A/N: And we're back! Sorry to keep you waiting. We're down to the last five chapters of Project LOKI! Every chapter has more or less ten parts so the story won't end anytime soon! 

Previously on Project LOKI...

"YOU'RE MORIARTY, AREN'T YOU? ANSWER ME!"

"You want to know the truth? I acted as Moriarty, but I am not him. I was under orders that day."

"Y-You take orders from that man?"

"Because I am one of them... If I perform my duties well, I can infiltrate the inner circle of the organization and find out more about their plans. And I did."

"Kailan mo balak sabihin kay Loki ang katotohanan?"

"When the opportunity presents itself, I will divulge to him everything I know... I hereby entrust you the burden of keeping everything that I have said a secret."

"I won't tell a single living soul."

"Remember: I am one of them, but that doesn't mean I am on their side."

***

"Ready ka na ba? Sakaling hindi natin mapigilan ang leak bukas?"

"I only have two options: Tell my brother about my involvement in M's organization or let the confidant expose my secret."

"Just in case na malusutan natin 'to. What are you planning to do next, if I may ask?"

"I shall begin making moves to put the black King in checkmate."

***

"She also called herself the queen, but not in the traditional meaning of the word."

"That makes her a valuable piece to capture."

***

"How did you know all about that?"

"It's time for you to know the truth. I am one of them. But don't get me wrong. I may be one of them, but I am with you in taking down M's organization."

"I've waited so long for you to tell me that."

LORELEI

WHAT HAPPENED tonight was intense. Oh, scratch that! My entire day was full of twists and turns. I can't remember kung ilang beses akong nagpigil ng hininga dahil sa mga nangyari. Rosetta tricked us into giving her the password to the hard drive and ran away with it. Hours later, her body was found in the room that caught fire in the White Hostel. That alone was enough to shock us to the core.

Just when we thought the battle was already lost, Luthor came in and dropped more bombs. One could say that they're more like nukes. He revealed to us that Rosetta is still alive and that the fire in the hostel was staged. If you thought that's already the biggest bombshell, then you're wrong.

Without any heads up, he told Loki upfront that he's part of Moriarty's organization and that the group was founded by the late student council president Jaime Santiago.

Halos sumabog na yata ang utak ko sa dami ng nalaman ko ngayong gabi. My mind's like a dam about to break because of overwhelming floodwater.

"I've waited so long for you to tell me that." Loki's voice was full of resentment.

I was still processing everything when Loki landed a punch on Luthor's face. My consciousness snapped back to the present. Napaupo ang kanyang kuya sa couch namin. The corner of his lips was bleeding. Namagitan na agad ako sa kanilang dalawa bago pa muling masuntok si Luthor.

When I turned to see my roommate, Loki's eyes had a murderous glint in them. If I didn't step in, he would have probably punched his brother again. And again. Gaya ng ginawa niya noon sa locker area. How I wish na gano'n din ang sitwasyon ngayon. Na isang acting lang ang lahat nito. He was clenching his fists so tightly, his nails might have buried into his skin.

"Calm down, okay?" I gently pushed him away from Luthor. "I know that this might be a lot to process, pero pwede naman nating pag-usapan kaysa idaan sa dahas, 'di ba?"

Loki's nostrils flared as he took a long, deep breath. He stared at me for a minute before his eyes went back to normal. Siya na mismo ang humakbang paurong mula sa kanyang kuya.

Tumakbo ako sa kusina at kumuha ng ice pack mula sa refrigerator. Thanks to my ankle injury, may naka-ready na akong ganito. Dali-dali kong binalikan si Luthor. Baka kasi bigla siyang suntukin ng kapatid niya. Fortunately, Loki was at one corner of the room, still trying to calm himself down.

Marahan kong idinampi ang ice pack sa may labi ni Luthor. I looked at him straight in the eye and whispered, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Wala naman siyang obligasyon na sabihin sa akin kung ano ang susunod niyang gawin, but I felt that being his confidant, I should have been warned about what he told Loki tonight.

Kinuha niya ang ice pack mula sa aking kamay at ibinaling sa akin ang kanyang tingin. "This is no longer your burden to carry."

For weeks, we've been keeping his secret from everyone else, especially from his brother. It's something that he must not know until the right time comes. When the issue about Augustus' box rattled our world and threatened his secret to be exposed, I didn't know kung paano sisiguruhing hindi maa-access ni Loki ang anumang iniwan na files ni Augustus laban sa kanyang kuya.

I remember him telling me na kapag ready na siya, sasabihin na niya kay Loki ang katotohanan. Well, we can't keep any secret forever. Lalabas at lalabas din ito eventually. It's only a matter of time kung sino ang mauuna: siya o ang ibang tao?

The fact that he told his younger brother the truth moments ago probably meant that the right time is now. I wonder what changed? Noong huli ko siyang nakausap kahapon, parang wala pa siyang balak sabihin kay Loki. That's why this revelation came as a shock to me.

"Since when did you know?" Luthor asked, looking at his brother who stood before the spider's web of conspiracy.

"I didn't know. I only suspected," Loki answered without turning to him. "I'm not omniscient. There's no way I'd know everything. If I did, I would have been a god already."

Pumwesto ako sa lugar kung saan madali akong makakapamagitan sa kanilang dalawa. Whenever Loki gets emotional, he becomes more aggressive, more dangerous. He's unpredictable. He might jump at his brother at any moment now and rain punches on his face.

"Since when did you suspect?" Luthor revised his question.

Loki closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was clenching and unclenching his fists. "Since the day you asked the school administration to stop its in-house investigation on Rhea's death. Remember? When you were still the execom chairman?"

I do remember Luthor telling me the same when I asked him kung paano nakaapekto ang pagkamatay ni Rhea sa relasyon nilang dalawang magkapatid. That was around the time he visited our apartment, back when I was still suspecting him of being M.

Luthor regarded his brother coldly. Nakatingin lang siya na parang estatwa at walang tugon.

Muling nabaling kay Loki ang tingin ko. He gritted his teeth as he turned his face away from us.

"I began to wonder... Why would you make such a ridiculous request to the school admin? You knew how much Rhea meant to me. I thought, despite our complicated relationship, you would support your little brother in his quest for justice... Pero hindi. You didn't. You stood in my way. Imagine my disappointment in you, big brother... That was the day I realized you didn't deserve to be called kuya. You aren't worthy of the honor."

Hindi man sa akin directed ang mga salitang 'yon, nasaktan pa rin ako. Ramdam ko sa pagkakasabi ni Loki ang kanyang hinanakit. Sa bawat salitang binitawan niya. Sa bawat pause. Sa bawat buntong-hininga. He's been keeping his emotions to himself. For more than six months.

"There must be a reason why you acted that way." Loki turned his back to us, tracing the scarlet threads on his web. "I doubt you did what did just because of our colorful sibling relationship. No, there must be something else. You must be hiding something. Either for yourself or... for someone else."

Luthor looked down. Still I couldn't read in his face if his brother had hit the mark. Mahirap basahin ang expression niya. He might be feeling guilty. He might be feeling nothing. Siya lang ang nakakaalam.

"For a moment, I thought that you might have been M," Loki continued, chuckling. "Maybe those cases were your way of messing with me. Just like when we were kids. But nah. Despite my low opinion of you, I don't think you'd resort to murders to get what you want. You are a manipulator. You'd have things your way through other non-violent methods."

Many times have I heard Loki describe his brother as an evil incarnate or a dark wizard. May times noon na nabanggit ko sa kanya ang possibility na baka ang kuya niya at si M ay iisa. But he either laughed it off or shot it down. Gaya nga ng sinabi niya noon, Luthor may be evil, but he's not a monster.

"So tell me..." Loki tilted his head as he looked up and blew off some air. "What's your rank in that bloody organization? I assume you aren't just a pawn."

"I am one of his trusted men," Luthor said. Walang pagdadalawang-isip. Walang pag-aalinlangan. He's really forthcoming right now. "You can say that I've managed to get inside his inner sanctum. That's the only way I can help you take down M and his entire group."

Loki snorted. Muli na namang kumuyom ang mga kamao niya. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I closely watched his moves. Naramdaman kong baka bigla niyang sunggaban ang kanyang kuya. I had to be ready to step in.

"That's your motivation?" At last, Loki turned to his brother, motioning his trembling hand to him. "That's why you joined the organization? To destroy it from the inside? How noble of you. Should I clap for you or build a status in your honor?"

"And to protect you as well," Luthor added. He put down the ice pack and straightened his posture. "You've jumped into a dangerous situation since you stuck your nose into this M business. You may not see me as the best brother you could have hoped for, but I'm deeply concerned about you, Loki. I have little to no care of what you think of me. But as the elder, I must take care of the younger."

"So you've finally woken up and decided to play as my big bro?" Loki scoffed, shaking his head. "You wanna be remembered as Luthor Mendez the Valiant Protector..."

"Not only to you, but to your friends too." Luthor threw a glance at me. I gulped. "We all know that M doesn't want you to be harmed. No one in his right mind in the organization would think of laying a finger on you. But the same protection doesn't apply to your friends. You are invulnerable. They are not."

The mocking smile on Loki's face faded. His expression turned dark. "So you want to protect my friends?"

"Of course." Luthor nodded. "If they're hurt, you'd be hurt too. The tragedy that befell Rhea—"

Loki leaped toward the couch and grabbed his brother by the collar. Everything happened in the blink of an eye that I didn't have time to respond, even though I was in a perfect position. When I realized what was going on, mabilis kong nilapitan si Loki at sinubukan siyang ilayo mula sa kuya niya. But his grip on his brother's clothes was too tight, I couldn't make him move.

"Don't you dare speak her name!" Loki hissed. If only his stares could pierce through flesh, he would have stabbed Luthor with his gaze. His nostrils once again flared and his breathing became heavy.

"Loki, please let go of your brother," I pleaded.

"Let go?" Loki repeated. Then he threw his head back while laughing. Lalo pang kumapit ang kanyang hawak sa kwelyo ng kanyang kuya. Parang nabubuhat na niya ito.

I didn't like what I was seeing. Heto na nga ba ang kinatatakutan ko. Loki's getting out of control. He's calm and composed most of the time, but when someone presses his berserk button, he changes into a different person. Para siyang isang bulkan na ilang dekadang mananahimik pero kapag pumutok na, grabe ang pinsala sa loob lang ng ilang sandali.

Kahit na nagngingitngit na sa galit ang kanyang kapatid, nagawa pa ring maging kalmado ni Luthor. He only stared at his brother in the eye.

"For what it's worth, I feel deeply sorry about what happened to Rhea—"

"YOU COULD HAVE FREAKING SAVED HER!" Loki yelled at him. His voice cracked. Tears began to roll down his cheeks. Nanginginig ang baba niya. Kinakagat niya ang kanyang labi. Nanginginig din ang mga kamay na may hawak sa kuya niya. "You could have... saved her. But you didn't..."

"Loki..." Hinaplos ko ang pawisan niyang likuran, umaasang mapapakalma siya nito. Ramdam ko sa init ng kanyang katawan ang kinikimkim niyang hinanakit. Patuloy ang pagtulo ng kanyang luha. He's trying to hold back his tears, but he failed.

The way he uttered those words, tila nadurog ang puso ko. That's how much Rhea meant to him. Thinking and speaking of her death was probably the same as stabbing his heart. How I wish I could say or do something that could instantly calm him down.

"You became buddies with M. You had access to information. You could have known that something bad's gonna happen to her," Loki spoke so fast, spitting every line like poison. Ang panginginig ng boses niya. Ang pagngitngit ng kanyang mga ngipin. All I could feel was deep seated contempt. "Yet you did nothing. You let Rhea die. You let someone butcher her like she was some kind of an animal—"

"I TRIED TO WARN YOU!" Luthor had enough. He grabbed Loki's shaking hands on his shirt collar and shoved them away.

This was the first time I saw and heard him lose his cool. He's been always so stoic, to the point that I began to doubt if he's human o if he could feel human emotions. He's like Loki, but way colder and tougher. Kahit siguro nasusunog na ang student council office, magiging kalmado pa rin siya't hindi magpa-panic.

Tonight, I was looking at another side of the Mendez brothers. And this doesn't feel great at all. It's scary. It terrifies me.

"I know you wouldn't listen to me for whatever childish reason you have against me." Luthor stood taller than his brother, smoothening the creases of his royal blue blazer. "That's why I asked Maggie to convince you and Rhea to stop your investigations because of the danger. But you didn't listen."

Natulala si Loki sa kanyang nang ilang segundo bago natawa at napasabunot ng buhok. He jerked his thumb toward himself. "So it's my fault now? Bakit parang kasalanan ko na ngayon?!"

"I'm not pinning the blame on you!" Luthor retorted, pressing a finger on his brother's chest. "But if you're going to point your finger at me for not stopping the tragedy that befell your former partner, you should go and look at yourself in the mirror first."

Whatever twisted expression was on Loki's face, it instantly vanished. He stood frozen on the ground and stared blankly at the man before him, his eyes blinking.

"You knew that Rhea was turning over some stones that she shouldn't have, trying to see what's beneath them, but you didn't do anything," Luthor went on. "You let her do her own investigation. If you'd cared enough about her, you wouldn't have allowed her to pursue a dangerous lead."

"No. No. No." Loki repeatedly shook his head as he took a step backward. Namutla siya na parang nakakita siya ng multo. "I cared enough about her. I didn't want her to be harmed."

"Following your logic against me, you should have done something, right?" Luthor asked. "See how faulty your reasoning is? If only—"

PAK! PAK!

Hindi ko na matitiis na manood lang na magkasakitan at magsigawan ang dalawang 'to. I slapped them both in the face, my right hand leaving a fresh red imprint on their cheeks. Napahawak ang magkapatid sa kanilang pisngi sabay tingin sa akin.

"Bakit ba kayo nagtuturuan kung sino ang may kasalanan sa nangyari kay Rhea?" I asked them bluntly. They let their emotions get the better of themselves kaya kung ano-ano na ang ibinabato nila sa isa't isa. "The reason why Rhea's dead is because of M! He gave the order. He signed her death warrant. Not you or your brother. So please, can you two pull yourselves together?"

I realized that slapping them in the face might be unnecessary, but I had to knock some sense into them, right?

Natahimik ang magkapatid at sandaling nagkapalitan ng tingin. Loki's still sniffling. Luthor's taking deep breaths. The tension was still there. If I let them on their own, baka magkasakitan pa silang dalawa.

TOK! TOK! TOK!

Sandaling humupa ang tensyon nang may marinig kaming katok sa pinto. Madali kong pinuntahan ang pintuan, medyo paika-ika pa rin habang naglalakad. When I opened the door, a worried face of Tita Martha greeted me.

"Good evening, tita." I forced a smile para kunwari'y okay lang ang lahat.

"Okay lang ba kayo riyan?" Sinubukang sumilip ni Tita Martha sa loob, pero hinaharangan ko ang kanyang view. "May narinig yata akong sigawan galing sa unit n'yo."

Hindi nga pala soundproof ang mga unit dito sa apartment niya. Baka narinig din ng mga tenant sa kabilang units ang sigawan ng magkapatid. That spelled trouble for us.

"Ah, sigawan?" natatawa kong sabi sabay haplos ng aking mahabang buhok. Come on, Lorelei! Think of a believable excuse! "Pasensya na ho. Nagpa-practice kasi kami ng isang scene sa play. May sigawan part kasi sa script kaya gano'n. Nakaistorbo ho ba kami?"

"Gano'n ba?" Naningkit ang mga mata ni tita sa akin bago muling ibinaling sa loob ang kanyang tingin. Naririnig ko pa rin ang patuloy na pagsinghot ni Loki. "Basta huwag n'yong masyadong lakasan, ha? Baka kasi magreklamo 'yong ibang tenants. Pagabi na rin kasi."

"Don't worry, tita. Tapos na ho kami sa part na 'yon. Wala na kayong maririnig na ingay sa amin."

"O sige. Good night na sa inyo."

I closed the door and heaved a sigh of relief. Napasandal ako sa pinto. Sabay na tumingin sa akin ang magkapatid. "Wala nang sigawan, okay? Ayaw nating maistorbo ang mga katabing unit namin. Pwede naman nating pag-usapan nang maayos itong issue."

"We can call it a day for now," Luthor said, caressing his cheeks. Inayos niya ang pagkakabutones ng kanyang blazer. "Emotions ran high tonight and it might take some time to process everything."

I somewhat felt guilty for slapping him in the face. Dumugo na nga ang labi niya dahil sa suntok ni Loki, namula pa 'yong pisngi niya dahil sa sampal. Today wasn't a lucky day for him.

"Lorelei's right," he said, casting a glance at Loki. "If someone is entirely at fault here, it's none other than M. He is our common enemy, and I look forward to working with you to take him and his group down."

"The feeling isn't mutual," Loki replied, sniffling. "I don't look forward to working with you. Thanks but no thanks for your help. We can bring him down on our own."

"You can cut off the head, but as long as the rest of the body remains, the monster can still regrow its head," Luthor remarked. "I hope you'll keep this conversation between the three of us. No one else must know. Not even Jamie, Alistair or Maggie."

"What if I tell Stein that you're a traitor in his group?" Loki asked. He wasn't joking. He's dead serious about it.

But Luthor only stared at him in response. Ayaw na niyang patulan ang kanyang kapatid. "We still have a lot to discuss. We'll talk again soon."

The moment Luthor left our unit, the tension finally died down. Umupo ako sa couch at ilang minutong natulala sa pader. Lumapit sa akin si Freya na nagtago at natakot yata sa komprontasyon kanina.

How about Loki? He's still sniffling, wiping his tears and his nose with the sleeve of his shirt. Nakatalikod siya sa akin, malamang nahihiyang ipakita ang kanyang mukha na basa ng luha.

"You already knew, didn't you?" I heard him ask, his voice still cracked.

My attention snapped back to the present. I took in some air before replying, "I did."

"Just as I suspected," he said.

May kumatok na naman sa pinto namin. I thought it might be Luthor who left something in our unit. Pagkabukas ko ng pinto, 'yong food delivery pala. Hindi pa pala kami nagdi-dinner. Ipinasok ko na sa loob at inilagay sa mesa ang in-order naming pagkain. I no longer felt hungry kaya tinitigan ko na lang ang pagkain.

This was one intense night. 

q.e.d.

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