A/N: Fifth update for the week! We're still on a roll! Please, NO SPOILERS!

LORELEI

"Na-miss mo ba ako, Lori?"

MY JAW dropped as my blinking eyes stared at Rosetta's smiling face. I knew that she's still alive, thanks to Luthor's brilliant scheme, pero iba pa rin na makitang buhay siya in person. Para akong nakakita ng kamag-anak na ilang taon nang hindi umuuwi mula abroad. Only weeks have passed since I last saw her in the flesh, but it felt like it's been a long while noong huli kong nasilayan ang kanyang mahabang buhok at malapad na noo.

Hindi ko tuloy nasagot ang tanong niya sa sobrang pagkasorpresa. I was just thinking about her when I was at Diogenes Cafe. Now she appeared before me. Indeed, think of the devil and he shall come. Well, to be fair to her, she's not the devil here.

"Parang na-starstruck ka sa akin, ah?" nakangiting sabi niya sabay suklay ng kanyang mahabang buhok. "Wala man ba akong hug mula sa 'yo? Parang 'di mo ako na-miss."

I really thought of giving her a hug kahit na may atraso pa siya sa akin. Parang tinubuan na ako ng mga ugat sa paa kaya hindi ako nakagalaw sa kinatatayuan ko.

Weeks ago, she tricked us at the rooftop when she tried to steal the hard drive from us. Binuhusan pa niya ng mainit na kape ang aking kamay. Halos malapnos pa nga ang balat ko.

But she's an ally, so maybe I could close my eyes and forget my bad memories of her.

Maingat na lumapit si Freya kay Rosetta at ikinaskas ang katawan nito sa kanyang binti. Ito yata ang unang beses na nagkita silang dalawa. She seemed to like the human in front of her. I had a hunch that our cat could sense the evil in a person. When she met Jamie, Freya looked so frightened, which should have been a hint that our friend was hiding a dark secret.

Nang mapatingin ang pusa namin kay Luthor, biglang nanindig ang mga balahibo nito at nanigas ang buntot. She bared her fangs as she slowly walked backwards. Luthor only stared down at her, unfazed by the cat's frightened reaction. If he had the same powers as Medusa, he would have turned the poor pet into stone.

Agad kong binuhat si Freya, idinuyan sa aking mga braso, at paulit-ulit na hinaplos ang kanyang ulo. I tried to calm her down by keeping her away from Luthor's sight. Maging siya yata, naramdaman ang goosebumps na lagi kong nararamdaman. Kinailangan ko pa siyang bulungan para bumalik sa kalmadong normal ang itsura niya.

She still had the same reaction in one of the times that Luthor went here.

"Let's save the drama for later," Loki said impatiently. He took a peek outside before slamming the door shut and bolting the multiple locks. "Why are you two paying us a visit around this hour?"

"Maupo muna kayo," alok ko sa kanila sabay mosyon sa couch. Masyadong rude kung mag-uusap kami nang hindi inaalok na umupo ang mga bisita namin. Basic courtesy would go a long way.

Smiling, Rosetta nodded at me as she settled down on the couch. Sabay naman kaming umupo ni Loki sa isa pang couch. I closed my laptop and put it aside on the table. Only Luthor remained standing. Lumapit siya sa spider's web of conspiracy at sinundan ng kanyang mga daliri ang isang pulang strand. His stare lingered at the sticky note that had Jaime Santiago's name written on it. Among the known associates of Moriarty, only his photo was not included there.

Ramdam kong magiging seryoso ang usapan namin ngayong gabi. Well, they wouldn't come all the way here for a social visit. Kung mangungumusta at magtsi-chika-han lang, pwede namang mag-video call kami. There must have something important to tell us.

"You have made progress on your own, I take it?" Luthor clasped his hands behind his back and looked at us over his shoulder. "The last time I went here, this sticky note wasn't at the center of the web."

"Thanks to Maggie," I said. Nakaramdam ako ng kirot sa aking puso. Muntik ko na ring hindi mabanggit ang kanyang pangalan. "She left us with audio clips that led me to a conclusion that matched with and supported your revelation."

Luthor turned the back of his head to us as he kept a stare at the web. Sandali siyang natahimik habang nakatitig doon. I took his minute-long silence as a moment of respect for his late friend—if he ever considered her as such.

We haven't addressed Maggie's death since the day of the accident. I wanted to ask him how he's coping with the loss or if he's coping at all. Luthor and Loki share the same qualities of being extremely cold. But like ice, they can also melt. Nakita ko na kung paano matunaw ang puso ni Loki na kasing-lamig ng yelo at kasing-tigas ng bato. Gano'n din kaya si Luthor?

"Audio clips, huh?" he muttered, still turning away from us.

"Meron siyang in-interview na iilang estudyante tuwing break time niya," sagot ko sabay tingin sa sahig. Tila bumigat ang dibdib ko. Ang sakit pa ring alalahanin at lunukin ang katotohanang wala na siya. "Her last efforts were not in vain. Dahil sa kanya, alam na namin kung bakit nabanggit ni Rhea noon na sinusubukang maging Samaritan ni Moriarty."

He did not reply to me. Nagpatuloy siya sa pagtitig sa mga litrato sa malawak na web.

Nagawi ang aking tingin kay Loki. His eyes also looked away and his fists clenched slowly. Malamang sariwa pa ang sugat sa kanyang puso. Isang banggit lang sa pangalan ni Maggie o ni Rhea, nakaramdam na agad siya ng pagkirot.

Maybe it's best not to mention their names casually in the presence of the Mendez brothers.

Ilang sandali ring natahimik sa aming sala. Parang nag-alay kami ng panalangin sa mga namayapa.

"Can you please take a seat?" Loki broke the silence. He raised his head and turned to his brother. "You might give the three of us a stiff neck if we keep talking to you this way."

Walang reklamong umupo sa couch si Luthor, sa tabi ni Rosetta. Compared to the last time he paid us a visit to drop some bombshells, mas kalmado na ang atmosphere ngayon. So much has happened since that day. Loki has already calmed down. Luthor has, well, recovered from his self-poisoning.

"We've been waiting outside your apartment since two hours ago," Luthor said, crossing his legs and putting his hands on his lap.

"For two hours, you forgot how to climb the stairs and knock on our door?" Loki asked. Nag-soften man ang kanyang hostile attitude sa kuya niya, hindi pa rin maaalis sa kanya ang pagbuwelta rito. In a much controlled tone this time.

"We had to check if someone's secretly following you or watching over your unit," his brother replied, looking behind at the windows. "Given the current situation, I will not be surprised in the slightest if Stein sends someone to surveil your premises."

"And?" I asked, my eyebrows knitted. "Meron ba kayong napansin na nakabantay sa amin?"

Luthor nodded at me. "Thanks to Rosetta, we have managed to identify the person."

"Isa siya sa mga estudyanteng may file sa hard drive ni Augustus. Or as you fondly call it, the Augustus' Box," nakangiting sabi ni Rosetta. Ipinasok niya sa front pocket ng hoodie ang kanyang mga kamay. "That pitiful student must still be thinking na may hawak pa ring material ang organisasyon laban sa kanya kaya willing niyang tinanggap ang mission. Nakatambay siya sa labas at kumakain ng fishball habang patingin-tingin sa unit n'yo. Naabutan pa nga niya ang pagdating n'yo sa apartment."

Really? I didn't notice anyone's presence. Humina na ba ang aking radar sa mga kahina-hinalang tao sa paligid ko? Maybe I was too focused on keeping Loki out of danger because he's reading the manuscript while walking on the roadside.

"Mabuti't tinted ang glass ng sasakyan ni Luthor kaya 'di kami nahalata habang nakabantay sa kanya," dagdag ni Rosetta. "He had no idea that someone's watching the watchman. Ang tagal din niyang kumain, ah? Mukhang malaki ang budget niya. Higit kalahating oras din siya roon."

"When he finally left his spot, we still waited for another hour to check if someone else was monitoring your apartment unit," Luthor said, his fingers impatiently tapping on his hand. "When the coast was clear, we cautiously came out and immediately went here. Munroe is still on the lookout in the car as we speak. He would contact me if he sees anyone suspicious in the area."

I can't help but wonder how long has been that person keeping an eye on us?

Loki folded his arms and leaned against the backrest of the couch. "He's been taking drastic actions the past few days. He appeared before us this morning and tried to plant seeds of doubts in our minds about the thing called friendship. He wants to break our team apart. A psychological warfare. He's becoming desperate from what I've observed."

"Days? Try weeks." Luthor's voice couldn't give enough emphasis on the last word. "You must have known by now that Stein had Alistair's car brakes tampered with. He wanted to have him eliminated to deal a heavy blow on you. Unfortunately, the plot miserably failed. Your friend managed to think quickly and intentionally crashed the car on a tree. A good move, by the way."

"Thank you for telling us what we already knew," Loki replied in a sarcastic tone. I nudged him with my elbow. "That adds nothing to the conversation."

Huminga muna nang malalim si Luthor. Parang nag-ipon muna siya ng lakas ng loob. "I hope you would not think badly of me if Alistair met a tragic fate that day."

"What do you mean?" Kumunot ang aking noo. Maging si Loki ay nagpakita ng pagtataka.

"I already knew about the plot a day before it happened," Luthor answered. "Stein told me that he's decided to take action against you. He said he wanted to teach you a lesson. He thought Alistair would make a good teaching prop."

"Wait! You knew about the car tampering?" Pasensya na kung bahagyang lumakas ang boses ko. "And you chose not to tell us about it?"

"I had to maintain my cover." Luthor kept his chin up. "Stein might have become suspicious of me and he decided to put my loyalty to the test by deliberately telling me his plan. If Alistair did not act according to what he had anticipated, Stein might sense that I have betrayed his confidence. I couldn't risk losing his trust. It's imperative that his plan had to go through. Fortunately, your friend avoided the tragedy."

"How very typical of you," Loki snickered. "You're willing to sacrifice a piece on the chessboard just to ensure that you'd maintain your advantage in the game."

"The debate on whether I made the right or wrong decision to not tell you is now moot," Luthor said with conviction. "Alistair survived the crash. I remained in the good graces of Stein. All is still well. The game is playing out exactly the way it should be, and no player has been eliminated."

My eyes looked away. Malaki ang pasasalamat ko na nakaligtas si Alistair mula sa aksidente, kasama na si Jamie. Ngunit sakaling hindi siya pinalad, sakaling minalas siya noong araw na 'yon, tapos alam pa ni Luthor kung ano ang mangyayari, hindi ko alam kung ano ang mararamdaman ko.

Magagalit ba ako sa kanya? Sisisihin ko ba siya imbes na ang sarili ko? Kahit na ang pagiging careless ko ang dahilan kung bakit napilitan si Stein na magsagawa ng gano'ng plano?

I shut my eyes and took a deep breath. Mabuti't hindi na 'yon dumagdag sa iisipin ko. Gaya nga ng sinabi niya, it's already moot. The danger had already passed.

But something's still bothering me.

"Paano kung may balak pa si Stein na saktan ang isa sa amin?" tanong ko. "Paano kung sinabi niya ulit sa 'yo kung ano'ng pinaplano niya? Would you still not tell us?"

Luthor's gaze lingered at me for a moment. He must be weighing his answer carefully. "I will act in a way that will not arouse any suspicion in Stein. However, I cannot promise that I will go out on a limb to save any of you. The big picture matters more than any of its sections. And I must not lose sight of it."

"Not surprising," Loki commented. "You've been always after the big picture. What's far ahead instead of what's already in front of you."

Should I feel satisfied or disappointed with his answer? I couldn't say. One thing's clear. His mission, whatever that might be, would always take precedence over saving us from any potential danger. Kung wala akong idea sa kanyang motibo, I would see him as self-serving.

"I did not come here to talk about the past," Luthor said. "I did not ask Rosetta to risk being seen alive and join me in this visit just to tell you what you already knew."

"So why are you here?"

Luthor cut his gaze away from his brother to Rosetta, and gave her a slow nod. Napatingin din ako sa kanya. Mula sa bulsa ng kanyang hoodie, inilabas ni Rosetta ang isang hard drive. Sandaling nanlaki ang mga mata ko roon. That's the same hard drive she stole from us!

"Lori, pwede ko bang mahirap ang laptop mo?" tanong niya.

Tumango ako sabay kuha sa aking laptop. I hastily input my log-in credentials before giving it to her. She gently placed my gadget on her lap and plugged in the hard drive. We went silent as we waited for her presentation or whatever she had in store for us.

"During my recuperation period, I have started making preparations for the final struggle," Luthor said, making us raise our eyes at him. "The hard drive has proven itself to be a valuable item in launching our offensive. We need to know more about our enemies if we want to defeat them. Obvious as it may seem, the enemy is not Stein alone, but his entire organization as well."

"Nang maging successful ang execution ng fake death scheme ko, agad kong chineck ang contents ng hard drive," dagdag ni Rosetta na paangat-angat ang tingin sa amin habang patuloy na nagki-click sa laptop. "Siyempre, ang una kong chineck ay ang folder ni Stein. There's nothing in there except for one photo."

She dramatically pressed a key before turning the laptop to us. Loki and I leaned forward to take a closer look at the screen. My lips parted as I saw two familiar faces: Stein Alberts and Jaime Santiago. At first, I thought that image was similar to the group photo that Sir Jim Morayta gave me. But they weren't. In the photo flashed on my laptop screen, ibang uniform ang suot ng dalawa at mas bata ang kanilang itsura. Mukhang hindi pa nagbibinata si Jaime doon at sobrang payat pa ng pangangatawan ni Stein.

"I had the photo verified," Luthor said as we zoomed in the image. "The uniform they wore at the time that photograph was taken is the prescribed uniform for Clark Elementary School male students. This strongly suggests that the two knew each other years before they enrolled in Clark High."

Now it's all coming together. This photo supported what Sir Jim told me about the close friendship between the two! Walang duda. Magkakilala nga at mukhang dikit pa ang dalawa mula noon.

"Is this the reason why you told us that Jaime is the founder of the organization?" I asked, darting a glance at Luthor. "Because of his closeness to Stein?"

He only shook his head. Muli siyang tumingin kay Rosetta na muling iniharap sa sarili ang aking laptop. May mga narinig akong ilang pag-tap sa key bago niya iniharap ulit sa amin ang screen. She double-clicked the file, and a new image window popped up.

For second or third time today, my jaw dropped. Jaime was still in the photo, and another familiar face which looked younger was also in it.

"Jaime with the late officer Bastien Montreal," Rosetta said. She pressed a key and another angle of the two men was shown. May pinindot pa siyang key at sunod na nagpakita ang litrato nina Jaime at ng may-ari ng hard drive. "Jaime with the late editor-in-chief Augustus Moran."

"Jaime, Stein, Bastien, and Augustus," Luthor named them all. "They were the four men of the organization before Rosetta and I joined them. If we are looking for the common denominator, here's the concrete proof. Jaime was the linchpin that held the organization together. Hence my conclusion that he is the founder."

And when he died in a car accident, one of those four men—the heir apparent—took over the group and served as its new linchpin. That's how I saw the succession of events and the passing down of the crown.

"Now that we are in the endgame, our next moves will be crucial and critical," Luthor went on, his voice became more chilling. Kahit walang aircon sa unit namin, ramdam kong mas lumamig sa paligid. Mabuti't naka-hoodie na itong si Rosetta kaya hindi niya mararamdaman. "Given the givens, I must ask a favor from you."

"A favor?" Loki chuckled. "You're not going to demand it from us?"

"I would if I could," his brother answered. "But this request of mine, which is a matter of heart and human connection, depends on your willingness to do it. I have known you and your friends for quite some time, and I highly doubt that I can force you to do something out of your will."

"Are you gonna tell us what that request is? Or are we gonna play a charade to get the answer?"

Luthor took another deep breath as he maintained eye contact with us. Si Rosetta naman na maingat na isinara ang aking laptop, palipat-lipat ang tingin mula sa kanya at kay Loki.

Mukhang mabigat ang hihingin niyang pabor mula sa amin. Bumilis tuloy ang tibok ng puso ko. I held my breath, waiting for the next words that would escape his dry lips.

"For the sake of our plan's success, I'm asking you to sever your ties with your good friend Jamie."

"What?!" Halos mapatayo ako mula sa aking kinauupuan. My eyes widened in surprise while Loki furrowed his eyebrows. Ilang segundo kaming tumitig kay Luthor na hindi kumalas ng tingin sa amin. He was dead serious about it!

"I know that you know why I'm making this complicated request," Luthor went on when we failed to find the right words as response. "Jamie is the sister of the organization's founder. She thinks highly of him, the same way that I do. This might seem presumptive, but she might become a problem in the future."

May duda rin ako kay Jamie, pero masyado naman yata ang request nitong si Luthor na itaboy namin siya?

"The good news is, walang folder na nakapangalan kay Jamie sa hard drive," Rosetta added, resting her elbows on her knees as she leaned forward. "Pero hindi tayo nakasisiguro na wala siyang itinatagong matinding sikreto. I don't want to cast any doubt sa kanya because she's also a good friend of mine. Pero just to be safe—"

"Jamie is an asset," Loki cut her words short. "She played a big role in taking down Augustus and cutting the Clarion's illegal funding to your organization. I can't tell you the specifics, but she's made a valuable contribution to our quest."

Oh, yeah. We haven't told Luthor or anyone aside from the four of us that Jamie's working as a double agent for Stein and for us. But it wouldn't hurt telling these two, I guess? Anyway, Loki didn't go into details. Her secret still be safe. For now.

"She may be an asset in the midgame, but she might become a liability in the endgame," Luthor said. "How well do you know her? How well do you trust her?"

Napabuka ang aking bibig sa kanyang tanong at kumurap ang aking mga mata. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang isasagot ko. Alam namin ang ilang bahagi ng buhay ni Jamie—gaya ng nangyari sa kanyang pamilya—pero hindi ko masasabing lubusan naming siyang kilala.

Luthor was giving me the vibes that Stein gave this morning. He's nudging the doubts that I kept at the back of my mind.

"Keeping her within your orbit might do more damage than good. She is a risk that we cannot afford," Luthor wouldn't stop. "Do you know how aware she is about her brother's alter-ego? If she doesn't, do you have any idea on how she will react when she learns the truth?"

I gulped. "We haven't asked her that question yet."

"Then you should. The longer you keep her in your company, the more risks she poses to the plan."

"That's entirely up to us, not you." Loki stood his ground. Tama! Kahit ano'ng i-request ni Luthor, kung ayaw naming sundin, wala siyang magagawa. "What does Jamie have to do with your plan? What exactly is your plan?"

"I have asked Rosetta to identify who among the people in the hard drive are members of or are affiliated to the organization. We might be able to use them as pawns in the final struggle."

He kept mentioning the term "final struggle" as if there's going to be one big fight. Ano ba talaga ang pinaplano niya? Was he planning to take them head-on?

"Medyo familiar ako sa ilang pangalan dahil ako mismo ang nakipag-interact sa kanila at kumuha ng info at materials na magagamit para mapasunod sila sa amin," sabi ni Rosetta habang tini-twirl ang kanyang mahabang buhok. She sounded proud of it. "Some of them are our regular members. Most of them are only activated for specific reasons."

"We've been working behind the scenes, in case you haven't noticed," Luthor added, shooting a glance at the girl beside him. "The time draws near for us to combine our efforts and take them down for good."

Loki arched an eyebrow. "I haven't agreed to work with you, have I?"

"For the closure of this case that claimed the life of your friend, we have to work together." Luthor looked at his younger brother straight in the eye. "This is the only chance we have to serve the true sense of justice to the people who fell victims to M's depravity... and to those who failed to see that justice delivered.

Nagawi sa kaliwa ang aking tingin at napansin ang pagkuyom ng mga kamao ni Loki. For more than half a year, he's been relentlessly chasing M's shadow. He's been waiting for a long time to make that happen. Now it's within his arm's reach. It's only a matter of time.

Justice would be finally served, and I'd be there to witness it. For Rhea. For Maggie.

"Once I take down Stein Alberts, the game will be over," Loki said confidently. Sa kanyang tono, mukhang hindi pa siya open sa idea na makipagtulungan. "We're getting closer to that historic moment. To be quite frank, I don't see any reason why we need to work with you. This is my case—No, this is our case. We will solve it on our own. Thanks, but no thanks to your offer."

Luthor let out a sigh as he shook his head slowly. "You are looking at this case the wrong way. This is not chess where you checkmate the king and the game is over. This is not a Game of the Generals where you capture the flag and you win."

"Tell me, what kind of game is this case for you?" Loki asked. "If you think your strategy is better than mine, how are you planning to win?"

"The whole Moriarty case is not a game," Luthor answered. "This case is one giant mess. A monster. You can cut its head off, but as long as the body remains, it can still regrow. If you remove only Stein from the equation, another member who is equally sinister or far worse might take his place. Someone needs to take care of the rest of the equation. Now that Augustus has been out of the way, I am in the perfect position."

"Are you suggesting that—"

"You take off its head, and I will dispose of its body. A two-pronged offensive," Luthor said. "The choice is ultimately yours. But if you want a higher chance of success, I implore you to seriously consider the option of working with me."

"Exactly how are you planning to take care of the mess, huh?"

Luthor took a moment to pause as he maintained eye contact with his brother. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I waited for his answer.

"I shall become the next Moriarty."

q.e.d.

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