6 | Tower, My Tower

The plan was going to begin as such:

The group was to launch a faux assault on the Kosunaga building enough to draw out their reactionary force. Laven and LUCAS would remain back in a camp nearby—but not too close so that combat touches them. The main strike team consisting of Gavin and Roshe would lead. They would honestly try to pick off any of the rogues if they're able, but it is only a bonus. Their real goal is to draw them out enough to get them to notice the camp, and once enough is so they will retreat—in a different direction, of course. They would have to break enough distance as to discourage them from following them instead of making their way to the small camp.

Seeing Laven and LUCAS, they will divert to their protocol to capture and bring in two new workers. It was important that they look unarmed and look surprised when they are come upon, as any sort of threat will be shut down without any question.

Blaise and Bambo will act as support from base camp who are wired through communicators through LUCAS. From there, he will display their position within the Kosunaga building, and from there will begin phase two of the plan.

"Of course," Gavin said. "We're going to round back to help with support, but largely it will be you two," He looked at Blaise and Bambo, each nodding in return. "And from there, we'll move on as we see fit, adjusting and adapting as things come to interfere as they inevitably do."

"That's wildly inspiring," Laven said, shifting her hair up into a ponytail, then shifting it off to the side. She then shifted her weight and cocked her neck, "And what happens if they mean to kill us anyway? What if they see us as bait and don't follow the plan? You know, for devil's advocate."

Gavin smiled. "Well, I've got a surprise in store for that. You don't have to worry."

"And...what is it?" LUCAS asked.

Gavin simply smiled, which unnerved LUCAS. "It's more fun if it's a surprise. If it doesn't happen I'll tell you."

"If we make it out alive, that is," Laven mused.

"Think of it as a post-celebratory reward."

Celebration was the last thing on LUCAS's mind, but he figured if they were really able to to complete the task then he would be sure to celebrate like the best of them.

"Well then," Gavin clasped his hands together. "Looks like we're about ready. We can pack up our things and move out to prepare by the end of the day. Luke, Laven, come walk and talk with me. I want to go over your side of the plan while the others prepare."

LUCAS nodded, standing to attention. He waited for Laven to rise too, but she took an extra moment, slowly swaying as if there were a solemn waltz playing faintly in the background. "Can't say I'm excited to play the rube, but I guess the feeling of success will make up for it in time."

Gavin led the both of them outside of the tent. People started to gather round the outside of the tent—expectant looks plastered on their faces.

"They're waiting our move," Gavin whispered. "The guild is looked on favorably in this sector—we mean to free their friends and family, of course."

"Bunch of eyes I can't bare to look at," Laven hushed back. "Too much hope pinned on us, I think. You'd think the power of all these people would inspire the strongest among them to sign onto the guild."

"You know why they don't," Gavin said. "These people are beaten, battered, and are barely hanging on. They need what we can offer. Maybe once this mission is successful their resolve will begin to grow, again."

"And what of your services then, fine warlock?"

Something about the name made Gavin smile, but he made effort to hide it from the crowd. "That is to be determined. Going to miss me that much?"

"I can admit, your adventures leave the tent with a certain...void of entertainment."

The three break through the crowd, Gavin's smile is still firm on his face. "I like to be in the company of putting smiles on other's faces, even if those faces haven't smiled in years."

"Makes me think," Laven pondered, "If Roshe has ever smiled.

"Maybe once," Gavin added, "twice at most."

This brought a chuckle out of Laven. It sounded foreign. It was a different side to her than LUCAS had seen yet. It reminded him these were people first, and fighters and warriors second. They had cleared the crowd fully and LUCAS felt like the tension around him fell apart like a cloth soaked in deep waters. The tension that was the physical manifestation of the expectations the crowd had placed on their shoulders. LUCAS hadn't been here more than a day and already he felt that weight on his shoulders.

"Okay, so now that we're free from prying ears," Gavin began. "The backup plan was going to save you, should things go awry. I'd double in and eliminate the crowd."

"You can do that?" LUCAS asked.

Gavin gave off a mysterious look LUCAS didn't know if he could trust. "Only reason I didn't want to elaborate was because of Bambo. You know how he gets when possibilities are presented to him."

Laven seemed to nod at this, understanding, and when noticing LUCAS didn't reciprocate, he followed up, "he tends to over-analyze. Gets himself caught up in a mental loop. Forgets anything else he needs to think about. Too much hassle to talk about backup plans around him."

"Won't he ask?"

Laven offered up a full on laugh that surprised him. It was hearty, and it came from deep within her. "Bambo would no sooner open up a can of worms he didn't intend to swallow than offer to fight on the front lines."

LUCAS wondered at the thought, and imagined Bambo to act similar to Levi in situations of great distress. He wondered if Bambo would be capable of the great bravery he had also seen Levi demonstrate throughout the Roulette Game. He thought it unlikely, after interacting with the man. There seemed to be underlying issues that would prevent such unless the perfect situation were to present itself.

"Anyway," Gavin drove him out of his thoughts. "You two are going to be going undercover as captives. They're going to check you for weapons, which means they'll probably discover that you're an android, Luke. Nothing to be done about that, I'm afraid. We would be heavily advantaged if they did not notice—you two would be then brought to similar work stations, I believe. Women and children tend to be kept together."

"The lot of them can burn in hell for being so antiquated," Laven brushed, venom in her voice. "To think I can't escape being so reduced simply for such base things as my gender," she shook her head. "Unfortunately, hatred and ignorance always finds a way to spread through the cracks. And, unfortunately, it finds company in people who tend to have power, but, should things go well, this should at least be less of a problem here."

"Probably should add Roshe to that list," she said, more to the air than his response. Gavin had nothing to say on this topic, and LUCAS wisely chose to do the same, as she wasn't finished. "Think the woman who saved his life at Barrier Rock would have lightened his load—tch, seems he barely considers it past the front of it. Still thinks I hampered him from his carnage."

LUCAS shifted his eyes over to Gavin, who still was silent, letting it play out. She sighed, and turned to Gavin, stopping in her tracks. "You don't have to sit silent like a damned fool."

"I agree with you," Gavin said. "I had just thought you needed to get that out. Didn't want to cut you off."

She sighed, and looked off to the side. "It's just...tough sometimes. But we can shelf that topic for now." She took a deep breath. "We still need to hear the rest of the plans you have, warlock."

The nickname hung heavier in the air as the three of them shared a silent moment.

"Yes, sorry about the detour. So, since they'll most likely find out that you're an android, you two will be separated once you get taken in. Laven will likely be moved to physical work, whereas Luke, you'll be brought probably to their science labs on the fourth floor. They'll probably try to disassemble you—see what they can take and fit for their own systems. Obviously this is the trickiest part of all, as we're playing to their reactions. But Laven, you'll need to create enough of a diversion—hopefully without alerting to your part of causing such. Something that can't be ignored by those on higher levels like the science lab. Something to get them off kilter enough that you can get out of their clutches."

LUCAS looked to Gavin with doubt in his eyes, "Excuse me, but this seems like less of a plan and more of us just winging it."

Gavin ran a hand through his hair and shrugged slightly. "Based on how recently we only obtained a map of the premises and yet are still so blind to the actual work structure inside the building, yeah, I guess you could say we're running a little on the wind of luck. Once you're inside and we have eyes on the situation we will have an easier time navigating around potential obstacles."

The answer made enough sense, but that didn't mean it was any less frustrating. The fact that he and Laven would be split up certainly would make it much easier to investigate the higher floors. He thought now that even though he said opposite, he had a feeling that Gavin was really hoping that they find out he was an android. Maybe...he should ensure such.

The three of them continued to plan until they could no longer. By the end of it, LUCAS could tell Laven felt more comfortable in her role, but he was still fearing the many ways it could go wrong. He guessed he was not unlike Bambo in that manner. He then realized it was partially due to his unfamiliarity with those he was working with. He still kept a level of trust at arm's length because he saw inside each of them the desire for power that drove them forward—the desire to strike back at anything they considered a threat. Maybe that was why it was difficult to envision success so easily.

Suddenly, beneath his thoughts, he felt something...stronger. There was a much larger power source than whatever was in the Kosunaga building. It was...west, close west. And suddenly, it made sense. It was ICARUS—the large machine sprawled out in the desert where he first met Gavin. It made more than enough sense, but why had it taken him so long to—

The inhibitor.

He wasn't fully sure, but he had a good guess that he could now sense that machine's power because of the loss of the inhibitor. It didn't explain why he could still sense the source from the Kosunaga building—perhaps that wasn't a fragment of ICARUS after all...but he had to surely make sense of this somehow. He realized there was more than just a sense of the power coming from ICARUS—there were records. Corrupted, broken records, but records all the same. It had been recording data ever since it had landed in its current place. And while many of the files he could see were damaged from the impact, there still was enough of it he could view.

And view it he would—as he walked back to the tent alongside Gavin and Laven, he began to research.