Sometime after their stroll around Naya, Alex's personal airship arrived without a single snowstorm halting its progress. The adults wasted no time plunging into the urgent business at hand.
The remaining three—Alex, Rod, and Alf—convened in a circular conference room. Before any formal discussion could begin though, the president punched Rod's arm with a sharp thud. She was still upset about Lofo going with them, and wanted to make that clear.
"OUCH! That hurt!" Rod exclaimed, rubbing where she hit.
"You and I both know it didn't," Alex retorted.
"My feelings did…"
She paced for a taut moment until taking an internal pause to compose herself.
"Alright, let's get back to business."
"WAIT, you didn't punch Alf!" the Gun Hero interjected.
"He already knows what he did wrong and won't do it again, right Alf?"
"Affirmative, Miss Alex," the machine suppressed a digital chuckle.
"That's all you need? 'Affirmative, Miss Alex'?"
"You're way more hard-headed than he is, and that means you need a stricter lesson," Alex finished, "ANYWAY, let's get back to what we're all actually here for."
It was unfair, even if she was right. The Hero let out a frustrated sigh and rolled his eyes.
"I already know everything that happened here, and I do understand that you've dispatched a cleanup crew to deal with the Ice Giant's body, right, Alf?"
"Affirmative, I sent my bots early in the morning. They are about 60.4% done with cleanup, and the Ice Giant is being transported to a more northern environment so that his ice can return to nature."
"Good… And we've established that the parasite was destroyed by Rod?"
"Most likely. Traces of it were found, not the actual physical body."
"It's done," the Gun User interrupted and moved closer to Alex, "I did what you asked for, now I actually wanna hear from your side of things."
She knew the demand was coming and prepared accordingly. Yet… her eyes showed conflict.
"What is it?" Rod asked.
Alex sighed.
"I believe there's a link between the Ice Giant and Elena's head. The type of magic used for both had Spellex infusion."
"What are you talking about?"
Alex was about to continue until Alf surprisingly stepped forward.
"It is better to explain the basics so that you can follow along. Do you know how magic is created on the planet?"
"I think I remember from school," Rod replied in exasperation.
"Splendid. Then let me re-enlighten you," the machine stated in a condescending tone, "Magic is an umbrella term for Mana, which is passively generated by all living organisms, including the planet itself. Most Mana we breathe comes from the core of the planet that manages to escape through Mana Flows or Burst Holes."
"Yeah… I already know all that-"
"Listen, Rod," Alex cut in, "If you don't, you won't understand the specifics."
"Thank you," Alf continued his educational monologue, "This mana in the air is what we call natural magic, and it is too unstable to be used effectively. That is why we process it through companies like Spellex or Aether Corp, who convert it into spells. Now… this is where you have to pay closer attention. Every kind of natural magic glows brightly when used, and each glow has its own signature. For example, the lightning around the Celestial Lands is a signature of magic that makes them float. Another example are the interlinks, or even you, Rod. The interlinks create a light that manifests a weapon, and your body generates mana that materializes as lightning, making it a middle point between natural and artificial magic. When we talk about artificial magic, the signature glow and effects are virtually nonexistent, but that doesn't mean they do not have any signature. That is where magic processing companies come into play."
Rod's brow furrowed. He put the pieces together.
"Like Alf said, natural magic is unpredictable," Alex continued, "That's why we use artificial magic: it's controllable by design. After the Helix War, Spellex became one of the most important providers of spells and potions. To make it safe, they had to completely eliminate the excessive signature effects. That's why people don't summon a lightning bolt each time they wanna make something float in their house."
"Okay… Why do you even suspect it's them?" the Hero asked.
"We're getting there! Have some patience," she retorted.
"Companies that process mana try their best to eliminate such signatures, though it is impossible to do it completely," Alf said, "Each company has their own method of reduction, which in turn creates their own custom signature. Spellex has a particular one with wood-like wind around its microscopic readings, only capable of being seen by specially designed microscopes."
Rod's eyes widened with understanding.
"In simple terms," the president continued, her gaze fixed on him, "... when we analyzed the signature of magic from the parasite in the Ice Giant's head and Elena's head, both had similar ones with some small modifications."
"To be precise," Alf added, "... the two samples showed signatures that were made by the same company, in the same factory, at the same time. My hypothesis is that a third party bought a rejuvenation spell from Spellex, changed its magical composition, then used it on Elena's head. I also suspect the Ice Giant was similar, only with a different overall spell. Did you feel something strange in the fight?"
"I felt like he was moving faster each second that passed," Rod responded, "Maybe he was getting a boost from magic? A potion perhaps?"
"My drone readings also suggest he was getting faster. Though, a potion would not be it. Nomu would have had to drink a river's worth to increase speed for a body that large."
Alf switched his view to the president.
"We might need to run the samples again and search for performance enhancements instead of just parasitic signs."
The implications were damning and demanded they move fast. Whoever was behind this conspiracy had gone to an unimaginable amount of trouble to instigate Rod.
"There's no time," Alex replied in a far more serious tone, "The SkyEye is gonna launch in less than a week, and we need to figure this out beforehand. Rod, we both want to find this person and take him down. If we work together, we might be able to do something about it."
Her words were true, even if Rod's mind screamed the opposite. He yearned to stay away from the government, from this trouble… Yet a chilling truth solidified: they were the only ones who could help him unravel this mystery… and the last thing he wanted was for Catra to discover the truth.
"Okay," the man finally responded, "Lead me where to go."
Alex nodded.
"You're gonna need to enter Efea and infiltrate Spellex files. There, we might be able to find a list of names that could narrow our search."
"Why not just phone them? Aren't they your main magic suppliers?"
"The problem is that they're protected by international trade law," Alex explained and crossed her arms over her chest, "We're gonna need the governmental groups of Efea to clear our search, and that's gonna create public discourse in both nations. It's the worst thing we need for SkyEye to launch… So the solution is going undercover. It won't be hard for you, right, Rod?"
The man contemplated for a moment. Was she sure about this? An infiltration is a big risk when it comes to safety… so taking charge of this would need conviction.
"You're really willing to risk a possible conflict with another nation just to finish that project of yours?"
"It's not about the SkyEye… It's about getting all of this sorted out so that it doesn't escalate. Trust me, I've gone over the options; this is the one where we both get what we want."
"Okay, I understand," Rod finally conceded.
"And of course, Catra could come back with us to the capital," the president offered, "That way, she'll be far away from this matter."
"No… that'll just make her suspicious. I would've never let her do it before, so doing it now would just make her curious and start asking questions. At least this way, I can handle them myself. Besides, she's always wanted to go to Efea."
"So be it. You two will head there via aerial transport from the airport-" Alex began until three sharp door knocks cut her off.
The three of them stood still. Then, the door opened smoothly and Oliver Lander walked in.
"Spellex Enterprise, huh?" he said while scanning the room, "Maybe their recent news allegations are right after all."
"Oliver, what are you doing here?" the president asked in surprise.
"I just wanted to be part of the meeting, seeing how you've been hiding something from me all this time."
Rod's eyes widened in alarm, not knowing the extent of what he heard.
"You were about to send Rod to investigate some samples in Spellex," the doctor stated calmly, "That's not a bad idea. But investigating all of its data requires you to infiltrate the main campus building with the most amount of security, and now THAT is a bad idea."
His logic was undeniable, and all of them knew.
"How much did you hear?" the Gun Hero asked.
"I only heard that you plan on stealing information from Spellex, nothing more. You gotta take a lot into account for that to happen. Believe me, I worked there, and I had access to user data. You'll need Alf to search trillions of names in less than 5 minutes."
"I am capable of such a thing," Alf confirmed flatly.
"But you can't be there, can you?" Oliver challenged, "Having a robot wandering around in a country full of natural magic and almost no mechanical technology does catch citizens' eyes, and the last thing we want is to attract more attention than needed, am I right, Alex?"
"Yes," she conceded.
A tense silence settled over the room and a faint smirk appeared on Oliver's lips.
"What if I told you I could help?"
"What do you propose?" Alf asked.
"I still have contacts inside the company. Maybe I could give them a call, and they can narrow down where the magic you're looking for came from."
"That could work," the robot responded when his internal calculations confirmed its viability, "Each magical spell has small differences in their signature, depending on the surrounding environments and the timeframe in which it was created."
The machine's agreement caught Alex by surprise, though her gaze snapped back to Oliver.
"How much time do you need to gain the information?"
"Give me a few hours, and I'll have it," the doctor promised, "The people I worked with owe me favors, so getting the information is a guarantee. I'll need some samples."
They all nodded in a silent acceptance of his terms before resuming strategizing.
"So the plan is for Rod and Catra to infiltrate the Spellex building indicated by the information from Oliver and-" Alex began until being interrupted by the doctor again.
"Wait… I think it would be a good idea for me to go with them, too."
Oliver's words brought silence with it. No one expected to hear it from him, nor did they know what to say. Except for Alex, that is.
"Oliver, this is a covert mission. You aren't trained for such a thing. If our hunch is right, this will be dangerous."
"I understand… but this seems like a bigger threat than anticipated. I know it had something to do with the Ice Giant. Does it also have to do with the terrorists attacking Grand North?"
"We… don't know…" Alex admitted.
"We have to know," Oliver insisted. "A peaceful creature like an Ice Giant doesn't normally attack humans. Did they use magic to alter his mind?"
"You seem to think the terrorist group was truly behind it all," the machine stated with intrigue.
"We don't know, and that's the problem."
Silence…
"Why you?" the president's tone hardened, "Why do you think you should go?"
That question was one he prepared for. His face suddenly transformed into a mask of sadness.
"Alex… I've known you for a long time now… and you know what happened to me."
His low voice was a direct appeal to their shared past, compelling her gaze to soften. He was the same as her… as Rod… burdened by loss.
"When I lost my wife and kid, I felt time freeze in place… I was stuck, unable to think or see past my sorrow… I felt like I was breathing, but I wasn't alive… And I thought that using my talents as a psychologist to help others would also help me move on. I told myself she would be proud, and even then, the pain still didn't go away. A few days ago, people almost died, and Rod was there to stop it… Things will most likely continue to escalate. If I help here, even if only for my connections or for my knowledge of the company, I can potentially save thousands of mothers and daughters from going through the same hardship I went through… and maybe… the pain inside me might finally stop…"
His plea resonated with sincerity and left the room silent. Alex felt bad for sure, though Rod identified with him the most. He remembered Elena and the pain that still clawed at his soul. That's where an intense impulse surged within him. Maybe he didn't trust him fully, but he trusted his pain.
"Doctor, you might not be grasping the seriousness of the mission itself-" Alf began before the Hero cut him off.
"If he has inside knowledge from the factory and where I could find the files we need, that live information will be useful in the changing field. Besides, I can protect him… and… we all know losing someone like that can be difficult. Moving on is… the hardest part… I'm not going without him."
Rod's voice challenged Alex. Talking about such losses also pressured her to acknowledge her own pain, her years in isolation and the loneliness that threatened to consume her.
"He may be right. Rod needs someone who understands the layout… And if Oliver's connections can speed this up... it's a risk we have to take," the president thought.
Against her better judgment, she found herself compelled to accept.
"I… understand," the president said, "You can go with Rod then… it's the least I can do after all you've done for our country… and for me. Rod, you have to guarantee his safety."
A triumphant grin broke across Oliver's face.
"Thank you… really, thank you very much. Let's go save the country."
"Let us know when you gain the information of where to go," Alf stated.
"I'll get right on that. Again, thank you very much!" the doctor replied and turned to leave, only for Rod to halt him.
"Oliver! Let's go save the country."
Oliver looked back and nodded. Then he left, leaving the three of them in an engulfing silence.
"Well… that was one hell of a manipulation tactic," Alf stated.
"Alf, the sooner this problem goes away, the better," she defended her decision, "It's hard enough to keep a whole Ice Giant attack a secret. If Oliver can help find out who is behind all of this, then it's better he helped. We've seen his abilities; I'm sure he will deliver."
"I am not against the idea," the machine responded, "I just find it strange that he said what he said. He is not really known to open up about his past."
Rod stepped in before Alex could respond.
"When people lose someone… they tend to lose themselves in the panic that comes after. He thinks he can overcome that by helping people… to me that sounds like a real hero, and I'm not gonna take that away from him… especially since some never find a way to make that pain go away…"
They all fell silent and contemplated his words, knowing exactly what he meant.
"I am sorry for hurting your feelings," Alf stated with a rare regret, "I know she is gone… and what you had to do was something no husband should ever go through."
"That's enough," the man responded.
He turned stiffly and headed for the door.
"I… I'll be waiting in my room. I have to clear my head a little."
Just after he left, Alex slammed her fist against Alf's metallic arm.
"Don't ever do that again," she warned and moved towards the exit too.
The President closed the door and Alf was left completely alone, only being able to reflect on his words.
"I am… sorry," the robot whispered in a digital lament that was never heard by anyone.