Chapter 39: Pier 16 (Part 6)

"All right everyone, thank you very much for attending the first strategy meeting of our first real operation and I hope it doesn't go so poorly we don't get to do another one."

"Boo."

Shirone's deadpan response to Cayman's opening words had the gamer smirking in response, the rest of the room either maintaining expressions of polite interest or annoyance at the interruption as without further ado he plugged his laptop into the entertainment room's massive TV screen, aerial images of a city street and its more technical engineering blueprints flashing to life alongside it.

"Okay, to summarize. Beneath Kabalah St here lies a facility assumedly run by a union between remnants of Nomad now under the control of the Incubus King and Old Satan Faction aligned forces assumedly led by Creusery Asmodeus. The partnership between them is a combo we're calling the Khaos Brigade."

"Ooh, edgy."

Lilim's amused words had her Yatagarasu friends nodding in agreement, Cayman idly musing, "No arguments here. But it's also convenient branding, so there's that to consider."

"Can we get back on topic, please?"

Rin's annoyed grumble had the rest of the room shrugging in indifference, doubtlessly annoying the Magus further at how little they were bothered by her demands.

"My oh my, what a motley little crew I've gathered."

Yuumi and Mai were seated next to Kuroka and Shirone, the latter comfortably nestled on her sister's lap while the Demon trio held down the fort further into the theater arrangements, Rin keeping to herself a bit away from the rest but nonetheless eyeing Oct and Cerb - both in their bestial forms at the moment - with a wary eye.

He wondered if she was seriously still worried about his joke with the japanese schoolgirl meets horny tentacles deal.

Last but certainly not least was Till, taking up position near the laptop and ready to switch to different slides at his command.

"All right, if her majesty is so insistent. First on the docket is special thanks to the Yokai and Demon scouts that even figured out where this place was. And on the subject…"

He threw a wad of yen equal to 2400 USF to aforementioned trio, greed and drool in equal measure dotting their lips at the veritable fortune, at least by their standards.

+5 REP with Lilim [75/100], Minasaki [50/100] and Hatsukaze [50/100]!

"Consider it an early Christmas bonus, nice work."

"I can't even complain about the glass ceiling, nya…they're girls too."

Cayman ignored Kuroka's complaint, instead nodding to Till as she pressed a few keys, simple red circles denoting a few buildings of interest.

"The main entrance to this facility is an access tunnel hidden beneath this antique shop. Nothing fancy about the shop itself, it's mostly mundane crap with only a few slightly esoteric trinkets that are more curios than they are hidden observation platforms. The tricky part is the tunnel itself, while they didn't delve too deep inside what was ascertained is that there's a bevy of wards not too dissimilar to what we found during the earlier hotel assault, albeit not nearly as powerful and focusing mostly on concealment."

The next slide gave a rough outline of where they believed the tunnel would lead, as well as an even rougher guesstimate at the base's dimensions.

"But Kuroka and Shirone believe they can collapse or turn off the protections, allowing us a free run into the place where we'll only have to worry about any security they have stationed inside. And for that I want Shirone, Yumi, Till, Oct and Cerb to go with me into the base proper. Everyone else but Rin is to be on perimeter defense and keep their eyes peeled for any unwanted surprises or reinforcements. If this place really does only have that one entrance the last thing I want is for us to get herded into a narrow tunnel. Blasting our way out might be an option but I'd rather not run the risk of collapsing a ton of concrete, metal and who know what else on our heads and the heads of whoever we might rescue."

Nods and murmurs of agreement filled the room - Lilim and her two friends in particular seeming relieved that they would only have to sound the alarm and nothing else - as Rin abruptly asked, "And just what am I supposed to be doing during all of this?"

"Nothing, really."

The Surveyor's dismissive and flippant response seemed to halt the young woman's stride like a comedic record scratch, Rin narrowing her eyes a moment later before archly asking, "Oh? And just why, exactly, am I going to be doing nothing?"

While it was tempting to rile up the Magus by saying she would be dead weight he instead responded with, "Because unlike everyone else in attendance who technically works for me or is in this outfit for their own ambitions you're just here on loan from the Wizard Marshall. And I prefer not to add to said loan by having you get seriously maimed or die during one of these escapades, I doubt that would endear me to the old bastard."

To his surprise rather than simmer down and go along with the obviously sensible and free from danger option Rin gave him a thoroughly unimpressed look, retorting, "I know how the old creep operates. He wouldn't dump me here if I was just supposed to sit around and do what I was doing before. Besides, going by your previous work I bet I'm the only halfway competent Magus in this whole building. That counts for a LOT, I can reassure you of that."

Cayman gave the proudly sitting woman a contemplative look, wondering if he'd been given Rin too little credit. Sure, she'd always been a good person at heart but that kindness had been reserved for those she cared about. While he wouldn't describe their relationship as antagonistic it sure as hell wasn't chummy. More like a passive aggressive workplace partnership.

"Well, this is another gift horse I don't feel like looking too deep into."

Shrugging at her proclamation the male replied, "Well if you're volunteering then I want you on overwatch duty outside the facility alongside everyone else. If there's any magecraft or other shenanigans included in this place then I'll need you to be on top of it. While I doubt they're packing it this time Creusery had some kind of relic or whatever that allowed him to teleport away in the middle of a battle, I'd prefer it if something like that didn't happen this time around."

He allowed a small smirk to adorn his lips.

"But then again that teleporting act caught even an accomplished Norse Valkyrie and Longinus wielder by surprise, I can understand if it's a bit outside your wheelhouse-"

"I know what you're doing, asshole."

Openly chuckling at Rin's growl he graciously motioned with his hand, replying, "Then I leave things in your capable hands, Rin."

+10 REP with Rin [35/100]

The Magus sat back down with a satisfied smirk, appeased by the share of responsibility-

"Ooh, someone wants a man bad~!"

-until Kuroka openly whispered a choice editorial, the young woman scowling as she snapped, "How did you infer that from our exchange?"

"Dunno. Maybe because most people not looking to make a good impression would take the safety of not going on a rescue mission?"

"Listen here, kitty, I don't-"

Click. Click. Click.

All eyes turned to Cayman, the male idly flicking on and off the laser pointer he'd been using as Yumi hesitantly asked, "Umm…are we supposed to say something?"

"Just figured I'd make use of it, considering we have a cat fight brewing on our hands."

The Demon trio snickered, catching onto the joke as Cerb chuffed in amusement, Kuroka rolling her eyes while Rin momentarily blushed at the attention before they got back to the point of the meeting, Yumi hesitantly raising her hand before asking, "Umm, not to sound like I don't have faith in any of you, but…aren't we worried that we'll run into someone really powerful like what happened when you infiltrated that hotel?"

Pointing towards Kuroka the Yokai shrugged, responding, "While it was fuzzy I didn't get the impression that there was anyone too strong hanging out down below. Problem with being powerful is that it's tricky to constantly keep yourself hidden from ALL forms of searching and tracking. You have to constantly reign your energy in and let me tell you, that's a hard thing to do 24/7. Nothing more dangerous than a four winged Supernatural present."

"Well that's good but what if they are restraining their power? And are we sure there aren't self-destruct systems down there that can make sure nobody ever learns anything?"

While at first glance it sounded a bit paranoid Cayman knew full well why Yumi was worried about failsafe procedures, the male holding up a hand to forestall Kuroka's response as the black cat let him have the floor.

"You're correct to worry about any enemies keeping their auras restrained but, unfortunately, that's just a risk we have to take. Thankfully we have some pretty heavy hitters of our own, which is why Shirone is going down there with us. As for the second point? Well, failsafes and self-destruct switches aren't actually as common as you might think."

Thinking back to a particularly memorable moment in his previous life - one he'd warned his boss against several times - Cayman explained, "The thing about those doomsday options is that there now exists a trigger, somewhere in the world, that can be used to destroy your shit even if you didn't want it to, whether it be intentional or accidental, brilliant or stupid."

Stroking his chin with a fair amount of wry nostalgia present in the motion he continued with, "My old boss - well aware that tax evasion and fraud had been the downfall of more than one seemingly untouchable and invincible crime boss - wanted to install a program in the records I was in charge of, the ones that contained the real numbers and receipts that we used to keep track of our finances. A program that, surprise surprise, would purge those copies and erase any evidence of wrongdoing. I told him that was a bad idea and - while inconvenient - it would ultimately be better to just keep physical records rather than digital ones of all that crap."

He shrugged, the gesture implying that everything was a long foregone conclusion.

"Surprise surprise, a bit of malware that hadn't likely even been meant to specifically fuck us ended up fucking us, tripping the security measures while it was trying to solicit dick pics or sell us auto insurance and wham. Cue several months of panic and stress as I tried to salvage what documents and shit that I could as everyone lost their damn marbles."

A smirk adorned his features.

"Not every day that a simple accountant gets to tell a mob boss 'I fucking told you' and live to tell the tale but on that particular day I earned it."

Yumi hesitantly nodded, Cayman finishing his story with, "So allow me to reiterate, the odds that this secret facility is equipped with enough explosives to send it to the moon is EXTREMELY low, especially if its been relying on stealth to this extent."

Wincing slightly the blonde hurriedly stated, "Sorry, I didn't mean to ask these kinds of obvious questions-"

"They were the right questions to ask, Yumi. And you need to keep asking them, I would much prefer you ask for clarification instead of a posthumous burial just because you mistakenly thought a beginner's genuine curiosity made you look like an idiot."

+10 Rep with Yumi Kiba [55/100]

+5 REP with Kuroka and Shirone [25/100]

"Understood. Thank you, I'll try to keep your words in mind."

Pleased at the nice little gain he'd gotten Cayman moved to the more contentious portion of the briefing, Till bringing up another image of a pretty girl with vibrant pink hair, dressed in revealing dark leathers as she partied at some kind of music festival, the Surveyor wryly reflecting that this was going to be an interesting experience, to say the least.

"Alright, this is Felicia Black, for lack of a better surname-"

"Fuck, it IS her!"

"-and thanks to our scouts we're fairly certain this particular individual is sequestered away in this facility, most likely as a prisoner but possibly as a guard."

He took a moment to observe his audience's reactions, curious about their knowledge on this particular subject.

Lilim, Minasaki and Hatsukaze were predictably groaning and complaining, the trio having run across the Vampire in the past. Yumi and Rin just seemed confused - Felicia no doubt not having crossed their respective spheres of information - while Kuroka and Shirone merely seemed contemplative at this latest reveal.

Mai just grimaced, doubtlessly well aware of the Demon's reputation.

"Although in this particular instance I think I lucked out."

Much like FATE the Taimanin universe had a shit ton of different iterations and in two of them Felicia Black was…kind of a sociopath yandere basket case that he would have happily avoided and never interacted with given a choice.

But here? According to the Sanctuary file she was more like her Action Taimanin counterpart who - while still being plenty deadly and dangerous and not averse to murdering anyone who pissed her off - she was also more…childish? Innocent?

If the other versions had basically gotten off on torture, rape and humiliation then this one was more of a chaotic neutral in nature, pursuing a simple life of pleasure and exploration of the world, a healthy amount of pranks thrown into the mix for good measure.

"And what do you intend to do with such an unpredictable foe?"

Mai's pertinent question had the Surveyor crossing his arms, turning to Kuroka and Shirone as he asked, "If you two were to end up fighting against her what do you think your odds of winning are?"

"Together? Little sis and I would kick her ass. Apart?"

Kuroka's ears flicked, expression contemplative.

"Could be a little tricky. With backup we'd be able to handle her, though."

"You sound pretty confident about that. Previous experience with her?"

Shirone's expression could best be described as wryly amused.

"You could say that. She's weird. And handsy. And a pervert."

"...Yeah, that sounds like her. Shirone? You'll be on Felicia duty if she's both there and hostile, Cerb and Till will back you up while everyone will stay with me during the remainder of the op. Sounds good?"

The pale-haired Nekoshou just offered a thumbs up, Kuroka sighing before musing, "The Vampire's a pain in the rear but as far as most people in her line of work go she's not that bad. Not great, but not bad."

Mai frowned, replying, "I've heard only bad things about her. Is she-"

"Okay, who, exactly, is this Felicia Black?"

Rin's annoyed inquiry had the Surveyor promptly replying, "Surprised you don't know about her, considering the girl's heritage. She's the biological daughter of Edwin Black."

The Magus blinked, merely stating, "Oh," before falling silent.

"Yup. And if it turns out she's NOT against us then I'm thinking we offer her a chance to join the team."

"HUH?!"

Smiling at the outpouring of surprise to his words - only Yumi and the Yokai siblings seeming more curious than anything else - he waited for the various reactions to die down, Lilim leading the charge as she shouted, "Are you crazy?! That psycho bitch would sooner kill all of us before she even thought about being all friendly and stuff!"

"Cayman, as much as I appreciate your ability to make disparate groups work together even I feel that it might be a little much having someone like Felicia try to mesh with our current roster…at best she would be a short term asset before electing to go her own way as she always does. At worst she would be actively detrimental to our operations."

Mai didn't exactly have much sunshine and rainbows to add either, the Taimanin frowning heavily as Till cautiously said, "Maybe we should think about this more carefully? I mean it sounds like there's a lot of bad blood between everybody and we don't want the team dynamic ruined…"

Pretending to think about the group's words Cayman eventually turned to his two summons, asking, "Well, what do you guys think?"

Catching onto his implication they both shifted into their human forms - thankfully able to take the clothes he'd gotten for them along the ride - as most eyes not familiar with that trick widened at their appearance.

"Oh big sister likes what she sees…"

"Stop drooling."

Lilim was the one who went ahead and posed the pertinent question, warily asking, "So when, exactly, did you find the time to have your summons manifest into humanoid forms?"

"Oh, just a few days ago."

Mai uneasily shifted where she sat, eyeing Oct in particular despite having advance warning as she murmured, "And that he looks like the Incubus King is merely a coincidence?"

"Of course not. Remember, he was brought forth using Ryuuji's flesh as a catalyst. Although…"

Cayman clapped his summon on the shoulder, smirking as he cheerfully commented, "I think Oct is way more handsome and likable than that asshole, wouldn't you agree?"

"As much as I appreciate the compliments, master, I don't believe my looks are the ultimate point of contention here."

"Oh I don't know about that…I mean, uh, yeah he's scary!"

"Smooth."

Shirone's deadpan reply to Minasaki's shy mumble seemed to dissolve the rest of the tension in the room, Rin simply dropping her head into her hands while grumbling, "Just…whatever, okay? What. EVER."

"I'm glad you agree with my analysis, Rin. Anyway, your two's opinion on the matter of Felicia?"

The gamer was interested in whether his summons would have differing opinions to his own. While they had thus far given no indications that they were anything but loyal to his orders loyalty could come in a lot of different forms.

Cerb was first to answer, cupping his chin while stating, "There's certainly no harm in at least trying, master. Someone of that strength who - if she's at odds with the rest of her pack - could have rapport with us is at least worth the effort."

Oct nodded, musing, "There are also aspects of influence and pedigree to consider. Given her time amidst Nomad as well as her heritage having her on our side would certainly be to our benefit."

"Of course they agree with you…"

Cayman ignored Rin's grumble, instead nodding before decisively stating, "Alright, we'll give Felicia a shot and if things don't work out we'll let her go without complaints, informing Sanctuary and whoever else a few days later that she's gone AWOL."

He let a playful smile adorn his lips.

"After all, I'm sure she'd appreciate us not parting on bad terms. A little head start seems fair enough compensation."

"Casually flaunting authority while also bringing you subordinates into the line of fire and responsibility?"

Shirone offered an admiring thumbs up.

"Rad."

"Glad you think so. Alright, any last questions or concerns?"

"Shouldn't we try to see if we can get any of our other allies or friends involved in this?"

Turning to face Yumi the Surveyor responded, "If we were certain there was some kind of overbearing and super dangerous person hanging out in there I would do so. But the unfortunate reality is that - even if it's the smart thing to do - you can't always go in with supercharged backup. Not only is it unfeasible a fair amount of the time but you also don't want the negative attention that comes with being perceived as weak or reliant."

He shrugged.

"It sucks, Yumi, but life itself is kinda a gamble and at the end of the day we CAN always run like hell."

"I second the running part. Actually, can we just do that now? This place sounds really dangerous."

Turning to Lilim with a knowing smirk Cayman idly commented, "You sure you want to call it quits already? You were the ones to discover Felicia and if she joins there's a significant finder's fee involved in the process."

"I say we get that psycho bitch on our side pronto!"

"Always a reliable response to money with those three."

Fortunately that seemed to wrap the most pressing matters of the meeting in a nice little bow, everyone dispersing after a few more minutes detailing the timing of their attack as Rin approached the Surveyor with a furrowed brow.

"Seriously. How did you manage to get your summons to so quickly change? From one Magus to an incompetent other?"

Cayman didn't bother hiding his shit-eating grin."

"Level ups."

"Video game terms to describe an ancient and esoteric art that governs how reality works and we dedicate our entire family lines to studying and practicing?"

A humorless smile adorned the young woman's lips.

"I admire your courage."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Why are you staring at me like that?!"

Cayman could only shake his head.

"Oh you sweet, sweet summer child."

"What the hell does that mean?!"

Last update before the holidays (technically this is being updated on Christmas Eve) so enjoy the planning for the heist as saint nick slides down the chimney!

...

It's vaguely thematically fitting.