The Gray Fox's Antikwald facility was a series of condemned mining tunnels and tunnel defenses forgotten by most if not all of Kriemreich's denizens. Most of them were separate underground installations that were absorbed into the system due to the syndicate's growing demand for a hidden base of operations. Every tunnel that was found was modernized and concealed to avoid being seen by people outside. Failsafe mechanisms were formed the moment a section of the network was compromised in the form of demolition charges that triggered minor cave-ins followed by a heavy steel door that would completely hide the other undiscovered sectors.

The heart of the system housed weapons production lines and the Gray Fox's biological laboratories. Only a few people were given access to the central areas – the most trusted of men and scientists were busy attending to tasks ranging from performing daily exercises to improving the quality of their manufactured arms. Each part of the sector was provided spacious chambers almost two-thirds the size of regular factories with enough ceiling room to conduct testing if required. Most of the Fox's rank and file had never seen the inner working of the facility, and those who did only managed to come as far as the receiving areas for newly-issued weapons. Bellows and moans escaped every now and then, which was the source of stories and speculations of the Gray Fox keeping monsters at the central sector.

It was Trevalyn's first time in three years to visit the prison sector of his domain. These cells were hardly used and only kept many of his enemies in short notice; their fates would either bring them to a swift demise or be set free, only to be never heard of again. The jails were kept clean by the attending guards despite the crime lord's inability to supervise them; echoes of his soles bounced on the hallway.

Trevalyn and three of his guards stopped by the last cell at the extreme opposite of the entrance; this chamber was kept on close watch by two riflemen standing by the door. The occupant was a towering brute in a loose shirt and worn pants. His arms were bound by a pair of manacles that funneled to the floor by a crude iron ring; he sat on a wooden bed ignoring the appearance of four new individuals.

"How is the commander doing? I hope you enjoy our... accommodations here."

"Not a bad way of treating prisoners."

The captive spoke, stood up, and let his restraints jingle. His arms bent and lifted the manacles; a short wrenching sound ran from the floor to the ears of the guards. Something similar to a pistol shot whipped into the air; the iron ring that kept the prisoner low broke away from the ground. A full stretch of his arms broke free of the manacles with little effort.

"I was expecting slightly better housekeeping than this." The captive said in a low but restrained voice.

Trevalyn's guards turned and faced the man; they looked at the cell door as if it would fly out towards them anytime. All five of them reached for the triggers of their guns.

"That strength. You are indeed the famed Imperial Guardsman. I was never wrong taking you with me."

A heavy hand slammed on the cell door; its vibration traveled all throughout the front end of the cell and dissipated in the hallway. The jail guards took a step back and aimed their rifles at the prisoner after seeing a part of the cell grilles deformed upon impact.

"Let me remind you that you are in my stronghold. I will have enough men at my disposal to silence you should you attempt to escape."

"You can't hide in this tunnel forever, Gray Fox. Sooner or later your lair will be discovered and I doubt you or your men can do anything about it."

"If it will be discovered." Trevalyn's lips formed a half-smile. "Your fellow dogs of the Empire are still figuring out where I am by this time. Your rescue is unlikely to happen anytime soon."

"You may be right." The prisoner sat on the bed. "Then we have a lot of time to talk. Why all this, Gray Fox?"

"I see no problem lending a few minutes to you, especially when you will end up working for me."

Trevalyn went closer to the cell's grilles, only managing to be just a few inches beyond arm's reach. His guards took their aim away from the hulking prisoner, but their fingers found it difficult to move away from the triggers. He did not have much confidence in the security offered by both the place and the people in charge, but the crime lord somehow felt that his captive was not one to take drastic actions. Trevalyn did not find the man's eyes, for those were still kept hidden in the prison's shadow.

"As I have said, you will end up working for me. I would have... a better use for one of your strengths alive than dead."

"If you are looking for information from me, I won't be able to help you with that. As for me helping you out, there isn't much I can do languishing in your cell."

"Your humor is... understandable." Trevalyn read through the lines. He only shrugged the soldier's attempt at making things lighter for himself. "Let us say that keeping you here will help me with what I intend to do. Of course, that is something you are bound to know later on."

"There isn't much of an answer to scrape from what you've given me." He stood up; his voice sounded deeper than before; the Gray Fox's guards probed the muzzles of their rifles up and down. "I still do not understand why keep me captive at the risk of compromising the security of your stronghold when you had all the chances to either flee or finish me off."

"Since you are desperate for an answer, let me try to satisfy your anxiety with part of the truth."

He had to be careful in giving out anything to this man. The commander was his prisoner now, but Trevalyn could not take his capacity for granted. There was that desire to escape that may empower this prisoner, and he could not take any chances with him if this soldier musters enough courage to take the risk.

"As I have said, you will end up extending your services in my name. I have my own means that I would like to try out on you."

"Forcing me to work for you?" The commander's voice lost much of its threat; he took a deep breath, and then let the trickle of air come out of his mouth and nostrils. "Would it be at the peril of exposing a secret that would wreck me or my reputation? Do you have anyone else familiar to me whom you are keeping captive as well?"

"Far from that, Imperial Guardsman." Trevalyn looked around the prison sector; only the empty cells glanced back at the master of the stronghold. "That would have been an easier means to make you bend to my will, but then there is so much I can do with so little time."

"You do realize that none of your attempts make me fear you."

"I have no aims for such." Trevalyn gave a slight shake of the head, as if trying to bat the prisoner's words away. "I am stating things as they are. Do not waste your time pondering over the matter. The answer will come to you in due time, and there wouldn't be much you can do once I bring you the answers I am not giving to you now."

He looked away from the soldier and started walking away from the cell. Trevalyn somehow lost the mood to converse with the captive a little longer. There were other matters to attend to, and there wasn't much to reveal that would help him make this hardened soldier stop asking more questions. All that the commander could return was a stare that followed Trevalyn until his figure was concealed by the darkened areas of the prison sector. A door closed behind the crime lord with a soft clang.