SWNOVELXO Chapter 53: Counter Attack
Hiroshi finished this exhaustive rundown and let the last slide linger. The network diagram glowed ominously, a lattice of betrayal that infiltrated government, business, and crime. The room was silent except for the quiet whir of the ceiling fan. Many of the assembled operatives wore grim, haunted looks – even those who had seen their share of horrors. Himeno, standing near Aki, let out a slow whistle under her breath, eyeing the scale of the conspiracy. Kobeni looked a bit pale, swallowing nervously at the revelation that so many trusted institutions were compromised. Kishibe's single good eye narrowed, and he muttered a curse about "rotten snakes." Makima remained outwardly composed, but her clenched jaw and the flicker of anger in her eyes betrayed her disgust. This was bigger and uglier than even she had suspected.
Denji broke the silence, voicing what they all felt in his blunt manner. "So basically," he said, chewing anxiously on a piece of gum, "half the people we shook hands with this week would've put a knife in our backs." He shook his head, fists clenched on the table edge. "When do we take these bastards down?"
A few others murmured in agreement, tension giving way to pent-up eagerness for action. Five days of biting their tongues around traitors had been an exercise in supreme restraint, especially for the younger hot-headed agents. Hiroshi raised a hand calmly, and the room fell quiet again. Now came the truly delicate part.
"In due time," Hiroshi replied to Denji, voice measured. His steel-blue eyes swept over the group, each face reflecting determination. "We all want justice. But we won't get it with a purge based on hunches or incomplete intel. Our next phase is critical: infiltration and entrapment. We need airtight evidence on every principal player in this network before we move openly." He exchanged a look with Makima, who nodded sharply in agreement. The scale of corruption meant normal channels were unreliable – if they tipped their hand too soon, the traitors' friends in high places would merely sweep the dirt under a rug. Some of those friends might even sit in the Cabinet or judiciary; they'd bury any accusations and retaliate against the whistleblowers. It had happened before, in smaller scandals. This time, Hiroshi intended to leave no room for denials.
He stepped closer to the table, planting his palms on a spread of dossiers – each target's profile, each plan of attack. "We will gather incontrovertible proof," he continued. "Enough that the culprits can't talk their way out, and their political sponsors have no choice but to cut them loose to save themselves." His voice hardened, echoing slightly in the concrete room. "When we present our case, it must be so damning that even a compromised judge or politician won't dare protect these people." The group listened intently. This was the crux of their strategy: total exposure.
Hiroshi began to outline the approach, holding up one finger at a time as he ticked off the objectives:
Surveillance & Interception: We'll bug their communications and watch their every move. "First, we expand our surveillance," Hiroshi said. Alakazam tapped the side of his spoon against a photo of a sleek corporate office – Shijō's Tokyo headquarters – indicating where bugs were already being placed. "We've planted wiretaps on phones and set up remote access to email servers. Daisy and Akemi will continue to monitor conversations telepathically where possible, especially during high-level meetings." He nodded toward the two Psychic Pokémon. They had become exceedingly adept this week at skimming surface thoughts and emotional auras to catch lies in real time. "If a suspect makes so much as a whisper of their next deal or cover-up, we'll hear it. Every incriminating word will be recorded." Aki added with a firm set to his jaw, "No more hiding in shadows for them." They would turn the conspirators' own secrecy against them, catching them red-handed in their complacent whispers.
Undercover Stings: We'll draw them out and make them show their guilt. Hiroshi held up a second finger. "Next, we set up entrapment operations. We will stage scenarios that tempt our targets to expose themselves." He exchanged a glance with Kishibe, who grinned wolfishly – this was a tactic the old hunter relished. "For example, we'll leak a false opportunity to our greedy corporate friends – perhaps a chance to acquire a new piece of Ringmaster tech – and see which officials bite and how they maneuver to get a cut. We can likewise feed a dummy intel report about an extremist plot and see who tries to warn the terrorists." By carefully controlling the information pipeline, they would flush the moles from cover. Hiroshi continued, "Our people will be in disguise or undercover at every meeting they arrange. We'll be wearing wires, using hidden cameras, and Daisy will ensure illusions are in place if needed to mask our presence." There were quiet, eager nods around the table. They all knew this was dangerous work – getting the enemy to trust you always is – but it would yield irrefutable evidence: recordings of traitors making deals, accepting bribes, or giving criminal orders of their own free will.
Financial and Digital Trails: Follow the money, follow the data. Hiroshi raised a third finger. "We solidify the paper trail. Every illicit payment, every secret bank account, every confidential file they thought was deleted – we will dig it up." He looked to Madoka and Kobeni, the two tech-savvy agents in the team. They straightened, confidence returning now that the hardest intel-gathering was behind them. Alakazam twirled his spoon, already anticipating nights of deep dives into encrypted databases. "Alakazam has duplicated entire server drives from PSIA and corporate systems," Hiroshi said, tapping a thick hard drive on the table. "Madoka, you and the analysts will comb these for transaction records and correspondence. Trace the kickbacks and illegal fund transfers – funnel them to accounts we can link to our suspects." Financial evidence would provide the cold, factual backbone to support the more dramatic catches from stings and surveillance. "We're also coordinating with a few outside assets," Aki interjected, referring to allies in Interpol and local police, "to quietly obtain bank records and freight logs. By the time we're done, there won't be a single yen or Pokémon egg unaccounted for." Hiroshi gave him an approving nod. They all remembered how the original lab raid had yielded digital proof of atrocities; that kind of hard data, multiplied across each corrupt official's dealings, would form an ironclad case.
Coordinated Takedown: Finally, strike swiftly and decisively. "Once we have enough evidence compiled," Hiroshi concluded, ticking off a fourth point, "we move to take them all down – near simultaneously." He looked around to each member of the team. This phase was not for today, but it loomed on the horizon. "If we tip off one, the rest will scatter like rats. We can't allow that. When Phase Two is complete, Phase Three will be a synchronized strike: arrests, exposure in the media, complete neutralization of their network in one sweep." Makima broke her silence here, stepping forward with resolve blazing in her eyes. "I will personally ensure political cover for the takedown," she added quietly. In her capacity as Director-General – and with whatever allies remained true in the government – she would force the hand of any hesitant higher-ups when the time came. The traitors would have nowhere to hide.
Hiroshi inclined his head gratefully to her and then focused back on the group. "Until then, we do not break cover," he emphasized. "We return to our roles as needed, keep gathering intel, and do nothing to alert the enemy." His gaze fell on Denji, whose fingers drummed impatiently on his knee. "I know it's hard," Hiroshi said, softening his tone slightly. "They deserve to pay for what they've done – and they will. But if we rush, they'll slip away or bury the truth. We're not giving them that chance." Denji grimaced but gave a curt, understanding nod. Aki placed a reassuring hand on the younger man's shoulder, grounding him. The room's tension shifted from the despair of revelation to the determination of a focused mission. They had a plan now, a clear path to victory through methodical, relentless pressure.
As the briefing wound down, Hiroshi moved to a side table where an unassuming metal briefcase lay. Denji's eyes followed curiously – the younger agent hadn't seen this particular equipment before. Hiroshi clicked the case open. Inside was a portable, high-tech apparatus resembling a compact 3D printer fused with a chemistry set: sleek silicone molds, vials of polymer resin, a scanning unit. Kishibe let out a knowing grunt and Aki cracked a faint smile – they recognized this device. Denji stepped forward, peering at the apparatus with open curiosity. "What's that gadget?" he asked, cocking his head. The others paused to watch, some with intrigued smirks; they all knew Hiroshi's penchant for deception, but seeing the master in action was always a treat.
Hiroshi lifted a small, lifelike object from the case – a fleshy, contoured mask, expertly crafted. In the harsh fluorescent light, it looked disturbingly real: the face of a middle-aged man, with subtle wrinkles and even tiny skin pores. Denji's eyes widened. He did a double-take between the mask in Hiroshi's hand and Hiroshi's own youthful face, suddenly understanding. "No way… That's how you—?"
"—became anyone I needed to be," Hiroshi finished with a thin smile. He turned the mask over to show the interior, where faint circuitry ran like capillaries through the pliant latex-like material. "This is a custom latex mask generator," he explained to the room, though his gaze remained on Denji's astonished face. "I've been refining it for years. Feed it reference photos or scans, and it can produce an ultra-realistic prosthetic disguise in hours. Skin texture, hair, voice modulation strip in the jaw – the works."
Denji let out a low whistle, clearly impressed. He reached out a finger to poke the faux face, and Hiroshi chuckled quietly as the young man yelped in surprise at how real it felt. "It's… freaky," Denji admitted, grinning now despite the serious atmosphere. "Like Mission Impossible on steroids."
Kishibe smirked, the lines on his weathered face easing for a moment. "Hah. Kid, you should've seen the real show a week ago. Hiroshi strolled into a den of gun-runners wearing another man's skin – literally – and not a soul was the wiser." Aki nodded in affirmation. They were referencing Hiroshi's prior impersonation of an officer during the lab raid .
Hiroshi placed the mask back and tapped the machine's interface. "This tool will be crucial in the coming days," he said, returning the discussion to a businesslike tone. "Unlike our Phase One inside PSIA, some of Phase Two's infiltration will require full disguises. I won't risk one of our known faces being caught somewhere they shouldn't be." He glanced around at his team. "For example, if I need to pose as Director Takeda to access a secure database, or if one of you needs to mimic a foreign buyer at a meet, this device has us covered."
Denji's grin had turned into a firm, predatory smile. "So that's how the Elusive Fox stays so elusive," he remarked, earning a few quiet chuckles.
Hiroshi closed the case and straightened up, fixing each person in turn with a steady look. Daisy moved beside him, her presence a gentle strength radiating in all their minds. "We have our targets. We have our strategy. Now, we execute," Hiroshi said. He could feel the shift in the room as every operative steeled themselves. They had gone from hunters in the dark to architects of the traitors' downfall.
No one voiced any doubts. There was resolve in every set jaw and clenched fist around the table. Five days of playing nice with traitors had fueled their righteous anger, but now it would be channeled with icy precision. The corruption that festered in their own house would be purged, one way or another.
Hiroshi glanced to Makima. The director gave him a firm, affirming nod – he had her full backing to lead Phase Two. Kishibe flicked the safety off on a sidearm at his hip, a subconscious gesture of readiness. Aki adjusted his tie, as if preparing for another day of "normal" work, but his eyes burned with focus. Denji cracked his knuckles, an eager grin ghosting over his features. The rest of the team – Himeno, Power, Madoka, Angel, Kobeni – all looked to Hiroshi, awaiting the order.
"Alright," Hiroshi said, his voice low but carrying in the tense quiet. "Phase Two begins now." He swept his gaze across the room one last time, meeting each ally's eyes. "Infiltrate the top targets. Gather everything we need. We will not get a second chance at this, so be sharp." He then raised his right hand in a subtle but symbolic gesture – two fingers pointed forward like a fox's snout, the signal to move. "Team," Hiroshi said, the weight of the coming battle in every word, "let's go hunt."