Chapter 1. Embers

Year 2212

Dark brown hair

Hazel eyes so deep

They haunt me in my dreams

You never knew

Last night I spent the night awake

And thought of only you

You feel so far away it seemed 

And while we grew up close

Circumstance kept us apart

Is time what it will take to find you?

When the walls of hope and doubt fall away

And all that remains is what lies within

Will you be there?

Vincent brushes his finger along the walls of the underground. They are rock; man-man. The indents and nuances of grainy texture reflect the crafter- human hands. They are the reminder of another time; when mankind held unique differences- they are a reminder that around the world there are still some places, if only a few, of a people that exist apart from the ANI.

Long ago,or so Vincent had read in old books, Before the ANI cities, the great collapse, before the virtual age, people had a choice: at least more than they do now. Now the ANI sectors are full of human drones - people who perform solely for the purpose of the economic factor. Some of the lower classed ones use a self-induced drug that causes them to literally not know what they're doing.

Vincent doesn’t pity them. Every person has a choice. It isn’t as if they are forced at gunpoint- but rather fear a world without laws. Instead of living among the territory and self-governing, they prefer a cage. A false sense of security, a slight promise of stability, while ANI slowly choked the life of the people that within its walls. They obey because if they didn’t, they would be ousted or shunned. What they didn’t know that true freedom could lay right outside of the walls. However, instead of recognizing the freedoms that lay outside- the ANI citizens consider anyone outside of the cities ‘barbarians’ and fear them.

Deep down, despite what he’d seen- he doesn’t care. not about the people in the cities or the people that were still free. He cared about a girl, Jess. If he had had his choice, he'd have run off with her a while ago and let go the conflict surrounding them: all that struggle and hurt, all the anger, and all about his past. She was probably the one person who could save him from himself and his self-destructive nature.

He didn't expect this of her of course. She was set on her own path - to follow in her father's footsteps for the betterment of the territory and of mankind. He liked that about her and he wasn't going to get in the way of that. His own reason for being here was different however..

Revenge.

Revenge for the time when he was younger and he overheard his parent’s murder. Revenge for when he crawled out from under the cellar and watched that 'A.N.I. captain' shoot the town chief in cold blood, and for the last look of his only home in ashes as he drove away.

It was this memory that held him in place, that he couldn’t let go; except when he was with her. 

“We have a new friend; how about you say hi and tell him your name.”

Vincent peered out from the shelter of the two strangers who had brought him here. She’d looked straight through him- with his burned skin and lonely distant glare.

"Hi, I’m Jessie." and she curtsied. And that was the moment he knew. It was at that exact moment he saw only her. Sometime later- they moved away- and it took years to find her again -but ever since- the memory of her was sealed in his heart forever.

---

Vincent picks up the pace as he walks along the halls.

The cameras were somewhat avoidable with stealth tech- a person could use certain emmitor to appear nearly invisible on cameras- but then there was the human element.

Vincent darts left as a patrol guard goes on his rounds. While there are sensors and cameras, Vincent is aware of the pattern and rushes by with ease.

Vincent punches in a code in a split second and pushes open a door on the side of his current hall.

Vincent closed the door behind him. A slight echo resounds inside of the large hangar. A collection of vehicles spread out across the floor. As Vincent enters inside- he looks up at a control tower above him where a man seems focused on some sort of work.

Vincent waits momentarily as the man finishes the current project - using both machine and a virtual visor that lets him inspect the vehicles for maintenence after their away mission. Mechanic is a loose term. With as advanced as vehicles have become any repairs require engineering skills as a mechanical.

The man puts off the visor and notices Vincent.

He waves downward, "hey- Vincent,"

While his voice is somewhat faint- it carries well. He momentarily pulls something from an unseen location, takes off his visor completely and walks towards the newcomer.

As he approaches Vincent- his appearance becomes more distinct.

Dirt around fingers and a grease stained shirt: a slight black hue around the rim of where his goggles were. The man is a bit bigger than average - not wide, more like a naturally built mma fighter or something- a couple tattos are slightly visible.

His appearance is in contrast to his personality however- which Vincent has found to be that of a gentle giant.

Despite the late hour, the man is only bemused slightly at Vincent’s entrance.

“Hey, Tag,” Vincent speaks to the man - Devon- who is called Tags based on the dogtags he'd wear around his kneck. the tattoos seem to be some sort of tribute to old comrades.

Tags and Vincent bump the side of their forearm- a common greeting among HQ members.

Like himself- Tags is a loner. Tags has been at HQ ever since he first arrived. Vincent isn't sure what motivation had for coming here- but based on the recognizable tattoos and dogtags- Tags probably signed up for similar reasons as himself. Even still- Vincent figures that Tags had a purer motivation than his own. Not that he really cared, but the thought of why he signed up makes him wonder why.

“Your **eyes' turned left?” Tags asked acknowledging the pause. Vincent had been quiet for a moment in thought.

“What made you join the Underground, Tags?”

Tags responded, “Uh, a **back-fielder** huh?" Tags scratched his head, "I'd need to *go Zip's* to talk about ...”

Ah - something sentimental.

"Ah, then nevermind," Vincent didn't really feel like having a heartfelt conversation.

Guffahhh, Tags laughed.

"Actually, the real reason I was here was for the bike.”

“Haha, that's more like the Vincent we all love,” Tags pulls a set of keys from behind him. It seems that Tags knows Vincent better than he thought.

Technically the bike is Vincent's- granted him per his request after a promotion. However - there was still a curfew so Tags is responsible for the goings and comings in the meantime.

Not that he needed to warn him, but Tag seemed intent to reminded Vincent about the curfew, “Just have it back before the scheduled team comes back at Zero Four Hundred…If not- i'll probably get into little reprimanding.”

Vincent assents with a nod.

While Tags received some leniency towards the curfew based upon his work hours - he didn't really have the authority to allow others the same leniency. As Vincent is at least a good acquaintance of his however- he makes an exception. 

Vincent took the keys that Tags tossed him and walked up to his bike.

There is still a seat, handlebars, and a visor but perhaps that's where the similarities end. 

The wheels are small and spherical- adaptive to a magnetic railway rather than using rubber - it slightly hovers above the ground.

Vehicles now use a long-term battery which can last almost the entire life of the bike itself. The battery itself would be dangerous except for the safety features-but this has been developed alongside the vehicles over the past few generations.

Ignition starts with the simple press of a button rather than a key twist. The visor has an on-screen Augmented Reality system which could update realtime obstacles, distances, etc. It also has a music selection which connects to an earpiece and can be chosen through the display. As Vincent verifies I.D. and presses on the bike - a list of options come up while a slight hum indicates that the bike is on.

He selects a song from a list in the twenty first century back when music was good and then drifts into darkness. 

---

Nikita sits in her room, working on the homework assignments and her apprenticeship studies. She worked hard for grades and it showed- she was already in the top two percent of the class. Placement within A.N.I. society’s Elite status required one percent (competition in school education was fierce because of this.) with certain exceptions. However, even to work directly under Elite required that they be within the third percentile.

Most people had no expectations to become elite- Usually those who had elite status would raise their kids rigorously to achieve elite status and use the advantage of finances and connections (the alternative was heavy bribery) – however, there were many who wished to avoid falling into the bottom percentile. If a child was determined not to be worth educating- they would automatically be placed into the workforce- as early as sixteen, without any further education or hope of advancement. Once you were assigned- you were usually assigned for life- street cleaners, waste, and such were placed here and given stipends enough to live a meager life.

Once placed here- people would generally would become addicts to the street drug, Z- living their lives as metaphorical zombies- as Z inhibited awareness so as to avoid the drudgery of the routine lives.

Those without mental or physical ability (the disabled) were simply kicked out of the towers, to take up residence in the broken mass of structures that littered the ancient cities. Even Elites’ children that fit this category could only be placed in care at high cost secretly, and were generally shunned by society.

The reason for current development was the need for a strongly structured economic factory. After the entirety of the world economies crumbled in the twenty-second century, the rebuilding culture that emerged was this- A.N.I. (Allied network initiative).

But Nikita had no need to worry about this. She was a perfect bill of health and intelligence, not to mention beauty. She could get by easily- living at worst, a very cushy life in the top of the towers. Her beauty alone would make her a trophy wife for an Elite and she could live easily in that manner- if that had fit her personality at all.

“Nikita- you have a letter from someone!” The door opened up to reveal a thirty-something year old woman- her host mother.

Nikita snagged the sealed envelope right away from her mother.

“What’s in it envelope?” her host mom spoke.

Nikita sighed. Her host mother was a hard-working woman within the more educated sector- (her host father was a supervisor in the lower sector and worked late hours) and it fit her personality. While she was a serious worker - the problem was that sometimes Jess felt like the woman was a little childish.

Nikita opened up the letter to her expectant guardian, “oh… Uh… nothing important. Just an update on the ballroom dance that I’ll be an aide to.”

“Oh!” her host mom replied. “You’ve been elected to a ball?!”

Inwardly, Nikita’s heart clenched- Nikita had hoped that that detail she’d simply brushed over would pass unawares to her mother. Being invited to the upper echelons of society was iconic- her host mother would surely take pride in such a thing, with an ‘I helped raise this girl!’ attitude.

“I’m just working as an aide for an older diplomat,” Nikita wanted to at least humble the woman a little. In truth she was still invited, whether it was as an aide- becoming an aide to an Elite required becoming successful already- It seemed society had taken appropriate notice of her since her arrival to the school a few months ago.

The host mom however, ignored her completely- absorbed in the grandeur of a ball, “You know- my daughter may have had something that fits you for that.”

“Oh?” Nikita spoke with forced enthusiasm- Her host mom was well meaning… however Nikita was sort of a tomboy- wearing nothing more than essentials and busying herself with work rather than boys and the like… actually that wasn’t entirely true. A time ago- there was a boy… but that was a long time ago- she doubted if he remembered her all that well.

Nikita watched her host mother excitedly walk into her own daughter’s old room as she secretly sighed. Their daughter had since graduated, being two years older than Jess – and now lived on her own while moving forward with further education. (At this point- children were considered adults- despite not necessarily having the maturity of one as of yet… they were free to make more independent decisions and were trained by society in their respective fields. Needless to say, these years were generally the most wild… ‘Free love’ was a common part of the culture.)

Nikita followed her host mother to the bedroom where her mother pressed a button in the wall – revealing an opening where a storage of clothing was. While her host mother and father were different class status- they’d actually married for love- and atypical of the norm- seemed happy together… they managed to get a place with amenities between the two of them. While her father would have definitely lived in something less structured, her mother insisted that they live in a good place between both of them… the father was actually a good man too- and worked his way up to a higher position inside of his own placing to supervise a group and receive compensation befitting the position (while not in the same bracket as the mother- it was still a step up).

Her daughter supposedly was a similar size to herself.

Her mother pulled out a certain dress – Yellow with orange stripes. Somewhat showy and with ruffles on the bottom. Nikita was somewhat shocked by it. It would definitely expose a lot of skin. She wondered what her host mother was thinking.

“Uh I don’t think it’ll fit the dress code…” she replied with her hand to her forehead.

“Oh?” the mother looked disappointedly at the dress, “what does it say?”

Nikita re-read the note aloud.

“Welcome to the official party for…” she continued down to the dress-code, “attire must be formal. For the men- well-suited. The women may wear knee-length skirt or…”

“Nonsense!” Her step mother spoke, “there’s no way that it says that- let me see!”

Nikita tried her best to tuck the note away- but her mom snatched it up.

The invitation itself only mentioned the ball- the attire part she’d made up.

“You’re a pretty good liar!” her host mother spoke.

“Ahaha, I’ll give it a go!” she replied. Inwardly- she was groaning inside.

“Her step mother looked questioningly at her for a second then lightened up. “Great!”

According to her exchange mother – she looked radiant- beautiful. She pulled out a reflector- which Nikita looked into. Cleavage was clearly visible. She thought that if someone flicked a quarter it would probably get caught between. Her upper thighs were also more than half exposed.

Nikita was uncomfortable a bit to say it kindly.

Nikita tried to smile, “…Uh.”

“Oh!” her mom clapped while Nikita looked into the mirror.

She could see the host mom light up.

“Is there anything a little less… revealing?”

Her host mother frowned- as they went through the closet. Nikita would have been fine wearing her school uniform and probably would have – had her host mother not found out- but of course her host mother wouldn’t have any of that. They picked one dress and then another to which Nikita stood like she didn’t really want to be there.

“A pretty girl like you should at least make some effort…”

Nikita forced a smile and attempted to take the dressing up more seriously, not for herself of course.

Eventually they found one they could both agree upon and Jess sighed in gratitude as they set it aside for the ball.

“Uh, I have to finish my homework now…”

“So studious!” her host mother replied proudly, “I’ll call you for supper then…”

Nikita nodded graciously and then walked to her own room.

---

While the invitation to the ball was legitimate- there was more to it… Nikita ( had barely managed to tuck away the other paper before her host mother had snatched it from her.

Seemingly a blank invitation card- as she pressed her thumb into the corner, the true lettering appeared.

--------------------------

Top Secret

“Insertion"

Place Reconnaissance bug into ‘Arcus Llong’s’ surveillance room.

Method:

At 1930: doors will open to 'Arcus’ home for a ball.

You're assignment:

Using your position as aide to the elite Rick- you will escort him as usual through the premises. At 2003 precisely, you will make way to second floor balcony, opening window A on B side, room 3 for 'SX3' member 'Royal Black' to enter.

You will then continue, business as usual, until 'R.B.' has left the premises - only aiding with escape if necessary and will not endanger your position.

The card had a diagram with more details that Nikita memorized and tucked away. It only recognized her fingerprint- with anyone else it would simply be a piece of paper- and at the very worst she could destroy it easily.

-------------------------

Jess a.k.a 'Nikita Famwell' sighed.

‘R.B. or Royal Black’ was codename for a boy she’d known a long time ago. She hadn’t been in contact with him since childhood- which was around ten or so- when her mother had passed away and they left where they’d lived for the Underground base eastward.

She attempted to busy herself once again, but her steady work pace slowed with her thoughts. After she finished she let some music play her to sleep.

Before she completely drifts to sleep - a memory resurfaces...

"Goodbye..." a ten year old Jess spoke to the other children of the orphanage.

"I'll miss you," one girl replies after giving her a hug. 

"i'll miss you too!" she spoke as she moved onto the next child.

She couldn't help feeling a sting as she came up to Vincent- the one she really wanted to say bye to the most. However, instead of looking at her- he refuses to look at her all.

"Jess!" her father called to her - he'd grown much more stoic as of late- disregarding the pent up emotions between the two youths.

And with that she hopped into the vehicle that took her away from first and only home.

---

In a darkly lit room, the light on the table lightened the features of a hard set man as he spoke on the com link.

"You promised you'd help me gain power but as we speak - the president and the commander are in negotiations.

The voice on the box replied, "Don't worry... this is all a part of our plan. Your time will come soon enough."

The hard-set man had a firm tone in response, however. “You told me that you were invested in my success. Prove it to me now.”

The voice is silent in response.

“Are you there?”

"Ah sorry, i was thinkin of an old phrase...something about signs.." the voice said smiling- more to himself than the main across the line from him. 

“Do you even take this seriously?"

“Wait, wait- don’t be hasty,” the voice responded, “To do what you ask, do you have some sort of leverage i can use? How about the whereabouts of the Chief's daughter?" 

The hard man replied, “Yes. The coordinates are…”

---

A handsome man, with blond hair and a black suit hung up the phone on the other line.

He leaned back in his chair and laughed inside himself. How many times had he bare witness to it - the moment when a man became a beast. 

A voice popped into his head.

--

"Son..." he remembered his father speaking.

"If you love me, you will do your duty."

He looked back on the voice with a slight fondness now. There was a time when that voice brought unending wrath- but now it brought only gratitude.

He pressed a button on his desk to call in two members of his elite assassination squad.

--

 He would have to hire his best assassin and prepare the proper story using his contacts in the media to feed some misinformation and at the very least disperse the blame.

He sighed and made a call...

Two youths appeared in front of him.

“Sir," a boy with piercing hawklike eyes and a vicious persona spoke. The other looked forward without any emotions whatsoever- in fact his eyes looked like they were smiling but perhaps it was illusory.

“Raven, Sparrow, thank you for coming,” he speaks, “I have a mission for you…”

---

Vincent pulls up to an empty spot on a roadway. The railing is situated in front of an overlook a little ways from the roadside.

Vincent looked over the railing- before him stood a small village at night under a moonlit open sky. He saw another light turning off as the day drew to a close for another house. It had been a while since he'd looked at a village for what it was- a home, and not simply a place to gather more recruits or resources. The 'Underground'...the 'Allies'...- we all have our own 'agenda's.

He looked above him. The stars showed themselves the same, like nothing had changed since the beginning of it all. Even though- for him- everything had. Perhaps if he'd grown up in a village not affected in the way he had- he could see things in a different light rather than his focus on revenge.

But he wasn't blind either- everyone had their own agenda. He went along with the 'Underground' for his own reasons, not for 'theirs'. He remembered how a couple years ago he faced the issue.

"Do you read me? Requesting assistance at coordinates h.q. zero zero."

Some Underground members had requested assistance nearby. Vincent’s post was closest and he and a few others had gone in to help them escape. They got a view of the area- a small town surrounded by an Allied ship. They took a tactical position and he motioned to them to hold their position while he went in. When he got a better angle, he saw a couple members at gunpoint by a group of Allies.

Vincent quickly went up behind them and knocked a couple out. Another lifted up his gun at him and Vincent responded quickly with a shot at him point blank. The man fell there dead.

He was surprised at how effortless it was for him to kill the man. He looked at the gun. He hadn't thought anything of it. All the training and it was this simple?

"This way…” he continued as the recruits watched him and the man who had fallen.

The other member he'd rescued pointed a gun at the enemy soldier who was on the ground -defenseless. Vincent watches as the recruit was readying his gun and then got a closer look at the enemy. 

It was just a scared kid. It was probably someone who had no experience in war and seemed to have no desire to fight in the first place.

Was this his enemy? Was the shape of his revenge?

No. 

He considered this while watching on and then stopped the recruit from shooting.

“Come on, let's go…" Vincent had said.

The other recruited nodded as they rushed out.

Later on he stood in front of the council to give a deteailed report. Reagan, the council's leader- second only to Sozo, held a stern look at him - as if judging or studying him. Sozo held a more sympathetic look for some reason.

“So... then what happened and why did you let the enemy live?” Ragu said asking the details of the event. 

“I don’t know,” Vincent responded. He paused, "I recognized that he was a non-threat- and we were in a rush.” Vincent drifted off into thought. He knew the real reason why but had hidden it.

When Ragu was about to speak, Souza interrupted him,

"It must have been hard for him..." the commander said speaking up for Vincent. 

"That was your first kill right vincent,"

Vincent was quiet.

"I can imagine what you must have been feeling when you shot the soldier," Souza spoke, "but you did the right thing Vincent."

No. He felt barely anything when he’d killed the other man. That wasn't it.

“You may leave…” the Commander said kindly. He was grateful for having the issue covered rather than expose what he truly felt. 

He remembered being awarded afterward for tactics and bravery. The same people he rescued invited him over to their table, but he didn’t want to join them, he wondered if it were even worth saving them. He sat down separate from other people at his own table. He didn’t feel like being buddy-buddy with those people- people he didn’t like.

Suddenly, Jess went up to him and sat down.

"Hi," she said as she quietly started eating follow suit.

“So... you killed someone."

"Yeah..."

I heard you told them not to kill the other Allied soldier.”

“Yeah- what about it?”

"Was it hard?"

I don’t know.

She smiled and they started eating quietly. Perhaps she thought it was mercy, but if she really knew the lack of remorse and cold-heartedness that came as she pulled the trigger, would she still feel anything for him?

That was the same day he got reassigned to special operations.

--

It had been over two years now. He’d been invited to the secret base that lay in the earth's depths, and was now living there with the other ‘specials’. Even still, he'd only just recently had time with Jess. After all, he'd usually be on the field. And even with the time he did spend with her, he generally pretended to hold no interest. After all, could she love him if she knew what was really in his heart?

Since that first kill, he'd only gotten better at his job as an operative.

He looked back on the overlook at a town in the distance.

It was small. Light shone through certain windows like little lamps scattered across it. He thought he could have a home here if his heart could find any sense of peace.

He looked up at the sky. Stars glowed overhead; they looked down on him like nothing had ever changed since the beginning of time. Even if it had... for him.

“I never got to see you much since we were separate.”

Jess and he were walking the halls in the afternoon after lunch. A year since the reassignment and it seemed Jess had been assigned to ‘Sx3’ as of recently as well.

“Yeah, I know, we were just in different places.”

“I’m glad I get to see you more,” she said.

He tilted his head a bit. His heart swelled when she’d said that, but the words he was thinking didn't come out. Me too… he thought.

They split ways back to their respective rooms and Vincent had been thinking about her quite often ever since.

--

Unfortunately circumstance still kept them apart. While her first assignment entailed a deep-cover operation using her talents with linguistics and cultural awareness; his were more abrupt.

Thankfully for this mission, they finally coincided.

Thinking about her always made him reflect on his purpose.

So much of it was focused on a distant goal: fueled by anger. He had something more to look forward too. The girl he loved was in his life again. He’d somehow in the back of his mind been trying to find her again. Where would his life lead if anger and revenge were the only things that drove him? He was going to tell her how he felt. What would she think about him if she knew the inside of his heart? Would she understand or run away? If he could only have met under different circumstances… but then who would he be?

She was the one thing that held him back from needing this feeling. With her his heart felt something more. The only conclusion: he felt that after the mission he'd tell her how he felt.

He sighed as he looked at the time- It was certainly late.

He walked back towards his bike and headed towards HQ again.

--

The comm-link on the head commander Souza’s desk held a more ominous undertone.

The first thing that put him on edge was that this was a private line. Why should this man have his channel? It was reserved solely for Underground. The only people with access to the channel were those in positions of officer or greater- which hinted either at a leak in safety measures or someone working with an outside source.

Secondly was the tone of the voice- while polite- it was certainly insincere.

That, in addition to the tone of voice. One word was enough to set him off. He wasn't sure what is was about the man.

Souza replied, "Hello. Who is this?"

"No one of consequence."

"Why are you calling me?"

"Perhaps you've pieced together some things already..." the man responded, "be assured- i want the same things as you- freedom for your territory-"

Sozo didn't believe him.

"And?"

"The difference is in how the new territory will come to be," Tthe other man responded, "You're no longer necessary to fulfill this role. I believe it's time for you to retire..."

"Why should i step down?"

"I didn't ask for you to step down- feel free to continue as things are. but consider a method in proper motivation," the voice went on, "Now- believe me- i wish i could have done this differently - but seeing as the people involved have different motivations- i must adapt."

What were the man's motives? if he were to retire... oh. so that's what this was about... Sozo thought. In turn- the one who would take charge was Reagan- who desired for the territory to become a government controlled by one official power... But that only explained why Reagan would leak information to an outside source- not what the sources motivations were.

"Why did you call me?"

"There is one more thing i request of you to do...it's actually quite simple..."

Sozo listened as the man spoke.

"and why would i do that?"

"consider it incentive... I have coordinates to a certain location. Let’s see..." the man seemed to be pulling out a sheet of paper, "41, -74 ... floor 12?... i could be more specific but i think you get it."

Sozo did.

If that means anything to you then i expect cooperation."

The last sentimental piece to Sozo's iron heart.

"And what will you do if i cooperate?"

"Simple. Everyone wins. You get peace. the territory becomes a government- I get some trade agreements. Plus those coordinates will have no use to me anymore- so nothing will happen."

Sozo sighed.

"Very well..." he spoke.

"Mmkay then," the man replied with the same smiling voice as he began with.

Sozo still felt a tingle as the unknown character signed off the communication link.

Sozo was already behind in this final chess game- but while he was still in play there was still a move he could make.

--

Vincent watched as the display light lit up and blinked above him.

-He'd arrived back around zero one hundred- and gotten a total of perhaps thirty minutes of rest before being interrupted.

He sighed.

Jayden snoring below him unawares.

Inside of his own wall of sound, he could hear the com come on.

"Vincent, please come to the main office. Vincent, please come to the main office," he heard the automated female voice speak.

Oh boy... what was he in for now? Was this due to his late night excursion?

--- 

He walks up to the commander's room at the end of the office wards. Even though Vincent knows that the commander is a busy man, at this time- the hour just seems ridiculous.

He knocks on the door which opens automatically.

"Come in Vincent," he hears the commander speak from his chair.

In front of him the commander sit in a seat and desk that faced him. Across from him was an empty chair.

Vincent walked in; the commander was sitting backward. He motioned for Vincent to close the door.

“Please..."

The leader of the entire Underground commands respect with the simple motion. It was something that Vincent felt the commander had earned the right to not simply with a title- but by merrit. He closed the door behind.

Vincent looks around the room. Seeing as it was generally reserved for the main bosses, He hadn’t gotten to see it but twice before. Once when he was only seven before the Underground was what it was, a well-oiled defensive base, after secondly when his actions had been called into question, and he was to be brought to the Circle of Six: neither time gotten much time to admire what it looked like.

It was small room for the commander of a large organization but Souza was a man of simpler needs. There were bookshelves behind the desk and a simple drink and food dispenser. perhaps a couple automated cabinets and certainly it had the modern technology in its com system and computerization, however it maintained a more rustic appearance. Something that evoked comfort rather than intimidation. Something that one would expect of Souza.

While there was a chair in front- Vincent simply stood in front of the commander who seemed to have a troubled appearance.

As a special Vincent had been taught to study facial expressions a bit- buti t was an easier face for him to read.

“Please sit down,” the commander motioned to Vincent at a chair.

Vincent wasn't sure how much trouble he was in at this point - he had just snuck out or was it about his illegal postings on the 'net' with his prose under a pseudonym?

He'd go along with it and just see how much trouble he'd have to make up for.

“Can I get you anything?” the commander asked sincerely.

So... this wasn't about him then- otherwise, he wouldn't have offered something. Perhaps it was something mission oriented - like the mission tomorrow? regardless- he would take the commander up on the offer so as to maintain a good rapport.

“A cup of cocoa-" Vincent replied with his drink of choice.

“Good idea,” As the commander gets the drink for Vincent he gets an extra cup for himself. He sets a cup in front of Vincent and started drinking from his own.

The commander sat there in deep contemplation. Vincent looked at him for a while expecting something then eventually took a sip. After about a minute passed, he spoke.

"The good news, the negotiations between myself and the president have held some merrit - and I intent to leave for a meeting soon.

"Oh?" Vincent sipped another cup and prompted the commander to continue. While Vincent preferred a means to fulfill his revenge through conflict- from an objective perspective- this was good for the Underground, "so...the bad news?"

"I believe it's under false pretenses- as i've been coerced to meet personally. During the next mission- be on your guard."

--

Then why go? Vincent wondered in his head. coerced... didn't that mean someone had leverage against Sozo- what kind of leverage could they have as his only potential weakness would have to be his daughter... oh....

Vincent wasn't sure... but he was sure to find out in the next minute or so.

"And I need to ask you to do something..."

"What's that?"

"Please... protect Jess..." The commander wanted her with the safest person he could think of- he thought about whether or not he should let him in on what was going to happen. He decided to do so.

That went without saying, Vincent thought and responded quickly, "Of course." 

The commander couldn't help but smile slightly, “I always assumed you liked her."

Vincent didn't want to show his own weakness... but faced with such an abrupt accusation couldn't help but show a more honest face which he tried to play off with a slight cough. Sozo seemed unfazed.

"Hmmm... Still after all those years..." Sozo drifted off, "I feel partly responsible for parting you two..." in an instant the deepset expression left the commander for a more thoughtful one as he drifted off into a thought.

"-Well it couldn't be helped, sir," Vincent spoke. "You needed to run the base."

"Even so, I don't see why I couldn't have taken care of both of you..."

Vincent wasn't fond of this position, reassurance wasn't his long suit. It seemed that the commander was waiting for a response though, so Vincent tried hard to think about how he felt. Yes, he resented him for leaving him behind but it wasn't like there was any other option. Perhaps if the commander had been an ordinary man... but he had a lot on his plate and Vincent was more than a lost kitten.

"Whether or not I was upset with you about it, you did what you thought was best."

Vincent justified him even though he did feel some resentment.

With a sigh of relief and resignation the commander put out what had been troubling him,

"Someone has leverage against the 'Underground'."

"What kind of leverage?"

"Coordinates to this base... and Jess's location... Vincent-" the commander cut off his thoughts when he noticed Vincent trying to grasp the entirety of the situation, "- I have a terminal illness- a virus that's been growing at a rapid rate. My body is losing its strength to fight."

This, Vincent didn’t know about.

"What about Jess?"

"I love her very much and I wanted to tell her, but she's vulnerable...."

"Isn’t it worse to tell her too late, and her having to wait, rather than tell her and have her have time with you beforehand?"

The commander gave it some thought.

It's not that Vincent cared whether or not the General reconciled with Jess: he was just being accountable to do what he could. Whatever the general did was his own responsibility.

"You may be right, but now i think it's too late."

"That's another thing I’ll need you for... I have one more request for you..."

Vincent looked up from his brooding downcast appearance to an attentive subordinate.

"What’s that?"

"If after my meet with the president, for some reason I can’t go on, track down this man- with information on the Underground…"

“Yes sir…”

It was a little while after sipping their drinks in solitude that Vincent headed back to his quarters for the next day.