"Previously, the plan was to use the days leading up to the wedding to fill in the blanks regarding Klaus Stahlwölfe’s security and the layout of his mansion. We have recently uncovered some concerning details."
Victor glanced at Mr. Pike, signaling for him to take over the explanation. The smartly dressed man put down the wine glass he was holding and got up, buttoning the jacket of his suit before walking to the front of the room. Facing the others, he cleared his throat and spoke.
"The Stahlwölfes have a bottomless ocean of funds, and there is almost nothing they cannot obtain. It is for that reason why we have proceeded under the assumption that they have employed several Enhanced Individuals as part of their security." Pausing, he gave everyone a chance to voice their opinions. When no one spoke, he went on with the explanation, his voice even but a little strained. "Thanks to the actions of Mr. Dante-"
Shark chose that exact moment to interrupt him.
"Yes." M. Pike gave him a disapproving look. "Among the members of this team, Mr. Dante has come the closest to breaching the target’s territory. He has climbed all the way to the thirty-sixth floor and made contact with what we believe are Klaus Stahlwölfe’s personal guards. His experience during that time has provided us with some hints through which we were able to grasp a few crucial details concerning the type of EIs we might encounter."
"Huh... color me surprised."
Shark wasn’t the only one shocked by what they heard. Though Dante was the first to physically enter the hotel, the others weren’t expecting him to do much of anything besides washing the dishes as he was instructed. In fact, they were hoping that he would stick to his role and nothing more.
Though he was brought in by the fixer organizing the heist, showing that he had undergone the proper vetting, the more experienced members of the team couldn’t suppress their bias when seeing the boy’s age.
No matter how skilled he is, a kid who’s barely twenty wasn’t someone who could be trusted when the stakes were this high. Even Rose found herself disagreeing with the plan for that reason. In the end, they all agreed to turn a blind eye, thinking there would be no need to worry about him if they did their part properly.
Clearing his throat, Mr. Pike continued.
"In addition to the usual security measures, we can expect the target to have an additional layer of protection surrounding it. Sadly, this layer is not something that can be overcome with conventional methods." Snapping his finger, he caused the lights to go out and a projection to appear on the empty wall behind him. "The entire thirty-seventh floor is likely enclosed in a barrier capable of detecting the presence of all individuals within its borders. Because of this barrier, even if we make it inside the mansion, we will find it impossible to move freely without exposing ourselves."
As usual, Shark was the first to speak up. "A barrier? You aren’t saying it’s that kind of barrier, right?"
"Unfortunately, it is exactly that, Mr. Shark." Said Mr. Pike. "Klaus Stahlwölfe’s personal guard, the Stahlkorp, seems to be employing the services of a certain clan from the Eastern Federation."
"I fucking knew it!" The revelation was shocking enough for the land whale to hold his head in both hands and start crying. "Of course they have ninjas! Why the fuck wouldn’t they!!? It should have been so obvious!!!"
Though it would have annoyed them any other time, the rest of the team ignored the fat Diver, their faces showing the same amount of shock. Only Victor retained his composure, a grim expression on his face.
"To be more accurate, it is a branch that has planted its roots in the Radmir union after splintering off from the original clan." Mr. Pike went on with his explanation. "Their members aren’t strictly Easterners, and because of that, it had been a little difficult to uncover their identity as members of that clan."
"You got to be shitting me..."
Shaking off the momentary daze, Rose was about to ask a question, but Kirk beat her to it, his size amplifying the mild anger he was showing.
"You’re telling me the kid drew the attention of an Eastern clan? Why are we hearing about this only now?"
"I understand your concerns, but you do not have to worry." Victor quickly stepped into the light, attempting to explain himself. "We have taken measures to ensure the mission is not affected by what happened."
"Does that have anything to do with Dante’s injury?" Rose asked, piercing the fixer with a stern gaze. "Is that why he isn’t here today?"
Victor’s expression darkened a little.
"As if this gig wasn’t difficult enough," Shark said.
For a while, everyone retreated into their own thoughts, attempting to digest the new revelation. Considering the topic of their discussion, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that each of them was in the process of deciding whether to continue the mission or drop out.
"An Eastern clan..." Kirk muttered. His yes move to Mr. Pike the next moment, then to Victor. "Do they have a personal stake in the item we are trying to retrieve?"
"That is another one of our problems." Saying that, the fixer turned to Mr. Pike.
"As I have said, they are a branch that had splintered from the main clan in the Eastern Federation, but even if they have severed their ties entirely, it is highly likely that they would have an interest in the relics of the Mikazuki clan." Pausing, the smartly dressed man turned to the projection on the wall, which had switched to a logo of a single character written in the traditional calligraphy of the East using white ink on a black background. "The guards we are dealing with originate from the Shirogane clan, one of the Eight Stars that once ruled the Tōseika Empire, and the only surviving faction among those who served the Mikazuki clan."