The kids (and an unconscious Rudy) were given time to rest and recover inside the clones' warehouse base. After Madame Riker covered for them by phoning their parents, the teens ate, slept, and mentally prepared for the battle ahead.
"Hi," a voice greeted Jack after he woke up from his nap.
He blinked. "Which one are you?"
It was another Ella clone. (Although she should just be called a clone, since Ella's not the original model.)
This teen had long black hair in a sinuous braid.
"I'm Aella." She smiled. "Is it that confusing?"
He sighed. "It'd be harder if you guys didn't have different hair colours."
She laughed. "You're funny," she winked flirtatiously. "You single?"
"He's taken," a quiet one scurried in, with a messy brown ponytail and spectacles. She grabbed her sister's arm. "He's Kim's boyfriend. Or he will be. I'm not sure if they're official."
Jack thought about contesting that statement but decided to abstain.
"She doesn't scare me, Bella!" Aella protested.
"Who doesn't?" Kim's voice caused both of them to jump and scamper away. She watched them leave, staring daggers into their backs.
"Are they all like this?" Jack wondered.
Kim shrugged.
"Their personalities are different." she divulged. "Some of the others are okay."
The pair sat together in companionable silence.
"Everything just got super strange," Kim muttered. "Within days, there was a secret organization, an evil corporation, clones, a cyborg, and now we're dealing with an international spy."
"Adventure is always fun," Jack joked.
"As long as we don't make a habit of this," Kim argued good-naturedly. "I'm actually craving some normal life right now."
The two friends paused, mulling over the recent events.
Jack grinned. "The moment this is all over, we should all go out—" he froze. "Actually, we'll have to finish all the homework we've missed first."
They laughed lightly, and the future didn't seem so bleak after all.

Eddie had been avoiding his friends' questions about what he did for Miss Mohindra. He couldn't bear lying to them more than he already had.
Eventually they'd accepted his vague explanation of something government related and left it at that. Despite this, the guilt was still eating him away inside.
"So you're Eddie," a familiar, yet unfamiliar voice interrupted his stupor. "You okay?"
He whirled and blinked. This clone had dark red hair tucked into a tight bun and sparkly makeup.
"I'm fine, um…?" Eddie waited.
"Lela," She introduced herself confidently. "I saw that look on your face. What's up?"
He sighed, sneaking another peek at Jack and Kim.
"I miss Juliana," he confessed.
"And…?" Lela prodded.
He hesitated.
"Ever since this began, I feel like maybe I never knew her at all." He rubbed his eyes. "We didn't know each other long, and I guess not well, but somehow we had this trust between us. Juliana and I clicked. She got me."
She sat beside him.
"Even if you know someone for a long time, it doesn't mean you necessarily understand each other," She spoke thoughtfully. "My sisters can be distant. I still don't know what goes on in some of their brains."
"What makes you say that?" Eddie stared at her.
Lela met his gaze steadily.
"We were products that were developed in solitary." Her candidness took him by surprise. "As you can probably tell, our personalities aren't the same. We have similar mannerisms and preferences, but we were raised differently. We don't remember everything Branca did to us, and frankly, some of my sisters don't want to remember. But it makes it harder to grow close."
He shuddered. "That's terrible."
"Friendship should be judged by its depth, not its length," She noted. "You were lucky to find someone with whom you have a mutual understanding. Even clones have a hard time getting along, so it's amazing how much Juliana trusted you. She must have a reason for it."
He frowned. "Can you get to the point?"
She giggled before laying a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Give her a chance when you see her again," she suggested. "Juliana was probably unaware of most of these secrets."
He hesitated.
"It's obvious she cares about you." Lela said. "I'm not saying you have to follow her around for the rest of your life, just…be ready to listen when she's ready to talk."
Eddie thought it over.
Lela smiled. "Any questions?"
"Are you a therapist?" he wondered.
She laughed again.
"I'm good at analyzing matters of the heart," Lela replied before standing. "Nice talking to you."

Jerry was flirting with a few of the clones. They each had different hairstyles and colours, but at this moment all wore identical expressions of disdain. "What it do, girl?" Jerry sidled towards one.
She punched him in the chest, green bangs flying.
"Sorry, kid, but we're not looking to be in a relationship," she informed him coldly. "Ever."
Milton appeared from around the corner, discussing seriously with a blonde clone.
"That's why the theoretical manifestation of such an entity would—Jerry, what are you doing?"
The Hispanic boy was gasping as he held his chest, but he gestured weakly at the green-haired girl.
"Stop hitting on them, for Pete's sake!" Milton admonished. "You're not here to get a girlfriend!"
"I don't even know why I'm here!" He erupted.
A hush settled over the group.
"Guys, can you give us a moment?" He grabbed Jerry and took him aside, assuring himself they had a small degree of privacy before asking.
"What's with you?"
Jerry swung away in frustration. "It's just…I feel useless." His friend gaped.
"Jack and Kim are the best fighters, you're the brains, Rudy's our sensei, and Eddie's the main," he mumbled. "I'm a clown. I haven't done anything important like you guys."
"That's not true!" Milton admonished. "You're essential! Remember Don?"
"We found almost nothing that day!" He argued.
"You helped rescue Julie!"
"You saw how easily I got taken down!"
"You're still better than me!" He grabbed his shoulders. "So stop with your pity party! You don't need to prove anything—you're our friend, and you've earned your place in the Wasabi Warriors."
Someone sneezed behind them.
The boys whirled to see a clone dash away.
Jerry chuckled morosely. "She's probably gonna tell everyone what a loser I am."

In a very different base were two sleeping bags with two teens bundled inside them. The basement was cold and dark. A mini-fridge hummed nearby, while tools, gadgets, odds and ends were scattered all around them in no particular order.
One teen rolled back and forth, wiggling and trying to get comfortable.
"Why aren't you sleeping?" Her companion hissed at her. "We've got a busy schedule ahead of us!"
The fidgeting girl sat up and turned on a small lamp.
"Juliana, I can sense you're upset," Ella grumped. "But since I don't know why, I can't sleep. I'm not Violet, you need to tell me these things straight!"
The ballerina chewed her lip anxiously. "I'm worried about my mom. She's probably going insane."
"It's too dangerous to contact her," Ella reiterated hotly. "Besides, once we found out the Cryptographers were a big bad we knew we'd have to make sacrifices."
"But I'm scared," Juliana reiterated. "Eddie and his friends are in danger, and it's my fault!"
The Chinese girl softened her tone. "Juliana, it's not your fault. None of this is your fault, okay? We may not know much about Branca and their sci-fi projects, but we'll win. We have to."
"But you still think Eddie's—"
"I'd be lying to say I trust him," Ella cut her off. "But right now I can't trust anyone, especially since I seem to have a doppelgänger."
Juliana hesitated.
"Are you sure you don't have sisters?"
Ella shook her head slowly.
"I…I can't remember," she admitted. "I have these gaps in my head. Sometimes I get a glimpse, or a wisp of memory, feelings…but that's it. It's frustrating."
Juliana nodded when a jolt of pain radiated across her forehead. "Ah."
Ella scowled. "You're still getting those migraines. They've gotten worse since we've been working take down Branca."
"I'll be okay," Juliana smiled weakly. "Just…let's get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow."

A mysterious figure with dark hair sat in low light, a blue hoodie tossed casually on a nearby chair.
She tapped her fingers as she waited. One, two, three…one, two, three…
She recalled the events from the past few days, being Eddie's contact, smuggling him papers, and giving him that white envelope. She wondered how much he remembered of their brief encounters.
She'd had been watching him, observing him, as each new event threw a twist into his life. Eddie had handled some of it with admirable qualities, though he had failed miserably with other challenges.
He definitely possessed potential, as well as enthusiasm. Of course, his skills could use some polishing, but that was only if he survived the next day.
How could such a bright teenager have gotten tangled with such dark forces?
She shook her head, clucking at his misfortune. If she wasn't a professional, she might feel pity for the oblivious child.
A tablet beeped, and the adult reviewed it, sighing heavily afterwards.
She'd received her instructions. If Eddie Jones was proven to be a liability, he'd have to be neutralized.
One, two, three…It was as simple as one, two, three.