Chapter 36

"Giovanni, the Wayward Son"

Ever since before Pan Am 103 was blown over Scotland, Giovanni knew that if Team Rocket was to further it's goal of world domination and the destruction of it's enemies, then the organization needed to take a step forward and not backwards. Hijackings, Hostage takings and Bombings weren't enough. No, he had a dream and it was going to be against the wishes of his mother.

"Picture this, Persian," he said, showing a picture of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan in a conference room of the former US Embassy in Tehran. "The World Trade Center, the symbol of American Imperialism and Capitalism. Every day, Americans go to work and use their useful trades to make finances. Now, if you can imagine Persian, that if Team Rocket were to aid an enemy of America in bringing those towers down, my mother can finally see that this is what Team Rocket should be doing with the Pokemon we capture."

The Persian merely stretched out its front legs, which meant to Giovanni that he needed to go further in his dreams.

"All right, how about we attack more targets in addition to the World Trade Center: the Pentagon, the White House, the US Capitol all in Washington, DC; the Sears Tower in Chicago as well as the US Bank Tower in Los Angeles or the Transamerica Tower in San Francisco. Surely my mother would approve of this."

Just then, the door to the conference room opened and in stepped a man with short brown hair and who bore a resemblance to Max Jordan, one of the Pan Am 103 victims.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Giovanni," said the man as he walked up to the Team Rocket heir apparent. "Are you daydreaming again?"

"Steven, please don't bother me when I am dreaming," Giovanni remarked crossly. "Now, you've broken my concentration."

Steven walked over and noticed all the pictures of the US Landmarks and Symbols lying on the table.

"What do you have in mind here?" he wondered.

"Steven, for too long, my mother has always had a belief that hijacking and bombing using Pokemon is the only true way for Team Rocket to go. But it isn't. We need to take Team Rocket to the next level."

Max studied the pictures, looking at each one carefully. He couldn't help but feel a sense of unease at Giovanni's suggestion, but commended his ambitions.

"This is certainly ambitious, I will say," remarked Steven, looking at pictures of the White House and the Pentagon. "However, you know your mother won't listen to you."

"Which will be her downfall," countered Giovanni. "I mean, our plan was to bomb a Pan Am aircraft flying from Frankfurt to the United States over the ocean, yes?"

"Yes."

"But, it didn't happen and blew over Scotland. What my mother failed to take into account was that airliners will not blow at the time we want them to blow. There is so much to take into consideration."

Giovanni then realized that he couldn't make this plan alone. If he was going to prove to his mother, then he needed support.

"I mean, look, you are a businessman, Steven. How would you approach this?"

Sitting down at the conference table, Steven thought about GIovanni's plan and wondered if it could really work.

"Well, for one thing, I would weigh the pros and cons," he explained. "One con I can think of is what if we are discovered before the plan can be executed? What if we recruit some of our agents and one of them gets cold feet at the idea? The last thing we want is to deal with traitor agents. Another con would be how to break through the airport security systems if we are to take a plane under our control? I believe that the United States will adopt security measures similar to Israel's El Al. If I know Pan Am, they did things the American way."

Steven then smoked a cigarette to help himself think of another approach.

"In fact, I can't help but wonder why your mother wouldn't let me take part in the Pan Am building mission. I know business and I know how to twist my hand at it. What does Victor Gitano know about working in an airline's security system?"

"It sounds to me like I am not the only one trying to prove my mother wrong," Giovanni remarked sitting down next to Steven. "Perhaps we could join forces…"

Before Giovanni could finish, Steven knew that joining forces with Team Rocket's heir to the throne would work to an extent.

"...and prove to my mother that this is a plot she should embrace."

"As someone who was denied the life I wanted to live," he said to Giovanni. "Nothing would please me more than to join forces with you Giovanni in order to get my revenge on those who sided with my brother, Max, supporting him to become the man that he was."

Even though his twin was killed on Pan Am 103, to Steven, it wasn't enough. He wanted the whole world to pay for his denial of a successful life.

"Then, why don't we get started then?" chuckled Giovanni and the two men got to work on trying to change the mind of Madam Boss herself.

But standing outside the conference room, Philly Ross had been listening in on the conversation and decided to pass on what he discovered to his fellow agents.

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