As the team recovered from the battle with the giant machine, they gathered inside a side room in one of the secret underground bunkers. The lighting was dim, and the air was thick with dust and the smell of fuel. The place seemed to be specially created for moments of truth... and moments of betrayal, too.
Franco sat at a square metal table, before him a battered map of the continent of Venosa, dotted with red and black crosses. He pointed to a dot encircled by a black circle.
Franco (in a sharp tone):
"This is the meeting place of the Zacrota Council. A room known as: The Devil's Table."
Savio (surprised, flipping through his computer):
"I didn't find any data on this place, even in the Darknet archives... Who told you?"
Franco (looking at the door behind him):
"Him."
A tall man entered, wearing a gray coat, his face half covered by a metal mask.
Colombo (looking at him suspiciously):
"The skeleton is talking now? Who is this?"
Man (in a deep, calm voice):
"My name is Vittorio. I was the mastermind behind the development of Zacrota's intelligence... then I became a witness to his madness."
Marco (yawning):
"Oh, great! Another man from Zacrota's past suddenly appears. What's next? A robot having an existential crisis?"
Irina (seriously):
"Shut up, Marco. This man could be the last chance to get into the heart of the enemy."
Vittorio sat up slowly and took out a shiny black card from his coat, with the number "1" drawn on it.
Vittorio:
"This is the access card to the table. Every leader in Zacrota has one... and whoever has the number (1) has the right to order total destruction. I stole it years ago... before I became a traitor in their eyes."
Franco (focusing):
"We need to get to the table before the meeting... and replace the key data with a hacking plan."
Rocco (smiling as he sharpens his knife):
"And I'll be the guest of honor... who doesn't like food, but rather the table itself."
Lucchini (leaning against the wall, still recovering):
"Shall I go in disguise with them? No one knows my face very well. I can plant grenades under their chairs."
Colombo:
"I like your hospitality."
Vittorio (warning them):
"But beware... the leader of Zacrota, the real one, is named Serafino. No one has seen him, and no one knows his identity. They say he's not entirely human."
Marco (laughing):
"Wow! A mysterious creature sitting at the devil's table? Can't we just send out an invitation to a horror movie instead?"
Franco (slowly getting up):
"Tomorrow we move. This battle won't be won with weapons alone... but with deception, cunning, and alliances we may hate."
There's a moment of silence, then suddenly... the lights go out.
Savio (from the darkness):
"Communication lost... Jamming systems initiated."
A mysterious voice (from a hidden speaker in the bunker):
"Your game is up... Franco."
Rocco (laughing as he raises his weapon):
"And I thought we'd barely gotten started!"
A corner explodes, and several black robots enter, led by a new unit known as the Silent Dog. They make no sound as they move and show no signs of heat.
Irina (screaming):
"These are advanced tracking units! They kill the target even if they breathe loudly!"
Marco (as he leaps behind a wall):
"Okay, breathe easy, you idiots!"
The fight begins in the bunker, and amid explosions and smoke, the team escapes through a secret tunnel they hadn't anticipated.
Franco (running):
"The Devil's table awaits us... but the Devil himself might open the door."
Vittorio (whispering next to Franco):
"Make sure you're ready... because whoever sits at that table doesn't leave the same way they came in."
To be continued...