Cyber Wars ch.21- Royally Screwed

[Zephie]

"Where're we going? Who was that on the phone?" Scrya asks him, starting with the Twenty Questions crap.

[Wolf99x]

Wolf maneuvered the Trans-Am through traffic, the numerous radar and ladar jammers shaking any cops from them.

"We're headed for Century Tower," he said to Scrya. "The person on the phone told me to go there. I don't know quite who he is, the voice was heavily distorted...but yet there's just something familiar about the manner in which he called. You're going to have to trust me on this."

***

Kaitlin looked at the raven. As she did, she began running a code check against all known AIs. The coding of the Raven intrigued her. Part of his coding was similar to Coyote's and yet it was all dissimilar at the same time.

"Fascinating," she said simply. "It seems Coyote can create clones of entirely different shells as well. It's easy to see how you managed to escape, raven. But what I'm interested to know is why you came here."

OOC: Balancing two stories is fun!

[Squishy Cheeks]

The raven flew and looked every bit like a raven. It landed on Kaitlin and squawked.

[Wolf99x]

Of course the raven still posesses Coyote's enigmatic attitude. she thought. "I'm guessing your reasons are not going to be known easily?" she asked the bird perched on her shoulder.

[Zephie]

Scrya sits back in her seat and watches as Wolf drives like a madman (:p) in the wrong lane... (:p:p) saying calmly at length, "Looks like we've got more friends than we thought."

She looks ahead as he weaves back into the right lane, and speeds on towards Century Tower.

(( *votes for a time skip* ))

[Darth SS]

Angel looked around then said, "I spy with my little eye..."

[Squishy Cheeks]

"We don't really have time for fun and games now. Maybe later I'll tell you all my secrets" The raven winked.

[Wolf99x]

(4 minutes of insane driving later...)

After sliding the car into a parallel parking spot in front of Century Tower, Wolf got out of the car and headed into the lobby. Scrya followed him. As soon as they were in through the door, Wolf's phone rang, and the same voice as before was on the other end.

"I'm sittting at the bench in front of the large fountain at the center of the lobby," the voice said "You may approach, but your partner must stay back at least 30 feet at all times. Nothing personal, it's just that you are the only person I trust at this point."

The phone went dead. Wolf turned to Scrya. "I know where he is, and he only wants to talk to me directly. Nothing personal to you, he just seems to only trust me. He wants you to stay back at least 30 feet from the bench in front of the center fountain. Of course, if this is a trap, you can cover that distance in an instant anyway."

They walked towards the fountain. Wolf felt himself cover the last 30 feet to his objective alone as Scrya stayed back.

The man sitting at the bench was of Asian descent, and dressed in a black trenchcoat with a gray suit underneath. Wolf guessed the man was either in his late 50s or early 60s.

"It's been a while, hasn't it, Wolf?" the man said as Wolf sat down.

"How do you know who I am?" Wolf asked

"I don't think it's been that long that someone as young as yourself doesn't remember me. Think about it. Think back to about 2 years ago."

Wolf looked at the man's face, and something finally clicked. "Special Agent Toshiro of the Japanese Information Defense Force..."

"Exactly," the old man grinned. "We last met under similar circumstances when I gave you information concerning the assassin known as Myth."

"And that info was helpful, I assure you. But why contact me now?" Wolf asked.

"Because I can help you find what you're looking for."

"You know where Mastermind's base is?"

"Not exactly, but you just might."

"What?"

"The problem you have right now is that you have been searching for what is, instead of what isn't."

"I don't think humanity has time for these riddles, Toshiro. I need info, and fast."

"Always the impatient one," Toshiro sighed. "All right. Here's your first clue. What have you always said about how Mastermind acts?"

Wolf thought. "Mastermind does not act without reason. Every move he makes always has some ulterior motive behind it."

"Exactly, now where has this not been proven?"

"...I don't understand."

"Think about it. There's still some reason for an action of Mastermind's that hasn't sat right with. The reason you've been given is a lie permated by one of his lackeys, a lie you can only believe because you haven't seen the whole picture. It is a lie that surrounds the death of a mutual friend of ours."

Again, Wolf thought. His mind kept going around in circles over everything he knew and had been told. Finally it hit him.

"Hanzou's death has something to do with all of this?" he asked

"Bingo. Although the original reason may have been to test his Cyborg units, Mastermind had Hanzou's entire team killed. I believe they were killed because they found something they weren't supposed to. I only just recently found Hanzou's mission records, and I need to pass them onto you."

"Why?" Wolf asked.

Toshiro looked around nervously. "I fear that my cover has been blown, and that my life is nearing its end. You are the only person who I know who can take this info, and figure out what it was that they found." Toshiro handed Wolf a small memory card. "This may hold humanity's salvation. Keep it safe."

"...you know about Javelin, don't you?" Wolf asked as he took the key and slid it into the SD slot on his PDAP.

"Unfortunately yes; which is why I'm glad I could find you before it's too late. Now go. If I'm right about my cover, neither of us have much time."

Wolf stood up to leave. He turned for a quick second. "Thank you," he said before he left, heading back the way he came and meeting back up with Scrya.

***

Toshiro stood up and left the bench. He was heading for his car in the underground parking garage. He was halfway down the stairs when four black-clad figures attacked him.

The old man never stood a chance, but he accepted that. Just before his life was extinguished, he uttered one defiant phrase.

"He already knows all he needs in order to stop you..."

***

Wolf was pratically running back to the car, Scrya was keeping pace with him.

"We need to move quickly, Toshiro thinks he was followed."

Suddenly Wolf stopped moving. Whether it was something he heard, or just something he felt, he wasn't sure. All he knew was that something wasn't right.

Before Scrya had a chance to ask him what was wrong, Wolf spun around, drawing his sword in an instant, and meeting an oncoming blur in a clash of steel on steel.

The second set of steel belonged to a very surprised First Order Assassin.

"Hmm...guess Toshiro was right," Wolf said. Seizing the brief moment of opportunity, Wolf caught the assassin in the face with a quick triple kick, sending him to the ground. He also kicked the assassin's sword away, sending it skittering across the pavement. As the assassin fell he heard three quick thuds. He looked around, and noticed that three other First Order Asassins were surrounding him and Scrya.

Guess Toshiro was really right Wolf thought as he quickly sheathed the katana and took a Dragon stance.

***(OOC: But enough of that)

Kaitiln frowned. "Well, you're right that we don't have time for fun and games...but if we don't stop Mastermind from gaining control of that satellite we won't have time for 'later' either." she told the raven. "I know you know something. The question is...what?"

[Zephie]

Scrya's hand quickly reaches out and grabs his shoulder, stopping him from moving much more. "Wait."

He gives her a quizzical look, but she simply stares ahead at the three assassins in front, keeping her ears open to the one behind her. "Go."

"What--?!"

"Go."

"Scrya, I'm not--!"

"I know them," she says, insisting with her tone that she wants him to leave her alone. Turning her face to his she adds, "These are some of my students. And old friends."

With a nod up over his shoulder, she tells him, "Go. I'll meet up with you at the mall. And don't worry about the car."

Something in her eye says that this is more about honor and loyalty than bravado... but it also says that there's more to this story than what's on the surface. More than that though, it also says she's dead serious about this.

(( I apologize for this, this is part of the fallout from that bit of her backstory that I still haven't revealed... ))

(( And now for something different... ))

***

"Hey, no fair!" Wraith protests, painfully catching his breath. "You can see through the walls!"

[Squishy Cheeks]

"What I know will blow your mind. I know the answer to the question you want the most. Where is Mastermind right now, exactly where he is."