[71: Couldn't Come Up With A Chapter Name So Pretend This Is Something Very Clever]
"We bring breaking news. A large riot broke out in front of one of the headquarters of the Hero Public Safety Commission. A fire broke out in the headquarters before it was put out. Police quickly engaged and arrested multiple protesters, including the one who threw a firebomb into HPSC headquarters. This came right after another bombshell leak regarding actions allegedly done by the commission was released to multiple sources across Japan. Trust in the commission and the government has quickly fallen, according to recent polls. There has been no statement given by the commission so far, even as speculation runs rampant. We will—"
Nezu turned off the TV. He sighed. Things were going downhill. Ever since Eleanor raided the Shie Hassaikai compound, it seemed like society was taking hit after hit.
This was no coincidence. He knew Eleanor must be the one doing this. He didn't know what exactly she was doing, but he just knew. But getting evidence was another thing entirely. He just couldn't gather evidence for any kind of claim.
The content of the files was no surprise to him. He had long had his suspicions and knowledge; the files were just a minor confirmation to him. But that was the problem. Only to him.
"What she is doing is wrong, but…she's exposing the secrets of the commission, and the people should know about it. This is deeply polarizing, and she's keeping herself anonymous," Nezu muttered to himself. (A/N: A polarizing figure who exposes classified and secret files and documents that expose dark secrets from a government agency? Hmm…where have I heard this before⸮)
"Eleanor…just what are you doing?" Nezu asked, but he was the only one in the room.
⁂
"Hmm…well, it's nice to see people actually doing something after reading leaked files and stuff. Shoutout to the Finns." Eleanor was watching the same news report. It was a welcome sight to her. And if someone was willing to throw a Molotov cocktail, then who knows what they would do when the next leak hit.
"Finland? Why do you say that?" Lady Nagant was also nearby, watching the same news report. She wouldn't say it, but seeing the footage of a fire almost breaking out completely filled her with a sort of satisfaction.
"The Finns are the ones who made the Molotov cocktails. I would consider it their most lasting influence all over the world," Eleanor said.
"I guess that's one way to see it. Any news from Toga or Jin?" Lady Nagant asked.
"Yeah. They're doing the same things. More sabotage. Though Toga has been completing a bit; she wants to see if I could send her more bombs. I told her no, of course, and that it was her fault for wasting all she had for one little hideout. But I couldn't really leave her hanging like that, so I gave her less powerful explosives," Eleanor said.
"I see. And they'll be busy for a few days then?" Lady Nagant asked.
"Enough for us to be ready for Deika City," Eleanor said.
"And how do we take advantage of the files you leaked? Or will you put it in the hands of the people, since that seems to be effective at the moment?" Lady Nagant asked.
"Come on, Kaina. We both know what it'll take for the commission to really feel damage. You think one little Molotov cocktail is going to stop them?"
Lady Nagant knew Eleanor was right. The violence shown by the protestors was, to be blunt, not enough for any real change to take place. As long as the management of the HPSC was in place, nothing would change. The government would take too long to bring on policy and arrests, and trials would also take too much time. And Lady Nagant knew that getting out of jail or weaseling their way out of a sentence was possible for them.
To bring in a drastic change and force something to happen, they would have to give the HPSC a taste of their own medicine.
"Eleanor…do you think it's possible for us to…do something to the commission? I mean…can we carry out an operation before we have to go to Deika City?"
Eleanor quickly turned and looked at Lady Nagant and raised an eyebrow. "Kaina… are you saying what I think you're saying? Do you want to carry out a…'kinetic strike' against one of the leaders of the HPSC?"
"Yes, I do. Just call it what it is. Assassination."
Eleanor entered into contemplation. She was weighing the pros and cons. "Hmm…I'm not against such an operation, but now is not the moment. But we can do it after the next leak. It's too early for such a thing. Once the violence builds up, then we can do it. That way, all the speculation will drown any chance of truth from appearing."
"I see. Alright, alright, okay. Yeah, we can do that then."
"Deika City first, then the commission."
⁂
"Alright, cutting this one should be enough." Twice held wire cutters while tinkering at a breaker box. It was connected to one of the hideouts of the League of Villains. He cut a wire.
Twice looked at the building, but nothing happened. He cut another one, but nothing happened. "Come on, do something." Twice kept cutting more and more wires, and he tried rapidly moving switches over and over again.
"What about—" Twice was interrupted when he saw small sparks jumping across the wires he cut. A strong smell like melting plastic hit him, and the breaker box was starting to feel hot to the touch very fast.
"I see." Twice nodded as he saw what was happening. "I'm out!" Twice turned around and started running as fast as he could.
And very fortunate for him, because as soon as he did, a massive arc flash came from the breaker box. The building connected to it started smoking and catching fire.
Twice looked back as he kept running. "Good for me! Note to self: Randomly messing around with electrical stuff is a good way to sabotage something."
Once he was a good distance away, he hid in an alley. A large plume of smoke filled the sky, and he could see the glow of the flames as the building burned. "Alright, that's another down. Let's see what other locations there are." Twice looked at his phone. It showed multiple locations of hideouts being used by the League of Villains. "How did she find all this stuff out? Are drones really that good?"
Twice had some questions, but he kept them to himself. Mostly because working with Eleanor, Lady Nagant, and Toga had been almost what he was looking for. And it turned out that he and Toga got along more than he thought they would.
"Wow, Toga really went crazy with it." Twice could see on the phone how many sites Toga had taken out. "I should ask Eleanor for help as well, maybe. Toga is definitely going to rub it in my face when we meet next time."
And so, Twice went on to the next hideout. He had to preserve some dignity.
⁂
(A Few Days Later, Deika City)
"This is going to be a very tough shot, Kaina," Eleanor whispered as she lay next to Lady Nagant. Lady Nagant was looking through the scope of an anti-material rifle. Eleanor and Lady Nagant were camped on the top floor of a building.
"Which one should I try for, Eleanor? That little metal plate is asking a lot, even for me. A human target is much easier, especially given the conditions we have right now, though it's not saying much." Lady Nagant looked through the scope of the rifle. "And try not to think too much about it. We don't have a lot of time."
Eleanor was looking at the calculations being done through her visor. Nothing was being guaranteed, only certain percentages at best could be given. There were so many variables for this. "Damn it." Eleanor clenched her fists tightly before she let out a breath and relaxed. She took a final deep breath before making the decision. "Go for the human target. Stay steady…keep an eye on that flag to watch for any change in wind speed and direction."
Lady Nagant steadied the rifle. The seconds seemed to stretch out endlessly. Every little movement in the arms and hands felt so noticeable; every little twitch that you'd normally ignore seemed so much more noticeable.
What felt like minutes were actually less than 30 seconds.
Lady Nagant controlled her breath.
And she pulled the trigger.