Back at headquarters, an urgent meeting was convened by Secretary Chief Brewster.
"Ladies and gentlemen, honorable members present, it has come to our attention that three of our basements were invaded. The perpetrators escaped with three gems along with the relic books. This is a crisis. We are certain they're heading toward the underwater basements at Hina Island for the final gem and puzzle book pages.
We won't transfer the relics elsewhere, because that would risk betrayal. No matter where we move them, they will find the location. Instead, we will redouble our efforts to arrest them once and for all. We have outnumbered them. Though I hear they've used dragons against us, we will deploy a larger fleet of navy ships, and send hybrids to patrol the air and underwater. Even if there is a leak, it will not help them — we have an unstoppable force of vast armies as a last resort. All hybrids from the three basements will be part of this army. Navy, paratroopers, and the general army will join the effort. This is what I call the Hina Army.
Let's see how far they get against the new vast Hina Army. Any questions?"
Silence fell before Brewster added, "I'll be waiting for them inside the basement. That means for the next two years, I'll stay near Hina Island to ensure these perpetrators are dealt with once and for all. Hopefully, we will restore all our stolen relics after capturing them. If not, we have alternative plans to recover the relics after about a year."
The meeting was adjourned.
Janssen, who had learned about Tiffy's situation through his ally Jack, called him urgently.
"Hi Jack! It's Janssen. I have urgent news!"
"Okay! How are you, Janssen?"
"I'm fine. Just came from an emergency meeting. It's about your daughter, Tiffy."
"Tiffy? What about her? What did the council decide?"
"The council plans to deploy vast armies from all three branches at key sites. The distant Hina Island still belongs to our country. With mutants and hybrids patrolling underwater and in the air, I'm afraid Tiffy and her team will just be arrested. The mission is impossible."
"I understand. What do you advise Tiffy then? I don't want to disappoint her — she's passionate about restoring magical order."
"I think you should tell her to abort the mission and flee, maybe become a fugitive in another country. How else can they get past the new Hina armies? Brewster plans to camp near Hina for two years to catch them."
"Okay. I'll try to convince her. Honestly, it's beyond me to help in this."
"Good luck with that. I wish your daughter were closer to you — she loves you and often campaigns for you on social media. I'm sure you miss her."
"I do miss her. But I don't want to cut short her ambitions. I have to be careful and sensitive."
"I gotta go. Take care."
Jack soon called Tiffy.
She answered quickly.
"Hello, Dad! I've missed you. Everything is still going well, don't worry."
"Oh, Tiffy, my daughter. I miss you too. But I have urgent news. Brewster, the secretary chief, knows about your recent theft of the three gems and relics. He's aware you're after the final gem and relic. He's ramping up security — vast armies from all three military branches, plus mutants and hybrid guards, will be stationed in the Hina sea zones. Janssen says you should abort the mission and become fugitives elsewhere. Hina Island is part of our country, so you must avoid docking there."
A brief silence followed before Tiffy, with her allies listening closely, replied, "Dad, we can't just abort the mission and become fugitives. We've come too far to give up now! I'm sure there's a way you can help."
"Tiffy, this is beyond me. I'm sensitive to your goals but can't help in matters out of my control."
"Our weapons can't combat them. Even if we steal the relics secretly, they'll still hunt us down. The remaining relics are stored even further away… Okay, Dad, we'll think it through. We'll keep in touch. I love you."
"I love you too. Just stay alive. If you become fugitives, I'll find you."
"Okay." The call ended.
Silence fell as everyone pondered anxiously.
Nick broke the silence. "Okay, guys. The situation's trickier than we thought. They want to play games. What's the plan?"
"I think we need to contact Luca, weird as that sounds. He can standby near Hina Island. We must focus on combating the sea guards while trying to steal the final relics. We need to maintain our lanes, like hesitant gales. If we get the relics and perform the unlocking kiss quickly, it will neutralize the hybrids and mutants. And guys, today's Saturday — you know what that means. We should relax a bit, like good students of the signs of the times. We'll figure it out ahead," Elizabeth said suggestively.
"Okay, let's say we neutralize the hybrids. Then what? Do we keep switching our games? Life seems full of games! What does that even mean?" Mikal asked.
"No, guys, let's be serious. We need to move on. The time for games is over. We have to face everything head-on and embrace life," Lama replied.
"That sounds optimistic. So Luca's team helps us fight the vast military if we neutralize the hybrids and mutants all at once. We should gear up for more challenges ahead," John added.
"You watch too many misleading ads with all that talk about action pack movies and 'entertainments ahead'!" Jasmine said.
"I mean since it's Saturday, we maintain a relaxed status but can't be lazy with the back-and-forth. We have to mature. Being like about thirty and still switching games sounds like a joke to me," John said.
"I hear you, John. So, mature our games according to our age and future," Tiffy said. "But what's the way forward?"
"Move away from signs, action pack movies and ads. Let our actions speak louder," John replied.
"Okay, but how? You sound anxious about the future and backward steps," Tiffy pressed.
"We need to contact Luca immediately. No postponing. Today is the perfect day," John said.
"Fine! Nick, contact Luca. Tell him to meet us at Hina Island. Find all secret routes, even if it takes months. The fleet must meet us there," Tiffy ordered.
Nick used the walkie-talkie to call Luca.
"No more delays. John's right: today is the perfect day. Luca agreed to begin the long journey toward Hina Island. It'll take about thirty days. He'll fly secretly at high altitudes. Emotionally, it makes sense to all as we look to the future. We move forward, no matter what," Nick reported.
"Enough entertainment debates. We've agreed: forward ever, backward never, as Nick reiterated. We need to prepare for war," Jasmine said.
"Our survival depends on Luca's arrival via secret routes. We should have planned this earlier instead of getting stuck in drama, which irritates John. Even if Luca flies at high altitudes, we'll still face vast armies. If we dive when we spot guards, we might meet fewer hybrids underwater. That way, we steal the relics, perform the unlocking kiss, then escape with the dragons. After that, we figure out how to overthrow the government with the four gems. This is about the perfect couple, honestly," Tiffy said.
"I get it. If we unlock the good magic, everything returns to normal. All magic is controlled by the holders. Are you suggesting we overthrow the government using the gems? Even if it means becoming wanted?" Elizabeth asked.
Tiffy replied softly, "Elizabeth, that's the only way to stop the problems before they get worse. With my dad's support, we overthrow the government, root out systemic evil, and maybe establish a monarchy by referendum. We might be heroes after all."
"A monarchy? I can't imagine being queen to Nick," Elizabeth said jokingly.
"Good luck with that! I can't wait either," Tiffy laughed.
"Potential queens, don't underestimate the secretary chief," Nick said satirically.
"The secretary chief? Sounds tough and intimidating. Time will tell who we're up against," Tiffy said.
"I'm not afraid of him. But we can't take him lightly. We've lucked out so far. If he's the final boss guarding the last relics, we must be ready. He holds great influence," Nick added.
Chief Elias joined, "I heard this director gets steroid shots making him stronger, faster, immune to weapons, taller, and braver. If we are ever gonna face him, we must be mentally prepared."
"Wow, that makes things worse. Dodging might be better than fighting head-on. Our mission is to steal the relics and escape, not necessarily defeat the final boss. The unlocking kiss will neutralize him too — if we execute it carefully," Tiffy concluded.