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Jacob leaned casually on the wall as he watched Brent and Gwen play a game of billiards. The rec room was more crowded than usual due to the fact that almost all of Legion occupied the place. While it wasn't cramped by any means, it was more than the usual one or two that spent time in here at any given moment. Ashton and Jasper were on the couch playing a video game Jacob had never seen before, even after seeing Nick's vast collection at home. They appeared so engrossed in their game that they didn't even notice Jacob watching them. Sly watched as well from the side, remaining completely quiet but clearly enjoying himself.

"Yes!" Ashton exclaimed suddenly, thrusting his fists into the air.

"No, come on!" Jasper slumped back on the couch. "I had you! You were almost dead! I call hax!"

Ashton stuck his tongue out at him. "Nope, I'm just better than you," he teased. "I told you, I've been playing this game for years." He looked up at Jacob. "You want to play?"

Jacob was about to refuse when Jasper interjected. "No, play me again, I'll beat you this time. Next match."

The tiger chuckled in response. "Dude, you've been saying that for the last ten games. Just admit it, I'm better."

Jasper's laser-like gaze could have melted steel. "Next. Match."

Ashton's cocky façade never faltered as he picked up his controller again. "Alright, get ready to be flattened. Again!"

Jacob smiled at the banter, happy to see that Jasper was having fun. He certainly needed it after the encounter with the Sealbreakers' "angel-monster-thing" the day before. He turned as Nick sidled up to him.

"Hey," said Jacob. "You doing alright? Enjoying your break?"

"Hell yeah," Nick replied with a grin. "It's great to be allowed a break for once. Never thought Gav would let us have one."

"I know, right? Where is he anyway?" Jacob wondered.

Nick shrugged. "Dunno. Probably working." With a roll of his eyes, he said, "Damn workaholic. One of these days we'll have to force that guy to have some fun."

"Hmm. Well, I suppose he's got a lot to think about," replied Jacob. "I mean, giant angel monsters don't turn up every day, you know?"

"Yeah, I suppose. Still, he should take a break for himself once in a while. Working as much as he does can't be good for him."

They watched Ashton and Jasper play their game for a bit before Nick spoke again.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask you," Nick began. "I know this is a bit of a loaded question for you, but...what do you think you'll do after this thing with Legion is over?"

The question was indeed loaded. Jacob gave it some thought before responding. "I don't really know. I guess Sanction's out of the question now, isn't it? And even now, I don't think college is for me...I'll just figure that out when I get there, I guess. How about you?"

"I thought I might get another job in cybersecurity," Nick replied casually. "Even if I can't go back to the one I had before, I'm sure someone else will take me."

"The cops are still after us though," Jacob reminded him. "Who knows where we'll be at the end of all this? You could get arrested the moment you show yourself."

Nick shrugged noncommittally. "Maybe."

Jacob decided not to push the subject. As far as he was concerned the end of the Sealbreaker conflict was far from over, so it wouldn't do any good to start making such plans just yet. His vision drifted over to the wall clock and his heart sank. It was nearly noon. He had a call to make.

He excused himself and exited the room, leaving Nick standing there looking confused.

Jacob walked out into the hall and glanced around to make sure he was alone. Taking out his phone, he scrolled through his past calls and stared at the most recent number. The digits glared at him at the top of the list, as if taunting him about what he was about to do. Nervously, he tapped the number with his thumb and brought the phone to his ear.

The recipient picked up on the first ring. "You remembered. Good." His voice sounded artificially modified to a low and brooding register.

"Who are you?" Jacob shot right away. "And answer me this time. How did you get my number?"

"Straight to the point, hmm? Fine," said the voice. "We didn't have to look very far. Though I have to say I'm impressed with how well Legion covers its tracks."

Jacob growled into the phone. "Answer. The question."

"We...er...found a hole in your network security measures," the voice said smugly. "And once we were able to get in, well...we could take a peek at anything we wanted."

Jacob nervously glanced around him, as if he could see the Sealbreakers' influence in the walls. "But how? Ash - We've got the best security measures in place anyone can find. Where's the weakness?"

"We did nothing to your security," the voice replied. "Rather, the hole we found was opened for us."

Jacob frowned. "Are you suggesting that someone _inside_Legion let you into our network?"

"Bingo."

A cold fear washed through him, and his mind immediately went to a certain tiger.

"How about that Ash you mentioned earlier?" The voice taunted. "He's the computer geek of the group, isn't he?"

How much does he know? "He wouldn't," Jacob snapped. "You're lying. Everyone here is loyal to the cause; you're just trying to mess with my mind!"

"Guilty," the voice chuckled darkly. "But maybe you're right. Ashton Monroe is far too much of a goody two shoes for that...but there's more than one person with the capability to put a discreet loophole in your security, isn't there?"

Jacob was confused at first, but then realized the mystery person was right, and his ears drooped. "Nick."

"Ding ding! Give the wolf a prize!"

"No," Jacob said fearfully. "He's my friend. He wouldn't -"

"He wouldn't, he wouldn't, boo hoo!" The voice mocked him. "Open your eyes, Jake! Isn't he the one who was so against joining Legion? Against the prospect of change? He wants the life he used to have before you came in and ruined everything for him. What better reason to for him to turn his back on you?"

"How do you know all that?!" Jacob said in exasperation. "You can't have known that unless you knew him."

"That's beside the point," the voice snapped. "My point is if you don't start paying attention soon, you're in for a hell of a time."

"Why are you telling me all this? I find it hard to believe you actually want to help me."

"I am trying to help you," the voice replied. "I'm trying to help everyone. We Sealbreakers just want what's best for everybody."

"And how does creating more Brands benefit anyone?" Jacob demanded.

"Now, now," the voice said, once again in that mocking tone. "If I told you, that would be spoiling."

That made him angry. "Is this a joke to you?" Jacob snapped. "These are people's lives we're talking about. All we're trying to do is make things right."

"Says the person who killed two people just to escape arrest."

Jacob fell silent.

"Let me ask you something," the voice offered. "Why did you decide to join Legion?"

"I'm not sure what you mean," Jacob mused. "I want to help fix the Sealbreaker problem, just like the rest of us -"

The person imitated an alarm sound. "Wrong. Try again."

Jacob scoffed. "Then what? Stop playing games."

"You're here because of your brother," said the voice. "If it weren't for Jasper, you wouldn't even have a reason to join. You're trying to protect him by staying with Legion."

Jacob wanted badly to retort, to tell him that he was wrong, but he knew deep down that he was right. Jasper was the only thing keeping him here. He'd like to think that he liked it here, but he really only wanted to best for his brother.

"Legion or Sealbreaker, we both want the same thing," the person continued. "We just want the best for ourselves and our loved ones. And we'll both do whatever it takes to achieve our respective goals, no matter who gets in our way."

"Is that a threat?" Jacob muttered.

"Yes," the voice deadpanned. "We've got access to your hardware and you've seen what we can do on the field. Back down, or there will be consequences."

"Even if I did, there's no saying what the rest of Legion would do. I have virtually no say in what we do," Jacob said firmly. "But no. I'll never back down. Not until your Ultium serum is destroyed and people like you are behind bars!"

There was a pause during which the wolf could swear he could hear the eye roll. "How very noble of you. Fine," the person sighed. "Have it your way. I'll be checking up on you periodically. If you tell anyone that we talked, I'll know and I will end you. Understood?"

Jacob did roll his eyes. "Yeah sure. Whatever."

"I'll see you soon."

"Wait, what?" Jacob started. "Why?"

The voice gave another dark chuckle. "Because when you see our next experiment, you'll want to talk to me in person. Ciao for now."

The person hung up. Jacob stared at his phone in silence, thinking about what they had just discussed. Someone in Legion was a traitor. And chances were it was Nick. With his proficiency in computers and reluctance to accept Legion as trustworthy, he was the most likely candidate. But he wouldn't go as far as to sell them out...would he?

He had to find out for himself.

Jacob returned to the rec room to see everyone was still having fun. Nick had moved to sit next to Jasper on the couch and was cheering and laughing along with everyone else. The wolf sat down next to him and pretended to be interested in the game that was still going on.

"Hey," said Nick, looking over and noticing him. "You just left all of a sudden. You okay?"

"I'm fine," Jacob answered vaguely. Lowering his voice, he asked, "Listen, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"How much do you trust Legion?"

Nick frowned and glanced around at the others. Everyone else was too engrossed in their own activities to notice them talking. "You know how I feel about them..."

"Yeah, but do you think their hearts are in the right place? Are we doing the right thing?"

"Jake, where is this coming from?" Nick asked confusedly.

"Just answer the question."

"I...I think their ideals are in the right, but they're going about it the wrong way," said Nick in a hushed voice. "I don't like the idea of a resistance group rebelling against society."

"Enough to try and stop said resistance group?"

Nick gazed at him suspiciously. "What exactly are you asking, Jake?"

It's not him. "Never mind," said Jacob. "Forget about it."

"No," Nick insisted. "Tell me -"

"Conference room, everyone! We have something to discuss!" Gavin's voice rang from the doorway, the husky standing resolute as always. He didn't wait for anyone to respond before he disappeared again.

Ashton sighed and turned off the game. "So much for that break..."

"Should've known it wouldn't last that long," said Nick. "That guy's a slave driver."

"Hey, that's my uncle you're talking about!" Gwen retorted.

"I know." Nick stood and fixed Jacob with a knowing glare. "We'll talk about this later."

Jacob nodded apologetically and stood as well. As he followed the rest of Legion out of the room, he couldn't help but glance at each of them in turn.

Which one is the traitor?

Minutes later, they were all sitting at the conference table again waiting for the meeting to begin. Gavin had not arrived yet, but no one seemed to be in a talkative mood. Perhaps it was because they had just had their break cut short by the very person who had issued it, but regardless, everyone was all business now. Nick kept shooting suspicious glances over at Jacob, and the wolf himself was doing his best to avoid his eyes. He couldn't help but think that he had just created a real problem between him and his best friend.

Gavin came in with a laptop under one arm, barely even acknowledging the team as he entered. He took his usual place at the end of the table and looked up.

"Good morning everyone," he said pleasantly, as he had so many times before. "I've called you all here to discuss something that could potentially mean a lot for us as a group. After our fight at the mall yesterday, I was approached by a police officer who asked me some questions about Legion. He went back with some general info about what we are and what we do, and just this morning I got a call - on the external line of course - about the possibility of a televised interview."

No one spoke. An interview to be broadcasted across the nation? Gavin was right, that was great news! However...

"I realize there are risks involved and that some of you may be uncomfortable with the idea," Gavin acknowledged. "So I want to hear what the rest of you think."

"Don't do it," Nick said immediately.

"Why not?" Gavin challenged.

"Because it's obviously a trap," Nick stated. "It can't be a coincidence that we're getting this offer just after dealing with one of the Sealbreakers' screw-ups."

"Sure it can," said Gwen. "What we did yesterday was bigger than anything we've ever done before. Of course people are going to notice. They're curious, that's all."

"Then let's not indulge them," Nick countered. "I'm not sure how long Legion has been around, but you've gotten this far without exposing yourselves like this. So keep going! The risk isn't worth it."

"But it is!" Ashton interjected. "We can only do so much with the limited exposure that we have. If this takes off, we can spread our influence so much farther!"

"I agree," said Sly. "We could possibly expand our funds as well. Ash and I do what we can with the equipment and resources we have now, but some more sponsorship would definitely help. What little we get from stragglers in KazCorp and Bounty isn't enough."

"Agreed," said Brent. "And to be honest, I'd like to get out of this hellhole."

"Excuse me?" Gavin snapped with a bit of a growl. "I chose this 'hellhole' for our base when we were first starting up! Show some respect."

"Sorry," Brent shrugged. He looked around. "But no matter how you look at it, it is kind of...inconvenient."

"Boys, boys. Settle down," Gwen instructed. "Let's not get carried away. We need everyone's opinion here. Jasper, what do you think?"

Jasper blinked. "Um, well an interview would make us look good, and we can tell the public what we really do, right? Right now, they still think we're just a group of destructive misfits."

"We kind of are," Nick pointed out.

"But this way, we can tell them why we do what we do," Gwen finished. "Show them we're not a threat. I like it. Jacob, what about you?"

Jacob was silent for a moment. He could certainly see the benefit in doing the interview. As well as boosting their reputation with the public, they could potentially gain more funding if things went well. That meant a better place to stay, better equipment, overall easier living. But things could potentially get worse if it went wrong. What if they accidentally let slip information that was supposed to be kept secret? What if Nick was right, and it really was a trap to get them arrested, or worse? The risk was great, but so was the potential reward...

"Jacob?"

The wolf blinked. Everyone was staring at him from around the table, waiting for him to respond. He made a decision. "I say we do it. This is an opportunity we can't pass up. If things go south, we can handle it, right? We just fought that angel thing yesterday and came back without a scratch."

"I was dropped on a car..." Brent mumbled.

"Solid point," Gavin nodded. "Let's see a show of hands. Everyone against taking the offer?"

Nick raised his paw. The fox looked around, but no one else moved.

"Everyone for it?"

Everyone but Nick raised their paws, including Gavin.

"Alright, it's settled," said Gavin. "I'll call them back and tell them we'll do it. You can all go back to what you were doing." He stood and made to leave the room.

"You're_still_ giving us the day off?" Ash asked incredulously. "Are you okay?"

"I'm just fine, I assure you," Gavin said tiredly. "We have the time to spare and you all need a break. So I'm giving you the time off." With that, he left the room.

"'You all need a break,' Ash said in disbelief. "He's still working his ass off, isn't he? Does he even sleep?"

"He's just dedicated, that's all," Gwen said as she stood. "Jacob, can I talk to you alone?"

Jacob muttered confusedly, "Uh, sure."

Gwen waited until everyone had filed out of the room before approaching him. She crossed her arms and gave him a stern look. "Hunter."

Jacob blinked. "Uh...what about him?"

"How do you know him?"

Jacob shook his head. "I don't."

"Yes, you do," Gwen accused. "If you didn't, you wouldn't have had a clue who I was talking about just now. So how do you know that coyote?"

The wolf scrambled internally for a believable lie. "We...were friends."

"Where did you meet?"

"...High school."

"What classes was he in?"

"I don't know...We were in different grades."

"Then how did you meet?"

Jacob snapped. "Why are you asking me all these questions?!"

"Because I want to make sure we can trust you," replied Gwen. "This Hunter guy is a Sealbreaker, so the fact that you seem to know him so well makes you suspicious."

"I'm not involved with him in any way," Jacob insisted.

"I sure hope not," said Gwen. "Because if you are, that makes you a threat." She looked him squarely in the eye. "You seem like a nice guy. We don't want to hurt you. But in Legion, we eliminate threats. So don't make us have to."

Jacob as taken aback. "Is that a threat?"

"It's a warning," Gwen answered. "With the interview coming up, we're in a pretty vulnerable state, so we can't take any chances. Just one slip-up could cost us everything. So are you sure there's nothing about you or Hunter the rest of us need to know?"

Jacob almost hesitated in his answer, but managed to cover it up. "I'm sure."

Gwen studied him for a moment and relented. "Okay. I believe you, for now." The wolf tried to interject, but she cut him off. "You're definitely hiding something, but if you were actually a Sealbreaker, you wouldn't still be here. So I believe you."

If you were actually a Sealbreaker, you wouldn't still be here. Jacob wasn't so sure about that statement...

"Sorry if I seemed too aggressive," Gwen said, visibly relaxing. "I needed to be sure."

"It's...okay I guess," said Jacob uncertainly. The knot in his stomach still hadn't gone away. "Was that all?"

"Yes, that's all I needed," the vixen said, turning away. "I won't tell Gavin - not yet anyway - but just remember what I said."

As she left, Jacob pondered what had just happened. He understood her suspicion, but to threaten to 'eliminate' him outright seemed...wrong, totally against Legion's morals. And he wasn't sure why he wanted his encounter with Hunter kept secret in the first place. Should he tell them? They might...eliminate...him, and then what? Jasper would be left all alone, and both he and Nick would be devastated. On the other hand, keeping the secret would keep Gwen on edge, who would eventually tell Gavin, and he didn't want to be on that husky's bad side again.

Perhaps this was something he could ask Drake later...

On his way back down the hall, he bumped into Nick, who had been walking in the opposite direction. He was jolted out of his contemplation and glared at the surprised fox with his phone in paw.

"Hey, watch it!" He snapped.

Nick seemed more alarmed by his attitude than their collision. "Uh, sorry..." He resumed walking and became once more absorbed in his phone.

The fox was already gone before Jacob could apologize. Nick had done nothing wrong; he just had the misfortune of catching him off guard while stressed out. He dragged a paw down his face and sighed to himself.

"I need a nap..." The wolf went off toward his room.

..............................

Jacob woke to the sound of loud music blasting through speakers. With a start, he realized that he was no longer in his bed. He was lying on a couch, and looking around, he seemed to be back in the rec room; except it was bigger and had more things in it like foosball tables and gaming systems. There were a lot more people around, too, people he didn't recognize.

Jacob stood gingerly and scanned the crowd. No one from Legion seemed to be here, yet here he was, at their base. Weird. And strangely enough, no one seemed to notice him either. Whenever he thought someone was trying to talk to him, he found they were actually trying to get the attention of someone nearby.

I must be dreaming.

_ _ Through the milling crowd, he caught a flash of white fur.

Ah...this makes sense now.

_ _ He pushed through the crowd toward the pool tables. The way he had to dodge and duck through the ocean of furs around him, it reminded him of their recent mission at the Silver Veil. An experience that he wasn't too keen on repeating.

Sure enough, when he made it to the billiard tables, there was Drake leaning down to line up the perfect shot. Once he took his shot, the white ball zoomed across the table to collide with a striped one, which shot into one of the holes in the corner. Some people nearby congratulated him on his shot, which he acknowledged with a confident smile.

As Jacob approached, Drake caught sight of him and straightened fully. He was wearing clothing that one would typically wear when going out: a pair of dark pants, a plaid shirt, and an unzipped jacket to wear over it.

"You made it!" Drake beamed. He gestured widely, indicating the scene around them. "You like it?"

"I guess," said Jacob, looking around uncertainly. "This isn't really my scene. But I have to admit, I never took you for much of a party animal."

"I like to enjoy a break sometimes," shrugged Drake. He began aiming his cue again. "I figured this would be a good way to let loose. Enjoy life a little."

"You sound like Nick," Jacob said with a laugh. "Just don't start bragging about the 'awesome fling you had last night' and we'll be good."

"Nah, I'm not one for flings," Drake commented. His shot collided with another ball, but nothing went in. He straightened and frowned. "Although, I did have a one night stand with a werewolf once..."

Jacob boggled. "What?!"

Drake shook his head. "Not important." He looked back to Jacob. "Bottom line is I need a break. Things are starting to get a little crazy on my end."

Jacob regarded him curiously. "Can I ask you something? It's kind of personal. Well, not really, but still..."

"Ask away."

"What is it you do exactly?" Jacob wondered. "I mean, I know you described yourself as my 'guardian angel' or whatever, but -"

"That was you actually," Drake pointed out. "I just went with it."

"Right. But the question still remains," Jacob continued. "What do you actually do? I get that you're looking after me, but why? You made it sound earlier like you're part of this big important organization."

Drake smirked. "A big organization of twelve people?"

"You know what I mean."

The white wolf chortled. "Well, you can certainly call it that." He paused for a moment as he watched his opponent take a second shot. "Humanity has made many mistakes over the years. Unfortunately, not everyone learns from those mistakes. So I hop from dimension to dimension helping people realize their faults and take responsibility."

"And you do that why?" Jacob inquired. "Out of the goodness of your heart? No offense, but somehow I find that hard to believe."

For the first time, Drake's expression became hard and stoic. "Let's just say I made a mistake a long time ago, and this is my way of taking responsibility."

Jacob gave a nervous chuckle. He had never seen Drake like this, so he didn't know how to react. "Must have been some mistake. What did you do, level a city?"

The white wolf avoided his eyes and leaned forward for another shot. "I created the illusion of the party for your sake, not mine. Technically, I can take a break whenever I want and you needed this more than I. This is for you."

Brushing aside the evasive change of subject, Jacob responded, "But you know me. Parties aren't my thing."

"Maybe, but like I said, parties are a good way to relax." He straightened again and those golden eyes held an almost fatherly concern. "Think back, Jacob. When was the last time you took a break?"

"This morning," Jacob answered easily, but Drake shook his head.

"No, that was time off issued to you by Gavin. I mean the last time you decided to take a break. Actually took some time for yourself?"

Jacob remained silent.

"Since your mother died, you've been working your ass off, and I commend that," Drake said. "But since you left Sanction and you no longer have to work to support yourself and your brother, you're due for a break, don't you think?"

"I don't need a break."

Drake regarded him skeptically. "I'm your guardian angel, remember? I'm telling you to take a break. If I think you need one, then you need one." He waved a paw at the scene. "Look at all of this. This is all for you! Granted it's not really your thing, but I wanted to make sure you'd listen to me. If Nick is right about one thing, it's that you need to loosen up."

The mention of Nick made him feel guilty again. "I shouted at him today..."

"See? All this stress is finally taking a toll on you." Drake nudged him to move and Jacob did, allowing his companion to aim at a better angle. "If you don't do something about it soon, I will."

"What do you mean 'you will?'" Jacob asked befuddled.

Drake raised an eyebrow.

"Right, spoilers," Jacob said rolling his eyes. "Even if I did decide to take a break, what would I even do? I'm used to following orders; without Legion or Sanction I'm lost."

"There are plenty of people here who care about you," Drake advised. "Perhaps go to them and plenty some quality time together."

"What, with Nick?" Jacob shook his head with a shrug. "We're good friends anyway. We've spent plenty of time together."

"That's not who I'm talking about," replied Drake. "But you'll figure it out. And as for Sanction, you don't need them anymore. You've moved past all that, but you're still missing something. You just need to find out what it is."

"You can't just tell me?" Jacob tried lamely.

"That's not what I do, you know that," the white wolf said knowingly. "Besides..."

Drake lined up another shot, squinting his eyes a little as he aimed - right at the solid black eight ball.

"For all you know, the answer could be right in front of you and you just don't realize it."

CLUNK.

_ _ Jacob snapped his eyes open. He was back in his room, lying in his soft bed staring up at the ceiling. His eyes drifted over to the door where Brent was standing, having evidently knocked loudly to wake him up.

"Gav wants to see us both," said the Shephard. "He wants to ask us some things about Sanction."

Jacob blinked sleepily and glanced at his watch on the table. It was nearly midafternoon and he had slept past lunch. "Okay, give me a minute."

Brent nodded and left without another word. Jacob got out of bed and began to change clothes, figuring he should get out of the now wrinkly loungewear he had on while sleeping. He got halfway dressed before he remembered Drake's last statement. He looked back to the door...and shook his head with a chuckle.

"Very funny, Drake. Good joke."

.........................

"I expect to see that report by the end of the day," said Eric. He and one of their newest Sanction recruits stood next to the cafeteria. They were off to the side so that the lunchtime rush could get through to the buffet. "No later than six p.m., understand?"

The officer, a lanky lynx, blinked up at him. "Um..."

Eric sighed internally at the officer's apparent confusion. "Is there a problem?"

"It's just," she mumbled, fidgeting uncertainly. "I get off at three. I'm not sure I'll have enough time to -"

"Then make time," stressed Eric. His height and build made him all the more intimidating. "Skip lunch if you have to. This is Sanction; if something needs to be done, one way or another, it gets done. Now get to it!"

He sent the startled rookie back on her way. Without an ounce of regret, Eric turned and went to the buffet, assembling a large but nutritious salad. He then went to a table near the back where he knew his brother would be waiting.

Erwin, who had been sitting there watching the entire encounter, looked at Eric in concern as he approached. "A little harsh there, don't you think?"

Eric shrugged as he sat down. "Nah. Better to get them used to this stuff early on before they fall on their faces."

"That's what training is for."

"Training never stops. Not in this line of work," Eric replied, picking at his salad. He glanced at his brother's meal and grimaced. "Really, peanut butter sandwiches again?"

"They're good," Erwin insisted, taking a big bite and sighing at the taste. He loved peanut butter. "Better than the salads you always eat."

"Salads are nutritious!" Eric protested.

"And boring," Erwin added, though his grin betrayed that it was all in jest. "They're literally just bowls of vegetables. That's it."

"Mom would've smacked you for saying that," Eric mumbled. With a mischievous glint in his eye, he continued, "But she's not here. So I'll do it for her." He brought a hand up and lightly cuffed the side of Erwin's head.

"Ow, gerroff!" Erwin laughed and swatted the hand away. Noticing a few stares from nearby, he cleared his throat and returned his attention to his sandwich. Eric spotted the stares as well and settled down. They had an image to uphold.

Erwin decided to change the subject. "So I hear we lost another officer to Legion recently."

Eric nodded. "Brent McAllister was his name."

Erwin looked shocked. "Him? Really? He was one of our most dedicated! What changed?"

"Who knows?" Eric shrugged. "With his history, you'd think he'd be the last to join Legion. But it doesn't matter. We're still two officers down now."

Erwin finished his first sandwich and started the second one. "You know, if we keep losing our staff, we'll have to start actively recruiting again. And personally, I'd rather not have to suffer through that again. Recruiting is tiring."

"Amen," Eric said raising a fist. "The next Recruitment Week should cover any loss, though. It's only two people; we'll be okay."

"But that's not for another six months," Erwin pointed out.

"Then let's hope no one randomly leaves until then," replied Eric. "Because frankly, I'm getting tired of Legion poaching our members."

"How large do you think Legion will grow?" The stockier rhino wondered. "They've been a lot more active lately. We're partly at fault for that, of course, but you know what I mean."

Eric nodded. "As long as Gavin Masters is leading them, Legion's gonna keep going strong."

"So we should go straight for Gavin then," Erwin suggested. He had lowered his voice slightly so that passersby wouldn't overhear them. The cafeteria was a rather loud place anyway, but it didn't hurt to be cautious. "From what we've been told, he's got a few dire weaknesses we can exploit. Should be easy."

"We can't, not yet," Eric stated, taking a swig of water. "If we wanted it to be easy, we should have done it long ago. And he's not exactly making it easy to find him." He leaned forward and spoke in a whisper. "After the interview - which will happen soon - Legion will go up in the public eye. Killing him would make him a martyr, and Sanction would have to deal with so much shit for it. As long as they're popular, they're hard to kill."

"Will they take the interview, though?" Erwin inquired.

"Why wouldn't they? They have practically nothing to lose."

Erwin regarded him sternly. "You and I both know that's not true. As a group maybe, but individually they all have something to protect."

"That doesn't matter," countered Eric. "That same principle applies to everyone. What if -"

They were interrupted by ring tones from both of their pockets. Erwin took out his phone and examined the number. Eric had his phone out too and, after exchanging knowing glances, they both got up and retreated to the neighboring courtyard where they would be alone. It was a cloudy day out and no one seemed keen on sitting outside.

Erwin answered the call. "Hey, boss."

"Good afternoon," said a strangely deep voice through the speaker. "I trust your research has been going well?"

"As well as it's going to be," Eric murmured darkly into his own phone. "You have something new for us?"

"Indeed," the boss answered. "The time has come for us to take more direct action. The best way to take down Legion will be to strike at the heart: Gavin Masters."

"We were just talking about that," Erwin mentioned. "Killing him now probably isn't a good idea. Assuming we find out where he is, of course."

"I'll handle that," said the boss. "As I'm sure you know, Legion received an opportunity to take part in a live interview to be broadcasted nationwide. They took the offer."

Eric nodded. "I thought they would."

"Like you said, killing Gavin will not be an option," the boss continued. "But for our purposes, we don't need to kill him. We need to break him."

Erwin wasn't quite sure what that meant. "...break him how?"

"Gavin is an...interesting character. He's got some buttons that will be rather fun to press," the boss responded with what could have been a humorous undertone. "There is some preparation to be done, but then we just wait for the interview. Here's what you need to do..."