28: it's payback time

Pi

It was a long smirking and hissing contest before I was able to convinced Rocket to take me with him. Maybe he realized I wouldn't budge no matter how much smirk and no he'd give me.

What Pi wants, Pi gets by hook or by crook.

It took us an hour, the hell, so this explains why Cooler didn't make it because he is actually miles and miles away. Pagbaba namin sa chopper ay sinalubong kami ng lalaking moreno who's definitely goodlooking and beside him is the pretty girl I saw with Rocket before.

I am sure her codename is that corny greek goddess of whatever.

Hindi nakatakas sa paningin ko ang matalim na tingin ng babae, lalo na nang alalayan ako ni Ryu pababa.

"What the hell? Bakit kasama mo siya?" she asked when she approached us. Her tone wasn't friendly at all.

I give my sweetest smile. "Hello to you too."

Mas lalo lamang niyang kinainis iyon at it just made me smile even more. Pretty girl is really much into this devil. She turned to him, looking jealous all over but "Rocket ignored him.

Huh, sorry gurl Rocket doesn't seem to be the type who do girlfriends. Maybe.

"Nasaan si Zeus?" tanong niya. The two was quick to respond, showing respect and all to their superior.

"In his room, the doctor gives him shots and stitched up his wound," sagot ng lalaki.

"We'll go there."

Agad na naglakad palayo si Rocket kaya sumunod ako ngunit hindi pa man ako nakakahakbang ay may kamay na humablot sa braso ko.

My eyes immediately trailed up from the perfectly done pink fingernails to her innocent face.

"Get your hands off me girlie."

"Why are you with Ryu?" she shot back.

I rolled my eyes. "No time for your drama, Cooler is bleeding to death. Let go of me right now or else you will suffer more than Cooler did."

Man, girlie didn't look scared or threatened. Therefore, it was evident to me she isn't someone you can easily mess with.

"Why do you keep hanging out with him?"

"Let go of me bitch while I am being nice," sabi ko sa kanya.

"He tends to get attached with people he spends more time with. Maybe because of what happened to him before, he is always longing for something. If you have no plan on giving him what he wants in the end, layuan mo siya," she said in her most serious tone.

Ah her grip really hurts. I can actually smash her face with my fist pero sayang naman ang ganda niya.

"Really, he gets attached easily? So since when are you acquainted with him?" tanong ko.

"Since we were kids."

I smiled. "Is that so? Then why isn't he attached to you yet? Sorry girlie, that makes your argument invalid. Now, bitiwan mo ako or else pagsisisihan mo 'to."

That made her face white with realization dawning her. Opsie, one point for Pi.

Someone cleared his throat from the side, it was moreno boy. "Ehem, enough bickering." Lumapit siya sa akin at inilahad ang palad. "Heard so much about you from Artemis. I'm Poseidon by the way."

I accepted his hand with a cringe. Poseidon. Ew ew ew. Could something be more corny than their names?

"I hope those were pleasant things you heard," sabi ko sa kanya.

Tinapik niya sa balikat si girlie but the latter was still giving me deadly glares so I fucking return the favor. I also gave her fatal glares, huh she thought I would back down.

Never.

"I mean it Bellomo," wika niya sa akin. "If you have no interest at all, better not continue this shit. Ryu had suffered too much, he's been left alone since he was a kid. He may not look like it but behind his smirk is a sad man."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah yeah, whatever. So when am I going to see Cooler?"

Girlie hissed angrily but I ignored her at sa halip ay bumaling kay Poseidon, the moreno boy. He pointed towards the direction where Rocket walked few moments ago. "Just go straight, malamang hinihintay ka rin ni Apollo."

Ah, Apollo Rocket.

"Question."

He smiled at me, "Shoot."

"Do you have any other name so that I won't call you Poseidon because seriously that is so cringey like ugh." I contorted my face to show him what effect it has on me.

Tumawa siya na tila mas lalo ring kinainis ni girlie na nasa tabi niya. Man, girlie looks like she wanted to kill me any moment by now. Too bad, I had a gun on my side and a syringe somewhere in my body. I won't let it happen without a fight.

"You can call me Red," sagot ni Moreno boy.

"Red, okay thanks Red. Now tie this little missy right here while I go and see the love of my life," nakangising wika ko. "Bye Red, bye girlie."

Kung anuman ang reaksyon ng huli ay hindi ko na iyon nakita dahil sumunod na ako sa daan na tinahak ni Ryu. Like what Red expected, he was waiting for me by the door, looking annoyed probably because he waited for a while. Huh, for a fucking while.

"What took you so long?" tanong niya.

"Girlie wanted to talk."

Kumunot ang kanyang noo. "Girlie?"

"You know that pretty little missy back there."

Mahinang tumango siya. "Ah, Mnemosyne."

I cringed and looks like he got it.

"I mean Steff," he added.

I rolled my eyes with a pout. "Whatever her name is. Now can we just get inside and see Cooler?"

He stared at me for a while hile before he nodded and pushed the door open. He guided me inside, walking in front with me on his back. "Cooler didn't know you tagged along."

"And is that a problem? He ditched me, well not really ditched, he had reasons I know pero what the hell? He canceled our date just to get shoot? Huh, he should have told me, I'll do the shooting instead!"

Napatigil kami sa harap ng pinto kung saan maririnig namin ang sigaw ni Cooler mula sa loob.

"Oh shit, are you sure you stitched it right?!"

Pabagsak na binuksan ni rocket ang pinto kaya sabay na naptingin si Cooler at ang kasama niya roon sa amin.

"I told you no one is-- hey Ryu," bati niya sa pinsan at napangiti. Damn it why is he so cute! He was smiling apologetically to his cousin.

"I thought you said not to trust this business," Rocket said in his serious mode. Take note that whenever we uses such tone, it is scary, I swear.

"But not to be disregarded," Cooler answered and sighed. "Sorry."

Oh he said sorry to him... Because he was shot? Really?

"Look, I know you're worried but do not give me that look like you wanted to bust up my wound with your punch," Cooler said with a pout.

He. Is. Afraid. Of. His. Cousin.

Oh scratch that.

He is afraid of his DEVIL cousin!

Oh my fucking love he is so cute right now!!!

I walked towards the side of the bed, looking all worried. "Hindi mo ako sinipot tapos nagpabaril ka lang?"

That's when he noticed me because he was so freaking focused on his angry cousin.

"Pi!" bati niya sa akin at napatingin ulit sa pinsan niya. "I didn't know you tag along."

"You are an idiot!" I said worriedly running towards his side to check any further damage. "I thought you're cool why did you let anyone shoot you?"

He smiled awkwardly, eyeing rocket on the side. "Maybe it's because I am not bulletproof."

I almost rolled my eyes. The wound he got wasn't fatal but it was on a sensitive spot. If he wasn't careful, malamang ay sa mas delikadong parte ng katawan pa siya natamaan.

Like his dick or gonads.

Damm it, we need babies of our own! No one gets to shoot Cooler Fucking Vander! Which reminds me...

"Who the hell shoot you?" tanong ko sa pinakaseryosong boses ko. They all looked at me, feeling my anger right now. Ilang beses na napalunok ang doktor na naroon bago dahan-dahang lumabas doon. Now there's just the three of us.

Inulit ko ang tanong ko ngunit hindi lamang iyon pinansin ni Cooler. Sa halip ay nasa pinsan niya ang kanyang atensyon.

"Look Ryu, I know I assured you I won't bleed or even get a scratch on this, but can you just let it go? At least for now?" tila nangungumbinsing sabi ni Cooler. I tried to grasp the situation and all I could come up with is that he promised rocket he won't get hurt yet he did so now the beast in rocket is about to come out.

Oh that was sweet of them.

... But rocket right now. He is really mad, his silence tells me so plus his gaze? It was worry, anger and everything combined.

"Let it go for now Rocket," basag ko sa katahimikan. "At least what we get for now is he's still alive--"

"Get out Titless."

Hey what?

"Ano?!"

The devil is really pissed. "You heard me. Get out."

"No way!"

"This is family matters at labas ka na rito so get the fucking out of this room," he said, somewhat calm yet more scary than it was before.

I looked at him, then to Cooler who really looks sorry like a kid about to be scolded. Mahinang tumango siya sa akin, as if gently asking me to leave.

I am obedient so yeah, pasalamat siya mahal ko siya.

Before leaving, I glared at Rocket but he completely ignored me kaya wala akong ibang choice kundi ang lumabas at padabog na isara ang pinto.

I roamed around the house at natagpuan sa sala sina Red at little girlie na tila naiinis pa rin. Hindi ko siya pinansin at lumapit kay Red.

"Hey Red, question."

"What?" tanong niya na may malawak na ngiti.

"Who is the fucking bastard who shoot Cooler and where the hell can I find that asshole?"

His smile fell and it was replaced with a frown. Itinaas niya ang isang daliri na tila ba nangangaral. "Look, first of all no cussing, no talking about hell and no other foul languages if you want me to answer your question."

I made a face. "Who the hell doesn't cuss these days?"

Itinaas niya ang isang kamay. "Me."

I rolled my eyes at him. "What are you, a saint?"

"No, just a good boy."

Huh, good boy yet a professional hitman of one of the country's biggest crime family. Ironic.

"Alright, now tell me who and where can I fu--funnily find him?" uh better comply than get nothing at all.

"Bakit?" tanong ni girlie.

"None of your business," sagot ko sa kanya at muling bumaling kay Red. "Tell me now."

He thinks for a while. "But I can ask why right?"

Uh he just sided with girlie. "Fine, it's because of what an old quote says, lintik lang ang walang ganti."

They deadpan. Akala siguro nila ay nagbibiro ako, hello do I look like I'm kidding right now? "

Napakamot sa gilid ng ulo niya sa Red. "Here is the thing Pi, Hades-- he's one of the Vander Mafia best reaper but he wasn't able to find him although basing on his shoot style and other matters, we were able to identify him. It's T-Dog."

I cringed. Ah, the hire to kill T-Dog who obviously has no taste when it comes to choosing his codename as a hitman. Why is everybody so corny when it comes to choosing names?!

"T-bag," sambit ko. "Okay, thanks."

Sabay na nalaglag ang balikat nilang dalawa. Girlie glared at me as she spoke.

"Anong binabalak mo?"

I shook my head with a mischievous smile. "Oh, nothing. Just nothing. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to make a phone call."

Iniwan ko silang binabato ako ng nagtatakang tingin.

Anyway, it's payback time.

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ShinichiLaaaabs✒️