---Cassiel's point of view---

  I waited patiently in the small, dimly lit antechamber of the underground maintenance corridor. The canine meepoo robot silently by my side in power saving mode. I looked over my watch and saw that I still had ten minutes. A small but noticeable tremor came and passed through my small shelter. That was unusual since I deduced it must have been from a powerful explosion somewhere. Surely not my own since the magnitude of the vibrations would have probably collapsed the entire room over me. Provence hadn't broken radio silence, so I decided it was not something that would affect us. At least not immediately.

  I returned to my own thoughts. The scenario running again and again in my mind. And each time I strove to see it from another perspective. To try and imagine other possible outcomes, both welcomed and unwelcomed. Foremost on my mind wast the possible meeting with my old comrade.

  I sighed heavily. That would be unpredictable. ''Is it even you anymore, Phesius?'' I wondered.

  What had happened to you since so long millennia ago when we fought the same damnable war by each other's side? How long were you truly awake? Do the memories of the past have kept some shred of humanity inside of you? Or are you the monster that you seem to be now? Are you your own master or are you just a puppet, similar as I was to my mentor?

  So many questions, so few answers. For my own good I would have to treat you as what you seemingly are. An unpredictable monster. As I thought that I heard footsteps coming from the ladder tunnel leading further up.

  ''About damn time.'' I thought as the team of burglars made their way as I predicted. Once they would break in I would follow parallel to them while setting all the charges off behind me. The small infiltrator meepoo was sitting in a blackened crevice beside the established entry point that I knew the thieves would enter by, and I monitored their progress through it.

  ''Time to kick this off.'' I thought to myself as I rose. And immediately the deadlier meepoo snapped out of its standby mode, having read my motion. Following me silently and discreetly, constantly probing the air with its array of sensors. I climbed up the ladder to the maintenance corridor just above it. Slipping through another hatch towards my designated entry point.

  It was the more dangerous route, yet it was less likely to be monitored. Even less than the one the thieves were using. It was tight as Hell though. And if the explosives had gone off I would have been a dead man. But only I had the remote switch for them. I breathed in the dusty air in the pitch black boiler room that also housed the centralized gas powered heating system for the manor. I checked the computer watch on my wrist, syncing in with the stealth meepoo. The idiotic burglars still hadn't managed to gain entry. Sloppy bunch.

  -''Beep! Gas leak!'' The meepoo spoke at minimum volume, having forbade it to use radio communication until I gave it permission.

  I quickly found my way out of the basement room. Passing through five more chambers and a hallway until I was certain I was in a safer part. Having locked a heavy airtight metal door behind me.

  The secondary spy meepoo transmitted an impulse signal that would have meant nothing to anyone who might have picked it up. But for me, it was the signal that the team of burglars were finally in the process of getting inside. And that soon it would automatically fry its internal circuits and become a useless piece of junk. One less evidence of our passing.

  ''It should be enough.'' I thought decidedly as I pulled out the remote detonator, pushing the faintly red glowing button. Suddenly a powerful shuddering like an earthquake almost threw me off my feet, having to lean onto the adjacent wall to keep myself steady. A cover of thick dust fell from the ceiling and the power to the room was cut. Soon the radio silence that I was so accustomed to was broken on behalf of the surface guards.

  -Main Sec, the cargo transport just breached the gates! Possible famiglia attack on the perimeter!

  -Uuuh, negative here. I am not seeing movement beyond the mass further from the gates. Request additional squad to reinforce main gate while we establish situational awareness.

  -This is Main Sec. Additional squad approved. Stand by for new orders. Be aware that we have had a major system collapse of both our utilities and our server systems. Teon Two, report on that mass again?

  -We have a squad mate that just collapsed, we need a medic here! Also, the mass seems like a large gathering of disgruntled locals fighting some smaller group, I... couldn't really give an accurate assessment. I-

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  -What is it Teon Two?

  -Teon Two, this is Main Sec. Respond.

  -Teon One to Six report your situation.

  -Cough! Teon twelve, cough, here. Base level, east wing. Sir. The place just blew up beneath us. Everyone here, cough, is dead. The inferno is spreading, and, hic, I, cough, am badly burnt. I... I need help.

  -This is Teon Seven-sczzz-

  -Teon Seven, this is Main Sec, respond!

  -Fire! Fire! -trrrtss- This is Teon Eight! Teon Seven is down! We have a large number of famiglia hit men coming through the broken gates! They are followed by what seems like the entire people of Volsinii. Every one of our guys here are dead but us, we need backup now!

  -All available squads reinforce the front gate and the south side of the perimeter. Stand by for further orders.

  For some reason it seemed like all Hell broke loose outside. I knew the famiglias were ruthless but to have come so swiftly to prey upon the baron of this place was, hmm, unexpected. Something else was up, but I had no time for it now. I needed to use all the distractions I could benefit from. And everything was welcome at this point. I pulled my main handgun in my grip. Silencer already attached as I opened the door to the upper level. Surprising a guard that was just rushing by with a large medical duffel bag.

  He seemed amazed at my presence before he stumbled hard onto the wooden floor. Three super-heated shurikens having pierced deep inside his chest. The meepoo was so fast that it even beat me to pulling the trigger of my own weapon. I planted one more bullet to the back of his neck to make sure I cut loose ends.

  Fortunately he was alone. Taking only a momentary peek through the large manorial windows I could see Hell going on in and around the front gates. Along with many black smokes rising further throughout Volsinii. I hugged the wall while I advanced swiftly to where I had the suspicion that the art gallery was.

  For one thing I knew for sure was that there were two entrances to it. One from the base level and one from the upper floor. I took the longer route to the upper floor, hoping to avoid the fight that the guards may have once meeting the thieves on the first base level of the manor. The upper floor seemed devoid of life. The few guards that were present lay bleeding on the expensive carpets. The holes in the windows and in their heads a definitive clue of my lupa's handiwork.

  -Intruders at main vault entr-aaah!

  -Main Sec to Black Teon, intervene!

  ''Whoo boy, seems they sent the hired black ops to deal with those unfortunate thieves.'' I thought as I pressed my ear to the heavy oak doors. There were definitely at least two guards or people on the other side of what was the upper floor entrance to the art gallery. Might have been risky to barge in with just a pistol and my meepoo, so I opted for something more safe.

  I silently stitched a concentrated blast charge the size of a brick in the centre of the uniting doors. Thinking of where best to find cover I thought I heard footsteps coming my way from further after a corridor's edge. Prompting me to quickly dash into one of the nearby rooms. I stayed long moments with my ear glued to the door. I heard the footsteps cease not far away and a voice boomed.

  -What the fuck is on the door?

  Quickly dashing besides the door I pressed the remote detonator. A powerful shockwave rocked the room violently. Precipitating the fall of many valuable looking vases to their undeserved doom around me. Exiting the safe room I beheld the carnage that was the area around the upper entrance. Bloodied body parts were complementing the devastation of blackened, burning surfaces and destroyed debris.

  The interior behind where the doors were I could number what were at least three or four guards. So my little explosive entrance was well worth it. I passed by the most intact of the bodies, impaled with the golden doorknob that was now black with sooth and red with their blood.

  More footsteps echoing up the stairs meant unwelcome company. I dashed to the left side of the wall that was parallel to the stairway coming from below. My pet cyberdog ready and my finger poised on the trigger. By the sounds of the fast approaching footsteps I could count three of them coming. I aimed, ready to fire. To my incredible luck the first one to come out of the stairway immediately faced his left as the choice start of the direction to clear the room. With another of his teammates closely coming behind him towards my direction. The stairwell being too narrow to allow all three of them to enter simultaneously.

  The meepoo and I fired rapidly. Spraying a hail of bullets and red-hot shurikens into the two guards, depriving them of their lives instantly. The third one quickly backed away before passing the threshold. And he was so shocked by the sudden death that passed in front of his eyes that I've clearly heard him stumbling down the staircase. I wasted no time in throwing a fragmentation grenade down the stairs. In mere seconds I heard a satisfying explosion and the low, guttural death cry of the last known threat.

  The lower level was in a breached state as I was to discover. The team of five thieves having managed to take out the entry guards. Making a stand in the first chamber of the art gallery as they were trying to hold off the elite of the hired security. It seemed like a dangerous stalemate. The thieves had the advantage of plenty of cover as well as holding off a choke point.

  However, they were hard-pressed to maintain it against double their number on the other side of the threshold. And if this gang was to be deprived of even one of their fire support, then the thieves could have been well overrun. I avoided that section, continuing silently down a hallway. Looking for the room with the exhibit I needed. The atmosphere was darkly eerie, almost oppressive. The illumination still hadn't returned except for the small lamps that lit up each exhibit. The rest of the light came grey, and wanting from the outside.

  Opening door by door I rushed. Giving an eagle's glance inside each of them until I found the right one.

  -Sit here. Guard/kill protocol on this point.

  -''Beeep!'' The cyberdog buzzed in acknowledgment of my order.

  I closed the doors behind me as I went inside. There was no one here, but that didn't give me the luxury of time. I headed straight for that damn stupid ball that forced me through all this trouble. As I picked it up a false sense of relief flowed through me before it dispelled, and then I felt... like an idiot. The sphere was a dud. A cheap and worthless ball of glass. I had been duped.

  -''I never thought I would ever see you again, my cultured friend of good breeding.'' An ominous voice spoke.