After giving the two girls a full tour of the areas they were authorized to access, the scheduled time had finally arrived.
Two hours had flown by faster than expected.
Syd and Mickey led the girls back down to the original floor where they'd first met Jade. They stopped outside a conference room, where a glass panel allowed them to see inside. Jade was there, along with Roxxy… and Sally, who was sitting on Toshi's lap while eating a sandwich.
Beep, beep. Clack.
Jade was the first to greet them.
"How was everything?"
"Pretty wow," Sera replied with a cool tone.
"You two gave them the full tour, right?" Jade turned to the guys.
"All set," Mickey nodded, taking a seat next to Roxxy and lightly teasing Sally.
Everyone gathered together. Some sat casually. Syd leaned against the table, arms crossed. Jody stood next to him. Jade turned to face them all.
When it came down to business, the once-playful boys flipped to serious mode like flicking a switch.
"There are a lot of topics we need to discuss. Let's start with the most immediate one," Jade began.
"After taking Sally for a full body scan... the medical team found only one thing circulating in her blood."
Her face turned visibly concerned.
"It's radium."
Syd instinctively shifted away from Sally, his face draining of color. Even the usually-composed Mickey glanced at her with unease.
"Radium?" Jody frowned.
"Radium… as in the chemical element?" Sera raised her hand. She stood up and moved away too, once Jade nodded.
"Yes. Radium-226."
It wasn't surprising that both Syd and Sera instinctively distanced themselves.
Radium was a chemical element with atomic number 88, symbol Ra. A silvery-white alkaline earth metal that turns black when exposed to air.
The key point, however...
Radium was highly radioactive.
And a concentrated one at that.
Its stable isotope, Ra-226, had a half-life of around 1,602 years and would decay gradually over time.
Toshi and Roxxy didn't react much—they already knew.
Sally, while not understanding what was being said, could feel the tense atmosphere. Something was clearly wrong inside her.
"Radium… is radioactive. So how could it just be inside someone? Unless… she was given it."
"Your intuition is impressive, Jody," Jade praised.
"That's the only logical explanation. Whatever drug Sally was given, it undoubtedly contained radium. But here's the bizarre part..."
Thunk!
A high-resolution image appeared on the screen—an electron microscope photo. Jody and Sera couldn't make sense of it, so they waited for Jade's explanation.
"The radium in Sally's body… isn't emitting radiation."
"!!!"
Everyone gasped.
"That's impossible."
Syd didn't believe it, but he knew Jade—she never joked.
Claiming radium doesn't emit radiation was like saying chickens give birth to live young.
It defied nature.
It wasn't what radium was supposed to be…
Unless...
"It could be the result of someone's power…"
"Yes… that's our strongest theory right now. It's the only explanation we have."
Everyone agreed with Syd's hypothesis.
"But we can't be 100% sure. There might be some kind of advanced technology that suppresses radium's radiation. Who knows?"
Syd voiced his own counter-theory.
"That's possible too. But either way… both scenarios are bad."
"If the theory about this technology is true… this could become one of the organization's biggest missions—on par with Einstein discovering relativity."
"And if it turns out to be someone's power... that person would be equally dangerous."
"About the drug you confiscated from Domergue... we had it thoroughly analyzed."
Jade tapped her iPad.
A detailed research report popped up.
"The drug's primary composition is benzodiazepine—over 90% of it. Which—"
"Sorry to interrupt..."
Sera raised her hand again, drawing everyone's attention.
"I'm not exactly great with this stuff. Benzodia-whatever it was… what is that?"
It wasn't just Sera—Jody didn't know either.
"Top student? Must've bought her way in."
"MANNIX!"
Sera turned and snapped at Mickey, who was seated two seats away.
"Oh, right… no surprise. It's chemistry outside of standard school material," Jade said with a chuckle, then looked toward Roxxy.
The girl gave a brief explanation.
"Benzodiazepines are drugs that affect the nervous system. Like sleeping pills or tranquilizers. They're addictive in high doses."
"Oh, thank you, sweetie."
Sera puckered her lips teasingly at Roxxy, who gave her a weird look.
"Uh… no problem..."
Now that the confusion was cleared up, Jade returned to the topic.
"See the pattern here?"
"The drug was designed to blend in with other narcotics on the market..."
Toshi added, just as Sally finished her sandwich and climbed off his lap.
"Exactly. Whoever's behind this likely planned to distribute it among drug addicts—to spread it widely. That's why they made the 'power enhancer' look and feel like a regular recreational drug. But… there's still something off."
"We didn't find a single suspicious compound. Chemically, it's nearly identical to common drugs—and even milder in some ways. The person who designed this… was very skilled. They managed to hide whatever active compound it is so seamlessly in the formula that we still haven't been able to isolate it—even after multiple lab tests."
"Our best guess is that the hidden component only reacts and forms a new molecule after being ingested. We still have a long way to go in our research."
"Whoa… so the person who made it must be a genius… even Thrak's labs can't crack it?"
Toshi bit his nails anxiously.
"If possible, our next mission should prioritize capturing them alive—especially if we can identify who manufactured the drug..."
"Dr. Diamond… it has to be him. If not him, then someone very close."
Roxxy added.
"Dr. Diamond is just an alias—nothing about him shows up in any global database. We'll need to extract it directly from the next targets…"
The screen changed again—to the cover of an online magazine featuring a wealthy couple.
"According to intel extracted from MP Candy, the business partners working with him are these two."
Fred Wetton and Priya Wetton, husband and wife.
"A-Ah! That woman!"
Sera slammed her hands on the table, pointing at Priya's face.
"That's Priya Wetton! I know her!"
Jade: "Figured as much."
"Huh? Who's Priya?"
Syd turned to her.
"They're like the David Beckham and Victoria of the business world."
"...Oh. That big, huh?"
Mickey arched an eyebrow, twirling a pen.
"Both are famous entrepreneurs. Fred's into the automotive industry. Priya's a major figure in fashion with considerable influence."
Toshi: "Ah… fashion. No wonder Sera knows her."
"If we think in organizational terms… these two are likely major funders of 'Enlighten'. And the mission is now set. In two days, they'll be attending a fashion show event in Beijing, China. That's our window to get close and abduct them. Alive. If we succeed, we may uncover more about Enlighten and Dr. Diamond."
The mission was now clear.
"The event is in two days, but we'll depart tomorrow. The ideal moment to strike is after their media interviews."
That answered the unspoken question—why wait two days?
Right now, the couple was in the spotlight.
If anyone tried to approach or harm them now, it'd immediately trigger public scrutiny. Not to mention, this was the social media age—not the 70s or 80s. Discretion was a challenge.
"...So we'll be flying to China?"
Jody raised her hand.
"No."
Jade shook her head.
"We'll be taking a Hyperloop underground."
"Hyperloop?"
"Like Elon Musk's idea," Syd clarified.
"Russia borders China by land. No oceans in the way. So why fly and get jetlagged?"
"Wow… a real Hyperloop? That's insane..."
"Jody... everything these lunatics have is at least 20 years ahead of our time. Wouldn't be surprised if they had a spaceship in the backyard."
"But Hyperloop? It's still just a concept back in America."
"It'll feel like you're getting sucked in. Like… step in, door shuts, and whoosh—zoom, zoom, zoom—you're there."
Toshi's explanation was odd, but weirdly clear.
"You make it sound like we'll be there in 10 minutes."
"More like 20."
"WHAT?"
"It's true."
Toshi confirmed.
"Any questions about the mission, Agents or Civilians?"
No hands were raised.
"Then this mission is now official."
Jade closed the briefing.
The first thing Roxxy did was stretch like she was dying.
The heavy atmosphere began to ease.
"Jody, Sera—please stay back a moment."
"Hmm? What for?"
Jade brought up her tablet.
"I've updated your profiles in the system. Just want you to confirm if everything looks correct."
They reviewed their new files—gender, age, nationality, abilities, martial arts status, etc.
At the bottom were two codes.
Jody: Vol-Am6563
Sera: Vol-En4563
Their codes were different.
"Am for American… En for England… and 'Vol' stands for…?"
"Volunteer," Jade explained.
"Aww, that's kinda sweet."
Jody smiled.
"Not agents yet," Syd muttered, pacing the room.
"Syd, stop pacing. You're like a kid with ADHD."
"What'd you just say?!"
Syd charged at Jody, putting her in a headlock and lifting her off the ground. She laughed and gasped for air.
"Ack—kidding! I'm kidding!"
"You damn American gremlin, don't test me."
"Sid—ah—let go! I said I'm sorry!"
"That's enough, Syd."
"You're getting bolder these days, limpy. Better watch it before your wheels fall off."
"Thanks~"
He let go.
"Are you sure Agent Syd didn't force you into this with brute strength?" Jade asked, suspicious.
"Nope."
"She asked for it. Should've punched her instead."
"Thanks, jerk."
Jody mock-bowed stiffly.
Sera stood to the side, secretly pleased. Justice had been served.
When she glanced around, Sera noticed something… off. Everyone—even Jade—seemed surprised by Syd's behavior.
Especially Roxxy. His little sister looked… annoyed.
Doesn't like seeing girls flirt with her brother, huh? Makes sense.
If someone acted like that around her brothers, Sera would hate it too.
While the rest of the group was beginning to disperse and the agents were reviewing the mission plans, Jody, who had been idly scrolling through her phone, was approached by Jade from the side.
"Miss Jody."
"...?"
Jody looked up from her screen.
"Yes?"
"I looked into your background. Your mother passed away from breast cancer, correct?"
"...If we go by what my dad said… then yes."
"...I see."
Jade nodded, glancing at her tablet.
"Why do you ask, Jade?"
"...Do you know any of your relatives—on your mother's or father's side?"
"...Didn't your people already investigate all that? I mean, with your level of intel, tracing my lineage should be a piece of cake, right? What is it you want to ask? I don't really have anything to hide."
If that was sarcasm, it was sharp and bitingly clever. It even made Jade smile at the corner of her lips.
"This is a personal question—not mission-related."
Jade continued, speaking softly.
"I've worked with agents of all kinds over the years. Each one carries their own baggage... some come from good homes, some from rock bottom, and some from somewhere in between. Myself included."
She went on.
"I don't have any powers. I was born into an ordinary family in Argentina. If I hadn't joined this organization, I'd probably be helping out at my aunt's store."
"....."
Jody could tell it was true. Even though Jade had no powers, Jody could sense this woman had been through intensive training. She was dangerous in a very real way—if she ever became an enemy.
"But... I've never met anyone quite like you."
Jade paused before continuing.
"It must've been rough... everything you've been through."
"...."
Jody smiled and nodded slowly.
"...Yeah... but not anymore."
She glanced over at Syd Barrett, who was deep in conversation with others.
"...Ever since I met him, life's felt a lot more vibrant."
Jade caught the hint in her tone and followed up gently.
"Why is that?"
"...I don't know... maybe it's because he sees people for who they are now."
"....."
"He doesn't care what someone's done before—whether it's me, or Mickey. If he doesn't like someone, he makes it clear from the start. Yeah, he's got a mouth on him… but he treats people with respect. And he doesn't act like I'm some helpless little girl either."
Jade noticed the way Jody smiled while looking at Syd.
"I think he's got a good head on his shoulders. He may come off a little harsh, but… you've seen it too, right? He's got a strong internal compass. His logic is solid—undeniable."
"You two are very similar, actually."
"...Heh. Maybe we are..."
"...And what about your extended family? Is there really no one you're close to?"
Jade pressed on.
"Relatives? Hmm… I don't have any cousins. My dad's an only child. Grandpa and Grandma on that side are gone now. Only relatives would be from my mom's side."
"Your mom had two siblings, didn't she?"
"Yeah. From what I've heard… she was the oldest. Then there was my uncle… and a younger sister—my aunt."
"And none of them ever kept in touch with you?"
"My mom's gone. My grandpa too. And my grandma's got Alzheimer's. That just leaves my aunt… but I'm not close to her. As for my uncle... I've never even met him. I don't even know where he is."
"Never at all?"
"I barely know anything about my mom's side. I just know who's supposed to be there. That's all."
Jody turned to her.
"Kinda makes you feel tense, doesn't it? It's okay… I'm used to it. It is what it is."
Jade could tell—Jody's family background was painfully empty. Maybe she'd been alone her entire life.
It wasn't surprising, then, that Jody had latched onto Syd and placed her trust in him alone. Honestly... he might even be the only friend she'd ever had.
And this wasn't the first time Jade had seen something like this—
It had happened once before… with Mickey.
She glanced his way, recalling vividly the day Syd brought in a soot-covered Mickey from the streets.
"Life's strange like that… anything can happen with people from all walks of life..."
And that included Jody.