Cyberpunk: Ultimate Cyborg System-Chapter 126: Details.
Chapter 126: Details.
"... Insane..." A whisper shattered the silence permeating the bar’s second floor. "This is insane..."
The idea of stealing something from the scion of the Stahlwölfe family was unreasonable to begin with. Because of that, no one understood why the fixer thought a massive police raid would make it easier, and that’s without considering the number of heroes that would be involved.
Mr. Pike held his chin, contemplating the idea for some time before voicing his opinion.
"It is true that the chaos of the raid might grant us the chance to successfully complete this mission, but at the same time, there is a great risk of us getting caught at the center of it all."
According to Victor’s source, the NVPD has been investigating Steel Wolf Holdings for years and was preparing to take down the Stahlwölfe now that they had enough dirt on them.
The story smelled, of course. A conglomerate such as Steel Wolf Holdings wouldn’t have grown to its size without knowing how to work the system for its benefit, and the police wouldn’t have gone after them just because they had uncovered some illegal practices.
If the NVPD is truly planning to put an end to the Stahlwölfe empire, it would mean something big is happening and they could no longer protect them, or it might be that someone more powerful is pulling the strings, trying to get rid of a persistent rival.
Rather than justice being delivered to a bunch of evildoers, it would be more accurate to say the Stahlwölfes have fallen out of favor and are now facing extermination.
"The timing of the raid does not make much sense." Said Rose. "The wedding doesn’t just involve the groom and bride’s families. There’s bound to be a lot of important guests, too. Why would the NVPD plan this raid around such an event?"
One could argue that there is no better time, seeing as a lot of the family’s key figures were going to be present for the wedding.
"Unless they’re prepared for a surgical strike, half the city might turn into a war zone," Kirk said. "A bunch of B-tier heroes won’t cut it."
"Flame Guard might not participate from the start, but it’s likely that they will interfere if the chaos spills onto the streets," Victor said. "But that does not matter for us. Remember, our goal is to get in, grab the relic, and get out."
"Yeah, like hell things are gonna go that way." Shark scoffed and shook his head.
As he leaned back into the sofa, Dante thought for a moment then spoke internally
’I can probably pull this off on my own, right?’
All it would take is wearing Type 8-3 a few times. Using its abilities, he could gather all the intel he needed and just portal his way to the treasure room. No one would see him coming, and no one would see him leaving, either.
[We currently have very little information on the enemy.] Volcan said evenly. [I cannot say with absolute certainty that you will be successful, especially with your current stats and the time limit of my armors.]
’Right...’
Dante knew all too well that he shouldn’t let his newfound powers influence his thought process, since getting cocky was a sure way to get oneself killed. It might be possible if he could use VOLCAN’s full potential, but right now, the risk far exceeded his capabilities.
’That said...’
Hearing that a bunch of heroes were going to be involved didn’t sit well with him. One side was an alliance of filthy rich families, so there is no doubt that they have an army of Enhanced Individuals guarding the venue. They might not have many Genomes, but Cyborgs equipped with the best bionics the market has to offer are clearly something they can afford.
"Now that you know the conditions around the mission, let’s talk details."
Resuming the discussion, Victor tapped his tablet, causing a new image to be projected on the wall. It showed what appears to be a normal skyscraper built like a stack of cubes spiraling into the sky. Hanging near its center was a large emblem depicting a simplified blue flame.
"The wedding is being held at Blue Ember, one of the few five-star luxury hotels here in New City," Victor said. "The place belongs to the Stahlwölfes. Klaus’s personal residence is located in a special section of the building spanning several floors."
He tapped the tablet again and new photos appeared, each showing different angles of what appears to be a regal white mansion built at the center of a lush forest. The scenery looked like something one would only see in a movie, especially with the clear white sky watching over everything.
"Wait, this is inside the hotel?" Shark asked.
"Indeed. The floor is isolated from the rest of the hotel and can only be accessed by authorized visitors and personnel. The mansion itself is 3200 m2 -square meters- and is surrounded by a 12000 m2 forest with some harmless birds and small animals.
The ceiling and walls are equipped with highly realistic screens that mimic the day/night cycle and always present a clear sky. The climate inside the floor is strictly controlled so it’s spring the entire year."
"Do we have anything on the mansion’s layout?" Kirk asked.
"Unfortunately, it’s not as detailed as I would’ve liked," Victor said. "We also lack the patrol routes and schedules of the guards. Figuring those out is going to be the first step of the plan."
"I would offer to do it myself, but..." Shark crossed his arms and grimaced. "Such places usually have a local network that’s too difficult to dive into, at least from the outside."
"No need to worry." Victor turned in Dante’s direction, startling him for a moment, at least until he realized the fixer was looking at the purple-haired woman glued to him. "Rose will handle getting the mansion’s schematics for us."
When everyone turned to look at her, the woman in question pointed a finger at herself and asked, "Me?"
"Yes." Victor nodded. "Mr. Pike will play the role of an entrepreneur who’s visiting Neo-Vatra with his new fiancée, you. While you’re there, you will attempt to make contact with a certain person, which will give Greg the opportunity to remotely extract the data out of him." Glancing at the giant man, he went on. "Kirk will accompany you as a bodyguard. And lastly..." Turning to Dante, the fixer paused for a moment, his expression hinting at a not so pleasant piece of news. "As for Dante, you will be infiltrating through a different route."