise and cautious in your old age. Interesting." Lester beamed. "Now that we've decided how we'll be going about this, we have to select our personnel. As with the scores we took back home in LS, the better the personnel is, the bigger their cut is. The driver will earn their paycheck by sourcing the bikes we need and leading you out through the caverns." Lester explained.
Michael decided to choose Eddie Toh as the driver. "After all the times he's helped us get out of trouble in LS, I'll gladly take him for the job." Michael explained his reasoning for choosing Eddie Toh.
"Now for gunmen. We'll be needing two of them. We're hoping to keep quiet inside the store, so these guys shouldn't make too much of a difference." Lester spoke as Michael went over the gunmen before selecting Gustavo Mota and Chef.
"Job's for the Bureau/Union Depository and the Paleto team." Michael said as he spoke about Gus and Chef respectively.
"Now for a hacker. They obviously won't be going into the store with you, but they'll determine how long you'll get inside." Lester explained. Michael chose Paige Harris for hacking duty.
"Hey, I've used them at Vangelico, I've used them at the Bureau, I've used them at the Union Depository, and I'll use them here." Michael stated.
"Alright, if you're happy with this crew, I'll start making the arrangements." Lester replied as Michael finalized his decision.
"Fucking happy." Michael told him.
"Alright, good. I'll start sourcing a pest control van and knockout gas, and I'll let you know when I've found it." Lester said as Michael, Franklin and Trevor began to leave the office and the factory.
"Okay, then we're done here for the time being. Frank, Trev, I'll be seeing you back here to take that score, so keep quiet until then, got it?" Michael told Franklin and Trevor.
"I got it down, Mike." Franklin replied.
"You got it, M." Trevor added as the group each went their separate ways for the time being.