-The Hub, Aug 27th, 8:35 am-

Staring at the pod, Jack contemplated what to do. Should he let Luka open the pod to release his sister or keep her contained to prevent her from harming herself? If what that creature said is true, she would have her desires restored soon. Then again, his pessimistic side told him the creature was playing tricks on him. Should he try and release her, holding on to false hope that she will be restored?

"Could keeping her sealed be selfish?"

"Probably."

Slightly turning his head, noticing the bespectacled girl approaching him.

"What do you think?"

"Wait two weeks and then release her. I doubt it will happen quickly."

"Do you believe that creature?"

"Not at all. I partook in researching if Cloak fit into many of the myths and legends, even fairy tales. I think we met a djinn, bad news. Making a wish is like a double-edged sword. I'm glad I kept questioning it." She yawned while lazily ruffling her hair. "I doubt I would be satisfied with my desire granted. It is not the strange entity that would be the problem. It's getting everything you want instantly without effort or playing with the very fabric of nature to control someone."

"Good, my instincts were right."

"What is our plan?" pondered the girl. "School will start for you in Germany next week, as for me... I got nothing."

"You have something."

"I am still exhausted." She yawned.

"You have been exhausted since I met you." He snorted. "We finished the mission, and now we wait and train."

"Maybe we can offer Blair our assistance?"

"She wants to finish her mission herself." The bandanna teen reminded. "When she and Selen-ja want our help, then we will. We can visit her, but I don't think they need help with The Count at the moment."

"Well... there is one thing to do. They should be here in a little bit. What do you think of them?"

"At first, I thought they were fools. They seemed too carefree and went off-topic when the situation evolved to more drastic levels. Now... I have not seen the others battle with the scarab, but Jake was not a burden."

"He exceeded the percentage of not dying, like the others. I guess we can trust them. The question is, do we follow Jake? I noticed they act as his subordinates."

"Hn, subordinate is not the right word. He does not look or fit the leader type." He turned around. "As long as he does not treat me like a mindless thug, I don't care."

"Affirmative." She smiled. "And... we should at least tell them a little about ourselves. We don't have to tell every detail of our lives."

"I will tell them something that ties into my sister."

Over half an hour later, the others arrived. Guardian told them to hold off on training for today and tomorrow. Jack was reluctant, but Jin convinced him to relax after their summer-long quest, and with Lina's help, he reluctantly agreed. No training for today, but did they want to celebrate a threat thwarted despite the circumstances of how it was dealt with? While wondering what to do next, Lina invited them over to her apartment back in Scotland. Utilizing the Teleportation Room, the group set off to a new location.

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-Scotland, Apartment Complex, 2:40 pm-

Carefully emerging from her closet, Lina cautiously peered around her bedroom, then left the closet and approached the bedroom door. Jack emerged from the closet, arms crossed, while observing the girl poke her head out of the bedroom while the others appeared one by one. The crimson-haired girl saw her Dummy Doll counterpart washing windows. She nodded and whispered to the duplicate.

"Hey."

The Dummy Doll stopped, then turned to her with a lazy look. "Hi, mission accomplished?"

"Affirmative." The girl approached the doppelganger and held out her hand. "I'll clean up. Hope nothing important happened."

The Dummy Doll reverted to its cube form and was absorbed by the girl. She settled on the couch and closed her eyes, delving into the memories from the past few months. As the others emptied into the living space, Jake surveyed the living room of the apartment.

The arrangement of furniture and miscellaneous items exuded a simple, cozy, and calm vibe. The others dispersed around the space. Christina and Amy were complimenting the plants by the window. Tanya was analyzing a painting hung across from them. Ryu and Sam were peering out the window, commenting about the scenery. Jack quietly leaned against the wall with his arms folded. "This is a nice place, Lina. Something about it makes me feel relaxed."

"Affirmative, as was intended." The plant warrior calmly yawned as she sorted through the memories. "Yep, restocked food. If you are hungry, I can prepare a meal. It is customary to serve guests." she said lazily.

The water teen noticed a few photos on a table featuring an older man with a beard and short hair. "Is that your brother, cousin, or?"

"My uncle." She opened her eyes. "Seems he stopped by four weeks ago." She smiled lightly. "My Dummy Doll and him went to a theme park." She went to the kitchen. "Do you all like Salmon? Any allergies?"

Everyone agreed on the Salmon and disagreed on food allergies.

Observing the girl heading to the kitchen space, Amy was concerned. "These are the only pictures she has. No other family members."

"True, but..." Christina pondered. "But if she wants to tell us, she will. It is not our business."

"That never stopped you before."

The violet-eyed girl scoffed as the electric joker. "Shut up."

"Please don't pry into people's private matters." Tanya sat on the couch and then crossed her legs. "Gossip is not always fact."

"I know that, but I sense there is a story."

"There is." Jack replied while sitting in a chair. "Don't force it out of her, or she will stare at you as if you are an individual with an inferior mind."

"Is it one of those unnerving, eerie stares? Cuz I get that from mom if she thinks she's right." Sam said.

"More condescending."

"I will be the judge of that."

"You understand her better." The fire warrior interjected. "It surprised me that she invited us to her apartment after a day. Most don't do that."

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The rock teen shook his head. "You assisted us. She is expressing her hospitality as thanks. Whether she tells you about herself is up to her."

"She's a child spy for the government!?" Ryu enthusiastically smiled, teeth showing. "A trained assassin to hunt down rogues the government can't handle." He picked up a lamp to look underneath. "Any secret buttons to reveal a cache of weapons and other secret spy stuff?"

"Nein." Jack replied, his annoyance showing. "Nothing that lines up your immature fantasies."

"Are you a spy?"

"Are you being serious?"

"He's not." Jake shrugged. "We're all curious, but we all understand if you don't want to tell us everything. If you have things you don't want to tell yet, then we don't mind. We can just have fun and enjoy a meal."

"... I have a question." Jack critically eyed the Fire Radiant. "What makes you a leader?"

Jake rubbed the back of his head, feeling sheepish at the attention on him. "I don't know what makes me a leader. Does playing soccer and leading a team a few times count?"

"It does not answer my question, but." The bandanna-wearing teen rubbed his chin. "I guess playing sports does help build resolve." He turned to the others. "The rest of you, why did you choose him?

"He's the first one to become a Radiant among the six of us." Ryu chuckled. "Though, that might not be a good reason."

Sam lazily shrugged. "Does giving corny speeches make a leader?"

"Offers words of encouragement." Amy sent a sincere smile at Jake, who blushed. "I think that makes a leader."

"He is definitely not arrogant or thinks he has all the answers." Christina folded her arms as she spoke with confidence. "Though, I am comparing him to other idiot World Leaders."

"He listens and does not demean us." Tanya cooly answered while placing a hand on her hip. "Is that good enough?"

"Not really, but it makes me think your leadership is a work in progress." He closed his eyes as if in deep thought. "Just don't be a jackass, Ishida."

Jake chuckled lightly. "Ah, thanks."

"My friend," The Ice Radiant sounded straightforward. "Forgive me for judging, but you strike me as the type to disobey authority."

The Terra Radiant slightly narrowed his eyes while smirking. "That type? I was involved in a gang." He scowled. "That 'gang' has since been removed."

"You didn't kill them." gasped the Light Radiant with shock. "Did you?"

"Pft." The group heard the scoff from the kitchen area. The aroma of cooking flowed through the air, accompanied by the sound of stirring. "Ha, he ratted them all out!"

The six Americans breathed a sigh of relief while Jack rolled his eyes.

"I was forced to join a street gang, compelled to steal and threaten people to ensure my own survival. Before long, I discovered they were distributing drugs from a bigger crime family. So, I secretly recorded everything and sent it to the authorities, which resulted in an international task force stepping in. Unfortunately, the person who pressured me to join suspected me of betrayal, forcing me to escape. I hid in an abandoned warehouse for hours until the crystal and Jin appeared. I accepted without hesitation. I figured getting abducted by aliens was better than what was in store for me." He held up his hand as a soft brown hue enveloped it. "A decision I do not regret."

"Brother, you brought down." Sam was impressed. "A crime family."

"No," scoffed Jack. "Just the fools who signed up to be their drug mules. The guy who chased me... well, I learned he was not arrested, but they found his body in the river a week later. I assumed the crime family blamed him and made an example of him. A government agent did find out I was the one who informed the authorities. They informed me they were one step closer to cracking the case with the crime family."

"You're okay now?" The Fire Radiant was sympathetic. "Did your parents worry?"

Jack's demeanor was a mix between anger and disappointed. "Parents divorced prior. Mom disowned me for being in the gang, but my dad wanted me to remain invisible to his new family in exchange for continuing my schooling. Only my sister, Johanna, actually cared. She was in her last year of college at the time and told me to live with her as soon as she gets a job that pays well."

"Man, your folks gave up on you that quick." Sam growled. "I bet they will feel salty now that you are a Radiant."

"Doubtful," shrugged the stoic teen. "Being a Radiant means trouble, so no. Dad likes routine, and mom is no-nonsense. My sister was excited about me saving the world." He smiled sadly. "She did not tell them; saved me a headache."

"Your sister fell to the Piper, then what about your parents' concern for her?" asked the Light Radiant.

"They don't believe in the 'Death Melody'. They believe her lack of drive and... attempted suicide was just her wanting attention. They turned their back on her, saying: 'She's old enough, she does not need us.'" He spoke every word with venom.

"Horrible people." The water girl was disgusted. "I'm sorry, Jack."

"Why did they refuse to care?" snorted the lightning boy.

"None of them believe in mental health, so that is expected." growled the Terra Radiant.

"When do you plan on waking her?" asked the Fire Radiant. "If we believe what Cloak said, she should get her desire back."

"An unknown amount of time." responded the Frost Radiant. "That cur may have been giving you false hope."

"True." The Terra Radiant angrily grumbled. "I need to decide when to wake her. Perhaps a month from now?"

"It might work out." Amy reassured him. "You never know."

"Hn." Jack shook his head. "Time will tell.."

"Food is almost ready!" said the Flora Radiant as she prepared the eggs.

"Smells good." Ryu sniffed. "You said Salmon, right? What are you making?"

"Salmon Eggs Benedict." she replied while yawning. She went to the cabinet and took out chives. "I surmise you want to hear about me. It lacks the exhilaration of associating with a gang."

The short-haired raven nodded. "If it's painful, you don't have to tell us now."

She smiled. "Painful? No, but I felt... still feel I lost something when I look at other children. I graduated high school when I was ten."

"WHAT?!" Everyone, except Jack, was shocked by the information given to them. The girl continued cooking as if the truth she gave them was not a big deal.

"You are a child prodigy?" asked Jake with awe. "Wow, you are really smart!"

"Dude, she's a brainiac." Ryu spoke softly. "Is there a secret lab here? You made those Ivy Seeds with that big brain of yours."

"But..." Christina spoke. "That's awesome. Why does it sound bad?"

"I agree." smiled Tanya. "You should be proud of how gifted you are."

"No, wait!" Amy spoke with worry, noticing how Lina winced. "Everyone stop staring at her. Lina, did something happen?"

Lina sighed. "I felt I reached my peak."

Sam frowned. "Your peak? What do you mean? What happened?"

"Burnout. As soon as I went to college, I took more classes than required, wanting to graduate within 2 or 3 years. It's possible, but... I had a.. episode." She showed a dead-eyed gaze that scared them a little. "It was not a bad grade, but it was like I woke up one day and realized I lost myself. I saw other kids having fun with their friends and parents treating them like normal kids instead of an object for status. I felt I inefficiently made a massive error in my life. After a year and a half of college, I dropped out after screaming during an exam. My energy was replaced with fatigue. My parents were furious at me and told me to stop being lazy. I refused... then they sent me off to my uncle, and now my parents are using my younger brother to make him into an Olympic athlete. Unfortunately, my brother is just like them. Uncle, he cared about me and took me in."

The Light Radiant drifted her gaze to the pictures. "It's wonderful you and him live together."

"Not recently, he is a traveling engineer, so he is never in one place. He did remote work while helping me sort out my problems." She chuckled. "I still feel broken." He glanced at Sam. "Sometimes people see me as this creepy, weird girl."

The Wind Radiant's eyes widened, realizing she may have noticed how he was around her. "Ah... sorry."

"I forgive you; it's who you are. Your parents probably raised you to be weary around strange women."

"Not... entirely true..." he mumbled.

"Don't worry about it; I get that a lot, even from my parents and brother. My uncle is kind of like me, so he understands, but he graduated from high school at sixteen, so he had his childhood." She chuckled. "Since he travels and owns this apartment, he lets me do what I want. I arranged the interior and bought some furniture to fit my style. To be more productive, I wrote and published a book you may have heard of. Myth Hunter: Ellen O'Mallon."

"You wrote that book?" Jake gasped. "But... the person is Erica Lang... oh."

"Oh?" Ryu looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Lina O'Grace." Christina chuckled. "Rearrange the letters and take out the O. You get Erica Lang... but that picture."

"I have a black wig in the closet." She sprinkled chives on the eggs. "Earned money off that book and am currently writing a sequel." She sighed. "When the crystal and Selen-ja came, it gave me a new sense of purpose. I accepted, wanting to be more than just an exhausted prodigy." She looked at each of them with a small smile. "That is my story. Now, you need to tell me a few things about you all." She crossed her arms. "You can tell me over a meal. Brunch is served."

Jake chuckled. "Sure, it's only appropriate."

Jack observed everyone grabbing a plate of food. After everyone grabbed their portion, he approached the counter to eat. Maybe this group will grow on him over time.

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-Aug 29th, London-

A mesmerized human approached a sewer drain and dropped books, notebooks, and a tablet down the opening. Inside the sewer, The Count grabbed the items quickly before they fell into the dirty water. The creature peered up and thanked the man.

"Now search for any place of knowledge to find more documents that pertain to artifacts and glass."

"Yes, sir." The man spoke without emotion and appeared sleep-deprived.

Edgar nodded before looking at the items in his possession. "There has to be a clue, and I will find it. To eliminate my enemies."