Alex glanced at the route mapped out by GIR, and his eye twitched nervously at what he saw. He lifted his head, looking at the air vent, then back at the screen, and shot a reproachful look at GIR, who seemed perfectly pleased with its work.
Kiwi observed this silent exchange, confused as to why Alex kept looking up at the ceiling and then back at GIR. Finally, she decided to ask:
«What's going on?»
Alex sighed heavily and, without a word, tossed his phone to Kiwi. She caught it swiftly, raising an eyebrow in surprise, and looked at the route. Shaking her head, she said, bewildered:
«What's the problem? It's a great route, straight to the lab.»
Alex's face twisted in irritation. He sighed again, realizing he'd have to crawl through the ventilation shaft. Casting another glance at the guilty GIR, Alex understood that it had simply chosen the most optimal path where he wouldn't get stuck. After all, punching a hole through the floor to the lab wouldn't have been the best solution.
«I just don't like tight spaces,» Alex muttered, jumping up and grabbing onto the vent grille.
Kiwi watched with amusement as he dangled from the grille, looking somewhat ridiculous.
«Probably because of those videos where people get stuck in narrow passages,» Alex continued, trying to pull the grille off.
Kiwi could understand his concerns. The thought of getting stuck in a confined space made her shudder. Finally, Alex tore off the grille and glanced at the narrow entrance to the vent. He was about to smash through the floor but, remembering that he might break the ventilation system if he got stuck, sighed and climbed inside.
«Alright, here we go,» he said, pulling himself up.
Once inside the vent, Alex was ready to move forward, but then remembered something important. Turning around—luckily the vent was wide enough—he poked his head out. Kiwi looked up and flinched, startled to see his glowing eyes.
«Don't freak out, it's still me,» Alex chuckled, noticing her reaction.
Kiwi rolled her eyes, deciding not to say anything. Alex, looking at GIR, reminded:
«GIR, once I reach the communications hub, start the operation. Stream the camera feed to Falco so he can be our eyes.»
GIR saluted, showing it understood. Alex continued along the route, reflecting that real life wasn't like the movies: the ventilation system was surprisingly clean and free of cobwebs. Reaching a fork, he checked the map to make sure he didn't end up in the women's restroom, then turned right.
After a while, Alex stopped, narrowing his eyes. Even in the ventilation system, there was a security setup with laser sensors.
«Hey, GIR, I've got lasers here. Can you shut them off?» Alex asked through the comms.
Receiving confirmation, Alex patiently waited for the alarm system to be deactivated. He understood the need for such measures but found it annoying all the same. It baffled him that anyone would think of sneaking into Arasaka through the vents. Then, remembering where he was, he realized this city was full of people who'd do anything for money.
Finally, Alex heard that the alarm was disabled and continued on his way.
«All that's missing is some music for this job,» he muttered under his breath.
Both Kiwi and Falco, who was monitoring the cameras, heard his grumbling. Falco laughed, understanding Alex's sentiment.
«No kidding. A mission like this definitely needs its own theme song,» Falco replied with a chuckle.
Alex nodded and began humming the «Mission Impossible» theme, adding atmosphere to the situation. Falco burst out laughing, while Kiwi, sitting in Yamamoto's office, almost choked in surprise upon hearing Alex singing while crawling through the ventilation. What surprised her most was that even GIR joined in, humming along and striking strange poses.
Kiwi sighed tiredly, realizing Lucy had been right when she said Alex could be a bit odd when he got into something.
«You do realize we're on a stealth mission, and your song could give us away?» Kiwi said reproachfully over the comms.
Alex paused for a second, considering the fact that no one would hear him anyway—the ventilation walls were thick enough. As long as he hummed quietly along the way, no one would notice.
«It's fine, it just helps set the right mood for this kind of mission,» Alex replied with a light chuckle.
Falco agreed, backing him up by saying that sometimes it was important to «get into character.» Kiwi sighed again, not bothering to argue with him. What surprised her more was how Alex had managed to complete his previous missions with this kind of approach and still remain unnoticed.
«Have you always worked like this?» Kiwi asked, glancing at Alex with curiosity.
Alex felt a bit embarrassed by her question since most of his past «missions» were far from what could be considered covert ops. For instance, when he stormed into Thanatos's house, punched him in the face, and left without disturbing anyone. Or the time with Indra, whom he found after he was kidnapped by Ishtar along with Haruhime. And the other two «idiots» practically fell into his hands themselves.
«Well… back then it was all quiet and smooth,» Alex lied in a monotone voice.
Kiwi nodded, still not fully understanding why Alex acted so oddly sometimes but decided to leave the questioning for later. For now, it was important to keep communication to a minimum, just in case.
Alex continued moving forward until he noticed that the ventilation shaft ended, opening up a view of the elevator shaft. He realized he was close to the comms hub where he could connect to the system.
«I'm at the elevator shaft. GIR, get ready, you're up soon,» Alex said, contacting GIR.
GIR confirmed he was ready. Alex looked around and climbed out into the shaft. The shaft was massive, and looking down, the thought briefly crossed his mind to just let go and fall, but he quickly pushed it aside—he needed to find the comms hub first.
Spotting the hub above, Alex started climbing. Reaching it, he ripped the cover off the panel and pulled out a device that would allow GIR to take control of Arasaka's security systems without drawing attention.
«All right, I'm connected. It's your turn now, GIR,» Alex said, hanging by one hand over the abyss.
GIR, plugged into Yamamoto's computer, immediately began hacking into the cameras and security system. Meanwhile, Falco, sitting in the car, received the signal on his tablet and took over surveillance.
«We've got eyes all over the building. You're clear to proceed,» Falco confirmed, letting Alex know the cameras were under their control.
Alex nodded and jumped onto the elevator cable, sliding down. Kiwi, realizing the operation had begun, locked the office door so no one could enter. She even asked GIR to seal the doors completely, and he complied, disabling any attempts to gain access.
«We're locked in the office, so take your time,» Kiwi said, sitting at the desk and watching GIR work.
«I'll still move quickly—any delay could cost us,» Alex replied, descending to the lowest level.
Looking around, Alex approached the elevator doors, ready to open them, but decided to contact Falco first.
«Hey, Falco, I'm in position. Can you check if anyone's nearby?» Alex asked.
Falco carefully scanned the cameras on the lower floor, making sure no one was around.
«Clear, you can move forward,» Falco responded after a thorough check.
«Okay,» Alex said.
He slowly pried open the elevator doors, double-checking that no one was nearby before fully stepping out. Glancing around, he noticed the corridors were stark white, reminding him of scenes from the Resident Evil movie. Alex quickly checked his phone to confirm the location of the lab.
«Falco, give me a heads-up if anyone shows up on my route,» Alex said as he moved forward.
«I'd love to, but the cameras only cover the entrance to this floor. The lab is outside our surveillance zone,» Falco replied.
Alex grumbled in frustration about having to go in blind and cautiously made his way down the corridors. Passing by some strange rooms, he peeked into one and saw people inside capsules.
«Hey, there are people in capsules here. What's going on?» Alex asked.
Kiwi, still monitoring GIR's work, was impressed by his speed. What would have taken her hours, GIR was doing in mere minutes. She'd always thought there were many talented netrunners, like Lucy, but GIR was clearly on another level. Alex's question pulled her from her thoughts.
«Those are netrunners working for Arasaka. They're plugged into the network right now,» Kiwi explained.
Alex nodded and gave the people one more glance, deciding not to dwell on what was happening. It seemed strange to him. He couldn't understand why, knowing that if something went wrong in the virtual world, their brains could literally fry, leaving them either as brain-dead vegetables or killing them outright. Lucy had already told him what happens to those who dive too deep into the virtual realm and encounter old viral AIs or something similar. Closing the door, Alex continued on his way.
As he passed by one of the doors, it suddenly swung open, and a worker from that floor appeared in front of him. Without thinking, Alex punched him in the nose and shoved him back into the room. The worker, having just finished his shift, was already imagining heading home to crack open a cold beer. He had no idea that upon leaving the room, he'd run into a strange guy in a white mask, who would immediately punch him in the face. Falling to the floor, the worker clutched his bleeding nose, staring at his attacker.
«Sorry, buddy, just bad luck,» Alex said indifferently, raising a hammer and striking the worker on the head.
The man didn't have time to say anything—he lost consciousness, collapsing to the floor. Alex returned the hammer to his inventory and sighed heavily, looking at the unconscious worker. Grabbing him by the leg, Alex dragged him to the far corner of the room to hide him.
A trail of blood was left behind, and when Alex finally stashed the body in a closet, his gaze lingered on the blood-streaked floor. His eye twitched—he needed to clean up the mess. Finding nothing suitable in the room, Alex pulled a mop from his inventory, which, as it turned out, was one of his absurd inventions meant for fun.
«What a life,» he muttered, starting to mop up the blood.
Falco and Kiwi, hearing his comment over the comms, raised their eyebrows in surprise.
«What's going on over there?» Falco asked, intrigued.
Alex wiped away the last trace of blood and nodded, satisfied with the cleanliness. Hearing the question, a crooked smirk appeared on his face.
«Ran into a worker, accidentally broke his nose. Then I finished him off with a hammer, just to be sure,» he said, putting the mop back into his inventory.
Falco chuckled, feeling sympathy for the poor guy who fell victim to Alex's hammer, while Kiwi just shook her head, not wanting to delve into the details. She didn't even want to know why Alex carried a hammer with him. But Falco wouldn't let it go.
«So, what are you complaining about?»
«This idiot splattered blood all over the floor, and I had to clean up after him,» Alex replied dryly.
Falco laughed, and Alex, muttering something about his luck, moved on, trying not to peek into other rooms. He didn't want to run into more workers he'd have to knock out again.
Finally, he reached the lab door and hesitated, wondering if he should go in. There were no medicines left, and what he had prepared for Main was already in his inventory. After a brief moment of contemplation, he decided to enter—his intuition suggested he might find something useful.
«I'm at the lab. GIR, open the doors,» Alex said into his communicator.
Busy downloading data and deleting information about Lucy, GIR heard him and opened the doors. Alex stepped into the lab, surveying the various devices—from weapons to cyber implants.
He grabbed a few weapon samples for his collection, but the cyber implants didn't interest him. As he ventured further inside, he stumbled upon a room where a person was working at a computer. Approaching from behind, Alex struck him on the back of the head without hesitation, knocking him out.
«Let's see what you're hiding here,» he muttered, looking around.
While exploring the lab, Alex came across a strange room filled with experimental devices and a safe. A satisfied smile spread across his face.
«If there's a safe, there's something to hide,» he said eagerly.
Walking up to the safe, Alex pondered how to open it. However, realizing that lock-picking wasn't his strong suit, he decided to apply brute force and simply ripped the door off. Inside were folders of documents. He began flipping through them and noticed they all related to the research of a particular subject.
«What the hell is 'Subject N'?» he mumbled, skimming the folders.
Not wanting to overthink it, he returned them to their place. At the end of the safe, something strange caught his eye—a little box. Alex pulled it out and, upon opening it, froze, gritting his teeth.
«Well, damn,» he hissed through clenched teeth at the sight of the contents.
He was about to approach the lab worker to interrogate him about what they were researching and where they got this item, but a call from Falco distracted him.
«Alex, I don't want to rush you, but it looks like the real Yamamoto has shown up,» Falco said in a nervous tone.
Alex froze, not understanding how Yamamoto could have arrived earlier than expected. He had checked his schedule, which clearly stated that he wouldn't be arriving for a few more days. Kiwi, monitoring GIR, realized the situation was escalating and prepared for an immediate escape. However, Alex hadn't informed her about this beforehand, assuring her that Yamamoto wouldn't arrive for at least a couple of days.
«That's already bad news,» Alex said, tossing the box into his inventory. «Give me the situation report.»
Falco quickly checked the cameras to provide an accurate picture of what was happening at the reception.
«It looks like they figured out you're a decoy. The security has started moving in your direction,» Falco replied.
Alex nodded, understanding that time was running out. Shoving aside unnecessary thoughts, he dashed toward the elevator shaft.
«Kiwi, how much longer does GIR need?» he asked while running.
Kiwi glanced at the screen, where data was flashing. The download was almost complete.
«Almost done,» she answered in a tense voice.
Alex sighed, realizing that the situation required urgency. He didn't want to return through the ventilation, so he decided he needed to buy some time while GIR finished downloading the data.
«Open my case, grab the mask that looks like mine, and put it on. You don't want your face showing up on all the cameras, do you?» Alex said, opening the elevator doors.
Kiwi scanned the room for the case Alex had brought with him. Finding it, she quickly opened it, took out the mask, and put it on. Understanding that the situation was critical, she hoped that GIR would manage if it came down to needing to use force. Meanwhile, Alex was considering how to buy a little time while the data finished downloading.
«Falco, what's going on with security?» he asked again.
Falco looked at the cameras and shook his head. There were too many guards— they were moving from all floors toward Yamamoto's office.
«How to put this... it's a complete mess. It looks like all the Arasaka guards are headed this way,» Falco replied nervously.
Alex sighed, realizing he would have to face the guards head-on. Jumping, he pushed off the walls of the elevator shaft, heading for the desired floor. Meanwhile, Kiwi was worried, understanding that the situation was much worse than she had anticipated. Over forty guards had arrived on the floor, all armed and equipped with advanced technology.
«Alex, hurry up! The guards have already cleared the floor to start their operation,» Kiwi said through the communicator.
Reaching the right floor, Alex cautiously cracked open the elevator doors and peeked into the corridor. He saw that it was filled with guards moving deeper into the floor.
«Kiwi, how's GIR doing?» Alex asked, watching the security.
Kiwi glanced at GIR and noticed with relief that he had finished downloading the data. But now came the hardest part—escaping.
«GIR is done. What are you going to do?» Kiwi asked.
Alex smirked.
«Get GIR into the ventilation and don't come out until I open the door myself,» he said, his face lit up with determination.
Kiwi followed the instructions without question, helping GIR climb into the ventilation. GIR immediately dashed toward where the guards were, ready for Alex's command.
«GIR, get the flashbang shurikens. When I signal, start throwing them at the guards' feet,» Alex ordered, preparing for the attack.
GIR complied, pulling out a dozen shurikens from his inventory. When Alex gave the signal, GIR hurled the shurikens at the guards' feet. They were caught off guard, and before they could react, the shurikens exploded in bright flashes, blinding them.
Alex tore open the elevator doors and leaped at the first guard, striking him on the back of the head and slamming him into the floor. He decided to have some fun and embed each guard into the ground or walls so that Arasaka would be dealing with the aftermath for a long time.
After throwing the shurikens at the guards, GIR kicked out a ventilation grate and landed right in their midst. Blinded by the bright flash, the guards flailed helplessly around, trying to find something to hold onto.
GIR, pulling out a taser, began zapping each one in turn, laughing like a maniacal gremlin and leaving behind guards who had lost consciousness, having received a «charge of positivity» straight to their legs.
Kiwi and Falco, watching the scene unfold through the cameras, could hardly believe their eyes. Alex was literally embedding guards into the floor and walls, leaving only their legs sticking out, while GIR, like a mad creature, dashed between them, snapping the taser and laughing maniacally. Falco laughed, realizing the danger had passed, and relaxed. Kiwi, hiding in the office, didn't know how to react to this absurdity.
When Alex reached the middle of the corridor, he noticed several people who clearly shouldn't have been there. He approached one of them—a guy sitting on the floor, covering his head with his hands, afraid to move. Alex crouched down beside him, contemplating what to do.
«Couldn't you have shown up a day later?» Alex asked sarcastically, looking at Kai.
He was silent—still dazed from the explosion of the flashbang grenade, he heard nothing and looked completely disoriented. Realizing he wouldn't get a response, Alex lightly tapped Kai on the head, like an errant child who had messed things up. Kai flinched but curled up even more, clearly fearing the worst. Shaking his head, Alex decided to waste no more time on him.
Passing by the defeated guards, from whom smoke was billowing, Alex noticed GIR, who, pleased with himself, was poking the downed guards with a stick, a silly expression on his face. GIR, seeing Alex, came over and hung onto his leg.
Reaching the office, Alex kicked the door open forcefully, not waiting for Kiwi to do it. She, hiding behind an overturned table, flinched at the loud noise, but hearing Alex's footsteps, peered out from her cover and realized it was all over. Rising from the floor, Kiwi approached Alex and looked over his shoulder. The corridor was littered with guards like dead dogs.
«So how do we get out of here now?» Kiwi asked, glancing at Alex.
He grinned widely under his mask. He had a plan in case things didn't go as expected. He led Kiwi to a massive window that offered an impressive view of the city. Kiwi, awed by the sight, wondered why he had brought her here—not for the scenery, clearly. She looked questioningly at Alex.
«Well, how do you prefer it? To be a princess, a sack of potatoes, or a koala?» he asked with a smirk.
Kiwi stared at Alex in confusion.
«Why are you asking that?» she replied, bewildered.
Alex smiled even wider, walked to the window, and with a powerful kick, shattered the glass. The wind rushed into the room, scattering papers and small objects. Kiwi grabbed onto the table, trying to maintain her balance. Seeing her bewilderment, Alex decided to act without warning. He scooped Kiwi up in a princess carry.
She wanted to protest and try to break free, but realized it would be pointless. Alex began to step back from the window, gathering momentum.
«What are you going to do?!» Kiwi asked, clinging to his neck.
«Jump, of course. I advise you not to open your mouth; you might bite your tongue,» Alex replied cheerfully.
Kiwi, realizing his intentions, began to panic. But before she could say anything, Alex took off, and at the edge, he launched himself into the abyss. Kiwi tightly shut her eyes and clung to his neck, bracing for the terrible impact with the ground. However, the impact never came.
Opening one eye, she realized they weren't falling but had landed on the roof of the neighboring building. Her heart slowly began to calm, but with that came anger.
«Are you even thinking with your head?! You must be crazy to jump from that height!» Kiwi shouted, forgetting her usually cold demeanor.
Alex looked at her in surprise. He hadn't expected such an emotional outburst. He even thought she was scolding him in several different languages. Smiling, he realized that beneath Kiwi's cool exterior lay a fiery nature.
«Alright, you'll have time to yell at me later. We need to get to Falco,» Alex said with a laugh.
Kiwi wasn't about to stop scolding Alex, but she fell silent when he suddenly jumped off the roof and, without stopping, ran through the alleyways, holding her in his arms. Navigating safe routes to avoid the cameras and leave no traces, Alex made his way to the spot where Falco was waiting for them.
The car was parked in a secluded area, away from the cameras, perfectly hidden. Falco stepped out of the car, lit a cigarette, and when he saw Alex and Kiwi running toward him, he beamed and waved at them.
«Wow, what a commotion you caused!» Falco commented as Alex got closer and gently set Kiwi down on the ground.
Alex removed his mask, a satisfied smile lighting up his face—after all, the most fun was just beginning. His plan was far from over, and he intended to create even more chaos in Arasaka so that the corporation would have no time or resources to search for them.
«No, the best is yet to come,» Alex replied with a mysterious smile.
Falco raised an eyebrow, unsure of what he meant, but intrigued by Alex's enigmatic grin. Alex simply beckoned them to follow, and the three of them emerged from their hiding spot, climbing a hill that provided a full view of the Arasaka building. Alex, not taking his eyes off the tower, turned to GIR.
«GIR, it's the final part of the plan,» he said with a broad, almost sinister smile.
GIR nodded and began activating the traps that Alex had set, while simultaneously launching a viral program that had infiltrated Arasaka's security system. Alex eagerly rubbed his hands together, anticipating when everything would start to unfold.
And he wasn't wrong in his expectations: in a moment, explosions rang out on the floor where Yamamoto's office was located, and the entire floor lit up with various colors, as if it were a carnival. In place of the security system's signage, a phrase appeared: «Glory to the Flying Spaghetti Monster!»
Seeing this, Alex nearly teared up from laughter and joy, realizing that now the entire city would be aware of the «greatest» myth he had just created. Falco, dropping his cigarette, stared at the building in disbelief. Kiwi shifted her gaze from the bright, now multicolored floor to Alex, who was as joyful as a child.
«Well, how about we take a selfie for the memories?» Alex suggested, turning to Falco and Kiwi.
Falco laughed, thinking it was a great idea, while Kiwi merely shook her head but still agreed. Happy, Alex took out his phone and set it up on a ledge, adjusting the lens so that the Arasaka building with its bright colors and new message appeared in the background.
He stood with a wide smile, holding GIR in his arms. Falco took his place on the left, also smiling at the camera, while Kiwi stood on the right, maintaining her cool expression. After taking the picture, Alex, beaming with happiness, sent the photo to his friends so they could also preserve the moment.
After a brief pause and reviewing the photo, they headed toward the car. The time had come—it was time to return to the base and inject the medicine into Mainu.
To be continued...