Black Tusk Comms: Advice

**Schaeffer:** Prowler, it's Schaeffer. Come in.

**Prowler:** Right here, bossman. What's going on?

**Schaeffer:** Where are you currently?

**Prowler:** I'm in New York. Set up at the safehouse. Haven't you been reading the reports Techie sends in?

**Schaeffer:** I've been a bit busy at the moment. Between Sokolova breathing down my neck and the clusterfuck we've got going on in D.C., I've been putting out a lot of fires. Figuratively and literally.

**Prowler:** Blackout's team having some trouble?

**Schaeffer:** That's putting it mildly. And honestly, we're all not in a great spot right now. True Sons are looking to launch a grand old homecoming to their original stomping grounds. But to do that, they need us out of the way. Got the Outcasts and Front armed and equipped, and now they're on the warpath. We've been pushed back to Tidal Basin, and I can just see the True Sons pacing outside the walls like wolves. Even with the fortifications we have, and some support from the Free Brothers and Hyenas, we're gonna be in for a hell of a fight when the True Sons come for us.

**Prowler:** Damn. What's Natalya on to you about?

**Schaeffer:** Ah, it's not important. Bunch of political bullshit. Lockwood and Ayers are snapping at each other's throats over what to do about the True Sons. Lockwood thinks aligning with the True Sons is our best bet for survival and to fulfill our previous operational objectives now that our "employers" have all but cut contact with us. Ayers is opposed to it on both moral grounds and in terms of strategy. She's sees the True Sons as our ideological anthesis and that Brooks is too unstable & manipulative. Plus she doesn't really have that much confidence in the NER; says it won't last long.

**Prowler:** And what do you think?

**Schaeffer:** It's not my decision to make.

**Prowler:** Doesn't mean you can't have an opinion.

**Schaeffer:** I don't have one then. The point is, Natalya's too busy with them and she's demanding results of me on handling this problem one way or another. How's your recon operation in New York going?

**Prowler:** Smooth. Cleaners and their True Sons support team are still the undisputed rulers of the city. No sign of the Rikers. Must've gone up onto the skyscrapers with the streets on fire and sewers crawling with Cleaners. We intercepted some radio chatter suggesting Rhodes, Benítez and what's left of the Haven civilians and the Peacekeepers left for the Bronx. Some new militia establishing themselves over there. We've done a bit of light recon, and they're not big enough or armed enough to be a threat, so I wouldn't worry about them. Other than that, we've been gathering data on potential sabotage efforts. It'll need to be subtle though; we can't afford too much heat. Far as I know, True Sons don't even know we exist, and I prefer to keep it that way as long as possible.

**Schaeffer:** Alright, then. Continue what you're doing, relay into me if you see anything important.

**Prowler:** If we come up with a target, should I call you to get the go-ahead?

**Schaeffer:** No. If a target of opportunity presents itself, you have authorization to take whatever actions you feel will further your objectives of stopping Phoenix Fall. This is your unit, Prowler. Do what you need to.

**Prowler:** Understood, boss. Over and out.