Mathias and Earlson sat quietly for a moment, the flickering of the solitary ceiling light-bulb illuminating the darkened basement. Earlson looked at his friend and after deep thought, began to speak.

[b]"What you are proposing is quite a challenge!"[/b] Earlson admitted. He had and always would follow Mathias' orders, but such and order as this required questioning and careful planning.

Mathias laughed lightly [b]"Simply surviving in this city is the greatest challenge. Are we cowards Earlson? Sewer rats? No, were stronger than most in this game, so why not make a move?."[/b]

[b]"But it could take weeks, months even, do we have the resources...do we have the time?"[/b]

[b]"We'll make it happen Earlson, we also do. I know it seems..."[/b]

[b]"Impossible?"[/b] Earlson interrupted.

[b]"Come now, don't be such a pessimist. Look, we can't hide away forever, this has to be done Earlson, for the good of our people. We were attacked once, i wont allow it a second time."[/b] Mathias spoke with such razor sharp authority. Earlson had seen the storm that Mathias released, it still lingered aboved the estate, the loss of his followers had hurt him more than anyone could have imagined.

Earlson looked toward the table, spread across it was a vague map of the city. Some small sections were coloured in, occupied territory, most was left blank. Notes and files pinned to white boards, road maps and time-sheets strewn across the floor. Photo's adorned the wall beyond; a boy jumping between two rooftops, a girl and a boy surrounded by webs, a man in an elevator, most disturbingly the smiling face of Samuel, the traitor, was pinned in the center. 

This wasn't a basement, it was a war room.

[b]"Okay Mathias, where do we begin?"[/b]