Looking Death in the Eye

Marco Filoni stood up ashamed that he couldn't present good news at the conference.

"No, Mr. President. We couldn't detect further hero activities on New Asia. But our spies in the Underworld send us a message that someone, who looked like the person we are searching for, appeared there fighting an ability user called Rock. Apparently, he won the fight. Why they fought is something we couldn't investigate."

John Tracker laughed mockingly.

"If we had this kind of amateurism in our Division at the mainland, we would all be dead by now."

Many people in the audience hearing this had bitter looks on their faces. It wasn't a fair comment on the situation. Marco Filoni couldn't stop himself from putting some criticism in his tone. After all, if he had the resources the Pioneer Division had, he could do much better as well.

"My apologies Mr. Tracker but as you all know are most ability users currently on New Asia rank 2 to 3 and a few rank 4. The fact that I am rank 5 is already an exception. Our strongest people are as you all know part of your Pioneer Division on the mainland. We don't have someone here, with sensory abilities that are strong enough to cover New Asia's entire surface."

"Hahaha!" John Tacker laughed loudly hitting the table exaggeratedly with his hand but one serious look from Sealer made him stop it.

"The weak always have their excuses. You could have solved this without much strength if you had laid out a trap. You know he is someone playing hero and even though you knew this you never tried it. How hard would it have been to stage a fake accident?"

He snorted.

"If you think to lead, strength alone would be enough then you are as stupid as you look like. A leader only needs strength to get the respect of his followers but to lead them, he needs to use his brain nothing more or less!"

The people couldn't stop themselves from agreeing with his assessment even though they weren't fans of John Trackers overreactions, something he was well known for. They still couldn't stop themselves to see the truth behind his words.

Marco Filoni gulped. Being told he was stupid in front of the president and other high ranking officials was already bad enough, you didn't even need to mention the 200 people sitting in the audience. But the worst about the situation was that it was true. He could have done better. Marco Filoni lowered his gaze.

"Thanks, Mr. Filoni. I guess Mr. Tracker's advice was enough and I don't have to add more to this.", said August Beckmann bringing some order into the situation again.

"Yes, Mr. President.", answered Marco Filoni embarrassed and sat down as fast as he could. Thick droplets of sweat dripped from his forehead and hit the table.

Absolutely not a single person in the audience wanted to be in Marco Filoni's position right now. Everyone knew that his future in the agency was now determined by the question if he could catch the hero or not!

"Okay then let us continue with the next point on the list."

August Beckmann pointed with his hand at John Tracker and said, "Please inform everyone about this times mission on the mainland and the other organizational steps we have to take until then."

A benevolent smile appeared around August Beckmann's lips. He was the one, who appointed John Tracker as leader of the Pioneer Division. This alone showcased his immense trust in him.

Ayano still sitting with clenched fists next to her father was shaking. Hearing the much-hated voice again after all those years. Seeing his self-confidence after all he did.

'Traitor!', shouted a voice inside her head.

The shaking went through her entire body becoming stronger and stronger.

"Ayano, you will lead the medical team. Hopefully, that is okay?", said the voice she hated mockingly.

Suddenly being directly talked to by him shook her up. Her hands trembling she lifted her head and looked in his eyes. Someone with less strength than John Tracker would have run away if a woman looked at them like this. He in contrast only had a venomous smile playing around his lips.

"Could you please answer me, Miss Nakamura?"

This time John Tracker used deliberately her surname to mock her.

'Not now!', thought Ayano. 'I will not kill you right now but the day will come my eyes are the last thing you will get to see!'

Understanding that this was the truth helped her calm down immediately. She just knew that she would somehow manage to reach her goal, so there was no need to tremble right now in front of him.

Ayano's eyes gained the firmness they were missing before, her hands stopped trembling and she managed to say loudly, "Of course, it is okay. I vowed years ago that I would support the agency with all my strength!"

Saying this she looked to Sealer and August Beckmann, who both seemed complacent with her answer. Seeing this renewed anger lit up in her. These two would one day die as well for blackmailing her with her family. Their deaths were already planned.

Smirking one last time in her direction John Tracker continued his speech.

Forty minutes later Ayano and her father were sitting in their car heading back to Nakamura Labs.Ayano went in her mind through the things she got to know this evening.

Obviously, they would now try to create a trap for Dave trying to capture the hero. She wasn't concerned about it. If whatever they planned didn't happen in front of Dave's eyes, he wouldn't try to help since a faked accident wouldn't trigger a quest for him.

If they wanted their plan to be successful they would have no other chance then to start a real accident and Ayano doubted they would go that far.

The information she obtained about the other trainees was not really helpful. After Dave reached Ultimate with all his stats and ranked up there wouldn't be a way for even the top 10 of them fighting together to beat him.

She would have to remind him later again to cover the real extent of his powers. If someone realized that he broke 6 limits then hell would break out. He would get so much attention from the agency and its officials that it would basically be impossible to hide that he was the hero they were searching for.

Right now not a single person suspected the hero to be part of the agency's trainees. Then after they boarded the ship their search would end without any kind of success.

The other information she obtained about the mission on the mainland was obviously faked. John Tracker told them that they would try to conquer a new burial ground, where a huge number of Limit Breaking Mushroom's was supposed to be.

But if that were the truth then there wouldn't be a need for Sealer to join them. If the second strongest person of the island joined their mission it had to mean that the danger level was on a completely different level. Luckily she already had a plan on how she would keep Dave safe!

The car stopped in front of Nakamura Labs. Ayano and her father got out of the car and headed together for the building.

Mr. Nakamura turned in his daughter's direction and said grabbing her by her wrist, "Ayano you have to stop helping them, I know I wanted you to help them with this mission for your sister's sake but the mission this time might cost you your life. I can't live without both of my daughters!"

"Stop it, Dad. I am not going to die, that much you should understand. Otherwise, I would have died years ago!"

'That was the truth,' thought Mr. Nakamura. Ayano was always the daughter of his, who knew the best how to come along and defend herself. She wasn't only strong and intelligent.

No, she was crafty as hell!