Currently, Gothwrain was looking over credit-ratings and bills, making sure that everything was either paid-up with those who owed the clan, or paid-off to those that the clan had made purchases or needed favors from.
"Hmm..." Gothwrain mumbled as he looked over a computer print-out. "it seems the Shikibara Yakuza Family hasn't fully paid off their debt, and they're usually so well... I'll let it slide this time... Just kill one of their best men and jack up the interest..." Smirking, he added to himself, "No use in just destroying the entire clan after all. They still have their uses..."
Pressing a button on his intercom, Gothwrain spoke into it. "Miss Higgins."
"Yes, Lord High Elder Gothwrain?" Asked a female voice over the intercom.
"Cancel my one o'clock with Mr. Mishima, and reschedule for a week from now. Some business has come up that I must attend to." Gothwrain said.
"Yes, Lord High Elder." Came Miss Higgins's voice. Gothwrain then let go of the button, turning off the intercom. He went back to looking over computer print-outs of the Japanese Offices accounts once more. After after all, running the Wererat Clan was like any other business. And it took a keen, sharp, conniving mind to keep it afloat. If it weren't for him, the clan would more or less be scant groups of rats in hiding... It was he that brought it to the glory it was now.
"Of course, I had to get rid of some of the older caste members..." Gothwrain thought, but smiled. He never liked them anyway. They thought too differently for his taste, never could agree on anything except for their fear of rats. Fortunately, that was more than enough for Gothwrain to use, to weasel his way up thge corporate ladder.
There was a knocking at the door, and the bodygaurds aimed their automatic weapons at it. Gothwrain looked up from his work. "Who is it?"
"It's me!" Came an almost frantic-sounding voice. "It's Marlo!"
"Marlo?" Gothwrain asked.
"Lieutenant Marlo Branson, Head of the 5th Division of Wererat Espionage, sir Lord High Elder!" Came the voice, slightly more controlled.
Gothwrain nodded his head. He looked over at one of his bodygaurds. "Let him in."
The bodygaurds kept their guns aimed at the door while one went to open it. A gray-furred wererat in a somewhat haggard-looking Italian suit was standing there, holding large manilla envelope. "Lord High Elder! You are not going to believe this." Marlo said.
To that, Gothwrain opened a desk drawer, pulled out a cigar and closed the drawer. Sitting back in his chair, Gothwrain conjured a magical flame on his finger and lit the cigar. He inhaled slightly and puffed out a cloud of smoke at the wererat. "Speak plainly and to the point. My time is valuable."
Marlo coughed a bit with the smoke. "Sir, some of my men were in an area of the 'trouble districts' of Tokyo doing reconnaissance." Marlo culped. They saw something horrible, immediately reporting back what they had seen."
"What was it?" Gothwrain asked. "Oni in Tomobiki? Sailor Senshi in Juuban? Lower Earth Orbit Martial Artists above Nerima?"
"WORSE!" Marlo said. He tentatively moved forward and placed the envelope on Gothwrain's desk. "See for yourself."
Gothwrain frowned. Holding his cigar between his right pinky and ring-finger, Gothwrain opened up the envelope and took out a set of pictures... It was that one boy with the pig-tail Gothwrain recognized from earlier photos taken, a regular in their 'Nerima' File. What was his name? Genma? Tenma? Akuma? Ranma? Something like that. He seemed to be talking to and holding a woman.
A tall, CAT-like woman...
Gothwrain's eyes widened and his fur stood on end. "THE WERECHEETAH IS HERE!?"
"Yes." Marlo whimpered.
Gothwrain nodded his head. "Thank you. Your surveillance team shall be well rewarded for this. You are excused until further notice."
Marlo saluted Gothwrain. "Long live the High Elder!" Turning on his feet, Marlo left the office, a bodygaurd closing the door behind him.
Gothwrain pressed a button on his intercom again. "Miss Higgins!"
"Yes?" Came the female voice over the intercom.
"Cancel ALL my appointments for today and tomorrow, and if we have to, the day after tomorrow!" Gothwrain said.
"Sir?" Higgins asked. "But one was a very important arms deal, and they won't resched-"
"I DON'T CARE!" Gothwrain ask. "If they cannot reschedule, then they do not need out business! And Miss Higgins! Patch a word to Zero. I need those three protégés READY!"
"Y, yes Lord High Elder!" Miss Higgins yelped. Gothwrain let go of the button.
Gothwrain was seething in controlled anger. How DARE that cat do this? Had she figured out what's going on? Did she want to avenge her deceased clan? Did she think to challenge his power? "Whatever she wants, I will get to the bottom of this..." Gothwrain thought bitterly. He did not literally bite and claw his way to the top by being nice and leaving loose ends untied. He would find out WHY the cheetah was in Japan, and he would act accordingly.
"The Prophecy must not be fulfilled..."
"Of course!"
"How to deal with life in general."
"@#$%! We ain;t ready for this!"
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(Posted Tue, 10 Jun 2003 22:18)
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