The morning sun was just peeking through the clouds as Team Unknown made their way down the corridor to General Luis's office. Last night had left a lingering sense of mystery—and, apparently, a bit of hope.

Fon walked beside Val, casting sidelong glances with an air of curiosity he was too shy to hide. Bo and Riggs trailed behind, half listening but fully interested in the conversation up front.

Finally, Fon broke the silence, his voice timid but his question direct. "Val, uh… you were smiling last night after you, well, collapsed. It creeped us out, you know. Like… really creeped us out."

Val raised an eyebrow and then looked down at Fon, who, despite his eleven-year-old appearance, was taller than one would expect for his age. From behind, Bo snorted, trying to stifle a laugh.

"Oh yeah, seriously," Bo interjected, amused. "First you collapse, then you start smiling like you're sharing a joke with yourself. Pretty sure Riggs had one foot out the door, just in case you were… I don't know, possessed or something."

Riggs made a big show of looking offended. "Hey! That was just self-preservation instincts, alright? I've seen too many horror films. I know how this goes."

Val chuckled, his expression softening as he placed his hand on Fon's head, ruffling his hair despite the younger boy's attempts to swat his hand away. "Let's just say I was… doing some reflecting," he said, his tone light, as if that single statement could encompass the whole of last night's strange encounter.

Bo and Riggs stopped, eyes widening. They exchanged glances, surprise clear on their faces. Then, slowly, wide grins began spreading.

"Oh, reflecting, huh?" Bo echoed, nodding as if he were some wise sage. "So the great Val can now reflect. This is news."

Val smirked. "I don't know, Bo. You might want to try it sometime. Could work wonders."

Riggs cracked up, unable to keep a straight face. "I dunno, Val. Bo and reflecting? Might cause a system overload."

Bo rolled his eyes but couldn't help grinning. "Laugh it up, Riggs. Remember who covered for you last mission when you accidentally—"

"Hey, hey!" Riggs cut him off, his hands raised defensively. "Some details should stay classified, alright?"

They continued down the hall, chuckling as they nudged and teased one another. The momentary ease melted the tension from last night, and as they approached the General's office, Val couldn't help but feel grateful for the way they kept things light, even with everything they faced.

As they reached the door, Bo glanced up at Val, who was lost in thought, and asked, "So… Deleo's back, huh?"

Val's mouth quirked into a half-smile. "Yeah, I think so."

When they opened the door, it was only General Luis, waiting for them. Seeing the lightened mood on the team, a sigh of relief awashed the General's demeanor.

Val noticed and quirked his eyebrow. "Anything wrong, sir?" while sitting down.

The General just shook his head and a faint smile painted across his face, then he started the briefing for their next mission.

He switched on the hologram, but didn't look at it. He let the team in front of him, look at it. He just clasped his hands on top of his desk, waiting.

Everyone fell silent as soon as the video clip was finished. The video was about the heinous activities again of two of the most notorious underworld syndicates: Hades' Wrath, and Black Lotus. Given this video, this would mean that Black Lotus is an ally of Hades' Wrath, which the team previously tried to uncover. Now, with this evidence, it's clear as day.

Val frowned after watching it and crossed his arms on his chest, "Now there's evidence, I don't think it's within our jurisdiction to uncover more."

Val continued, but paused, "Unless..." then he looked at the General with a cold gaze.

The General nodded, "Yes. The top brass wants these two biggest underworld organization to be gone. Nothing good will come out of the news when these two are involved. Although police will not boldly say it, they instead gave the evidence to us. To you." pointing the finger towards the team.

Going by the books, nothing really can be done if police are involved, and if Underworld organization are involved. So, they requested help from the ones who are in between these lines.

Fon shifted uncomfortably, breaking the silence. "So… they really expect us to take on both of them?" His tone held a mix of disbelief and worry, his eyes darting around the room. "This isn't just some rogue cell or small faction. These are the big leagues."

Bo leaned forward, resting his arms on the table, his expression unusually serious. "This isn't just about shutting down their operations, either," he muttered. "Hades' Wrath and Black Lotus together… That's like mixing fire and poison. If we're going up against both, they'll have plans to make sure we don't get close."

Riggs nodded, adding with a slight frown, "Exactly. They're both known for using informants and decoys. We could be walking right into a trap if we're not careful."

Val's brows furrowed as he processed their concerns. "Then we have to be ahead of them," he said, his tone colder than usual.

"We need to understand how they operate, how they cover for each other. Every detail counts. We're not going in blind-"

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As he spoke, Val suddenly froze mid-sentence. A shadowy whisper crept into his mind, breaking through his thoughts.

"Hades' Wrath… lovely. Can't believe they're still clawing around the underworld. And Black Lotus? How amusing," Deleo's sarcastic voice echoed in Val's mind, a hint of disdain lacing his words.

Val resisted the urge to sigh, a tick mark forming on his forehead. Could you maybe give me a heads-up when you decide to pop in? he muttered mentally.

Deleo only chuckled, and Val just breathed as he tried to maintain his composure, though he felt a cold shiver run down his spine.

Bo noticed Val's pause and tilted his head, confused. "Val? You good?"

Val took a breath, steadying himself. "Deleo's back," he said simply, his tone carefully measured. He looked at his team, waiting for their reaction.

Fon's eyes widened, a mix of fear and curiosity flashing across his face. "So… what does he have to say about this?", Though Fon hadn't witnessed Deleo's control over Val directly, he'd heard enough about him during training with Exeo.

Val hesitated, listening as Deleo's voice continued in his mind, clearly not one to stay silent when his enemies were involved.

"Oh, you have a new one in the team," Deleo said, amusement lacing his words. "Let me meet him next time, Val."

"Shut it. Just tell me what you know."

Deleo just chuckled, and continued. "You've dealt with Hades' Wrath, but Black Lotus? They're more refined by comparison, yet equally rotten. They have a… history. Here, let me just show you."

Then, Val instinctively pressed a hand to his temple, trying to filter the rush of memories Deleo was sharing with him. He looked at the team, finally finding his voice.

"Deleo's saying Hades' Wrath…aside from them, which we have all encountered several times in the past missions..."

With Exeo and Ember, was left unsaid.

He continued, "They have a deep-rooted alliance with Black Lotus. It goes way back," he explained, each word deliberate, recalling the scenes flashed before his eyes shown by Deleo.

He continued, "They're more than just allies—they're tangled together. He knows their methods, their tactics. He'll help us prepare."

Riggs raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "I mean, having Deleo, an ancient, with insider knowledge is a pretty big advantage. But, uh…" He glanced around nervously. "Is he actually… reliable?"

Val sighed internally at Deleo's reaction. "Oh my, how bold of him to call me ancient," Deleo muttered, sounding both amused and insulted.

"He's not wrong," Val replied dryly, earning an indignant "Hey! I'd let you know-" from Deleo.

Turning back to the team, Val nodded at Riggs. "Yeah, I can vouch for him. Besides, he...was the one who had at least more knowledge with the Blovik Empire, remember?"

That earned Deleo's silence, a rare occurrence. He hadn't expected Val to acknowledge his contributions, given their recent struggles.

This time, Val noticed Deleo got silent. "You gonna say something?", he remarked with amusement and tease in his voice.

"No, and...thank you, Val." Deleo's voice softened.

Val gazed his eyes slightly lower, but could feel Deleo's emotions already.

General Luis regarded him thoughtfully. "If Deleo's willing to share details, I'd advise you to listen. Any advantage, any insight, will give us a better chance. We need every advantage we can get."

Val just nodded, letting his shadow observe.

Bo leaned back, giving Val a once-over. "So, our resident ancient stepping in to play secret agent, huh?" he quipped, smirking slightly. "Think he'll keep his cool when things get intense?"

"I'm not sure whether to be grateful or insulted by that nickname." Deleo sighed, but amused on the nickname given.

Val stifled his laughter, but a chuckle escaped him.

Riggs just muttered when he saw Val's reaction, "Ah, the ancient heard you Bo."

He glanced back at Bo, stifling his laughter. "That's more your specialty, if I remember correctly."

Bo grinned. "Hey, I'm unpredictable, not unstable. Huge difference."

Riggs snorted, "If that's the case, then I'm sure we'll be fine. Two unpredictable guys and one ancient—what could go wrong?"

Fon shook his head with a small laugh, though his eyes still held a flicker of nervousness. "Well, as long as Deleo's not, y'know… actually planning to possess anyone here, then I guess we're good?"

Deleo scoffed in Val's mind. "Possessing them? Hardly—" he paused, suddenly offended. "Hey! Why do they treat me like a ghost?"

That was the last straw. Val doubled over, laughing, from the sheer absurdity of it. Bo and Riggs exchanged a bewildered look.

Riggs, however, took a step back, looking at him with an uneasy expression.

"Oh, he's possessed, alright," Riggs declared, backing toward the door. "Bo, get the door! We're getting someone—"

Bo grabbed his arm, tugging him back. "Riggs, don't! He's just talking to Deleo!"

"Are we sure? Because that laugh sounded—"

Riggs started to protest, only for Val to burst into laughter again. A lone tear formed at the edge of his eye as he caught his breath, waving them off.

In the hallway, several HQ staff members halted, giving the door wary glances as laughter and raised voices filtered out. Two junior recruits whispered in confusion, one murmuring, "Do you think they're okay in there?"

The other recruit shook his head, wide-eyed. "I heard one of them's possessed… or has, like, a ghost or something? Maybe we should get backup?"

Inside, General Luis finally cleared his throat, giving the team an exasperated look. "If you're done scaring the life out of everyone in HQ," he said dryly, eyeing the door, "I'd like to continue the briefing."

He was amused by the chaos inside his office.

Val composed himself, muttering a quick apology, but the barely-suppressed laughter from his teammates didn't go unnoticed. Riggs, stifling a grin, muttered under his breath, "Could've sworn HQ was gonna have to send in an exorcist."

"Thanks for that comforting assurance," Fon muttered, looking a little green.

Val shot Riggs a withering look, but the corners of his mouth twitched, betraying his amusement.

General Luis gave one last bemused sigh before resuming the briefing, though a hint of a smile lingered at the edge of his usually stern expression as he noticed the team's lingering smirks.

As soon as the briefing was done after the chaos, Val left followed by his team.

As they exit the briefing room, Riggs shudders, glancing around warily. "I'm telling you, we need an HQ supply of holy water. Maybe even an exorcist on standby."

Bo chuckles, nudging him. "Oh yeah, because Val's ancient friend will love that. Just keep a salt shaker in your pocket, Riggs—you never know when it'll come in handy."

Riggs narrows his eyes, dead serious. "I'm not kidding, Bo. This place is haunted enough without you-know-who's 'Void energy' adding to it."

A pair of junior recruits stationed nearby listen, eyes wide with apprehension.

Recruit 1: "Did you hear that?" one whispers. "They're talking about... possession now?"

The other recruit nods, face pale.

Recruit 2: "I heard one of them carries a haunted blade or something. And if you see glowing eyes in the hallway… don't look back."

They exchange horrified glances, both silently vowing to keep their distance from the infamous Team Unknown.

The rumor of Team Unknown's latest "possession" quickly circulated through HQ, solidifying their reputation as both the most efficient and the most chaotic squad around.

Val, walking toward the door, pauses and turns back. He meets General Luis's gaze, and for a moment, they exchange a wordless understanding—a recognition of the difficult mission ahead.

Val gives a small nod. "We'll see it through," he says quietly, the weight of responsibility evident in his tone.

General Luis nods back, his expression softening. "I know you will. Just… don't let anything else 'follow' you back, alright?", and the doors shut closed.