Knock. Clack. Knock. Clack.
All four agents were huddled around a laptop. Even though Jody had been asked to stay in her room to prevent any intel leaks, the group took extra precautions by gathering in Syd's room—one that had soundproofing panels lining the walls.
Roxy tapped the screen to accept the incoming call. A woman's voice echoed from the speaker as her image appeared on-screen.
"We've received the next mission. Thanks to Ice Cube, we've successfully narrowed down the search for the girl with orange hair. We have a lead on her now."
The screen switched to CCTV footage: a girl with short orange hair in a thick winter coat, walking alone through what looked like a touristy area.
"These files came from the Paris police department in France."
"Where in Paris? That place in the background looks like a tourist spot. Don't tell me…"
Syd squinted at the image. The woman on the call nodded.
"Paris tourist area. Around the Eiffel Tower."
"...That dumb metal stick."
"Still snarking at everything, I see..."
Just as she was about to say Syd's codename, the woman paused—like she thought better of it—and changed the subject.
"Anyway, take a look at this. Fresh info just in from Candy. The only thing the cops have on her is a first name: Misha."
"Not Sally?" Mickey asked.
"Misha could be an alias. Either way, if we catch her, we'll find out."
"Catch her? You mean… apprehend a kid?"
Toshi leaned on his hand, skeptical. "Do we have a record on this girl?"
"Nothing at all. We've searched through every system. No ID, no DNA, no fingerprints. She's what we call a Ghost."
A Ghost—a term for someone who's completely off the grid.
No birth records. No official existence. No hospital delivery, no birth certificate. Nothing.
"And do we know who she's with?"
"That's the thing. Ice Cube, would you tell them?"
Roxy gave Toshi a look, clearly uncomfortable.
"We checked the French police records. The girl had been briefly detained for pickpocketing tourists—wallets, passports, things like that. But she was let go since she's a minor."
"Huh? That tiny little thing's a con artist?"
"Why are you surprised? That place is full of thieves. Nothing new," Syd muttered, whacking Toshi lightly on the head.
Roxy continued, "…She has no guardian."
!?
That shocked the guys.
"She's alone? In France?"
"Yes. On her own. And it looks like she entered the country illegally."
"..."
"How's she even surviving—no, wait, how did she make it there on her own?"
"Exactly. We don't know."
Roxy passed the baton back to the woman on the call.
"Your next mission is to locate this girl and bring her in. We'll have a plane waiting at the airport by tomorrow morning. She's a high-priority target. Don't screw it up."
"Understood," said Mickey, Roxy, and Toshi in unison. Except Syd—his version of "understood" came out as:
"Yeah, yeah."
He was immediately punished with a sharp pinch to the ear from his sister.
"Ow! Alright, alright—understood."
Roxy shook her head at her brother's lack of manners but released him once he corrected himself.
"Did Candy cough up anything else?" Mickey asked.
"Not yet. But we're currently tracing a married couple that Electric spotted near her."
"Okay…"
"Syd Barrett, you're dismissed from the briefing."
"Yeah, I was leaving anyway. What about those three?"
"They're staying."
"...Whyyy?"
"They've got a separate message. Not for you."
"Could've just said don't butt in, jeez… I swear, I'm gonna smack someone—"
Despite the grumbling, Syd had the decency to respect the meeting. He left the room and headed downstairs to continue his video game.
"...So? What's this about?" Roxy asked.
"It's about Jody Johansson."
"Jody? Why?" Toshi frowned.
"According to Ice Cube's intel, there's a strong possibility Jody Johansson is 'Vayu.'"
‼‼‼‼‼‼‼
"..."
The room shifted instantly. The atmosphere tensed. Even Toshi—normally the group's laid-back joker—sobered up.
"Who knows about this?" Mickey asked.
"Just us and the Grandmaster."
"...Only within the Grandmaster circle?" he asked.
"Yes. Because we still aren't certain. But based on her observed behavior, her powers line up perfectly with the theory. All that's left is a formal test."
"..."
"They're very interested in her—especially Grandmaster Anong."
"..."
"You mean… Annie?"
Just hearing the name made Toshi shudder.
Even Mickey, typically unreadable, visibly stiffened.
Even Roxy was taken aback. She hadn't expected news about Jody to reach her mother's ears so quickly.
"What's the plan with Jody, then?" Roxy asked.
"Keep an eye on her. Don't act yet. We need to build trust first. Even if she's not Vayu, her abilities could still be immensely valuable to us."
"So you're saying we should make nice with a street thug—former street thug, I guess?" Roxy said with a sigh.
"Exactly."
Roxy shook her head in annoyance and let Mickey and Toshi take over.
"Out of the three of you, who's Jody closest to?"
"You mean just us three?" Toshi folded his arms.
"...Dunno. Probably this Zesty king? Their personalities kinda match."
"We only just started getting along," Mickey said, "but yeah—we've clicked."
"Then we'll have to ease her in—this will take time," the woman on the call said calmly before moving to her next question.
"Do you think there's any real chance of convincing Jody Johansson to join the organization?"
Before anyone else could respond, Mickey Mannix spoke up immediately, as if the woman had completely misunderstood the situation.
"That's not the right question to ask... Jade. Jody's not stupid. She knows exactly what she's doing—and exactly where she stands. She knows, in the end, she'll have no choice but to join the organization."
It was rare to see Mickey this serious. Roxy Barrett was visibly surprised. He usually didn't speak more than three sentences unless he was joking around with his brother or friends.
"So you're saying we shouldn't try any psychological tactics with her, Electric?"
"Never underestimate Jody. You really think she'd just sit there and do nothing once she knows Thrak exists? We need to keep our guard up. Otherwise, we're the ones who'll get played."
His words made everyone pause to think—including the woman on the line, who went silent in clear surprise.
Then she said something that stunned them even more.
"...Electric, those words were exactly what Grandmaster Anong told me to relay."
"...."
Silence.
No one said a thing. The air turned cold and still.
"What could she even do to us?" Toshi finally asked. But it was Mickey who answered.
"She wouldn't try to hurt us... but someone like her might try to extract information from us about the organization. That's what I meant."
"Why, though?"
"I don't know. Curiosity, maybe."
"Then why haven't we warned Syd?" Roxy asked.
"Grandmaster Anong said it wasn't necessary. She said Jody Johansson knows she'll never be able to manipulate him."
"...I see..."
Roxy fell quiet for a moment.
"...One more thing. About Seraphina Gilmore."
"...What about her?"
"The Gilmore family has no knowledge of the organization's existence. If we can recruit her, she'd make a powerful connection for us."
"...That's true..."
"And what's Seraphina Gilmore's attitude toward the organization so far?"
"Fairly neutral."
"In your group, who is she closest to?"
"She gets along with everyone," Toshi replied. "Especially him."
He pointed at Mickey.
"My boyfriend, my boyfriend," Mickey deadpanned.
"Ahahahahaha!" Toshi exploded with laughter.
"Just thinking about it cracks me up."
Mickey gave a crooked smile.
"Seraphina's power is vital to this mission. Don't forget, Electric—you were assigned to protect her. Not become a threat."
"I know."
"That'll be all for today."
Beep.
Call ended.
"..."
Amid the silence, Toshi broke in.
"You know what? That thing Annie said—about not needing to warn Syd—I think she's right. Those two are cut from the exact same cloth. Maybe Jody's the one fate sent down to put that bastard in his place. Who knows?"
"Try putting yourself in your place first before you start talking about others," Roxy snapped, reducing Toshi to a scolded puppy.
"...He might have a point," Mickey murmured.
"...You too, Mickey?"
"Let's be real. If Blackie were here, he'd say the exact same thing."
He looked over at Roxy, speaking slowly now.
"You of all people should know... I think you saw it before any of us. Who Jody really reminds you of."
"...."
Roxy fell silent. The truth Mickey pointed out—something she'd tried to ignore—was now undeniable.
He nodded slightly, locking eyes with her. He wasn't joking.
"Mickey… her? You honestly think someone like Jody could change? No way. Trash will always be trash, no matter what day it is."
"Sometimes, a bright new day comes from a very dark yesterday..."
"'Dark yesterday'? What she did was more like a nuclear apocalypse than just a gloomy day."
Mickey understood.
"...Then look at Chernobyl. The trees that now grow there. The clear, still ponds. Nature has been reborn—and all of it came from total destruction."
"Mickey... Are you saying Jody can change who she is?"
"That's the one thing where we might disagree. But don't forget—those 'reborn' places are still contaminated. Still dangerous. No matter how beautiful they appear on the outside."
He turned to Roxy and asked,
"...You know what that contamination is called?"
"...What?"
"Old habits."
Mickey left the room—heading off to check on Sera.