A/N: Would I let 2019 end without a regular chapter update? Of course not! Here's my treat to everyone who has been patiently waiting for the plot to finally move forward!

Oh, here's another awesome New Year artwork by chiire_dumo!

Previously on Project LOKI...

Augustus Moran, the editor-in-chief of Clark Clarion and one of Moriarty's generals.

"Two years ago, he was a news correspondent. The next year, he was promoted news editor. Today, he's the editor-in-chief."

The articles about cases that might be related to Moriarty were all written by him. Was it just a coincidence or was it...

"If my hunch is correct, Gus was probably recruited early on, not when he was already EIC."

"Gus is considered as the databank of the org. Kung may kailangang i-blackmail, meron siyang material na pwedeng gamitin."

"Stein told me that he never gave Gus the order to start a mudslinging campaign against our club."

"That act wasn't sanctioned by Moriarty himself, though he did nothing to stop Augustus."

"After the demolition job failed, Gus was extremely upset at someone in the group."

"Why am I sensing that there's a brewing conflict inside Moriarty's organization?"

"When Stein was in a coma, the organization became paralyzed. They were concerned kung sino ang nasa line of succession sakaling hindi na siya magising."

"The fact that Moriarty let him do what he wanted during the QED v. Clarion case supports our theory that he is an important piece on the chessboard."

"The fear of getting exposed will expose him more to us... If he has ears in every corner of the campus, we shall have the ears and the eyes in places where he thinks he's safe."

LORELEI

PAGKUNOT NG noo. Pagbuntong-hininga. Marahang pag-iling ng ulo. 'Yan ang mga reaksyon ni Margarette habang binabasa ang proposal ni Loki. It was three pages long, single spaced, font size: 12. Everything that she needed to know about the plan, nakalagay na roon.

The morning after the four of us discussed the plan on how to capture our target, Clark Clarion's editor-in-chief Augustus Moran, we visited the execom's office to present the proposal to our boss. This was part of the compromise between Loki's methods and Alistair's principles. Gusto ni Loki na huwag sabihan ang execom tungkol sa plano habang si Al naman, gustong i-consult muna ang plano bago namin isagawa.

Since the two first clashed opinions months ago—remember the case where we used Jamie as a bait?— hindi na ako masyadong nagulat pa sa kanilang pagkakaiba ng pananaw. Loki's methods are unconventional and sometimes illegal while Alistair's approach is more on following the rules.

Noong una, ayaw ni Loki na i-type at i-print ang kaniyang plano. He said that it's time-consuming and a waste of paper. Sinubukan niya pa akong konsensyahin! Hindi raw ba ako naaawa sa mga puno na pinuputol para gawing papel.

"Maggie's not dumb. She doesn't need to read my formal proposal. My oratorical skills would be enough to convince her," he confidently told me.

But I forced him last night to open his word processor and start typing every detail of his grand plan to bring down the chief editor. I wanted him to make sure na kung ano ang nakasulat sa plano, 'yon din ang susundin niya. Walang ad-lib. Walang improvisation. He might change plans midway to suit his own convenience. At 'yon ang gusto kong iwasan.

Sampung minuto na yata kaming nakatayo sa harap ni Maggie. Loki was getting bored, Jamie was twirling her braided hair, and Alistair was observing the reactions of our boss. Maggie's right-hand man, Rye, stood behind her and clenched a lollipop stick between his teeth. He couldn't smoke here so he had to substitute something in his mouth.

Maka-pitong beses na ring pabalik-balik na binasa ni Maggie ang proposal. Paiba-iba rin ang ekspresyon ng kanyang mukha. I couldn't tell what's going on in her mind. Papayag ba siya? Tututol? O magpo-propose ng compromise?

"Done!" she exclaimed, tossing the paper on the wooden table. Isa-isa niya kaming tiningnan na parang isang professor na hindi satisfied sa pinasa naming research paper. "You do realize that what you're proposing is—strictly speaking—illegal. Unauthorized surveillance in the campus premises and in the hostel? Really? Seryoso ba kayo?"

"If our hunch about Augustus is right, what he's also doing is illegal." Compared to his trademark condescending tone, Loki was speaking more politely in front of our boss. "Misuse of funds. Falsification of documents. Being an accessory to a criminal mastermind."

"So two wrongs make a right?" Maggie scoffed, reclining in her seat. "At hindi lang 'yon! Gusto n'yong magsinungaling pa kami sa campus police para sa iniluluto n'yong palabas sa event sa Friday. Hindi man lang ba sumagi sa isip n'yo na you're asking too much?"

"I honestly don't expect that you would easily agree, but I personally hope that you might." Loki answered, still polite. Kung nasa ibang sitwasyon lang kami, pabalang na siguro siyang tumugon. But he had to watch his words. The approval of our proposal might depend on his attitude.

"You've met Inspector Morales, haven't you?" Rye asked, grabbing the document and turning it on the second page. "Do you think na papayag siyang maging accomplice sa palabas na binabalak n'yo? Alam n'yo namang may lamat ang relasyon n'yo, 'di ba? Kapag nalaman niyang idea mo ito, baka lalo siyang hindi pumayag."

"But Loki's plan is brilliant!" Jamie argued, raising her voice and startling us. "We might finally have breakthrough sa Moriarty case! Oo, illegal! But as they say, desperate times call for desperate measures!"

I rarely hear Jamie speak so passionately like this one. Halos maluha na siya habang nag-i-speech. When she paused, I caressed her back gently. If this sudden outburst was an act, she's doing a good job.

Ilang segundo siyang tinitigan ni Maggie. Parang natulala. No one expected our friend to act this way. Wala man nga sa briefing ni Loki bago namin iprinesent ang proposal na mag-drama si Jamie sakaling magpakita si Maggie ng sign na tutol siya. Loki probably learned his lesson to not take advantage of Jamie's resemblance to Rhea to manipulate the execom chairwoman's mind.

"Kalma lang, okay?" Maggie touched the bridge of her glasses. "Ang sa akin lang, hindi na natin kailangang gawin ang illegal surveillance at ang mystery charade n'yo sa event. We already have secured an authorization from the Accounting and Finance Office to conduct an audit on the liquidation reports ng Clarion."

"We're planning to visit the publishing house that produced all issues of the Clarion for the past two years," dagdag ni Rye, sabay abot sa amin ng photocopy ng letter na may letterhead ng Clark High. I saw the signature of the Vice President for Finance. "Pwede nating i-compare ang figures at quotations na isinubmit ng Clarion sa nakatala sa records ng publishing house."

"If we find discrepancies in the numbers, Augustus will be on trial," Maggie said. "Magkakaroon na tayo ng leverage laban sa kanya and we can make him spill the beans about his involvement in the Moriarty case. So tell me, kapag nangyari 'yon, kailangan pa ba nating subaybayan ang mga galaw ni Gus sa office ng Clarion at sa kuwarto niya?"

"What you're saying is an attack on one of Augustus' fronts," malumanay na tugon ni Loki na may kasama pang hand gestures. "What we're proposing is an attack on all fronts. If we find discrepancies in the records through the audit and some evidence of his involvement in Moriarty's org through surveillance, it's gonna be a checkmate."

Sighing, Maggie folded her arms. Mukhang hindi siya convinced sa reasoning ni Loki. She turned to the other guy in our team. "What do you think, Al? I believe you are a rational man. Do Loki's methods sound reasonable to you? Necessary?"

Surprised by the sudden mention of his name, Al shot a sideward glance at our club president. "While Loki's methods are debatable, we cannot deny that we need to cover more ground on our offensive against Augustus. Malakas ang hinala natin kung gaano kahalaga ang EIC ng Clarion sa organisasyon ni Moriarty. If we wanna pin him down, we need to have not just one, but all the bullets that we can get."

Maggie bit her lower lip. Was she disappointed that Al didn't share the same sentiment? "How about you, Lorelei?"

Oh, ako naman? I cleared my throat. "I agree with what Loki and Al said. If we wanna beat Gus, we have to put all our cards on the table and see which one does the trick. Paano kung wala tayong makitang discrepancy sa records at doon lang tayo nakadepende? We would hit a dead end and Gus would get away again."

"But the illegal—"

"As long as we don't get caught, it shouldn't be a problem, should it?" I asked.

I could see from my peripherals that Loki smirked. I am still totally against any illegal activity and I would not promote it to anyone. But we had to do something drastic if we wanna win.

"I heard all of your arguments, and I understand your sentiments," Maggie said after a moment of silence. "But I must reject your proposal. As the executive committee, we must uphold certain standards when dealing with problems. I don't want to fight fire with fire."

And there goes Loki's plan, thrown out of the window. I could hear him clicking his tongue.

"I knew this might happen," Loki muttered, shooting a sidelong glance at Alistair. "Thanks to you, my brilliant plan is now dead."

Sana'y hindi niya maisipan na ituloy pa rin ang kanyang plano nang palihim. That's what I was actually worried about if the proposal got rejected. Going against Maggie's wishes. Doing anything that he pleases.

"Maybe you can find a way to achieve the same end by using not-so-illegal method—"

Maggie was interrupted when the door creaked open, making us all turn our heads to its direction. Biglang lumamig ang hangin sa office, halos manindig ang aking mga balahibo. Did someone turn the airconditioning to the coolest temperature?

When the figure emerged, I realized the cause of the sudden metaphorical change in temperature.

Luthor Mendez, the vice president of the student council, entered the room. He wore the same stoic mask as always. Dinig ko ang biglang pagbuntong-hininga ni Loki. He must not be so pleased to see his brother.

"Luthor!" Maggie stood, visibly surprised. "You don't usually visit us here. If you need me, pwede mo naman akong ipatawag o i-message sa phone."

"I was checking the reports when I heard someone raising her voice. Thin walls." The vice president's footsteps echoed as he walked toward us. Nagawi ang tingin ng kanyang mga mata sa mga papel na nasa mesa. "How are your new members? Are they enjoying their stay here?"

"They presented their proposal to corner Augustus," Maggie answered, motioning to Loki's now dead plan. "I was telling them na hindi dapat tayo mag-resort sa mga ilegal na gawain. That would put the execom and the student government in a dangerous position."

Luthor gently lifted the papers and started reading them. Sandaling nagkaroon ng katahimikan sa office habang binabasa niya ito.

"Brace yourself for more reprimand," Loki whispered. "He'd say something like 'do not bring your old habits to the execom' or 'this is no longer the QED Club so behave accordingly'. This is the perfect opportunity for him to rub his superiority on my face."

Loki may be whispering, kaso hindi niya ba na-realize na kahit anong hina ng boses niya, maririnig pa rin ng mga nakapaligid sa kanya kasi maliit lang ang office? His brother must have heard his complaints, further dooming his plan.

Turning the page on the next one, Luthor raised his gaze at the execom chairwoman. "You said that you rejected their plan?"

Maggie nodded. "You understand why I did, do you?"

"Very well, I want the executive committee to extend any assistance necessary to execute this proposal," Luthor ordered.

Wait.

What?

Tama ba ang narinig ko?

Maggie was about to say something but the words seemed to got stuck in her throat. Maging kami, naging speechless din.

How about Loki? The expression on his face was priceless. Nanlaki ang mga mata niya at tila nalaglag ang panga. He wasn't expecting his brother to side with him.

"What's going on?" bulong ni Jamie. "I thought na sesermonan tayo ng magiging brother-in-law ko?"

I rolled my eyes. Come on, Jamie. Hindi ngayon ang panahon para isingit 'yan.

"E-Excuse me, L-Luthor." Maggie finally had her voice and courage back. "We read the same document, right? You read the same thing. Illegal surveillance. Hindi natin mapapayagan 'yon."

"Margarette," the vice president's voice was chilling. The way he called her name was enough to give me goosebumps. "We've been playing fair and square with these bad people. And where did that lead us? Nowhere. Maybe now is the time for us to reconsider our strategies and take necessary actions, whether illegal or not."

"Ayaw ko sanang sabihin ito, pero parang hindi mo yata naiintindihan ang sitwasyon?" Maggie said. I wonder how much courage it took to talk back to the most powerful student in school. "If we install surveillance devices and Augustus finds out, do you think na tatahimik lang siya sa sulok? Remember, we are now hot on his heels. Tayo ang unang pagsususpetyahan kapag nagkataon. And he will retaliate. I'm only protecting the image of the student government."

"Tell me, Margarette, what's more important?" Luthor's voice was getting colder and more serious. "Our image as student government? Or the justice that is long overdue on someone who has been allegedly misusing student funds and allegedly in cahoots with people that make Clark High a dangerous place?"

I have always thought that Luthor and Maggie always agree on everything. 'Yon siguro ang dahilan ng pagkagulat ko sa pagiging taliwas ng kanilang opinyon sa plano ni Loki. This exchange only proved that Maggie wasn't always a yes-woman, someone who follows the VP's order without questioning it.

Having received no response from Maggie, Luthor turned to us next. His eyes were like Loki's. Lackluster. Devoid of any emotions. "As you execute your plan with the assistance of the execom, I want you to guarantee that you would leave no traces that can lead back to us. I want the deed to be clean. Understood?"

Everyone nodded, except his brother.

"I do have one question," Loki said as he raised his right hand. Uh-oh. Here come's another episode of the brotherly feud. "Why are you doing this? May nakain ka ba kaya nagkakaganito ka?"

Luthor took a step closer to his younger brother, standing face to face. "We both want the same thing. Our interests now align. And that happens rarely."

Napalunok ako ng laway. Halos hindi ako makahinga sa sobrang intense ng eksena. Loki may not know it yet, but he and his brother have one common goal: To bring down Moriarty and the organization. If he only knew, maybe he would be more appreciative of his brother's efforts.

"How about Inspector Morales?" Rye asked, making the VP turn to him. "Do you think that he would agree to play a part in this plan?"

Luthor put his hands behind him. "I hate to do things myself. But I might have to talk to him in person and convince him. Mentioning the name of Odinaire Mendez might do the trick."

Of course, his father was well connected with the law enforcement. Baka isang banggit lang ng pangalan ni Odinaire, pumayag nang makipagkuntsabahan sa amin si Inspector Morales.

Isang malalim na buntong-hininga ang inilabas ni Maggie. Accepting to take part in Loki's plan, I imagine, was a hard pill to swallow. "As the vice president commands, the execom will assist in the fulfillment of this plan. I just hope we don't get caught."

"Thank you, Margarette," Luthor nodded. Sunod siyang humarap sa akin. "By the way, can I borrow Lorelei and Alistair for a minute? In the meantime, you may start briefing my brother and Jamie about the audit on the Clarion reports."

Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa ng childhood friend ko. Loki squinted his eyes as he gazed at us while Jamie looked clueless. Why would the vice president want to talk to us?

Tumango na lang kaming dalawa at sumunod kay Luthor sa labas. We entered the student council office next door. Walang katao-tao sa loob. Did he ask the officers to leave or was everyone in their classrooms right now?

"Bakit kaya gusto niya tayong kausaping dalawa?" bulong ni Al. Napakibit-balikat lang ako. Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit. I can't remember any topic that the three of us have in common.

We stood at the center of the room. Napansin ko ang isang chessboard na naka-set sa mesa. Some of the pieces were no longer on the board.

Luthor's towering figure casted a shadow over us. "Forgive me for troubling you, but I only want to talk to Lorelei. Alone. I hope you don't mind if I ask you to leave us in private, Alistair. You may wait outside, near the door."

Nagpukol sa akin ng nagtatakang tingin si Al. I gave him a look that I would explain later and nodded at him. Mukhang naintindihan naman niya kaya walang reklamo siyang lumabas ng office at naghintay sa labas.

"Margarette will keep my brother and Jamie occupied, so they won't notice that I asked Alistair to wait outside." Luthor waited for the door to close. He then approached the table where the chessboard was set. Inayos niya ang mga piyesa roon.

"Bakit mo pa siya kailangang ipatawag kasama ko kung ako lang ang gusto mong makausap?" tanong ko. Lumapit na rin ako sa mesa at pinanood ang ginagawa niyang pagsasaayos ng mga piyesa.

"So it won't look suspicious in front of my brother," he said, placing the black pawns around the black king. "God knows what absurd theory he might come up with if I asked for only you.

Oh, yeah. Loki has this crazy theory that I have feelings for his brother—which I don't have, by the way. It only had something to do with Luthor being involved in Moriarty's group.

"Ano'ng gusto mong pag-usapan?" Wala nang kumustahan. Our time was limited so he better get straight to the point. "Do you have any update that you would like to share? Or do you want me to watch you place the pieces on that board?"

"Do you remember what I told you back in the island?" he asked, holding the black king. My eyes looked up and tried to recall everything he told me. Marami-rami rin siyang sinabi noon. "I told you that it's premature for me to make a move."

Ah! I recall him saying that when I asked him about his plan of telling his brother the truth. He also said that he had to maintain his cover until it's time for him to strike. Hindi lang niya masabi exactly kung kailan.

"Think of the Moriarty case as a game of chess," he went on, putting the black king back on the board. "The main reason why my moves are restricted is because of a chesspiece blocking my way."

A piece?

He picked up a black bishop and stared at it for a moment. "Because of this piece, I find it hard to declare a check on the black king."

Muli niyang ibinaba ang piyesa sa board at ipinosisyon sa lugar malapit sa black king. I am familiar with the basic chess terminologies so I sorta understand the analogy he's trying to make with our situation. Based on Luthor's arrangement, there's only one square where he could move a white chesspiece and place the king in check. But that position was occupied by the black bishop he just put down.

"Once the black bishop is gone, I can move freely," he went on, picking that piece again. "And I can position myself strategically on the board. A few more moves and a checkmate can be declared."

"And the black bishop is...?"

"Augustus Moran," he said, showing me the black bishop, "who, I suspect, is the most senior among Moriarty's officers."

"Most senior?" Naalala ko ang discussion namin sa apartment kahapon. Jamie mentioned about the crisis of succession in Moriarty's group should Stein fail to regain consciousness. "Tell me, if something happens to Stein, is Gus next in line to take control of the organization?"

Luthor looked at me curiously, his left eyebrow slightly raised. "He's a potential contender. His influence in the group is so strong because of the secrets he keeps about some members."

So we're right. Gus is not just a piece of the Moriarty puzzle. He's an important one.

"When I read your plan, I didn't hesitate to approve it," Luthor said, playing the black chesspiece with his fingers. "I'd like to think of myself as a man who would not resort to illegal activities to get what I desire. But we sometimes have to rely on vile methods to achieve the results that would benefit the good. My situation, as you know, would prove that."

I know, of course. He's dirtying himself so he could protect his brother and put an end to the overarching case that plagued Clark High. Alam niyang delikado. Alam niyang madudumihan siya. But he decided to take the risk.

"Consider this as my request." Luthor stood face to face with me. He gently held my right hand and placed the black chesspiece on my palm. "I want you to bring down Augustus Moran. I want you to take the black bishop off the board."

q.e.d.

Happy New Year, everyone!

2019 may have been a challenging year for some, if not most, of us. This year was one hell of a rollercoaster ride for me, more downs than ups. But what's important is that we learn from these experiences. As what they say about the battles that we face, we either win or learn.

May we bring these lessons and be the better versions of ourselves this 2020. Advance with optimism to the new year and leave the negativity behind! 

Love,
RHEIN (akosiibarra)