"YOU two can leave also." Tinignan ni Enigma ang dalawang lalaki na nakatingin din sa kanila ng puno ng pagtataka.

"Pero--"

"I am from the Philippine Army, you can leave this to us," Seven cut them off and showed his ID.

Hindi na sumagot ang dalawa at tumango. Naglakad na sila palabas ng operating room pero biglang lumingon ang isa at nagtanong. "Si Miss Belle po?" 

Nag-aalala ito para sa kalagayan ng bata.

"I am in their care, so don't worry," sagot ni Belle at kumaway sa kanila gamit ang Electro-gun na binigay niya.

Pinanood ni Enigma ang dalawang lalaki hanggang sa makalabas ito. Pagkatapos nakangiti niyang tinignan si Belle. "Aren't you afraid?"

"This is actually not new to me. I have always been chased. And I bet this is caused by Mister Pyton again."

Nagkatinginan silang dalawa ni Seven dahil sa pagkagulat. Hindi nila 'yon inasahan.

"You mean, the Pyton Corporation had been attempting to kidnap you multiple times already?" Lumuhod si Seven upang mapantayan ang tangkad ni Belle.

"Yup! Si Daddy rin kasi palaging inaaway si Mister Pyton. Hay! They used to be best friends pero I don't know how they end up like this."

"You should punch your dad. Tell him to stop being selfish. Tell him that he should stop putting your life in danger," saad ni Nero at tumayo sa kaniyang tabi. Naglakad ito papalapit sa operating system at umupo sa isa sa mga swivel chair.

"Can I, Mister?" Belle said while tilting her head.

Nero nodded.

"Have you punch your father, too?"

Natigilan naman ito saglit pero kaagad ding ngumiti. "Sadly, I haven't. But he's good in jail now, so I don't think I still have to."

"All the citizens are almost out," Seven interrupted while looking at the cameras.

"Should we separate ways?" tanong niya. "I get the three inside, while you get out and kill the other two outside. How's that?"

"That will do."

"All right." Tumayo na si Enigma sa pagkakaupo sa sahig. Napahawak siya sa kaniyang tiyan upang damhin ang mga karayom na dala  niya.

She was excited. She wondered how would she make them scream.

Should I make it quick? Or--

Naputol ang kaniyang pag-iisip nang biglang magsalita si Seven. "I don't like the expression of your face. Please, don't do something do gruesome. You'll leave more work for me to do."

"Oh, don't worry. Ako mismo ang magliligpit," sagot naman niya at ngumiti.

"Kahit isang beses hindi mo ginawa 'yan." Iling-iling ni Seven.

Napaismid naman siya dahil sa sinabi nito.

"All of them are out."

Napabalik ang kanilang atensyon nang magsalita si Nero. Nakatalikod ito sa kanila at nakaharap sa mga cameras.

"Nice." She licked her teeth under her lips.

"We'll meet in the entrance of the mall. I'll take care of the two and their men outside. I'll leave the rest to you, Rogue. Don't you dare endanger Belle, okay?" bilin nito bago tuluyang lumabas at iniwan silang tatlo.

Sinuot na niya ito sa kaniyang tainga at binalik ang tingin sa mga camera. "Nero, look at all the camera's and tell me if you've seen three men."

Pagkatapos niyang sabihin iyon, nilingon niya si Belle at nilapat ang kamay ng ulo nito. "I'm not really good at being a guard, but trust me that I will protect you."

"Hm!" Belle nodded and smiled at her.

Ngumiti rin siya pabalik at bahagyang pinisil ang maumbok nitong pisngi.

What a wonderful kid.

"En, I found them. They are inside the men's clothing store."

Kaagad na tinignan ni Enigma ang camera na tinuro ni Nero. Kita niya ang dalawa na nag-uusap sa loob ng men's clothing store habang ang isa naman ay abalang tumitingin sa mga damit.

"How are you going to defeat them, En?" Nero looked at her. May bahid ng pag-aalala ang mukha nito, natatakot sa posibleng mangyari sa kaniya.

Binalik niya ang tingin sa camera bago hinagis ang isang toy gun na may hydrochloric acid sa loob. Nagtaka si Nero at tinaas ang baril habang nagtatanong ang mga mata.

"It contains hydrochloric acid. You can burn someone's eyes just by using that." Ngumisi siya at pinukol ang tingin kay Belle. "And you, you said you're used to this, aren't you? I want you to do something."

Biglang pumasok sa isipan niya ang sinabi ni Seven kanina kaya ngayon pa lang  mag-so-sorry  na siya sa isipan niya. Hindi naman niya ipapahamak si Belle. She just needed to create an opening.

"HEY, are you sure we are not going to do, anything?" Lary, who was wearing glasses, asked. "The citizens have gone out and I think it was because of Seven and that woman from ACA."

"Rogue, was it?" Edgar asked while scratching the scar on his neck. "Don't worry. I have heard from Codious that that agent isn't one of the top agents in ACA. She is reckless and she still needed someone to assess her in her mission."

That was the information Codious got from the ACA. Rogue's stat weren't comparable to the top performing agents of ACA. She had a bad record in executing her mission that was why she needed an assistance to do her job smoothly.

"Hmm? Really? Then why does their agency still gives her missions? Dangerous ones, to be exact," sabat ni Paige habang ang atensyon ay nasa grey na hoodie na hawak.

He had also thought of that, too. Her bad record contradicted the amount of dangerous missions she completed. But maybe it was because of her assistant. After all, Seven was among the Philippine Army. He was more experienced than her and more exposed to several dangers. And judging from their encounter earlier, when the woman didn't fight back and just speed away after shooting her car, he could say, she wasn't a big threat.

"It was because of Seven not her," he replied.

"Sure ka? Well, do you think this will look good on me?" Paige said while removing the hanger and wore the grey hoodie.

"Cut that, Paige," kunot-noong saway ni Lary. "We are not here to shop. Once Codious arrive here, we are going to execute the plan."

Kill Haybara's daughter and blow the mall. Iyan ang inutos ni Pyton sa kanila. At sa tingin niya'y madali lang nilang magagawa iyon lalo na't hindi isang magaling na agent ang pinabantay ng ACA. Hula niya'y ito lang ang inutusan dahil malapit ang lokasyon nito sa anak ni Haybara.

Ang balakid lang sa plano nila ay si Seven. But because he brought a lot of men, he thought it would be enough to distract Seven and buy some time until Codious would arrive and bring the last Nitrobomb they had. It was already almost a year when they had stopped receiving new arrivals of Nitrobomb because Engineer Pandora was caught. It was Agent Rogue's mission, but it was cleared by the army led by Seven.

"Hey, look."

Napalingon siya sa kaniyang likuran nang may tinuro si Paige. May papalapit na bata sa pintuan ng store. Umiiyak ito habang may hawak na laruang baril.

He smiled at the back of his head when it was the Haybara's daughter.

"Great. Ang target na mismo ang lumapit." Patalon-talong lumapit si Paige sa batang kakapasok lang ng store. He kneeled to match the kid's height and asked. "Hey, what's wrong? Are you lost?"

"My guards left me," ngawa ni Belle at muling umiyak nang malakas. Sunod-sunod ang pagtulo ng mga luha nito na para bang wala itong balak na tumigil. "Now, I'm all alone."

Nakatayo lang si Edgar habang pinapanood si Paige na pinapatahan si Belle. He wasn't convince about what the kid said. There was no way Seven would leave their mission behind, but it was also impossible for Seven to use a kid as a bait.

Seven lost his child four years ago, so Edgar doubted he would want to do this kind of trick.

Nanatiling nakatayo si Edgar sa likuran ni Paige at pinagmasdan si Belle. Wala siyang planong lapitan ito dahil maliban sa hindi niya pa nararanasang magpatahan ng bata, ayaw niya sa bata.

"It's okay, baby. We'll just take you home instead. Don't cry anymore, okay?" Paige said while wiping the tears from her eyes.

Take her home? More like taking her to hell.

"You even have a cool toy. Whoa! I can't believe a little girl like you would want to play a gun. Gusto mo bang maging pulis paglaki mo?"

Bigla namang tumahan si Belle. Mukhang epektibo ang ginagawa ni Paige dahil humihikbi na lang ito at nagkusang pahirin ang luhaang mga mata.

She nodded while raising the toy gun. "Hm. I want to be a police tapos ipapakulong ko ang mga bad guys."

"Oh? Really? Sige nga, sample nga, paano mo sila babarilin?"

Ngumiti naman si Belle at tinutok ang baril sa noo ni Paige. "Like this po."

Edgar felt a little uneasiness, but it was already too late when Belle pulled the trigger. A creaking sound let out from the gun, and the next thing he knew, Paige was already lying on the ground, unconsciousness and electrified.

"Paige! Fuck, what did you do?" sigaw niya kay Belle. Lumingon sa kaniyang likuran para tawagin sana si Lary pero natigilan siya.

Imbes na ang kasama ang makita, isang lalaking may itim na buhok at mga mata ang sumalubong sa kaniya. May hawak din itong toy gun at tumutulo mula roon ang isang likido. Napunta ang tingin niya sa sahig dahil sa lalaking nakaratay, wasak ang mga mata at bumubula ang bibig.

It was Lary.

"Fuck."

How come I didn't feel his presence?

"My bad, napag-utusan lang. Don't worry buhay pa rin naman 'to," the man said and pointed at his friend.

"Fuck you." He gritted his teeth, and he was ready to get the gun out of his holster when a voice of a woman spoke.

"What are you planning to do with my man, Edgar?"

He turned to look at the worst agent of ACA who was grinning at him like a little sly demon. And Belle was behind her, sticking her tongue out after pulling the stunt that gravely fucked up his friend.

Nasa likuran nito si Belle habang nakayakap sa baywang ng babae.

"Did I do great, Miss Ate?"

"You did. Great job, kiddo." She patted the girl's head.

Fuck! She was the one behind this?!

"Now, go run outside."

Kaagad na tumakbo si Belle palabas ng store.

"You too. I love you!" She winked at him--no, she winked at the guy behind him. Muli siyang lumingon pero nawala na ang lalaki sa kaniyang likuran.

"Now, it's just the two of us and your two little unconscious and useless pigs. How should I shot this one, Edgar?" Inapakan nito ang ulo ni Paige at tinutok ang dala-dala nitong toy gun.

Why the fuck they have lots of toy guns?!

Edgar calmed himself first not to lose his focus. He recalled that the woman in front of her wasn't a threat, so he shouldn't panic. Naisahan lang siya kanina. At dahil pinakita na nito ang sarili sa kaniya, hindi na ito makakawala pa.

"Stop calling my name as if we're frien--" Hindi niya natapos ang sasabihan nang pinaputok nito ang baril.

Napaatras siya nang magsimulang umagos ang dugo mula sa ulo ni Paige. Wasak ang tainga nito at doon nagmumula ang pagdurugo.

Why the fuck it has real bullets?

"Nice. Sapol sa butas ng tainga!" Biglang humalakhak ang babae at muling pinaputukan ang tainga ng kaibigan. Ayaw man niyang kilabutan pero hindi nakikinig ang kaniyang katawan sa kaniya.

It wasn't the first time he encountered a gruesome thing like this, in fact he was used to it. Pero ito ang unang beses na nakakita siya ng isang agent na paulit-ulit na binabaril ang isang patay nang katawan.

"Are you crazy?" He uttered in disbelief and took the gun out of his holster. He was ready to shot her, but the woman already pulled the trigger and aimed the toy gun at his toe.

That made him wince in pain and lost focus. It was only a second when he looked the down, but his arm was already numb the second time he looked up. He was already shot several times.

As he fell on the ground, he kept on hearing chuckles so fearful he couldn't help but to remain conscious.

"Man, you're boring." Lumapit ang babae sa kaniya at inapakan ang kaniyang dibdib. Napakagat siya sa kaniyang labi dahil sa bigat ng paa nito. "You didn't even scream."

Hindi maipaliwanag ni Edgar kung dahil lang ba sa lighting ng store kaya nagmumukhang madilim ang mukha nito o dati pa talagang nakakatakot ang presensya ng babae.

"H-how the hell you have the most terrible record of all the agents in ACA? Y-you're supposed to be the worst . . . . " Tumulo ang dugo mula sa kaniyang bibig habang unti-unting dumidilim ang kaniyang paningin.

He even wasn't able to fight back.

"Oh, you've seen my records, too?" Humalakhak ito. "It's because I do my job messily. For example, like this." Tinutok nito ang baril sa unahan niya at kaagad itong kinalabit.

Isa, dalawa, tatlo, apat. Sampu. Sampung beses nitong binaril ang kaniyang kasamahan na si Lary habang madilim na nakangisi. At wala siyang ibang nagawa kundi pagmasdan ang ekspresyon nitong tuwang-tuwa sa ginagawa.

"Ganiyan. But thankfully, I have Seven who cleans up after my mess."

Mariin siyang napapikit. He was completely wrong. The one who was the threat wasn't Seven but her.

Hindi na siya nag-atubili pang buksan ang mga mata nang maramdaman ang isang bagay na tumutok sa kaniyang noo. Handa na siyang tanggapin ang kamatayan nang biglang magsalita si Enigma.

"Edgar, aren't you curious about what happened to your brother? Kung bakit hindi na nakabalik pa si Voltor sa Impel?"

Voltor Alias was his twin brother. He didn't return after the Impel Organization ordered him to assassinate the son of Engineer Pandora. Their boss had something in his sleeve that time that was why he wanted to kill him. Unfortunately, Voltor wasn't able to complete the mission. Ang akala niya'y si Seven ang pumatay sa kapatid niya, pero ngayon, iba na ang sinasabi ng isip niya.

"The man you saw earlier was actually the son of Engineer Pandora."

He heard the racking of the gun's slide.

"And about your brother . . . I already sent him to hell." She chuckled. "Nawa'y magkita kayo ro'n."

Until he heard the sound of the trigger, he couldn't think of anything else except from the fact that she was the worst agent he ever met.