Chapter 18

Days have passed since The Jackal celebrated their victory, but the atmosphere at the base floating in the mesosphere was tense. After an uncertain meeting, Johnny and the other members were trying to prepare for the threat of the new Mutiiner group, Vandalizise. Alice, Miranda, and Jimmy, each from their division, gathered in the tactical room to discuss their next move.

"There's bad news," said Jhonny, breaking the silence. "Vandalizise has shown up, and they're already outside our base."

News like this was very, very unwelcome. I didn't know the risks of being a group of Mutiiner looters, there would be a lot of problems arising from it because many people were unhappy with their presence causing disturbances to other Mutiiner groups.

Miranda's eyes widened, while Jimmy frowned. "What is their purpose? Are they planning to attack?" asked Miranda, her voice reflecting the tension in the air.

Jhonny shook his head. "No, they came with an ultimatum. They want to talk, not fight... at least for now."

Alice felt a sense of unease. She knew Vandalizise was a dangerous group. With their reputation for brutality and unpredictable ways of operating, they were not to be underestimated. "What do they want?" she asked.

"It looks like they want to negotiate power," Jhonny replied. "They don't want us to keep raiding other Mutiiner groups. They feel threatened by our actions."

"And what are we going to do about it?" asked Jimmy, his voice showing that he didn't buy the idea of negotiating with such a group.

"Look, we have to listen to what they have to say," replied Jhonny firmly. "We just took over Moon Shark. We need to show that we can control the situation and not trigger more conflict."

Alice felt doubt sweep through her mind. While this seemed like a wise approach, she knew that if they gave too much, Vandalizise could become bolder, further threatening The Jackal's position. However, she also understood the importance of diplomacy in this chaotic world.

"Then we need to be prepared," Alice said. "We can't let them feel they have the upper hand. We need to show them that we're ready if they try to intimidate us."

Jhonny nodded. "That's right. We'll set up a defense and wait for them in the meeting room. Get everyone ready and tell them to be calm. We don't want to give the impression that we're afraid."

Before everyone left to prepare, Miranda spoke. "Jhonny, I can monitor their communications from here. If there's anything suspicious, we can act quickly."

"Good, Miranda. We need all the information we can get," Jhonny replied.

Although the man had always moved speculatively, he knew that for the crucial moment of an attack, his subordinates needed enough information to at least think of a plan for themselves. With that, they all moved to execute a strategy of observation for the base and security for themselves.

***

Moments later, Jhonny stood in the meeting room, surrounded by the other members of The Jackal. Alice, Jimmy, and Miranda were also present, each preparing to take a position in case the situation worsened. They all waited tensely, feeling uncertainty envelop the room.

The large doors of the meeting room opened, and several members of Vandalizise entered the room with a confident demeanor. In front of them, a tall, tattooed man appeared. His eyes were fiery, and on his body were various advanced weapons. "I am Raven, the leader of Vandalizise," he said in a challenging tone.

Jhonny stepped forward, keeping his face calm. "Jhonny, leader of The Jackal. What do you want to talk about?"

Raven smiled sarcastically. "We know about your attack on Moon Shark. And now, other Mutiiner groups out there are starting to feel threatened. We're here to let you know that such actions cannot be tolerated."

"And what do you expect from us?" asked Jhonny, his voice remaining firm.

"We want you to stop looting other groups," Raven replied, casting her sharp gaze across the room. "If you don't, we won't hesitate to act. You may have won against Moon Shark, but we are stronger, and we will not hesitate to destroy The Jackal."

Alice felt the tension inside her. Raven's strength and courage felt oppressive, but she knew that Jhonny would not back down. "We're not afraid," Jhonny said. "If you want to threaten us, go ahead. But remember, we will not stay silent."

Raven laughed, her voice echoing in the meeting room. "Jhonny, no one wants to fight today, but we can't let you walk around freely robbing without consequences. Remember, this world is full of people who will fight back if they feel threatened."

"So, what do you propose?" Jhonny asked, still maintaining his composure. "We won't stop our actions just because of threats."

Of course, Jhonny would not stay silent if he was criticized and threatened. In fact, he was even more triggered and he felt that his pride was not enough to back down when such a cheap bluff was given to him.

"This is not a threat, it's a warning," Raven replied in a serious tone. "We'll give you some time to think about this decision. If you don't stop the attacks, we will take action. You may think you can control this territory, but we have greater power and networks."

With that, Raven glanced at the other members of Vandalizise and walked out of the room, leaving tension in the air. The members of The Jackal looked at each other, confusion and anxiety visible on their faces.

Jhonny turned his gaze to Alice, Jimmy, and Miranda. "What should we do now?" he asked, his voice calm but could feel the pressure inside.

"Raven is right that many groups are uneasy about our existence," Miranda said, frowning. "We need to do something before this situation gets worse."

"However, we can't succumb to that kind of threat," Jimmy added, his face serious. "We must show our strength and not let them oppress us."

Alice nodded. "We can use the technology we took from the Moon Shark to improve our defenses. We must prepare ourselves for the worst."

Jhonny pondered over all the suggestions. "Fine, we'll upgrade our defense systems and figure out a better plan. We need to gather information about Vandalizise and see how much they know about us."

Outside the base, the wind picked up, and the tense atmosphere grew heavier. They knew that this ultimatum was not just a threat, but a call to action. If they wanted to survive, they had to prepare for a possible battle.

After a long discussion, the members of The Jackals returned to their respective divisions, trying to prepare themselves. Alice, with a burning passion, was determined to find out more about Vandalizise. She did not want their group to fall victim to this uncertainty.

However, in her heart, she felt a deep fear. If The Jackal could not find a way to negotiate or adapt, their future could become very bleak.

***

The next day, inside the analysis room, Miranda was busy examining the data they had retrieved from Moon Shark. Beside her, Alice sat with a holographic screen displaying information about other Mutiiner groups, trying to find out more about Vandalizise's strength.

"Miranda, what about our defense systems?" asked Alice, trying to distract herself from the uneasy feeling that was creeping into her mind.

"It should be strong enough to withstand a small attack, but we should add more automatic weapons and surveillance systems," Miranda replied without taking her eyes off the screen. "If Vandalizise really plans to attack, we need to be ready."

Alice mengangguk, dan mereka melanjutkan pekerjaan mereka. Namun, saat dia memeriksa data, sebuah informasi menarik perhatian. Ada catatan tentang Vandalizise yang menunjukkan bahwa mereka memiliki jaringan yang luas dan memiliki akses ke beberapa teknologi tinggi yang mungkin bisa menjadi ancaman bagi The Jackal.

“Aku menemukan sesuatu,” kata Alice, menunjuk ke layar. “Mereka memiliki jaringan informan yang sangat luas. Jika kita tidak berhati-hati, mereka bisa mendapatkan informasi tentang kita sebelum kita menyadarinya.”

Miranda melihat dengan seksama. “Kita perlu mengamankan semua data dan memperkuat sistem komunikasi kita. Jika tidak, mereka bisa mengintip langkah kita.”

Alice merasakan detak jantungnya semakin kencang. Dia tahu bahwa setiap detik berharga, dan mereka harus bergerak cepat. Namun, saat dia memikirkan semua tantangan yang akan datang, satu pertanyaan terbersit di benaknya

'Apakah kita cukup kuat untuk bertahan?' begitulah pertanyaan yang ada di dalam benak Alice.