"Tecro, but how is this possible?" he murmured, pointing at one of the people present. "Call your office. Tell them they've tampered with the image and placed people who aren't responsible for this horrendous event."
The agent nodded and quickly dialed from his phone. The scene was absolute chaos. Agent Mina arrived on-site with two other colleagues, but what they found was devastating: all the vehicles from their unit were destroyed, some riddled with bullet holes; the agents in the front had lost their lives, and those in the back were critically injured.
"Call an ambulance," Mina ordered urgently, and one of her companions immediately contacted emergency services.
Following the trail of destruction left by Paul and Vera, they reached the car where Carlo had been traveling. The vehicle was completely wrecked, engulfed in fierce flames.
"Use the car's fire extinguisher, and you, call the firefighters as well," Mina instructed firmly, delegating tasks among her team.
Once the flames were extinguished, they discovered a completely incinerated body inside the car.
"Oh no, Carlo!" Mina exclaimed, tears streaming down her face, her voice trembling with anger and sorrow. "Those damn bastards will pay for this!"
She looked at her phone again, staring at the image of those supposedly responsible for the massacre. But something didn't add up. She brought a hand to her mouth, incredulous.
"How? Why?" she whispered, confused. "How is this possible?"
She decided to call Tecro immediately. He explained that someone had altered the images. It seemed the culprits didn't want to leave any trace, and the true faces of those involved only existed in the memories of those who had seen them that night.
"Damn it… Who are these people?" Mina muttered, clenching her fists in frustration.
The next morning, Jeff, Tecro, and their four companions who had been at the orphanage prepared to attend the funeral of their fallen comrades. They couldn't use the police station as a meeting point since it was under investigation by the special brigade, which had taken control of the city to conduct an exhaustive examination of the dangerous case.
During the journey, Tecro remained lost in thought, recalling the faces of the attackers. Though the scene had occurred in the dark, he tried to reconstruct their features by moving his hands in the air as if drawing invisibly.
"Are you okay?" one of his companions asked, noticing his distraction.
But Tecro stayed focused, immersed in his thoughts.
"A bear mask… I think I saw a bear mask on the guy's head," he murmured, walking slowly as he pieced together the details.
"Take it easy, kid. Don't stress yourself out more than necessary. We're out of the game for now, and besides, we don't have a fixed base to operate from," Jeff said, pulling Tecro out of his trance.
The others approached, curious.
"What are you two planning?" one of them asked.
Jeff explained that they would go after those responsible for the attack on their station colleagues. The four nodded without hesitation.
"We're with you, boss. We'll follow you wherever necessary," one of them affirmed with determination.
The ceremony began shortly afterward. The victims' families arrived overwhelmed by grief. Jeff and his companions offered their condolences with respect. Later, at the cemetery, the corresponding burial took place. With a solemn salute, they bid farewell to their fallen comrades as their bodies were laid to rest in the earth.
Once the ceremony concluded, the four approached Jeff.
"Well, boss, when do we start?"
"Let this day be for reflection. Tomorrow, we'll meet at Jobru's coffee house to plan our next move. Rest, young ones," Jeff responded calmly.
They all nodded.
"Understood," they said in unison before leaving.
Jeff turned to Tecro.
"Do you want me to take you home?"
"Sir, my home was practically the office," the young man replied with a hint of melancholy.
"Right, I forgot you're an orphan too. Well, you can come to my house, but first, we'll make a stop at the hospital."
Both got into Jeff's civilian car and set off toward the hospital to visit Ana.
At the hospital, Jeff entered the room where Ana lay motionless in bed, connected to a machine monitoring her vital signs. By her side, sitting with a serene but weary expression, was Elsa—always loyal and protective. They greeted each other with a respectful nod.
Elsa observed Tecro carefully and smiled nostalgically.
"Look how you've grown, young man. The last time we went to the orphanage, I didn't recognize you. I still remember when you were a little troublemaker… And look at you now, all grown up and working within the law," she said warmly, which caused Tecro to blush slightly.
"Thank you, Sister Elsa," the young man replied, somewhat uncomfortable but grateful.
Elsa used to be strict with others, but the attack on the orphanage seemed to have drained some of her usual energy.
"Yes… And I hope we can find those two," Jeff said, showing Elsa the photograph in which she and the orphanage maintenance staff appeared. "Although they have already managed to escape from us, using you both as decoys."
Elsa examined the image closely, frowning.
"Wow… I don't know much about technology, but I wonder why they wanted those children so desperately. Plus, they looked very different from when we saw them," she commented, adjusting her cast arm carefully.
Jeff approached the mother superior, who was seated next to Ana, gently holding her hand.
"I promise I'll make those two pay with the full weight of the law," he declared firmly.
The mother superior stood slowly, carefully releasing Ana's hand, and approached Elsa.
"Take care of her," Jeff asked in a grave tone.
"All right," Elsa responded with determination. "But don't get yourself hurt. The mother superior is waiting for you."
"Don't worry, I don't plan on dying before catching those responsible for this chaos," Jeff assured her, looking at her with resolve. "Let me know when she wakes up. You already have my number."
Elsa nodded as they both exited the room, leaving behind the faint hum of the machines keeping Ana alive.
In another location, a group of people was gathered in a hangar. Among them were Adia, Eduard, Ezequiel, Gat, Marie, Lidia, Rino, and the two rogue scientists from Radar. In front of them stood a dog, whose presence sparked both curiosity and confusion.
"Is that Podbe?" Adia asked, pointing at the animal.
The dog stared back at her intently, as if understanding every word.
"Where is Reia? And why do you have an inverted crescent moon on your forehead?" Adia continued, her voice filled with questions.
The other girls in the group approached the puppy with excitement.
"Oh, it's a puppy! Such a cute little thing!" they exclaimed, thrilled.
"What is this dog doing here?" the group leader asked, turning to Marie.
"What a cute little pup!" Leila added, approaching the animal with curiosity.
When she touched the dog, the inverted crescent moon on its forehead began to glow intensely. Suddenly, Leila froze, as if something inside her had shifted. Her voice echoed through the room, but it wasn't just hers anymore. It was as if multiple voices were speaking through her.
"What's happening to her?" Mark asked, alarmed.
"I don't know," Margaret replied, clearly puzzled.
Azulema stepped in, a mix of awe and fascination in her expression.
"This girl continues to surprise me. She has the power to connect minds. Let's see what she has to say."
Leila—or rather, the voices now emerging from her—began to speak.
"Hello, I'm Reia. I've returned to being with this little dog," said one voice, soft and gentle.
"And I am Podbe," added another voice, deeper and more resonant.
Adia, still incredulous, pressed further:
"How is this possible?"
"I don't know," one of the voices responded, "but as soon as she touched us, it allowed us to establish a connection with you."
Rosa and Ada exchanged excited glances.
"It's amazing! Our friend is truly out of this world," they said in unison.
Eduard, ever analytical, couldn't help but ask:
"Podbe, why do you have an inverted crescent moon on your forehead?"
The dog tilted its head to one side, as if pondering the question. The voices speaking through Leila responded:
"I don't know. I can't see my own face."
Leila then looked at the dog's face, and the voices confirmed:
"Yes, it's true. We don't know what caused that occurrence."
"Hey, what happened? The last we heard, you went through one of those doors with Urion and disappeared," Ezequiel asked, eyeing the dog curiously.
The leader frowned as he listened attentively.
"Hey, Marie, that's not Nick's voice," he noted, addressing her seriously.
"Yes, boss, that's what I was trying to tell you," Marie quickly replied. "Perhaps Agent B-Doce's subconscious is inside that dog, which is why he hasn't woken up."
"Interesting…" the leader murmured, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
Adia leaned toward the dog, her expression full of anticipation.
"Then tell us, what happened?"
The voices within Leila began to speak again, echoing like a ripple through the room.
"All right, I'll tell you through this girl. Before we disconnect or something unexpected happens, I don't know how long this connection will last," the voices explained.
The narration began, clear and evocative.
"We were in a white place, as if it were space itself. The guardian Urion and I were fighting. He exploded, and the imminent blast enveloped the entire area. At that moment, I, Podbe, returned to my dog form as the system began to reboot. But after transforming into a canine, I disappeared along with everything else. I thought I had died for good. However, a cloud in the shape of a woman enveloped me. I believe it was the same one we saw inside Aiden when he opened the portal. She told me, 'It is not yet your time to die, little one. You have a lot to do.' She wrapped me in her energy, and it made me remember my canine mother. When I woke up, I was there with all of you. That's what happened," Podbe concluded through Leila.
"I see…" the others said, nodding slowly.
"There's no time to waste. We need to go after Aiden. The woman-cloud indicated to me before vanishing that a great evil was approaching, and we'll need all the help we can get," the canine continued narrating urgently.
Reia, projecting her voice through Leila, added:
"Wow, I didn't think I'd return to the system. I enjoyed being human for a while. But anyway, I also don't know what that inverted crescent moon on Podbe's forehead means. I'll figure it out."
Both voices concluded in unison:
"Let's hurry and go after Aiden."
With those words, the voices faded, and Leila regained consciousness. She blinked, confused, looking around.
"What was that?" she asked, bringing a hand to her head.
Azulema quickly approached to steady her, ensuring she didn't fall.
"Easy, girl. It seems you need to learn how to control that connection. No one in the team can do something like that. I'll have to train you more," Azulema said firmly, though her tone remained kind.
The leader interrupted, his deep and authoritative voice filling the room.
"Right, we need to hurry. Zeus's plan had likely already been set in motion. That's why those orphan abductions have been happening all over the world."
Adia stepped forward, her gaze resolute.
"Boss, may I have permission for Azulema to remove the seal from my mind? I realized it was useless without being able to use my powers to their fullest. There was a very strong enemy in that guy's group, and I couldn't defeat him."
Azulema quickly interjected.
"But it's painful. Can you handle it?"
"Yes," Adia replied firmly, her eyes reflecting determination.
The leader nodded after a few moments of silence.
"I see that you're determined. I approve. Azulema, prepare whatever is necessary to help her. We'll need all the help we can get if there's something worse than Urion on the way."
"If there's no other choice," Azulema said, crossing her arms. Then she turned to Adia. "Come with me, then."
She grabbed Adia by the arm and instructed Mark:
"Prepare Area One B."
Meanwhile, the leader departed, muttering to himself.
"I'll go to Leader D's lab. Maybe they'll have something for my hand. And I'll take these two scientists with me. I'll find a purpose for them later."
With those words, he left the hangar, leaving the others preparing for what was to come.
"Hey, old man, in your absence, Ray was doing your job," Gat commented, addressing Ezequiel with a mischievous smile. "He's an intense guy; you can't tell him to slow down."
Ezequiel shook his head.
"No, Ray is a good guy and knows what's best for the team. That's why I put him in charge during my vacation," he explained firmly but amiably.
Gat raised his hands in mock surrender, chuckling lightly.
"Well, fine… Let's meet up with the gang," he said as he walked away with Ezequiel, their footsteps echoing behind them.
Meanwhile, Marie, the secretary, approached Lidia and Rino with a clear order.
"Guys, take care of that dog," she instructed, pointing at Podbe, who was sitting calmly on the ground.
"Yes, ma'am," they both replied in unison. Rino bent down and gently lifted the canine into his arms as if cradling a precious little puppy.
The rest of Azulema's team began to withdraw, following her in silence. They were still exhausted from using their powers intensely and knew they would need to wait for Eduard to provide them with some of his "miracle juice" to regain their strength.
Meanwhile, the leader turned to Marie, his expression serious but calm.
"All right, Marie, we need to talk," he said as they walked toward a larger door, different from the one the others had taken.
Inside their minds, Podbe and Reia exchanged thoughts silently.
"Podbe, what happened?" Reia asked, her mental voice filled with curiosity. "I can't figure out how we were able to project our voices onto that girl. I need to investigate further. Also, I need to catch up with your system. Something has changed; this entire space feels different to me. I need to know everything if we're going to face enemies as strong as that, Sir Larot."
"Understood," Podbe responded in his boy form, nodding seriously. "I'll enter rest mode for now. Do as these humans instruct."
The boy-dog closed his eyes, focusing, as his body relaxed into a state of vigilant calm.
Everyone present began to split up, each with specific tasks in mind. They knew they had to prepare themselves to the fullest to rescue Aiden and the other orphans. Time was running out, and the threat looming over them was too great to underestimate.