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About an hour after the battle, a letter addressed to the heroes is delivered by the front desk. It is written by a strong hand that shows evidence of skill with calligraphy. It reads:
I do not know if you will receive this. I can only hope that you will be found in time. Please meet me tonight at 1 am in the park downtown. I will explain more when you arrive.
It is signed "Yooso."
Ghost reads the letter, face unreadable, before handing it to the others. "What do you think? Trap or meeting?"
From the cockpit of the Javelin parked on a stable roof near the hotel, MINOTAR surmises a response carefully.
"Analysis: I doubt it is a trap tactically speaking, but it could be a diversion to get us away from our protective positions near our charges. I feel we should respond, but it should be a minimal presence. Two of us minimum. Three at most. I am an obvious choice, but who should go must be agreed upon. I would suggest Fragment and Ghost. I could remain nearby again as support. Ghost is difficult to harm, and Fragment can handle multiple target st once."
"Agreed. If he follows the usual pattern, Mr. Yamashito will plug in his phone before bed. I will reestablish my sentry position there, though I will be able to relocate to anywhere along the city power grid in an instant if needed for backup."
"MINOTAR, since you were involved in the previous fight, I'd like you there to handle the introductions. If this is legitimate, we don't want him thinking his message got intercepted and an ambush was planned for him. Fragment and I will go with you. Everyone else, stay on the hotel. If Yooso and Mr. Yamashito arrive back while we're still out, let us know immediately."
"Agreement: I will meet you and Fragment at the hotel's helipad in 1/2 hour before the meet time. That's 0300 hours. MINOTAR out.
MINOTAR will spend his remaining time checking Google maps and the Javelin's resources for a decent landing sight near to the meeting spot. Maybe the roof of a parking garage nearby?
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There is, in fact, a parking garage near the park.
At the appointed time and place, Yooso is neither early nor late, arriving exactly when he stated that he would be there. He is alone and his words are quick and decisive.
"I am thankful that you could come. As you witnessed earlier this evening, my master and I are faced with great peril in coming to your America. As you may well know, Yasunari Yamashito is of a wealthy and honorable in Japan. This honor, however, is in great jeopardy. John Yamashito, the vice president of Yamashito Electronics here in the United States, is by right the sole inheritor of the company worldwide if his father should pass on. John is possessed by this power and craves his father's empire more than anything else. This is why I have summoned you here tonight.
"The boy has convinced an ancient Japanese order to kidnap his father. They are known as the Dragon's Claw and you fought against their minions earlier tonight. My master, by his own accord, has decided to sell the company to your American conglomerate, Lexcorp. This will stop his son from inheriting the family business holdings and destroying the honor of the family's name.
"Mr. Yamashito is a proud man and would not come here tonight, even though I begged him to come. I now plead for your help. Protect my master from the Claw and from his ruthless son before they can steal him back to Japan where he will surely meet his doom at their hands. The sale of Yamashito Electronics is in two days. My master must live to see that day, or there is no telling what tragedy might befall my country, or indeed, your own city."
Ghost scouted the area before Yooso's arrival, making sure everything was secure.
He grimaces behind his mask, glad it hides his face. Great. Lex Luthor is involved. This makes everything five times more complex.
"Why is John so focused on claiming his inheritance in the company now? Has there been a falling out between the two, or anything like that?"
MINOTAR nods at Ghost's question.
"Question: John? Is the Vice President only half-Japanese? This could explain some of this. Asia's culture of racial purism is understood, but not talked of often. Is this where part of this stems from?"
Keeping his comm open so the others not present can hear and respond if they want, MINOTAR seems like a statue not moving much in order make sure his transmission signal is clear and uninterrupted by his body servos noise making adjustments.
The Fragment standing with Ghost and M.I.N.O.T.A.R stands quietly and surreptitiously types a message to another Fragment.
:New Information acquired, head to the sons room and await instructions:
"Lexcorp? He was a hero for me, so he must be villain number one here. We should check with the League or the Yamashito's, because this sounds too fishy." Coldwar comments to no one in particular into the comms.
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Yooso ponders for a moment, clearly uncertain about giving away too much information and risking the family's honor. "John Yamashito is full Japanese, but has spent much time in the United States and finds that people are more apt to deal fairly with one who bears an American name. He legally changed his name four years ago. It is a source of contention with his family. His sudden interest in gaining control of the company comes as a result of his father's intent to sell. John realizes that his time is limited and his power will be lost if the sale to Lexcorp goes through."
"Understanding: He has 'everything to lose' in his opinion if he does nothing."
Ghost sighed. It appeared that Mr. Yamashito, unable to accept that his son John had changed his name, wanted to sell the company so that John would not inherit it. John, wanting to keep his inheritance, had hired this to kidnap and kill his father so that he could inherit the company before the sale. To top it all off, Lex Luthor was involved, which meant there might be another layer involved in this.
"Did Mr. Yamashito decide to sell the company because of John's power grab, or was there another reason? It sounds like John is reacting to the sale by taking extreme actions, but I'm curious about the decision to sell the company."
Arcfire downloads himself into Mr. Yashimoto Sr.'s phone at the first opportunity, and keeps a wary eye out for anything unusual.
Still motionless, MINOTAR comments again.
"Notice: I believe my colleagues fear that Lex Luther may have something to do with this situation, since Lex Corp is involved. His history in such situations is checkered at best."
Ghost's thoughts had actually been the opposite of MINOTAR's - that ensuring this agreement didn't go through to hinder Lex Luthor's ambitions would be beneficial.
Of course, it was likely in Lex's best interest to ensure the merger went through. If they tipped him off, Lex's own security would step in and help protect Mr. Yamashito as well. Lex might even be willing to offer John a prominent position in Lexcorp post merger to ensure it went smoothly.
Lex Luthor's involvement always complicated things. Why couldn't they have sold to some nice company, like Wayne Enterprises? The League's business was never complicated by Bruce Wayne.
"While it's always a possibility with Lex Luthor, in this case, it's to his advantage for the merger to go through. The only likely reason he'd try to sabotage this would be if he had an agreement with John to acquire the company for less than he's paying Mr. Yamashito."
Looking at Yooso, he says, "We'll continue keeping the Dragon's Claw from getting their hands on Mr. Yamashito. It will help if Mr. Yamashito could avoid traveling late at night through back alleys like he did tonight, though. Generally speaking, it's safer to travel on main roads during the day."
"Anything else to keep in mind, Yooso?"
Nodding slightly MINOTAR agrees with Ghost.
"Agreement: Avoiding situations like what happened earlier is of utmost importance here. I would offer you and your master a ride in our Javelin if such a journey is needed in the future. It would be quicker and safer to say the least."
A Fragment begins to worry that they are too spread out, he steps into an empty elevator as soon as the doors close he faces his reflection in the mirrored doors and steps into himself. the doors open with a soft bing in the next floor to to revel an empty car.
Straightjacket keeps up the bellhopping job until he's needed for superheroing. The tips are great.
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Yooso shakes his head. "My master would never consider riding in your vehicle. It would seem a sign of weakness and would say much about my inability to protect him. However, I will remind the driver to stay on main roads, particularly after dark.
"I am familiar with Lex Luthor and his less-than-honorable business tactics, but in this case, it seems he intends to be honest. His treatment of my master has been nothing short of exemplary. I do not believe he is aware of John's treachery."
MINOTAR nods again.
"Understanding: We will continue to monitor the situation while you are here in the United States. Feel free to let us know if you need anything more specific at a later time."
Ghost thinks a moment, then says, "Let's get back to the hotel. We need to contact the League, and keep a closer eye on John."
MINOTAR nods again and moves from statue stillness to full walk. Heading back to the Javelin, he uplinks to the Javelin's systems by radio to release the lock-down on the vehicle and begin warming up the engines. He comments to Ghost as he walks.
"Wary Caution: This situation turns out to be more than we suspected. I 'hope' we are up to the task. I feel there are nuances here we are missing completely, and could hurt us later tactically."
"Yes, we should check with the League."
"Lex Luthor's involved. The odds of us missing something are pretty good. That's why I want to contact the League. Maybe they can shed some light on why Lex wants to acquire Yamashito Electronics. For instance, is there something YE is working on that Lex wants, and if there is, what would the effects of him having it be?"
Though he doesn't voice all of his thoughts out loud, he thinks, And would the ideal solution be finding a way to sabotage the merger? Or, would the best way to keep Mr. Yamashito safe be for Lex to offer John a high-ranking position at Lexcorp?
"Couldn't it just be a normal business deal?" as he shows off his naïveté.
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Back at the hotel, you call in to the League. The Martian Manhunter is on monitor duty.
Upon explaining your plight, the Manhunter replies, "We cannot assume that this is anything more than a common business deal. Lexcorp has many holdings and while Lex Luthor is generally not to be trusted, making common business deals that do not net him immediate or discernable gains is not out of character.
"As far as Luthor gaining control of some unknown technology, we know of nothing that Yamashito Electronics is working on that may be a threat. It could, of course, be a subversive dealing, but more likely, this is a common business merger, nothing more. However, we will do some research to see if anything bears out. In the meantime, your mission remains unchanged.
"Protect Mr. Yamashito until the merger is complete. You cannot directly arrest his son, because, in the eyes of the law, he has done nothing wrong, even if he is directly responsible. The Claw may make its move at any time. Be prepared to stop them."
Straighjacket looks a bit smug after that answer.
Once communication with the Manhunter is closed, MINOTAR will comment again.
"Hesitant clarification: We should remain vigilant and remember we are not to be proactive here, but protective until more evidence is found to the contrary. However...if evidence DOES comes to light that the son IS directly responsible for the attacks on his father, we can have the authorities arrest hm immediately."
MINOTAR leaves it there. He cannot directly disobey orders without setting the League against him...
Ghost nodded. "It sounds like the League wants us to leave the Lexcorp connection alone and focus on protection. So, here's what I think the plan should be. With Arcfire back in Mr. Yamashito's phone, we can maintain a close, protective presence. We should increase Mr. Yamashito's protection when he's away from the hotel, though. Fragment, join MINOTAR and Coldwar in keeping a protective perimeter about him. Straightjacket and I will remain in the hotel to keep an eye on John. If John leaves the hotel, we'll follow him. If the Yamashitos leave together, we'll stick together. Sound good?"
"Works for me. "
"Understood."
"Check." Confirms the human Popsicle.
"Not to question you, but I can be in both places with one on deck. It is your call"
"I know, but I think we need to focus on protection of the senior Yamashito, and if the Claw strikes again, they'll need all of you there and focused. If John remains surveillance only, we don't need too many on him."
Times like this I wish I could do goofy item impersonations like Plastic Man.
"Here's what I'm thinking of for security. Arcfire stays where he is in Mr. Yamashito's cell phone. MINOTAR and Straightjacket provide aerial escort in the Javelin. Coldwar and Fragment provide ground escort in other vehicles. I'll head over early and scout out the signing area for any signs of bombs or areas the Claw could have hidden themselves or weapon designs. I'll then remain in the room, invisible and out of the way, to keep an eye on the signing as it progresses. Everyone ready?"
Once the plan is decided on, Ghost heads over to Lexcorp at 0800 so he can investigate the room the signing is to occur in and make sure there aren't any hidden traps - invisibly, of course, and walking through walls and such as needed.
"That works. " he responds having no better idea.
MINOTAR thinks the idea is tactically sound.
"Agreed"
He will then double check the Javelin's systems to make sure it is fueled and ready to function at a moment's notice.
"Ready."
Seeing the ninjas entering the 20th floor, Ghost teleports his way up there to see what they are doing.
A fragment will Post with the Javelin, another Fragment in the room nest to the HVT.
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Ghost whispers a message over the comms. "Five ninjas just entered the 20th floor of Lexcorp. They've kidnapped Leslie Richter, the general manager of this division, and left a perfect double in his place. Two of the ninjas are taking Richter away, while the other three are hiding in a maintenance closet nearby. Let's rescue Richter from those two, then get him back here for the ceremony. I'll deal with the three in the closet." Ghost smiled. He knew how to surprise someone.