Fahon Phase-crafted a barricade of crystalline blue Phasematter. It occupied the entire width and height of the hallway, protecting his squad of Faceless.

The grenade went off with an impressive explosion. It left Fahon's ears ringing and shook the entire second floor of the Golden Ponds hotel. He saw smoke curling off the scorched floor through the semi-transparent blue Phasematter. The detonation even blew huge chunks of marble off the balcony railing.

Three Syndicate mercenaries stepped onto the smoldering balcony. They didn't shoot because of the obstacle.

"They have a Bonded!" a mercenary shouted.

Fahon turned around and took his Phasematter katana in two hands. He shoved its sharp point through the floor and dragged the sharp edge around, carving out a wide circle.

The mercenaries would make their way around the perimeter hallway and flank his squad. They were effectively trapped. If they took the emergency staircase, it would become a kill zone for the enemy.

Fahon stomped hard on the circle a few times. It dislodged, falling with a thud below. He dropped through the hole into a hallway on the first floor. Divinity spiraled after him. His squad followed his example, dropping one by one. The barricade above would stick around for a few minutes before dissipating.

They were positioned behind the bar. Through the glass, he could see across the restaurant to where they had shot out the windows in the lobby. The bar was near the entrance to the parking garage. It wasn't precisely a flanking maneuver, but it could surprise the mercenaries securing the entry.

He opened the door and slipped inside the restaurant, staying low and close to the inner wall, where they wouldn't have an angle of fire on him. Workers and patrons were huddled behind the counter, eyes wide with terror. They ignored them, pressing on.

Peeking around the corner, he cursed as he took in the lobby. Two mercenaries watched the elevators, crouched behind large ceramic pots with poofy ferns. One enemy had returned for the light machine gun because it was now mounted on the front desk counter, directly pointed at him.

The mercenary must have seen the glint of Fahon's mask because he opened fire. Large bullets chewed through the wall beside him, spraying chunks of glass and stone.

The lobby fell silent, and Fahon sucked a deep breath. This wasn't going to be easy. The machine gunner would return them all to the dust before this was over. He could sneak back around and try to flank them. It would take him further from escape, and he could see the exit clearly, the automatic glass doors splintered by bullets.

With his will, Divinity painted a circular half-wall of Phasematter. It curled gently away from the corner and out into the lobby to the farthest distance his Caster could reach. It was like a small bunker and would provide ample cover to engage their enemies.

Dashing low, he ran toward the middle of the bunker. The machine gunner sighted him through the semi-transparent Phasematter and opened fire. His bullets skipped over Fahon's head, shredding the tables and chairs in the restaurant behind him.

Fahon materialized a blue bolt and slung it over the top of the bunker. The machine gunner ducked, and the bolt embedded in the stone wall behind him. He considered launching a second bolt to punch through the counter.

Beside him, the squad took position behind the bunker, shooting with a fury. The machine gunner stopped firing, ducking away from the hail of sub-machine gun bullets.

Fahon exposed his head with confidence behind the covering fire. He spotted a mercenary behind a potted plant. The man dashed to a furniture cluster to capture a flanking position. Fahon's bolt went straight through his chest, staggering him. He collapsed on the floor face first, blood oozing out of the gaping hole.

The other mercenaries concentrated their fire on Fahon again. Divinity materialized a protective shield in the air, but bullets came from too many angles. One struck the top of his left shoulder and jerked back, dropping low. The rest of their shots pelted the Phasematter bunker harmlessly.

The squad mate to his right, a stocky woman, checked his shoulder. Fahon gritted his teeth. The ceramic plate in his pauldron had cracked and now sagged awkwardly.

He tried multiple times to get a shot off with his bolts. The concentrated fire forced him to stay down. The entire squad was pinned.

Curses! We are so close to getting out of here.

He noticed the other mercenary behind a potted plant winding to throw a grenade. Risking it, Fahon rose and slung a bolt at him. It impaled his throwing arm, pinning it to the wall behind him. The man dropped the grenade, which rolled a few feet in front of him. He struggled to dislodge his arm, and the grenade instantly killed him.

In the back of his mind, a Bond-link vibrated. A Bonded was close. The frequency was familiar, but he didn't have time to focus on it. The chaos of battle raged around him.

His squadmate shouted a warning. The mercenaries who attacked them upstairs found their way around and entered the restaurant. Blue bolts of Phasematter streaked away from Fahon in rapid succession. He wasn't even aiming specifically, trying to skewer any of them.

The lead mercenary took a bolt through the throat. The others backed off, ducking behind the glass door, which shattered when his other bolts pierced through. It gave two of his squad mates a chance to reposition. As the mercenaries entered the restaurant, they were peppered with bullets.

Fahon turned his attention back to the lobby. A magenta bolt of Phasematter struck the machine gunner in the back of the head. He stopped firing and collapsed behind the front counter. The chatter of gunfire sounded from the front doors of the lobby. The mercenaries all fell within a few seconds, shot from behind.

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A squad of six soldiers in sleek black armor entered cautiously, their bullpup rifles trained on the various corners and exits. Their faces were concealed behind black helmets with tinted visors. Fahon needed to recognize the armor style. The Faceless soldiers were uncertain, taking the time to reload their weapons. These newcomers on the scene weren't shooting, at least. Fahon stood cautiously and raised his hands. Divinity curled around him, coming to rest above his left shoulder.

Their female leader strode forward with fearless confidence into the lobby's center. The familiar vibrations of her Bond-sense suddenly came into perfect clarity for him. A Caster with a chrome shell orbited slowly around her. He only knew one person who had a chrome shell on their Caster.

"Knight Vivana!"

He immediately lifted his mask, a smile on his face. It was a relief to see Vivana, even if she could be grouchy towards him. He had learned valuable lessons from her and was forever grateful. Even if she had been reluctant to train him.

"Your Excellence survived after all," Vivana said, voice eerily calm. He wished he could see her face through the helmet. He was in big trouble if she turned out to be an enemy. He had little confidence he could take her in a fight.

Sirens wailed in the distance, his enhanced Bond-sense catching the sound before any of his squad mates.

"We'll have company soon, mainly the police…My team and I need to go," Fahon said. This mission had been botched, and he promised to help Pom. He could deal with Ophani things later.

"Why are you working with the Faceless? Why haven't you returned to Ophan?"

"I don't have time to explain everything to you."

Fahon dismissed the half-circle bunker and the katana in his hand, both Phase-crafted objects bursting apart into tiny blue flames.

"Fine," Vivana said. "I'll come with you."

Fahon put his mask back on. "Let's get moving then. We can discuss this at the Faceless base."

Vivana grabbed one of the Shades. "I need you to destroy the security footage in this hotel. The rest of you return to the airship. Await my orders."

The woman in the dark armor nodded, split away from the group, and headed toward the security room. The others darted out the door, singling their rifles over their shoulders. They went to their rides, a bunch of motorcycles parked across the street. They were slate gray with an arrowhead shape, two handles from manual control, and wide tires. Speedy and mobile vehicles in an urban setting. They would outrun the police in their patrol cars with ease.

A tap on the shoulder from a squad mate reminded him of their urgency, and they ran off through the broken glass doors and into the parking garage. Vivana caught him in an instant. He'd forgotten how fast she was.

"Who were those people with you?"

"They are Shades under my command."

The group sprinted between parked vehicles. Fahon witnessed bystanders gathered on the street outside the parking garage, faces haunted and cheeks wet with tears. People in Uptown didn't see violence like this. Many had been present inside the hotel. He recognized the front desk clerk. At least they made it to safety instead of being caught in the crossfire.

"So, you're working with National Intelligence. How did you locate me?"

"We weren't exactly looking for you."

"Why are you here then?"

They exited out the other side of the parking garage and crossed the street, which was jammed with traffic. The fire team moved with urgency, jumping between gaps in the cars or vaulting over hoods. Every second counted when escaping like this. The police would secure several blocks surrounding the hotel with barricades and checkpoints. All vehicles going out would be searched and questioned.

They had to get away before it happened. Fahon didn't want to fight police officers, even if they were corrupted by the Syndicate. The average officer tried to do their job, protecting and serving the community.

"We caught wind the Big Three would be here. Hoping to capture one to extract the location of your assassin, Kormel. We anticipated he would know a clue about your location," Vivana said.

"We were after the same thing and fell for the trap," Fahon replied.

On the other side of the street, they opened a side door into the lobby of an office building. Their sudden entrance elicited screams from the workers and visitors there. Many of them ran, ducking for cover. Within seconds they surged through the lobby and down a hallway. They stopped before a door with a crypt-key lock, authorized personnel only.

Fahon sliced through it with a Phasematter blade, the door falling with a thud. They swept into a storage room leading to the loading docks, a few workers gawking in disbelief.

Vivana shoved a security guard aside with one hand. "Are you seeking vengeance against Kormel and the Syndicate? For trying to kill you. And killing your father."

"Kormel knows who is really responsible for the assassination attempts. It wasn't the Syndicate."

The squad burst through a nearby emergency door and out onto the street. On Fahon's right, a smaller black van idled at the corner. The passenger doors slid open as they approached. Everyone filed into the cabin, and the doors were sealed shut with a click.

The cybermind woke, and the vehicle pulled away into congested traffic. Fahon's squad could still get out before the net closed on them.

Vivana removed her helmet and set it on her lap.

She wore her dark curls in a loose bun, and her chrome-shelled Caster slowly spun beside her head. Stern amber eyes studied Fahon for a long moment.

He removed his own mask, revealing his weary unshaven face. It itched horribly.

Peering out the window, he didn't see any police cars, which was good. Traffic inched forward towards the highway to their escape. It was taking too long. They needed to move faster.

Vivana checked something on her forearm computer. "Just who would do this if it wasn't the Syndicate?"

"One of the other Great Houses. I'm sure of it, based on some things Kormel said. Arik can fill you in. I was knocked out at the time.

Vivana's eyes widened with hope. "You're with Arik?"

"He helped me escape Ophan after the assassination attempt. He's back at the base." Fahon pointed a thumb over his shoulder. He accidentally bumped Divinity, who squawked in response.

"If this is true and another Great House is responsible for this. You should return to Ophan immediately. Claim the Sovereignty and begin an internal investigation."

"No. I will bring justice myself. It is the way the Argent Knights."

Vivana nodded firmly at him. "Your Excellence, we should report back to the Knight Commander. Let him know what is going on. It will be a relief to know you're alive, even if you decide not to return yet."

The traffic accelerated considerably faster, and within a moment, their ride accelerated on the highway. They escaped the net, at least. Fahon relaxed a little. His fingers had been digging into the soft fabric of the seat.

"No, my status needs to stay quiet. Please honor my wish on this. Do not report my presence to the Knight Commander or agents in National Intelligence."

Vivana leaned forward, face twisted with concern. "Do you think the Knight Commander could be behind this?"

"I don't know. I can't trust anyone back home. Not until I'm certain."

Vivana folded her arms as she regarded him. "How are you sure you trust me?"

Fahon smirked. "I trust you, Vivana, even if you haven't been the nicest to me. You wouldn't send a slime like Kormel to kill me. It's not your style. If you wanted me dead, you'd kill me yourself."

She returned a tiny smirk of her own.

A squad mate pulled out a vibrating comm and opened it. The voice on the other side was Pom. She sounded grim as she spoke. "The base was attacked by the Syndicate. The entire factory is ablaze. Fall back to the western safe house. We will find survivors at the escape passage and meet you there."

The call disconnected, leaving an uncomfortable silence in the cabin for a long moment. Fahon's jaw slackened.

This wasn't only a trap. It was extermination. The Big Three meeting rumor had drawn Fahon and Pom away. The slimes assaulted the Faceless' supposedly secret base without its toughest defenders.

Vivana's amber eyes widened. "Didn't you say Arik was there?"