Hugo sat with Niccolo Calitri drinking tea quietly untill an old man pulled the curtain aside and peered in.
"Mr Calitri," he said. "News from Europe, sir."
Niccolo looked up at him. "Come on in, Barney. Look who's here…"
As the old man stepped in, his gaze widened and he stopped and stared in silence. Hugo turned and looked at him – a grey ivy cap, a black mandarin shirt, and jeans. His white hair and goatee were neatly kept.
A whisper left the man's lips, "Hugo Baylis…"
The Zaatsu smiled, stood up, and extended a hand. Barney shook it and kept shaking for a few moments too many. His astonishment turned into pure joy as a huge smile appeared on his face.
"Always an honour to be in your presence, Master Baylis," he said, in a near whisper, leaning ahead. "But please, keep sitting."
Hugo nodded as he sat back down. "Always good to be here, sir."
"You remember Mr Barney White, our informant, right?" Niccolo asked. "He collects information from the European contacts these days."
Even here, surrounded by trinkets and bargain hunters, Hugo could sense the weight of hidden networks – dozens of threads running back to this single man. Niccolo Calitri was not just surviving; he was still coordinating the remains of a world long buried.
As the 60-year-old Barney looked over, the Outsider asked, "So, what about Europe, old timer?"
The old man's expression changed quickly as he finally let go of Hugo's hand. "War, sir."
Niccolo leaned ahead. "Did you say war?"
"Yes, they've announced it… they've declared war!"
"Who has?"
Hugo looked at his friend then the informant. "Please tell me it's not the Eye," he commented.
"No, sir," Barney quickly responded, looking at him. "It's the Cults."
"Which ones?" Niccolo asked.
"All European Cults save for the two on the Eye's payroll."
"And who've they declared war on?"
"That's the strange part." Barney looked at Hugo then back at Niccolo. "We're not sure yet. The announcement came out of the blue just now. They've begun to fortify themselves within their settlements and have made it clear that they won't let anyone enter or leave nor will they deal with the Eye and its associates anymore… at least for now."
Hugo and Niccolo looked at each other. Looking back at Barney, the Outsider tried to say something but then stopped, chuckled, and looked away.
"Anything else you can tell us, Mr White?" the Zaatsu asked.
"Nothing much else to tell, Master." Barney shook his head as he stood arms akimbo. "I am just as confused as you."
Niccolo stood up. "Alright, Hugo. I'm callin' this in. Got to let everyone know what's goin' on…"
"Call it in?" Hugo shook his head in negation. "Why?"
"What do you mean?"
"Leave the matter be. Let those with the power take care of it."
"But you just told me…" Niccolo jabbed a hand out, palm up, somewhere between outrage and confusion. "Europe, Cults, ridiculous developments… this has Devil's Hearth written all over it! And that means the Alchemist! No tellin' what the bastard'll do with the remnants!"
"Oh yeah?" Hugo smiled, placed his teacup down on the table, and stood up. "If he's about to do something, who tipped off the Cults?"
Silence fell upon the Outsiders. Hugo clasped his hands behind his back, holding one wrist in the other, and settled into a relaxed stance.
"I don't know what he can or cannot do with the remnants," the Zaatsu said. "But I am sure that with this latest elaborate scheme, they will fish out all the players…"
Niccolo's eyes widened as it clicked. He whispered, "They're tryin' to get us out in the open…"
"Not just you." Hugo looked away momentarily then dropped his head. "There're a lot of people that might be provoked by this. And they want all the pieces in motion to come out in the open and get exposed…"
"So, what's our play here then?"
The leader of the Zeta Squad once again looked at his old friend. "If you ask me, I'd say find the source that sounded the cry-havoc siren."
"But what if the threat is real?" Barney asked. "What if there's a real threat for the people of Europe?"
"Ah, Mr White…" Hugo sighed, shook his head, and then turned away. However, he found it hard to say anything. His hands slipped into the pockets of his robe. The Zaatsu had seen many atrocities committed over the years. The Eye bringing down anyone that opposed its agendas, the Order silently grabbing hold of the world, the Cults tearing each other apart, and even the plebeians waging large-scale wars unnecessarily – he had witnessed it all. With every bit of power to do something about it all, he was forced to sit silently and watch the world tear itself apart.
"I've doubted myself, man," he said in a hushed voice then dropped his head and closed his eyes. "We've lost, you know? The whole world's lost…"
From the love of his life pleading in front of him for her father and brother, to the many Outsiders wanting him to wage war against the Parliamentarian attack squads – Hugo was carrying the weight of guilt but also responsibility. He had to carry on the work of the likes of Warren, Mustaqeem, and Vincent. He had to keep the truth alive in the hearts of the few and keep the many from going unchecked. He had to work silently to keep the flames lit within the hearts of the believers and light new ones in the hearts of the young ones. But it was not easy…
"Maybe I too was deceived and misled into not saving them." He opened his eyes. His nose wrinkled as his lip curled in disgust, anger twisting his face. "Ah! I sometimes think it's all fake. Everyone's in on the same damn drama – kill the innocent, extort each other, run after power, after wealth, and just consume till there's nothing left!"
He slowly turned his head towards the Outsiders, nodding. "It's a weird fucking world…"
The duo observed silently for a few moments. Then Niccolo looked away. Barney looked at him then looked back at Hugo and asked, "But we can't just watch and wait, can we?"
"You can and you will." The Zaatsu took a deep breath. "For now, neither the Eye's leadership nor the Order's would want to raise any suspicions. They are already in deep waters with Cults who make up the majority of the arcane population. So, they will act according to their duties and fend off the threats. It may still result in casualties, but that's just the nature of the beast." He shrugged. "You've lost, friend. You're no longer the defenders. Don't ever forget that. You can only be the silent rebels… for now…"
Frustrated, Niccolo grunted and looked away. But Barney could not contain himself. He moved a step ahead and asked, "But Master Baylis, we can't just sit here and do nothing. Please!"
Hugo took a deep breath. "Hmm, can't do nothing…" He looked away. "Find out who leaked the information to the Cults. See if you can find any friendly voices in the Amazon. They may be able to help with it. But do it fast."
Niccolo sat back down. "What about the Hearth and the Alchemist?"
"I will check with the Eye first." The Zaatsu scratched his neck. "Let's see what their response is. I'll act accordingly and make sure I'm there on the front lines to see this matter through. Oh, and do one more thing, Mr White."
Hugo looked at him as Barney nodded. "Yes, sir?"
"Put a word out in your inner-circles immediately and let them know that there are forces out there trying to get them out in the open. Just retreat deeper into the shadows and wait."
"Could you give me more details? You guys keep mentioning an Alchemist?"
Niccolo gave him the details. Then Hugo explained to both of them how the Alchemist had even fused remnants of the Xoitique Diamond together.
"My God." Barney stood with one hand on his forehead and the other on his hip, staring wide-eyed. "So, they have a good part of the stone, a ton of magical artifacts and weapons, and you think they have people inside the Eye as well? Should we not do something about this?"
"Wait it out," said Hugo. "Work slowly."
"But we don't have the time here!" Niccolo leaned ahead. "With each passin' day, Renekom and his men force the Cults into deeper pits of despair to the point now that we fear they will consort with the Order or retaliate alone. Either way, a civil war will be disastrous right now! And the Order itself has been operatin' unchecked for the past many years! Do you think we have the luxury of time?!"
"I know, Nic. But the threats you speak of are far stronger than anything you can handle alone."
"Oh, come on, Baylis!" He smacked his knee and looked away.
Hugo put his hand out. "Hear me out," he said. "There is a whole new batch of up-and-coming Martial Artists who, if guided properly, will tip the balance in your favour."
"Do you think any of the up-and-comers can take on Renekom or Obadiah or Kenji? Do you think any of them could become as accomplished a Mystic as Hedish or Dustin?"
"You already have a Mystic who can take down both Hedish and Dustin. As for the two Zaatsus, I have a brother who can take them down, if he can control his temper. And that Bernthal kid is coming up nicely as well."
"Your brother? Neil?"
"Yup."
"Oh my God! Haven't seen those two in years! How are they? How's little Cami?"
"She's fast becoming one of the best Spotters of her generation. I have a young promising Mystic on the team as well and the Bernthal…" Hugo leaned ahead and pushed himself forward in his chair. "Calitri, give that kid a few years and he'll be strong enough to rip the best of them in half!"
After a pause, the Zaatsu smiled. "They're all hardworking kids, Nic. And then there are others as well all over the academies. Give them time. I am working. Give me time. We will rise again…"
"Ah." The Outsider sighed then chuckled. "When Master Ford dropped off the grid, people chose you as a successor, but you chose to continue your role within the Eye instead of joining us full-time. We hated you for it, but then thanked our stars that we had someone inside giving us clues to escape their grip."
"And I have apologised many times already for that."
"No need. We should be the ones apologisin'."
Hugo smiled and looked down.
Barney asked, "Then what shall I do, sirs?"
Niccolo took a deep breath. "You heard Master Baylis," he said as he exhaled slowly. "Do as the man said and spread the word!"
Barney left quickly thereafter. Hugo and Niccolo stood up and exchanged pleasantries.
As Hugo turned around to leave, Niccolo called, "Hey, Hugo…"
The Zaatsu stopped, turned back around, and asked, "Yes?"
"Just be careful out there. There are so many things that are not addin' up these days and we don't have the means anymore to make sense of them either. We don't even have a hundred operatives left. Everyone else is either dead, missin', or no longer a part of our crew. Whatever you do, just be careful."
As Hugo nodded, the Outsider further said, "And also, we have reports of a huge ring of moles inside the Eye. Cults, Eye, Order, everyone has a rodent in there."
"Don't worry, old friend." Hugo placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I am keeping an eye out."
Exchanging smiles, the two said their goodbyes and Hugo hastily left to meet up with his siblings.