A Lewd Cultivator in Brockton Bay 44

A Lewd Cultivator in Brockton Bay
Chapter 44

-VB-

The Fallen came too fast.

They died too quickly.

Rabbit killed too easily.

He killed too effectively.

Hannover sat in his chair in his office and wondered where his plan went wrong. Did he underestimated Rabbit and overestimated the Fallen? Well, certainly, he didn’t expect the weakest of the three main branches to be here; he expected someone like Valefor and Elligos.

He bolted up from his chair.

‘Don’t tell me. He got stronger in the month between our first encounter and then his fight against the Fallen?!’ he thought frantically in panic.

It was unprecedented. How quickly was the bastard growing?!

He sat back, trying to calm himself while shelving the theory away.

Regardless of the fact that Rabbit himself hadn’t been injured at all, the Fallen had taken a huge hit by losing an entire branch of their organization. That was a victory not just for him but for all of the Elite. He would not only get credit for organizing and warning the heroes and villains of the city, he would be counted on as a neutral mediator between the two sides (and there was nothing more profitable than being able to straddle the fence).

But Rabbit was a problem still.

The man went from a casually comfortable man to a ruthless killer at the drop of a hat.

Unpredictable, powerful, and growing.

He was already beyond Hannover’s ability to manipulate and puppet.

He …

He needed to get on his good side.

But how?

… Well, Rabbit had to be a normal man, right? He must have normal man’s wants and desires. He was obviously wanting a family if Panacea’s pregnancy indicated anything.

His eyes widened behind his mask.

He had a brilliant idea.

What if.

What if.

What if he got them tickets to tourist destinations? A whole cruise?

Could he even try to set them up a place outside the city? His men and women already discovered that Rabbit’s “faction” within New Wave was having issues with Brandish.

Hannover grinned as a plan started to come together.

Yes~. He could still make this work!

First, he needed to enlarge the gap between the team.

“Paulie? Can you leave a note for the local news station as if the note came from Brandish?”

-VB-

Brandish was a bitch.

I frowned as I stood in the doorway of my house.

The crisply dressed woman with a microphone held in one hand stared up at me with sparkling eyes.

This was a social hunter, and I was the prey of the day.

“I… do not believe that such an interview was set up,” I spoke. I needed to be careful with how I spoke here. Letting any detail of the team’s current condition leak would not also lead to a public scandal but also cause all members grief.

I did not want to find out how many people would blatantly and rudely approach Amy and Vicky - nevermind the others - while they are at work or school and ask about the team’s situation after they hear any news about the team.

At the same time, I could not not be polite and open about the team. To do anything otherwise would give them a reason to continue to dig. After all, only those who have nothing to hide were open with themselves, and if I said too little, then there was something to hide.

But why did it have to be me…?

“Our station received a note from Brandish herself!” she said enthusiastically. “Surely-”

I held a hand up and then pulled out a phone.

I called Sarah first.

“{Hello, Alan?}”

“Yes, it’s me. I have station 8 here at my doorstep for an interview I never made an appointment for. Apparently, Brandish sent them a note or something?”

I could almost hear the frown from my side.

“{She doesn’t organize interview appointments. That’s my job.}”

“Can you ask her, because this lot doesn’t seem like they’re going to leave if I don’t give them something.”

“{Will do. Good luck.}” Unsaid was the need to keep the current team issue under wrap.

“Thanks.”

I turned back to the now distracted journalist. “Did your station check if the note you lot received was actually from our team?” I asked. “And from what I remember, New Wave never assigns a single person for their interview but multi-family interviews. Did you two-” I asked the journalist and the cameraman. “- come and visit a cape’s home without even confirming if you weren’t being pranked or tricked?”

The two tried to say a few things to cover their ass, but even without listening to their words, I felt the insincerity of their words.

I quickly took control of the rising temper with the harshness of a boot camp drill sergeant.

“Either speak the truth with honesty or leave with your lies and dishonesty. I am not going to entertain fake smiles and insincere excuses,” I snapped at them.

I could prevent any damage from going to the team by directing it all to me.

The journalist’s eyes narrowed momentarily in irritation but widened quickly afterwards with a still fake smile.

“I don’t know-”

I flexed.

I didn’t exert any of my Ki or make threatening moves. I just flexed.

It was enough to make the journalist shut up.

“Let me make one thing clear,” I too smiled with teeth on full display. “Where Protectorate heroes might capture the Fallen, I summarily executed them. Do you know why?” I asked as I leaned forward.

It was at this point that the two of them finally realized who they were talking to.

I wasn’t New Wave. I wasn’t the two veteran independent hero families.

“Are you threatening us?” she asked incredulously.

I gave her my “I’m done with this shit” look. “You entered my property without my express permission. You then gave me shit excuse regarding why you entered my property without my express permission. You are still on my land.” I glared at her. “Threatening you? I do not threaten, woman.”

“Alan, that’s too much.”

I paused and glanced over my shoulder.

Amy was there, nursing his bloated pregnant stomach.

She looked at the journalist. “When you heard that we did not invite you, you should have left immediately. Please leave before you further inconvenience us.”

The two of them fled.

“... That’s going to cause a problem,” she remarked with a sigh.

I snorted. “Station 8 is known for rumormongering and lying. I don’t give a shit. Anyone who views their news is dumb fuckers I also don’t need to listen to.”

-VB-

Hannover grinned when he heard his reporters talk about how they were threatened.

He could just imagine the headlines tomorrow.

“Rabbit: Hero or Loose Cannon?”

This plan was so much better~.