“There’s another call from the senate Milos.” Alliah reported from her post beyond the doors.

“Going to answer this one?”

“Mhmm…?” Milos grumbled, half awake.

Alliah sighed and walked up to the slumbering guardian and shoved the Vonehzel, a two-way, long distance communication device, into his palms.

“A call. From the senate.” She whispered into his ears, inciting a few goosebumps.

“Umm… yeah... fine.” Milos murmured, then blinked as he awoke.

He sat up, slowly, stretching as he rose from the chair. When he looked down onto the table, he found a crinkled pile of unfamiliar papers beneath his arms had rested. Presumably they had been crinkled through arduous work, but it also occurred to Milos that it was possible that they had been damaged by his sleeping upon them. Looking closer, the files were detailed after the prisoner claiming to be Cerberus. Milos frowned, he could’ve sworn he’d put those documents away.

“The call? Milos?” Alliah knocked on the door frame as she re-entered the room.

Milos tilted his head in confusion.

“The call?”

He looked slowly, down towards the Vonehzel in his hands then sighed in realization.

Right. The call.

“Yes, this is High Guardian Milos Agasti speaking.” He yawned into the receiver.

“Milos! How dare you sleep on the job, I thought I had ordered this to be done within a week! And it’s been five days without a single report!” Came a pestering voice through the speaker.

It was Elonzel Pale, the headmaster of the Rivelion Intelligence. A pesky, yet devilishly intelligent man. Though initially seemingly unconcerned with anything but promotions and looking good before the royalty, Elonzel was at heart, a Nationalist. Milos, though often annoyed at his antiques, respected the man for his steadfast and iron-gripped leadership of the agency.

“Sir, I promise there’s nothing to worry about. I’m half-way through the analysis. I’ll send a Sit-rep by the end of today, yes?” said Milos.

But in reality, things were not okay. The files that had been handed down were a mess, the scribe that had written the report apparently had no comprehension of organization or order, and information which were supposedly related, were instead spread like wild fire across the forest of countless pages. It tired him just to look at the thing, let alone finish half of it. He had made it a quarter-ways at best, before he’d put them away, and they’d magically reappeared on his desk.

“Don’t you ‘yes?’ me.” Replied Elonzel, sounding quite frustrated.

“Look. We understand that you didn’t think the man was Cerberus… and we agree. Cerberus isn’t an easy man to catch. As you reported after the interrogation, it’s most likely a cover up, a dead-slip for Cerberus. Meaning the country behind Cerberus is planning something big.”

“Yes, most likely.” Milos agreed.

“Good. Then you should also know that the man could be key to uncovering that something.”

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Milos kept quiet, letting his unimpressed-ness show only on his face.

“Milos, we get it. You think you’ve seen this kind of scenario a hundred times before, you think you know the answer, but you need to stop.”

“Stop what?”

“Stop and listen to your head.”

Milos paused.

“I am listening to my head.”

He heard Elonzel sigh within the Vonehzel.

“I mean me, Milos. I’m the head of your agency.”

“Oh.”

Milos cracked a smile, then saw Ms. Alliah giggling in the corner of the study, having obviously overheard the conversation. Covering the receiver, he winked mischievously at the secretary then beckoned her to exit the room. When the door finally closed behind her, Milos sighed, then continued the conversation.

“Sir, I understand, and fine, I’ll investigate further into Chrysler Blaire aka ‘Fake Cerbie’.”

“What? Just that and no ‘buts’?” Elonzel replied, sounding suspicious.

“Of course there’s ‘buts’.” Milos retorted.

He chuckled quietly as he heard Elonzel’s irritated grumbling echo over the phone.

“Sure…” The Elonzel finally replied, “And that ‘but’ is?”

Milos shrugged.

“If I am to continue investigation into Chrysler Blaire, I want full ownership of the Cerberus case and all my other cases diverted to lower guardians.” He answered.

There was a pause on the other end. Milos raised an eye brow. Of all the people in the agency, he was the most qualified for an Espionage case of that size, thus his responsibility of investigating the captured suspect. There should be no reason for reconsideration. And aside from his pride, he also wished to rid himself of all his other plebeian cases which, on a daily basis, drained him of his will to live. So it seemed to him, like a simple win win.

“Well… it’s not that simple Milos.” Came Elonzel’s voice eventually.

“The Cerberus case is the most sensitive case Rivelion Intelligence has ever had to crack. You know this well, being the highest guardian we have. And… you also know that taking on an E.C as a standalone is almost always the gateway to a dragon’s vault of troubles.”

Milos frowned.

“I’ve cracked plenty of E.Cs of my own accord.” He retorted, “And without any issue.”

The speaker stayed silent for a moment.

Milos frowned again. Then it clicked, he understood what Elonzel had truly meant.

“What’s this?” He asked, smile turning sour as he spoke, “You suspect me?”

Silence once more, then eventually Elonzel’s voice popped up, sounding slightly apologetic, yet undeniably stern.

“No. I don’t think you’re Cerberus. I trust you.”

“Oh really?” Milos smirked, his voice wavering slightly, “But I can see the logic behind the suspicion.”

He heard Elonzel sigh then pick up the Vonehzel on his end. Perhaps to speak more privately.

“Yes, Milos. Cerberus is the most effect saboteur the Rivelion Intelligence has ever witnessed.”

“With you sitting at the highest level of document analysis and field activity in the R.I.A, you are in the most lucrative position for a spy from any nation. Your position allows for all of what has been done to be possible. And truth be told, Rivelion would be crippled, if you are in fact, Cerberus. You understand me? Stop sulking like an idiot.”

“Sure. And so I guess, by giving ‘Cerberus’, the Cerberus case, it would be equivalent to giving pardon to your murderer, right?” Milos replied.

“Exactly.” Came the answer.

In that instant, Milos felt betrayed. Sure as steel, he now regretted making the offer. He could’ve lived without the knowledge that his nation did not hesitate in it’s suspicion. But eventually he steeled himself and smiled with a cruel twisted humor.

“You honestly think I’m Cerberus? The one who destroyed my own operation on the Atlas information post and killed six of my best men!?” He rebutted, laughing in frustration, “The one who almost destroyed a northern office with the information leak on sixteen deep cover agents spread across Zekstra and Euralis?”

“Don’t take it personally Milos.” Elonzel’s voice crackled across the speaker, sounding calm as it echoed in the dimly lit room, “As of now, there is not one person in Rivelion who is not a suspect. So the investigation must be spread across the organization for safety.”

Milos placed the phone down dejectedly.

“Yes. Of course.”

The conversation paused yet again, an awkward silence emanating from the Vonehzel. Milos flicked off his light and slumped back into his reclining chair. He let the darkness and quietness of the room wash over him, calming him, as he waited finally for the call to end.

But the speaker sparked once more.

“I trust you Milos.”

Milos smiled tiredly and nodded, but didn’t bother to respond.

“I can set you up with an additional task force in pursuit of Cerberus.” Elonzel offered.

Milos exhaled shakily, then shook his head and put the Vonehzel on his desk.

No. Thank you. Was what he thought as he slowly exited the room.