The amount of information Hades had swiped from Joyce's office took Taeyang and Mikhail nearly two weeks to filter through! Most of that time, they had Amelia or Chul on the line to help with the tricky parts, but the more they uncovered, the more the information was looking pretty grim…

Finally on a crisp Monday morning, the boys had finished combing through the stuff. Ashley had been talking to Hades on the phone when Tae asked him to pop over. He also got Amelia on the line.

Hades: So did you get to finish the stuff I sent? How much was in there? Tae: Far more than I anticipated. I think you handed me the most files I've ever seen in my work life. Hades: Yay and sorry. Ash: Heh! It was interesting though. You said this was just sat there on Joyce's computer? Hades: Yep, it was standing there data-nips out, waiting to be downloaded. She didn't even put proper locks on it. Mik: What do you mean? Are you saying this wasn't password protected?! Hades: It was but it might as well have not been. She had this weird note as a hint. Ummm....shin rival area? Tae: raises an eyebrow What was the password? Mik: Shinrinyoku. There was a note buried somewhere in this heap where she thought it was a station in Mount K. Tae shook his head as he snorted at that

Tae: Not winning any prizes for high IQ. Don't let Amelia hear that password. Amelia: Too late. I should give her a lesson in proper locks!

Tae: Anyway, bad passwords aside. Hades, you know if your dad's taken on any cases regarding money? Or let's be real, pharmaceutical companies? Hades: There was one case, but that was because the client was accused of poisoning samples with her powers. Her employer was just a bigot. Ash: Well, it turns out that was all smoke and mirrors. The company she worked at was a paper company. I dug around some old websites that such ventures use. Her name popped up as Employee of the Month two times. Hades: Did it come back to bite dad? Tae: Either they're holding that over his head, or there's something more to this. His name pops up far too many times for him to have just defended them. Hades: That's really strange. I mean, he doesn't talk to me about shit but I can still hear pretty well in a 50 mile radius. Like, in the last month he's been really stressed out and all his cases have been failing. Now, if you ask me, that's not a coincidence. Tae: Yeah cuz he doing pretty well before that buyout.

On a list of transactions, Sung-min's name was mentioned alongside another one that wasn't familiar.

Tae: One thing, though. He's certainly lining someone's pockets. All these transactions to one Fia Acosta. Amelia: Acosta? Mik: You know this person, Amelia? Amelia: Not that person, but I know the Acosta name. I haven't told you much about where I was born, have I? Dambele. Mik: Not really, no. Amelia: The Morrigans there are the stuff of legend. They are very matriarchal, and while there are male morrigans among them, those are few and far between. But these ladies? If there were elite morrigans, ten of them would be equal to one of these ladies. They are raised as warrior princesses, so magic isn't the only language they speak. My grandmother was born from such a tribe.

Tae looked at the woman's profile before locking the tablet again. Even as a picture, she seemed very unsettling.

Tae: My question is what is Sung-min doing paying this woman all that cash? They have some kind of deal or something? Amelia: Ahahaha, the Acosta name is often mocked in Dambele. Everyone sees them as swindlers, thieves, lowlives. The real story? Mik: They're mercenaries. Hmm... Hades: Only one way to find out what this woman knows then. Amelia: If I may suggest...Hades, you sit this out. Hades: Why? Amelia: pauses for a moment... There's no doubt you're capable as a morrigan yourself but you should keep away from this one. Like I said, magic isn't the only language these ladies speak. Hades: Uh, alright. I mean it's probably best I keep away anyway. Tae: No guesses as to how we'll lure this chick out? Mik: Oh that's simple.

'She's a merc, and any merc will show their face at the sound of eddies.’