"Syd was the one who recruited you?"
"Yeah... same way he's doing with you right now."
Mickey took a sip of water before continuing.
"I figured you'd piece it together on your own by now. I did mention you'd end up with us eventually."
"..."
"Even if it's a little... forced."
He was right—and Jody knew it.
He wasn't trying to sugarcoat anything. Mickey spoke with brutal clarity.
Jody liked that. She preferred people like him—straightforward, no dancing around, no cryptic riddles. If something couldn't be said, he'd say it flat out: can't tell you.
"Do you have a goal in life?"
Jody answered without missing a beat.
"No. I don't."
"Then why'd you apply to that school?"
"Redemption."
"And did it work?"
"No."
Not even a little. Sure, she got in. Proved to her family and extended relatives that she wasn't the same screw-up anymore. But it was too late.
They didn't care. They'd already cut her off. Erased the Johansson name from her identity.
"Someone like me isn't going to land a high-profile job. They Google my name, all they'll find is a trail of wreckage."
"So you've already accepted it," Mickey said. "That you want to join the organization."
"..."
They stared at each other.
Then Jody's lips curled into a faint smirk.
"Yes."
She went on.
"It's perfect, isn't it? We're not public. We can do anything—no one's watching. We're more underground than the CIA. No one digs into our past. We get to grow without interference."
"..."
"Jody... speaking as someone inside the organization... a selfish mindset like that? It might get you rejected."
"..."
The tension between them spiked. Not overtly—but they both felt it.
Jody didn't like that answer one bit.
Mickey saw the emptiness flash in her eyes for a moment, and it was terrifying.
Still, he said nothing. He'd been expecting this.
He was testing her—and now he had his answer.
Jody was exactly what he thought she was.
After a beat of silence, Jody said,
"Is that so... huh. Sorry... just kidding."
"..."
"I just want to be like Syd. That's all. I want to stand beside him."
"..."
You don't need to want it, Mickey thought. You already are. You just don't know it yet.
Your power—your control over air—you still don't know what it truly is.
He asked her,
"What is it about him?"
"Hm?"
"Syd," he said. "I've noticed. You trust him more than anyone else on this team. Why?"
"..."
"..."
"Because he's Syd."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You know."
"..."
"..."
The atmosphere grew heavier.
Jody spoke with unwavering calm. Her expression hadn't shifted an inch.
"And I don't think I need to explain it."
"..."
Mickey felt like his own words had come back to bite him.
And he had to admit—she was right.
"At least give me a hint, Jody... So I can be sure I wasn't wrong about you."
She gave in.
"Same reason you do."
"..."
Clear. Unmistakable.
Jody turned toward Syd, who was drooling slightly, head leaning against the airplane window.
She grabbed a tissue from the seat pocket and gently wiped his mouth clean—right in front of Mickey.
Then she balled it up and tossed it in the trash bin.
"Clear enough, Mickey?"
"..."
Mickey said nothing.
"Was Syd really just standing there when you escaped the mansion? Sounds almost staged."
Jody questioned the story he'd told earlier.
"I like to think the universe placed him there for me. Right at that moment."
"Are you sure Thrak wasn't already tracking you, wanting to recruit you?"
"You can think that. But I lit that fire myself. To me, it was fate."
"Fate? That he just happened to find you right then?"
"Yeah."
"..."
"I think the universe sent him to that school, too. So we could meet."
"Wow. For a second there I thought you were gonna argue against fate."
"Just checking your mindset, Mickey."
Jody folded her arms.
"You don't believe in free will?"
"..."
"I think free will is for optimists."
"But you fought for your freedom, didn't you? Maximus in Gladiator inspired you."
"You think I'm contradicting myself?"
Mickey explained.
"When I was a kid, I believed we could fight for our freedom. But as I got older... started looking back, reading more... I came to believe that everything that happens is meant to. If I hadn't walked past that DVD shop, I'd never have seen Gladiator. If Jonas hadn't spiraled into drug use, if her dad hadn't been exposed... I'd probably be dead right now."
"That's true."
"But it didn't happen. Because it was never meant to happen. And it never will. Because the universe never wrote that version. That's what I believe. What about you?"
"I believe the same."
Jody offered her thoughts.
"I think free will... alternate timelines... parallel universes... it's all just fantasy."
"What if it's real?" Mickey asked.
"If it is, so what? We can't do anything about it. If there is a parallel world, then someone from the most advanced version of it should've found us by now."
"Then you believe the same as I do."
"Yes. I believe things are too perfectly aligned to be coincidence. Like me meeting Syd. And Syd bringing me to you. Out of thousands of countries, somehow we all crossed paths. It was meant to be. I believe that."
You have no idea, Jody...
Your case is even more perfectly aligned than you think...
Mickey thought.
"I read something once that stuck with me," Jody continued. "Time is a circle. Everything we've done—or will do—we'll do again. And again. Over and over."
She added,
"Look at history. You'll see it too. Some things repeat endlessly."
"Like what?"
"War and revolution."
Incredible... truly remarkable, this woman.
"Everything in the world peaks eventually... and once it does, it begins to fall. Then the cycle starts over again."
Jody smiled politely, then shifted the topic.
"So what did they make you do when you joined the organization?"
"That's a secret."
Mickey placed a finger over his lips.
"Ooh, you didn't even hesitate."
"But I think... at this point... you deserve to know a little."
He liked her mindset. That was why.
"Thrak splits its members into two tracks: strategy and combat. Or, put simply: desk people and field people."
Jody leaned in, listening closely.
"But don't get too excited—everyone starts in the field. No exceptions."
"So we all go through the same death-defying missions like now?"
"Exactly."
Mickey explained,
"All the higher-ups? Every single one of them came from the trenches."
Makes sense. That's why the leadership actually works in Thrak—because they've all seen combat.
Jody was intrigued.
This wasn't like a political party or corporate board. Just hearing about it excited her.
"So how do you move to the strategic side?"
"You rise through the ranks. It depends entirely on your mission success rate. Age doesn't matter. As long as you deliver, you rise."
"What are the ranks?"
"Nova → Agent → Master → Grandmaster → Global Elite."
"Everyone starts as a Nova?"
"Yep. Basic field agent."
"Do you get assigned a partner?"
"Exactly. You always work in pairs."
"So it's always two?"
"Yes. Notice when we regrouped, we were three. Add Syd, and that's four. Two pairs. Get it now?"
"Ah, makes sense... But Syd showed up alone at first, right? Didn't that break the rules?"
"Nope. He's not a Nova. He's an Agent."
"Wait... so are we."
"All of us here are Agents."
"What's the difference between Nova and Agent?"
"Agents are cleared to run solo missions. Novas must work in pairs. Think of Agents as promoted Novas with solo clearance."
Mickey crossed his legs.
"Though sometimes a solo mission becomes a regular mission, if upper management steps in. So Agents still end up paired at times."
"So there's not much difference really... You can move back and forth between Nova and Agent?"
"The real turning point is Master."
Mickey's tone grew more serious.
"Once you reach Master, after completing loads of missions, you get to choose: stay in the field or move to the strategic side."
"I bet most people go for the desk job."
"You're thinking like a politician."
He smirked and shook his head.
"Those suited types yelling in parliament? They wouldn't even get past our front gate."
No wonder Thrak actually worked. Jody had to drop her old assumptions about organizations.
"And then there's Grandmaster—a sort of elite tier."
"What makes it elite?"
"It's reserved for Masters who've become legends."
"Legends how?"
"World-shaking success. Creating technology that changes society. Surviving critical events that made history. Assassinating threats that endangered Thrak's work."
"So, ridiculously talented people."
"Exactly."
"What about Syd and Roxxy's mom? What rank is she?"
"Grandmaster."
"...She's on the strategic side, right?"
"Yep."
"Does she have powers?"
"..."
"You'll have to ask her yourself. I can't say."
"..."
"And finally, the highest rank: Global Elite. Organization leaders. They run everything."
"And we don't even know who they are."
"Not even members inside the organization know. They're invisible—but they're at the top. We know they exist. We just don't know who... or where."
Summary of Thrak's Rank Structure
Nova:
The entry-level rank. Members in this role serve as field agents of the organization, tasked with receiving orders and successfully carrying out missions. They're not allowed to go solo. They have to have a buddy at least 1.
Agent:
Same duties as a Nova, but with a higher level of trust. Agents are officially recognized as capable of handling missions solo if necessary, though they aren't required to work alone all the time.
Master:
A seasoned Agent with enough experience and mission success rate to become eligible for transitioning into the "strategic" or administrative branch of the organization. This option becomes available starting at this rank.
Grandmaster (Special Rank):
A Master of legendary status. Individuals who have played a major role in globally impactful events or who are known for extraordinary achievements may be promoted to this rank through unanimous recognition. However, it is not a required step—Masters can progress to the next rank without becoming a Grandmaster.
Global Elite:
The highest and most secretive rank in the organization. No one knows who the Global Elite are, not even fellow members. Their role remains largely undefined to outsiders, but they are the ones truly pulling the strings behind every operation within the organization.