Ivan Karelin (Ouroboros AU) (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
karakurikarelin) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
kokyreforest2014-09-10 02:41 pm
karakurikarelin) wrote in kokyreforest2014-09-10 02:41 pm
Entry tags:
Gotta get a boss table for the boss chair
[ The target is Jacob Lane, a business man working in the fashion industry. Sources indicated that a portion of his profits were going underground to an anti-NEXT organization and that he might be a gatekeeper into that group. It's a trusted source of information. Ivan had a previous mission shapeshifted into a model in a runway show. (A... lingerie runway show much to Ivan's displeasure, only mitigated by the fact that it was someone else's body doing the modeling and not him.)
If they wanted to take out Lane, it would have been easy to do, but no, Ouroboros has bigger plans. They want entrance into that organization and names of more from the group. Lane is due to get brand new table for his large office, where he also entertains small groups. Possibly not all fashion and business related.
Pao-Lin is part of the table delivery, as is Ivan, to see if they can locate where important files may be stored for later retrieval. However, once they got wind of a possible meeting after, the plans changed. Why waste a table on a NEXT Hater when they can not only get the information they need and get a very nice table? ]
If they wanted to take out Lane, it would have been easy to do, but no, Ouroboros has bigger plans. They want entrance into that organization and names of more from the group. Lane is due to get brand new table for his large office, where he also entertains small groups. Possibly not all fashion and business related.
Pao-Lin is part of the table delivery, as is Ivan, to see if they can locate where important files may be stored for later retrieval. However, once they got wind of a possible meeting after, the plans changed. Why waste a table on a NEXT Hater when they can not only get the information they need and get a very nice table? ]
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"A rave? Really? I was unaware that is being advertized there. But no matter. It's good to get the youth involved." Lane paces around the table, allowing Ivan to get a quick look at him before the man pauses in front of his window.
Mills speaks next. "I was in sales until I lost my job when the company went under. They sponsored a hero, you see, and they just couldn't pay the damage fines." Mills tone of voice says it all. He lost more than just a job, but he doesn't elaborate on the matter. He huffs and leans against the table--Ivan. "Anyways, the way I see it, we need to label things organic, so we know what's wholesome and what's pumped full of undesirable things." The NEXT registration bill. It has been circulating in the news recently. A new draft is in the works. Just because the last was vetoed doesn't mean that a new attempt will share the same fate. These three must want to make sure it does pass.
Lane makes an affirmative noise. "And what about you? Roth, was it?" ]
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"NEXTs have been causing shit for my family for years," she says. "We lost our first house because a damn fire NEXT lost his temper, and then a creepy NEXT at my high school wouldn't leave my baby sister alone -- he kept showing up at our house and using his neck-stretching power to look through our windows. Then a family with a NEXT baby moved in next door to us and her crying kept breaking our windows. We protested to the landlady but she said she wouldn't 'discriminate' against NEXTs." She huffs. "I don't have anything against NEXTs technically, but there has to be more protection or compensation for normal people for dealing with them. We couldn't afford to move away from there."
Lane chuckles. "You have a refreshing candor and an unfortunately-familiar story. I myself was almost killed by a NEXT with wind powers who was, shall we say, overenthusiastic about using them while playing in the park one day." There's the sound of papers being rifled through, then some sheets being passed out. "Very well. Before we proceed further, I'd like you all to just sign this nondisclosure agreement."
Pao-Lin perks up at that in the middle of texting information about Roth. An NDA? This is serious shit.]
Can't remember who was going to be the NEXT inflitrator, so just going to use Castillo
Summers doesn't need to sign anything as she's not one of the potential recruits. Mills signs his agreement without barely glancing at the text. For all he knows, he could be signing away his whole collection of pirated Broken Teacups and Bonsai Plants music. Roth takes a bit longer to sign hers, reading the first and last paragraphs. It's too much trouble to read the whole thing, and she impatiently pushes it across the table--Ivan back to Lane.
Castillo, on the contrary, places her hand over the sheet of paper and starts talking. "Wow, you must see a lot of people to have these ready... You're brave to have these papers in your office."
Ivan wishes he could have seen where those papers came from. He didn't hear a printer, so they must have come from a stack or a filing cabinet. Considering that Lane had strangers deliver a table while he was out and still had the papers prepared is fairly brazen. Castillo's right, Lane's brave or stupid. Perhaps brave and stupid. ]
I didn't have anyone figured out either so that's just peachy
"Y-yes, I know. Just...I have a couple of questions, that's all."
"If that's the case, you can certainly ask. But without having signed this nondisclosure, I can't guarantee that I can answer."
"I understand."
Castillo's questions actually start out quite pedantic, nitpicking the legalese of the agreement. It seems like she is legitimately trying to understand the terms she's getting herself into, from start to finish. Towards the end, however, she asks a somewhat telling question.
"Okay, um...I'm not seeing here what the specific terms are for breaking this nondisclosure," Castillo says.
Lane's chuckle is strained. Throughout Castillo's questioning, he's sounded like he was losing a little bit of patience with her. "I can't imagine it matters as long as you're not planning on doing anything of that sort," he replies, a little sharply.
"Legal action," Summers cuts in. She, too, seems to be slightly exasperated. "We'll be able to pursue financial damages for breach of contract."
"Has anyone ever broken one before?"
"Would you want to go up against Aphrodite Apparel?"
"Well, no, but..."
An exhale. "Miss Castillo. I appreciate your concern for the details, but we do need to move on to more important issues."
Pao-Lin, too, just wishes this girl would sign the thing already. She doesn't want to stay in this stupid vase for any longer than she has to.]
=|b
Lane drums his fingers over the top of the table. "If you would like to think more on the matter, you may do so outside my office. I do not want to have Mr. Mills and Miss Roth change any other plans they might have had today because our meeting went long."
Ivan can't see from his angle, but the tension in the air makes him think Mills and Roth are shooting cold looks in Castillo's way. Castillo shuffles her feet and quickly scrawls a signature onto the paper. "I'm so sorry. How inconsiderate of me. I need to remember that not everything needs to be analyzed like a school report." Her nervous laughs fill the rest of the silence.
"Now that we have that matter settled..." Lane is eager to continue and regain control of the meeting. "Ms. Summers, please bring out the that lovely portfolio of Stern Bild natural habitats. We're thinking about doing a new project to protect these areas. One in particular."
Pages are flipped, and it's Summers' voice that speaks next. "There is a school with an invasive bird species that the government is wasting precious resources on. We're thinking of lending a hand with destroying the pests."
The table lurches and elicits a few gasps and questions about earthquakes from the others in the office. Based on the words they said earlier, there is only one place their next target could be.
The Hero Academy. ]
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"You sound surprised, Miss Roth," says Summers.
"Well, I mean...that's kind of..."
"Obvious?" Castillo suggests.
"Yeah! I mean...if something happens there, the police are going to be -- "
"No need to worry," Lane cuts in. "We're approaching this project with a delicate touch. Taking things too hard and too fast will have...unfortunate consequences...all around."
His accidental innuendo earns a stifled snicker from Roth (and possibly glances from the other people in the room). Pao-Lin, meanwhile, is more grimly amused by the irony that Ouroboros might have to save the very NEXTs who were planning on opposing them one day. Not that she holds any particular enmity or disdain towards the Academy students, but she thinks Miss Kriem and Mister Jake might find it funny. She dutifully texts back to HQ as the discussion continues.
The plan seems to be modeled on the idea of dropping enough straws on a camel to break its back, as it spans multiple weeks and involves things such as (but not limited to) compromising the nearby sewer system to foul the water that the school uses, introducing contaminated food into the cafeteria, and hiring local gangs to vandalize property -- and maybe more than a couple of students. Give the group some credit for subtlety: it'd look suspicious if they engineered another "unfortunate" accident at the school or attempted to burn down the entire building with the students still in it. This way, the events appear disconnected from any anti-NEXT sentiment while still tarnishing the image of the Hero Academy.
"I realize this may seem like quite a grand project," says Lane, "but it is representative of the kind of work we hope to be doing in the future. This, more than anything you may have done for Ms. Summers up to this point, is the test of your commitment to the cause."]
Let's get them doing some more than just listening
Or maybe Ivan is just trying to think of excuses that make it seem like he's not going back to past loyalties... even if he is on a small level.
Or maybe they can just put an end to this right here and now and continue dealing with the hate organization like originally planned because Lane and Summers are right that the long term and subtle nature of this attack will make it hard to pin to a hate crime.
As more details of the plan are laid out on the table, Ivan gets more and more agitated. ]
Not all birds are helpless weakings waiting to be crushed.
[ That... isn't part of the plan. Ivan knows it, but if all they need is the information contained in this office, then do they really need to keep these people alive? They can kidnap them if they must.
And it's their fault for locking the office door. ]
let's get some badassery up in here
"Did -- did you hear something just now?" Summers asks.
"Yeah," Mills says. "But who...?"
Pao-Lin has paused in her texting, both curious and concerned (mostly the former) about Ivan speaking out of turn. He must really be upset, huh? As his handler, she should probably be chastising him for letting his emotions get in the way of their mission, but honestly Pao-Lin appreciates the change of pace from all this tedious listening and transcribing. Besides, they've learned enough to take action, she thinks. Though killing the anti-NEXTers is out of the question for the moment until she and Ivan can squeeze as much information out of them as possible. They do still have to go through Lane's drawers and pick up some paperwork, and experience has taught her that sometimes paperwork needs context from those in the know.
The man in question, meanwhile, has risen from his seat and started walking around, presumably to check all corners and crannies of his office for the source of the mysterious voice. That's what Pao-Lin is assuming, at least, since she can't see anything from inside the vase she's crammed in. And with the carpeted floors, Lane's footsteps are difficult to hear -- but not impossible.
Still, it catches her a little by surprise when Lane's face suddenly appears over the edge of the vase's opening. "You! Who are -- "
Pao-Lin flings her cell phone straight up, clocking Lane in the nose with it. A little less gracefully, she manages to pop her upper torso out of the vase just in time to slap an electrified palm to Lane's chest, temporarily paralyzing him. As he slumps to the floor, she pulls the rest of herself out and lands on Lane's back, her hand still crackling with lightning.
BANG!
A bullet embeds itself into the wall behind Lane's expensive desk.
A line of blood appears on Pao-Lin's cheek from where the bullet grazed it.
"I see we have a NEXT rat here," Summers snarls, a gun in her manicured hand. "I suppose you must be from Ouroboros?"
Pao-Lin only responds by lashing out at the woman with a bolt of lightning.
ZAP!
Summers yelps from the shock, dropping her weapon. Roth reaches inside her jacket for something, but before she can reveal the trick up her sleeve Pao-Lin grabs the edge of the table -- of Ivan -- and flips it in her direction.]
Tiny God flips her Table
Roth's fingers pull the trigger of her tiny handgun as the table flip startles her. A shot fires off and scrapes the surface. A bright blue flash then fills the room. ]
Only an idiot would mistake Senpai for a rat. She's a dragon.
[ ... Did she really just flip me? That was a new one.
Curses flies as the very expensive table is suddenly a teenager brandishing a small Japanese blade at them. Roth suffers a slash to the arm (shallow and easy to stop the bleeding) and skitters to the wall clasping her wound. All her courage has left her and she stares with horrified wide eyes.
Ivan is about to go after Mills, but then a blue glow surrounds Castillo. Her fists harden into a brick-like apperance, and she bashes Mills' side with it before Ivan gets a chance to take him out. Then Castillo drops the glow and holds up her hands. Ivan moves to keep his blade near Roth in case she tries anything. ]
I have to admit I didn't see that one coming.
[ That another NEXT would be crashing their party. Ouroboros doesn't seem to be the only one with an eye on this organization.
Once she sees that the table--that Ivan--won't immediately attack her, Castillo speaks, "My power is to hit things with the strength of a ton of bricks near as I can figure. Any comparisons between Rock Bison and Wild Tiger will be promptly ignored, thank you." ]
that's going to be our phrase for Pao-Lin going postal
[Castillo looks taken aback. "J-join...? I don't think that's...I mean, no offense, but..."
"I doubt you're here to do recruitment," Summers drones, her voice slightly shaky. She's pulled herself back up from Pao-Lin's lightning bolt and even has her gun back in her hand, aimed at Pao-Lin.
Pao-Lin, for her part, is more annoyed than concerned about the instrument of death pointed squarely at her. If they didn't need Summers around for questioning she would have killed the bitch as soon as their cover had been blown.]
You're right. We're not.
[A blue glow flares around her again as electricity sparkles in her hands --
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, you little electric rat," Summers snarls. She reaches behind her back and pulls out another gun...pointing it at Ivan this time. "Not if you want -- "
Pao-Lin doesn't even let her finish. She throws out a hand and sends a lightning dragon roaring at Summers.
ZAAAAP!
The woman screams in pain before she drops to the ground, unmoving. Castillo screams in fear, dropping against the wall for support as her legs fail her.]
Gonna flip tables and ride bikes, and her bike's got a flat
Relax. We're not going to hurt you unless you cause trouble for us. Anyways, it looks like our goals align right now.
[ He tosses a glance over his shoulder to look at Castillo against the wall and trusting Pao-Lin will stop her if she tries anything. The guns Summers had been using are tucked into his belt. For safe keeping only. He's not going to use them. They aren't his style. ]
You can't possibly be feeling sorry for these people when they killed those students in cold blood.
[ Not even trying to become their protectors spared the students from the wrath of these monsters. ]
that just makes me think of bike!Ivan getting a flat tire
"We"?
[Castillo starts to clarify, but upon remembering that there are still conscious anti-NEXTers in the room, quickly falls silent. Pao-Lin just shrugs.]
Well, whatever. You should still come join us. [She heads for Lane's desk, walking around Summers' corpse and past Lane's unconscious (but still breathing) body, picking up dropped papers from her table-flipping along the way.
"But you're criminals..." says Castillo, uncertainly.]
His life
Do you really think the justice system will work in our favor? I've seen how ugly it can be. They'll get off easy just because they're not NEXTs and their victims were. Involuntary manslaughter at the worst. Insufficient evidence is more likely.
[ And the reverse scenario, a NEXT killing a non-NEXT on accident, is murder. If Ivan hadn't done what he did for Edward... he would have been found guilty. Even with all the evidence staring at them head on, it wasn't enough for a not-guilty verdict. Not when the judge was a NEXT hater and had supporters in the jury.
Ivan is going to be seriously disciplined if he keeps letting his feelings involved in the matter. This mission presses too many of his buttons. At the same time, it fuels his desire to do something about how NEXT are treated. ]
Besides, Stern Bild doesn't have capital punishment, so they'd just sit easy in prison for a bit until they get released for "good behavior."
But, do what you want. Maybe you'll get somewhere after a hundred years. We've just taken one NEXT hater, a NEXT killer, off the streets for good.
Ivan leads a holey life
At Lane's desk, Pao-Lin snatches a candy from a crystal-cut glass dish and pops it into her mouth before beginning her investigation into the paperwork, yanking open drawers and loudly rifling through. A couple of things she instantly recognizes as important, and she tosses those onto the desk. With others, however...]
Hey I -- [She quickly clamps down on using Ivan's name.] -- uh, I'm not sure what these are. Wanna take a look?
[It might seem strange for a handler to have to ask her charge for help on handling sensitive information, but this kind of thing has never been Pao-Lin's forte. She's gotten better at it over the years, has forced herself to get better at it to better teach and protect Ivan, but most of it still goes over her head.]
The ninja way?
He takes the small bunch of files off the desk and starts leafing through it. Lane begins to moan as if he's struggling to regain consciousness, and without a second thought, Ivan slaps him upside the head with a tape dispenser to knock him back down into darkness. The tape dispenser is replaced on the desk. He goes back to reading. ]
There has to be a dozen different bank accounts here. How many organizations is this bastard funding?
[ The names of the recipients aren't all fashion related. Some worked in construction, others in radio, some in law enforcement. This was a lot more than a portion of Lane's profits. Ivan wagers that the fashion job is his second passion while his hate mission is his first. Lane may not be the leader of these groups, but he is part of the lifeblood. ]
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Give me those. We'll put them in here.
[She takes the pile of papers she set aside earlier and fits them into the plush interior of the briefcase (along with a few more candies from the glass dish. Hey, she's just taking care of business.]
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Sure.
[ He plops his stack of papers into the briefcase. It gives a satisfying slap upon landing. Then he takes a few of external hard drive looking objects and tosses them in the briefcase for good measure. Figuratively tossing them in. He doesn't want to turn the components inside into scrambled eggs.
Wait, wrong PSL.Catching Pao-Lin's gaze, he silently asks about Castillo's fate. They can't just leave her here now that she's seen their faces and know of Ivan's power. They're trump cards that haven't been revealed yet, and Ivan knows that Ouroboros would like to keep it like that. (Personally, Ivan knows his outburst causing their reveal is going to get him some reprimanding, and he'd rather do a little damage control on that end.) Letting her go would be a sign of goodwill in hopes of joining forces with whatever group she's working with, but it could also bring attention to areas they'd rather keep hidden for now.
The weight of the guns tucked into his belt seems heavier. Pao-Lin is his superior, and he will follow along with her decision. He's made a big enough mess of things, anyways. Do they bring her with them as they make their escape? ... It's already that much harder because now they have to deal with Lane. Possibly Mills and Roth too. Summers they can leave behind since she's dead and can't talk about what their organization. Do they end Castillo's life to tie up a lose end? Do they delay the decision and have Castillo meet Mister Jake or Miss Kriem first? Do they let Castillo make that choice?
So far, rich Lane's sound dampened office has worked in their favor, but sooner or later, someone will come looking for the man. They shouldn't linger for too long. ]
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With a sharp clack, Pao-Lin snaps the briefcase shut. She swings it off the desk with one hand and speedwalks over to Castillo, who ever so slightly edges away from her. Her voice is disturbingly, casually cheery as she asks:]
So, you wanna live or you wanna die?
[Castillo stares at her, bewildered. She clearly hadn't been expecting to have a choice in the matter. "Wh-what -- ?"]
It's like I said earlier: you should come join us. You have a really useful power. But we can't just let you go now that you've seen us.
1/2
2/2
Deep down, there is still that student who wants to do something to improve the standing of NEXTs. Everything he does in Ouroboros ties into that. He wants to save other NEXTs from sharing Edward's fate, the fate he narrowly missed because Ivan took the judge's place the last day. He wants to save NEXTs like those murdered Hero Academy students. Ironically, if he must kill a NEXT to achieve that goal, then the sacrifice must be made. (Not Edward or Pao-Lin, never Edward or Pao-Lin) ]
You don't have much time to decide. We'll have company soon.
[ He recalls something about another meeting, and as if fate heard him, the ornate phone on the desk starts to ring. ]
Senpai, Lane's the one who'd have the information we need. The other two don't.
[ Roth and Mills are both in various states of unconscious but still very much alive. As Pao-Lin works with Castillo, Ivan will "handle" Roth and Mills. Perhaps he's forcing himself a little to make up for his earlier outburst. The only question in his mind for them is how he should do it in the time they have. ]
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"Please don't kill me!" he begs, eyes wide. "I can tell you things! All the stuff that Lane was up to -- a-and more! Just please don't kill me! I have a family, y-you know?"
The look that Pao-Lin shoots him as she strolls up to him with briefcase in hand is a strange but potent mix of teenage eyerolling and royal contempt.]
Yeah. So did a bunch of other NEXTs you guys killed. But you didn't seem to care about theirs, so I don't think I care about yours.
[And she slugs him in the face with the briefcase.
WHAM!
Mills topples over onto his side. His head looks...quite dislocated.
Pao-Lin frowns. She holds up the briefcase and peers at it.]
Ahhh, puk kai. I forgot there were hard drives in here. [She toes Mills' unconscious body, then glances at Ivan.] Take care of him. [Just because his neck is broken doesn't mean he still can't survive by the skin of his teeth.] I'll see what I can do about Lane.
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Why just kidnap Lane when they can also give the press a field day with murder accusations and dragging his reputation down into the mud where it belongs? Three dead people, two with hands tied with zipties and slashed necks, the other electrocuted to death, and no sign of Lane who owns the office with high security. Ivan almost feels sorry for the hapless investigators who have to take this case.
He checks himself for blood and anything that might draw attention once they leave the room. Nothing's on him, and he's not even leaving any fingerprints behind. Gloves help with that. His tanto has blood on it. For now, it's wiped with a piece of cloth Ivan has and put away under his jacket. It'll be more properly cleaned back at HQ, and the cloth is stuffed into a pocket.
Hopefully by now Pao-Lin has decided what they need to do about Lane. Ivan turns to Castillo. ]
Ma'am, make your choice. Are you coming with us or not?
[ Castillo looks at the three dead people and the two teens claiming to be fighting for the sake of NEXTs, just like she is. If she says no, she'll be killed. If she goes, who knows what will happen to her?
That uncertainty still sounds better than death and having an end to her fight. Castillo gives a hesitant nod. "I'll go." She swallows and stands a little straighter. "But I don't want to kill anyone." ]
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Also, she and Ivan somehow got caught up in watching a marathon of CSI: Sternbild the other night.
So when Pao-Lin notices Ivan's method of disposal, it gives her an idea. She'd been planning on just killing Lane before they left, as there's a strong chance that even if she revived and interrogated him, he wouldn't give her any useful info. And the phone call potentially heralds interference and discovery; there's less time for questioning than she'd like. But with how Ivan cleaned up, she could possibly goad Lane into coughing up something valuable. Granted, the files and hard drives in the briefcase are much more damning than verbal testimony, but she can think of a few things that aren't in those files that Lane must know.
She snatches up Lane by the back of his suit jacket and drags him across the carpet towards the bleeding corpses of Mills and Roth. She drops him on his back, then gives him an electrified kick in his side. His body jolts and twitches. Another kick has him moaning a little. Pao-Lin plants her foot on his chest and gives him one last shock to his heart.
Painfully, Lane's eyelids flutter open. "Wh...?"]
Take a look over there. See those letter openers of yours? They've got your fingerprints on them.
[Lane turns his head. His lips tighten as he registers the gruesome sight -- and the implications of Pao-Lin's words. She grinds her foot into his ribcage.]
So you'd better tell us what we wanna hear or else people are gonna think you're a murderer. Well, more of a murderer than you already are.
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With Castillo coming with them, that's one less thing to worry about. No doubt by now Ouroboros is wondering what happened to them and why haven't they've reappeared (to them) by now. This wasn't supposed to be a lengthy mission. Ivan wishes he had paid attention to the time, but he had been blinded by anger. Seeing that Lane is awake, Ivan tries to help Pao-Lin with the intimidation tactics. ]
And, we can make a really convincing crime scene.
[ A blue flash fills the room, and Lane is staring at Lane with a deadly grin. ]
If your company goes down, what will happen to your name? What will happen with your family? You business tycoon types put so much of your assets in stock. It'll become worthless. Not a Stern dollar left to your name.
[ Ivan picks up yet another letter opener and twirls it gently between his fingers. (Leaving plenty of fingerprints on it.) ]
It's up to you just how far you want to fall. You're a gate keeper, but is what you're guarding really worth sacrificing that much for them?
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Lane exhales. "You promise you won't hurt my family?"]
Mm-hmm.
[And Pao-Lin does mean it, insofar as much as she can mean something that's not quite in her control. It's true that she doesn't intend to hurt Lane's family at this moment, but if it turns out his family is also involved in the anti-NEXT business and Ouroboros sends her after them, then she'll have no qualms about taking them down.
Lane closes his eyes. "Then what do you want to know?"]
What do you know about Project Palmtree?
[It's a mysterious phrase that pops up every now and again in confiscated evidence and overheard conversations with people known or suspected to be deeply involved in anti-NEXT activities. The new recruits and grunts seem to have no idea about it.]
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Ninja's mad
u mad ninja
Very mad
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timeskipping
To the future with food
AND THE FUTURE IS HERE, MONTHS LATER
The future works in mysterious ways
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