Chp 20 - Ivan's "Master Plan"
Earth/Europe/Bertotia Kingdom/Tavern Town just West of The Capital/07_09_2020:
Trying his best to suppress his cackling, Igor waits eagerly for plan to be set in motion. The minutes tick by on the clock next to him, the smile slowly fading as they pass. Just when he begins to fear that his efforts have been thwarted, he hears a low rumbling. This rumbling begins to transform into a loud, rhythmic march, footsteps echoing around the tower and reaching the top room, where Igor is seated. Anxiety bubbling over, Igor waits, apprehensively for the source of the footsteps to show themselves before him. Noticing the footsteps herself, Ava’s brow furrows.
(Ava): That’s odd… I don’t think we had any guests scheduled to visit… Do you know who they might be, Ig~
Suddenly, the door swings open, revealing a squadron of muscular men, sporting army uniforms and big, bulky helmets. Removing these helmets, the men reveal long, dark, twisting hair tumbling down to their sides. While some have their hair tied up, others choosing to continue wearing the helmets, each one wears a shock of black hair, stereotypical of members of the Bandit tribe inhabiting the surrounding area. Seeing this signature hair style, Ava’s eyes shoot open in surprise.
(Ava): Mr. Igor! They are the Bandits, quick, we have to get out of here and w~
Getting to his feet, Igor hears Ava’s background ramblings, choosing to ignore her. Sporting a shit-eating grin, he addresses the man leading the squad.
(Ivan): So you’ve arrived… What took you so long, you goddamn savages!!
Hurling insults at the men, Igor unleashes his fury, not that any of them care. Looking to the small, terrified, blonde haired woman standing beside the Vice-captain of the GATW, the leader of the Bandits cocks an eyebrow, clicking his fingers. The moment the sound of his click resounds around the room, Ava stops talking. Feeling a heavy thump to her chest, she looks down, confused, only to see blood pouring out of a small bullet hole right where her heart should be. Unable to contemplate this, she looks to the Bandit leader, who offers a small, apologetic nod. Finally understanding her situation, her eyes roll back into her head and she collapses. Noticing this, Igor shuts his mouth, his face paling.
(POV Igor): W-what is it with these savages! They’re all monsters! Although, I guess to beat a monster, you need to use one…
Strained smile, stretching onto his face, he looks to the Bandit leader, who speaks for the first time.
(Bandit leader and father of Wayne, Evandrus): I thank you for providing us with these uniforms, they made the journey here far easier. Though I have to say, something is definitely going on… Xander1member of the Bandits, he is responsible for tracking and locating enemies and, in this case, allies says that my son’s Weaving was very active a short while ago and that now it has been reduced to a fraction of its normal amount...
(Igor, being the cocky SOAB he is): I wouldn’t worry so much, the only one capable of injuring that veritable mountain is Miss Boson, but she’s gone home for the day… It’s unlikely she’ll have gotten involved in this, there’s no need to be so jumpy, Evandrus, my plan is without fault.
Pursing his lips, Evandrus begins to sense the seeds of failure. Sensing his imminent demise, he begins to strategize. Coming to some form of conclusion, he addresses his squad.
(Evandrus): Morrison, Rana, accompany the Vice-captain to the vault. Everyone else, high alert, this may be more challenging than we originally believed…
Turning to face the doorway, Evandrus leaves, taking his squad with him. Standing behind the Vice-captain, Morrison rolls her eyes at her bad luck. Seeing this, Rana shoots a glare in her direction, scolding her for her apparent lack of motivation towards their mission. While Morrison is likely the strongest in their squadron, aside from the chief himself, she has a serious attitude problem. Rana on the other hand, believes he is likely only there to keep the other Morrison and the Vice-captain in check. Finally snapping out of his confused daze (brought about because he was effectively ignored by Evandrus), Igor is furious. Deciding to suppress his rage as far as possible, Igor prepares to leave, vowing to never return once this is over.
(POV Igor): Monsters as far as the eye can see… I’m getting out of here once this is done…
(Rana): Then, shall we proceed?
Elsewhere in the Tavern Town/~The same time:
(Elias): Uhhmm… Ivan… You, errr, is this really a good idea?!?
Not stopping to face the man, Ivan continues to run. Smile breaking onto his face, he replies:
(Ivan): Eh, it’s probably not… It’ll certainly be interesting though, don’t you think?
Giggling, Andresia offers some advice to the pale-faced healer.
(Andresia): I’d try not to worry about it too much, compared to some of his plans, this one is actually kinda well thought out.
Joining Andresia in consoling Elias, Bodil speaks up:
(Bodil): Just think about it, while it might sound crazy, by his side is likely the safest place in the Town at the moment.
(Elias): Ha! That’s what terrifies me! Oh, god…
By Elias’ signal, everyone looks up, spotting the building they are looking for. Ivan’s grin deepens.
(Ivan): Get ready, everyone, we’re about to rob a bank!
The Nest/Roughly 5 minutes earlier:-
{
(Elias): You WHAT?!
(Ivan): It’s like I said, let’s go rob a bank.
(Andresia): Look Ivan, could you please explain your reasoning? Even I’m having a hard time following what’s going on this time…
Sighing, Ivan seems to think for a second before explaining his plan:
(Ivan): Right, so we all know how Igor’s gonna go steal the Mayor’s money, right? Well what I’m suggesting is, we go steal it first. While we’re there, we’ll set a trap for Igor, capturing the slimy bastard. Once that’s done, we’ll offer the Bandits half the money to peace out, resolving the issue.
(Bodil, dumfounded): W-wait, that’s great, but I’m not sure the Mayor will be happy with that outcome…
(Ivan): Don’t worry, I’ve got something up my sleeve for that, too… Hehehe.
}
