Red Strings of Fate (Haunted Series 2)

Strings 45: His side (Part II/II)

He stared at me. "Hindi 'to nakakatawa."

"Hindi nga. That's the joke."

"You're defending the whole Operation." He snapped, slamming his hand on the table, but I didn't flinch. "Ces Vallis used children, Captain. Broke them. Rebuilt them. And you—"

"—were one of them."

Silence.

That shut him up, and I looked him dead in the eye.

"I wasn't assigned to Zero. I graduated from it. First of the batch."

He said nothing.

"You want to know why I gave her the file?" I said, voice low. Those hazy shapes form, and I see children beside him—my classmates, my comrades, dead and alive, smiling at me. "Because I wanted her to understand what we were. What we still are."

"Hindi ka ba natatakot na ibubunyag niya to sa publiko?" He said.

"She won't," I replied, feeling Scarlet's hand around my left shoulder, her head leaning on the other one, calming me down. "Because she's smart."

He lets out a syringe with a long needle. Again. I almost sighed, my vision is going hazy, my mind is already playing tricks on me, and I'm not sure if my body can withstand another one.

The interrogation lasted more than a couple of hours, and they gave me much more serum than normal. These fuckers are having fun. Let's see what happens when I'm out of here.

I woke up feeling pain, and my mind felt like I was having the biggest case of hangover. I was transported to my room, back at Casa Del Valle, without me noticing. 

Fuck. I was out. 

My body was in pain, and not having the resistance for the serum made me cringe. It made me feel weak. I didn't like feeling weak.

I realized Sky saved me from staying in the dark room, no one else has the power to do that besides him. Jamie berated me for my decisions once she noticed I was home, but immediately took care of me, making me cookies and hot chocolate in addition—my sister is going to be the perfect mother someday.

I immediately pushed up to stretch and exercise my body, wanting to sweat out the headache, and supposedly, the serum was still working—At least the aftereffects are quite nice. I see her everywhere. I smiled seeing Scarlet with me on the balcony, "Hello, my baby."

"Bakit ang casual mo?"

I couldn't believe my eyes, she was here with me. 

The real her... and not something my brain made up.

She came here to apologize, but she hadn't done anything wrong. It wasn't her fault that her biological family is psychotic. It wasn't her fault I was, too.

I held on to her, my body igniting from the way her flesh felt under my arms. Glad she went all the way here to check on me. "Okay, no more secrets. I just want you back, baby."

"Seryoso ako TJ, tangina mo 'wag ka nang mawawala ng basta-basta." I couldn't stop smiling. I know I should because she'd get irritated when I find her cute when she's angry.

"I will tell you every fucking detail of my missions just so I can kiss you like this." Finally, she's inside my arms. Her lips warm against mine. Getting knifed up for this? Worth it. "Close the door."

Her little gestures of affection always make me smile. When she stops resisting our connection and cuddles up to me as if I were her entire universe, I like it. As if she couldn't survive without me either.