Operation story: CB-4

Operation

Story

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Characters
Bison Croissant Exusiai Sora Texas Capone Gambino Mafioso Passerby Stranger
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4 5

Before operation

“

The lost Bison manages to trace a small road back to the park with Sora's help, where he finds the members of Penguin Logistics interrogating the Mafia. However, a slip of the hand results in the hostage getting blasted sky-high, and chaos erupts once more.

”

<Background 1>
7:59 PM \ Cloudy Lungmen Aqueduct, Pier
Stranger	Now don't go jumping onto any more boats! It's dangerous!
Bison	Sorry, it's just, we were... By the way, you didn't happen to see a Sankta lady around here, did you?
Stranger	I didn't see anything. And I don't have time for this. These sweets are for the after party and are you gonna pay me if they turn up late... Oh? A S– Sankta...
[Bison and the stranger saw someone resembling Mostima...]
Bison	Ah! Mostim—
[...but it turns out to be Sora instead.]
Sora	Mostima? You know Mostima?
Bison	Sorry. I mistook you for someone else. (This lady sure looks familiar.)
Stranger	Ahem. Anyway, I'll let you off this time. But don't go doing anything that dangerous ever again.
Bison	S– sorry. I didn't mean to trouble you.
Sora	Hm... Forte kid... there was something about a Forte kid... what was it...? Oh!
[Sora takes of the candy dangling on Bison's horn.]
Bison	Aaah! What are you doing?!
Sora	You had some candy on your horn.
Bison	Oh, really? I should probably give it back to...
Sora	And looking at your horns reminded me of something! They're just like the Mountain Dash Logistics logo! You're the little prince of MDL, aren't you?
Bison	Little... prince...?
<Background 2>
Bison	Sora, ma'am, is this really the way back to Texas and the others?
Sora	Relax, I know what Texas is thinking at all times. I can see right into her head.
Bison	Oh. ...her voice has such a familiar quality to it, but I can't put my finger on it.
Sora	"Ma'am," huh? Hehe, I never thought the day would come when young Messengers would be calling me that~ So what's your impression of everybody?
Bison	Impression?
<Flashback starts here>
[Bison reminiscences his time with Croissant and Texas at the Penguin Logistics safehouse, and with Emperor and Exusiai during the highway ambush.]
<Flashback ends here>
Bison	They're very... um... spirited people.
Sora	Ahahaha... I can guess what they must've put you through...
[A child bumps into Sora.]
Sora	Oh, sorry!
Child	Watch where you're going! Ptoo!
Bison	That was clearly your fault—
Child	Who asked you? Mind your own business!
Bison	You little brat!
Sora	Don't worry about it. Let him go.
Bison	But he just swiped your wallet—
Sora	Hehe, he sure did. But that wallet just had some pumpkin candies inside. See? This is the real one~ You familiar with the old expression "trick or treat"?
Bison	He was here just to make trouble, and today's not even... why would you have something like that?
Sora	You may not be able to tell at first glance, but Lungmen's been through a lot lately. Sauin candles aren't bright enough to light up all the dark corners of this city, and those kids don't exactly have it easy. But hey, it's just something I came up with. Not bad, huh?
Bison	What if he grabbed my wallet instead...?
Sora	Should be right up ahead.
<Background 5>
Bison	Isn't this... the park from before? Did we just make a big circle?
Sora	See? Here they are.
<Background fades out and in>
Mafioso	Mmmh! Mmff mff!
Exusiai	Listen, if you don't talk, I'm gonna have to light this fuse.
Croissant	Yer lips better start flappin', kiddo. These fireworks'll blow ya sky high.
Texas	...You forgot to take the tape off his mouth.
Exusiai	Oh, right. Haha.
[Exusiai ungags the captive mafioso.]
Mafioso	———!! You crazy broads! Do you have any idea who we are?
Texas	...the Siracusan Mafia.
Mafioso	Urk, T– Texas...? Don't think we're scared of you!
Exusiai	Oh we know you're not scared. Why else would you blow up all the boss's collectibles. A bomb in a candy box, though? That's kids' stuff.
Mafioso	...what are you talking about?
Exusiai	Huh?
Mafioso	I don't know nothin' about no candy box. But if our capo did up a bomb, you'd all be in pieces— Mmmf! Mmmh!
Exusiai	This guy sure is full of himself. Let's blast him.
Texas	Patience, Exusiai. Let him talk.
Mafioso	*Gasp*—Hah. Ain't you the least bit curious why Lungmen's lettin' us get away with all this?
Exusiai	Not really. As long as we go down to the station once a month to pay our property damage fines, they pretty much let us do whatever too.
Mafioso	Gah...
Croissant	C'mon, Exu, let the feller say his piece.
Mafioso	Just look at you broads...! We got the big man's OK to do whatever we want to Penguin Logistics, right from the real power in Lungmen. You know what that means, don't you?
Exusiai	We're a legitimate logistics business? And a pretty good one at that?
Texas	Then why do we always end up... You know what? Forget it. Who's "the big man" you're talking about?
Exusiai	It sounds really pretentious. Super gross.
Mafioso	Don't play dumb! The Rat King's—
Sora	Hey! Texas! And the rest!
Exusiai	Oh, Sora! What's up~
Croissant	How about that. She wrangled Bison too.
Sora	Hehe, I ran into this lost little calf on my way over, I thought I'd bring him along.
Bison	Um... what are you doing? And where's Mr. Emperor?
Exusiai	The boss went somewhere to do something.
Texas	You didn't run into anyone else, Sora?
Sora	Hm? I don't... think... so.
Exusiai	Huh? Do I have something on my face?
Sora	N- no. Anyway, Bison filled me in on the whole story. Where do we go from here?
Exusiai	First we get some more answers from our little buddy, then we formulate an appropriate... response.
Bison	Wait, Exusiai, do you mean... I actually ran into Mostima back there. But then I lost her. Erm, I mean, after we shook the mobsters, she—
Exusiai	...don't worry about her. That's just how she is. Vanishing years at a time.
Bison	...years?
Croissant	Tell ya the truth, I barely seen heads or tails of her since they hired me.
Sora	Ahaha, let's not get Exusiai too riled up...
Bison	This is all very... unorthodox.
Texas	She's a special kind of Messenger. Contractually, she works for the boss, but more often Laterano has her—
Exusiai	......
Texas	—Exusiai, watch your match.
Exusiai	Huh? Oops.
[The captive mafioso is gagged again.]
Mafioso	MMMMH! MMF—!!
Croissant	Darn it, looks like we're outta time. But that's the way the cookie crumbles.
Mafioso	MMMMMNG!!!!!
[The captive mafioso turns out to be strapped into fireworks – a lot of fireworks – which sends him up high the sky, his last screams as the fireworks explode up above alerted the other mafiosi in the premises.]
Mafioso	Heyo, that sounded like Fronzo! And it didn't sound good! Let's get over there!
Exusiai	So they really can send a person flying. These fireworks are something else.
Texas	We've got company. Six and three o'clock.

After operation

“

Penguin Logistics splits off into groups but forget about Bison, who then has to chase after the others on a bicycle. Gambino and Capone get into an argument after failing again.

”

<Background 5>
Passerby A	Woah, are they shooting a movie or something?
Passerby B	Aren't those the Penguin Logistics people? They're fighting again? Give 'em a left hook! Now right! C'mon! Yeah!
Passerby A	They always win every fight. It's boring.
Passerby B	Yeah. Hey, you mooks in black, don't lose too bad!
[Exusiai opens fire at the mafiosi.]
Exusiai	Ugh, it's such a pain when you can't use live ammo.
Croissant	How many times do we gotta tell ya, no live ammo downtown. Exusiai, behind ya!
[Croissant protects Exusiai from a mafioso attempting to attack her from the rear.]
Exusiai	Eep! That was close~ Thanks, Croissant.
Bison	Does this never end?! Texas!
Texas	Right... Sora with me, Exusiai with Croissant, divide and conquer. To the ends of the earth.
Bison	...what?
Sora	Aweso... I mean, affirmative.
Exusiai	Oh~ cut 'em in two, huh? No problem. That's my specialty!
Croissant	You might play it a bit safer, Exusiai. Our damage bill's gettin' mighty long... Hold on, what does "to the ends of the earth" mean there?
Texas	We regroup in an hour.
Bison	What does it mean?!
Sora	But how do we fight our way out?
Exusiai	I've got an idea...
Mafioso	Wh– what the hell are you doing?! I ain't scared of you, angel girl!
[Exusiai knocks the mafioso off their motorcycle, "borrowing" it...]
Exusiai	Hop on, Croissant! This bike's pretty sweet, huh?
[...and starts the engines.]
Croissant	You got it! Let's ride!
Texas	Hijacking? Good idea. Alright, you're up.
Mafioso	Stay back, friggin' wolf.. You... Aieee! Not in the face! Fine, take the bike!
[Texas knocks the mafioso off the motorcycle and "borrows" it.]
Texas	Get on, Sora.
Sora	Y- yeah okay!
Texas	Hold on tight. I can't let Exusiai outrun me.
Sora	You could maybe, maybe go a little slower—
[The P.L. crew leaves with the "borrowed" motorcycles, but in their haste, Bison is left behind.]
Bison	Then I guess... ......
Mafioso	......
Bison	......
Mafioso	They left this kid behind? Sounds good to me. Let's get him!
Bison	What are these guys thinking?! Darn it...! I need a vehicle!
Passerby A	Hey, you looking for a bike? I could lend you one.
Bison	A bicycle? Well, beggars can't be choosers. Thanks!
[Bison uses the bicycle to catch up with the P.L. crew.]
Passerby A	Go get 'em!
Mafioso	That was a pretty bold thing you did there. Helping out Penguin Logistics...
Passerby A	You guys got wheels. You should be able to catch him.
Mafioso	You...
[Capone appears...]
Capone	Leave it. Don't mess with the civilians. Don't wanna get us in trouble.
Mafioso	S– sorry. After him! Everybody get after him!
Capone	Hmph...
[...with Gambino following after the mafiosi goes to pursue Bison.]
Gambino	"Kidnap Bison, split Penguin Logistics and MDL, rub out Emperor," that was your great plan.
Capone	Our goal is to take their place. No need to bury those idiots. I think you can do the math on this one?
Gambino	Texas, she's Texas. Then you got the Laterano girl and the MDL princeling. You think we can leave 'em breathing and still sleep at night? We gotta salt the earth here.
Capone	That's a good way to get a lot of eyes on us. We ain't the only seat at this table.
Gambino	Hah! You scared?
Capone	Gotta know when to fold 'em, cazzo.
Gambino	Getting down on my hands and knees for the Rat King was as low as I'm ever gonna go. All this time in Lungmen's turned you coward. Scared of your own damned tail. You done a lot for the Family, but you're lucky I ain't kicked you to the curb yet.
Capone	You do what you gotta do. We can come back to that one.
Gambino	Damn right. Now I gotta deal with Penguin Logistics my way. A stiff can't come back and bite you in the ass, capiche?
Capone	...you do it your way. But I'm just gonna warn you one last time: this ain't Siracusa. We're in Lungmen now.
Gambino	And it's after we blew it in Siracusa that I realized: we don't pass up an opportunity. We're not gonna compromise, negotiate, and fall into another trap. We're gonna use everything we got to totally wipe out the competition. We're gonna do this the old way, like the true Sicilians we are.
[Gambino leaves.]
Capone	...... Right. The Family don't need cowards... the Family don't need rubes. Send some guys into the slums to find the Rat King. Let him know the deal's changed.
Mafioso	Mr. Capone, you know if we can't get the Rat King to see sense...
Capone	Listen, if we're gonna do business in Lungmen, can we really let a rat hang over our heads the whole time? We gotta do something about him sooner or later. Go down this list of Lungmenites we know have some connection to the Rat King.
Mafioso	Alright.
Capone	We don't have a lotta time here. I need results tonight. Get going.
[The mafioso leaves.]
Capone	Did I do anything with all these years in Lungmen...? You screwed up, Gambino Ricci. Really screwed the pooch.