MY BELOVED ASSASSIN

Chapter 2

Who is Athena aka Nemesis?

To understand who she is, we go back to the day she started showing the intellect and abilities to be one, understand her roots and her background.

At 5 years old, Athena is very smart and perceptive- she asks a lot of questions and always curious with every little things. She is an adopted daughter of Mauro Dominguez- a mechanic during the day, an assassin at night. His being a mechanic is actually just a front. That’s how he projects his regular life as a normal person. That’s what he thinks, separating his normal life from the not-so-normal field of his work. Yes, he considers being an assassin as his job. That’s what he is good at- no, not just good but excellent with it. He is an ex-SEAL who was based in California before his abrupt forced retirement at age 30, when during one of his overseas assignment he was injured and was declared unfit to go back on his post . He was highly trained, grounds to air combat, he knows all forms of self defense, weapons and counter-intelligence and highly intelligent. He is a Filipino-born in the US to a Filipina nurse and a Fil-American father who was a soldier. So, by birth he is actually an American citizen though 75% Filipino by blood. He was an only child. His parents died at a car accident during his SEAL days, he was away on a combat mission then. He wasn’t informed by his superiors for fear of him being sidetracked and not function as expected of him. A month after the mission was finished, that’s when he knew – it was too late and he wasn’t even given time to grieve. From then on, his loyalty to the government slowly vanished away. He was miserable inside but looked tough on the outside . He secluded himself from his old friends and started planning a different future for himself – which he envision to be in the Philippines. After all, that was his parents Motherland. He wants to payhomage and experience how it is to live there. He was just 28 then. Two years after, he completely quits his career as SEAL and filed for an early retirement. His superiors thought he should rethink about his decision and instead offered to give him a temporary leave of absence but he refused. At age 30, single and free to do whatever he wants – he was on a flight to Manila. He doesn’t plan on meeting his parents relatives. He wants to be anonymous and start his life from scratch there. From Manila he chose Cebu to be his homebase. He didn’t know anybody, but he heard so much about Cebu and just followed where it leads him to. Uncertain of what to do, bought a house by the beach and started his solitary life away from everything.

He was living a quiet life, when one day at his doorstep, a little baby, maybe less than a month old was silently crying inside a basket. She looks so fragile. He didn’t know what to do, whoever left her wasn’t around anymore for him to question why they would leave such a precious little child.

His natural ability to protect came out and decided to keep the baby- if the parents decided to get her back from him, he’ll be happy to give her back. For now, the baby needed someone to take care of her, and that’s what he will do.

Mauro stopped his thoughts and looked at the now 5 year old Athena who was asking him non-stop about everything. He smiled at her as he held his cute rosy cheeks, ” Bakit ba gusto mong matuto mag-sibak ng kahoy? Kaya ko pa naman ah,” showing his muscles to her..she giggled “Papa naman eh…siempre alam ko naman na you’re strong! Pero siempre gusto ko din matuto ng nga ginagawa mo, I wanna be strong like you! Idol yata kita eh!” she proudly said and then gave him a hug.

Mauro smiled at her and hugged her tight, he brought up a smart and strong willed girl, he was proud of her. During the first few years, he found it hard to take care of her- not knowing what to do. So he hired a yaya for the first year and then after he did it all by himself. They left Cebu when she was three, and moved to Batangas. He wanted to be closer to Manila and Athena- that’s what he named her, was growing up and he didn’t want to take any chance of someone trying to get her back. He grew fond of her, no- love her dearly that he can’t bear the thought of loosing her, he considered her – his own child.

In Batangas, he opened up an auto repair shop. It was a good business and he started having friends again.

One day while in Manila, he encountered an old friend visiting the Philippines, a neighbor back in California. He asked him what he is doing here in the Philippines and asked if he is still connected as SEAL. He said “no,” and they parted ways after that – but left a calling card to him in case he needed to get in touch.

He got an email one day asking him if he would be interested to be a part of an underground group. A paid assassin. At first he thought he was joking, apparently he wasn’t . He considered the offer but was concerned about Athena. The money was good and he thought he would be able to use it for Athena’s future. All his savings from his retirement are almost gone. He needed the money and he still got the qualities and capabilities- except he was using it differently. He agreed in one condition- that he will review the target first and if it is a justifiable “hit” he will do it, if under his impression it is not, then he will refuse. Something that Athena, will later pick on.