"I've got to let it go and just enjoy the show."
Number Nine
The raven-haired girl with black contacts looked so unnervingly familiar that Faye spent nearly half an hour shivering inside the public restroom. It reminded her so much of him that it hurt; had fiercely upset her that she couldn't keep herself together. Thank god that she had the mind to lock the door first when she entered and thank god that all the cubicles were empty.
She wasn't expecting this reaction. Her only intention was to disguise herself so that she could follow her target more efficiently. Like they said, when in Rome, do what the Romans do. She was simply blending in, making her appearance less questionable to the populace.
Most Filipinos have black hair, dark eyes and varying degrees of brown skin. She was only imitating their look, unmindful of the fact that she was digging her own grave. She should have known, expected, prepared herself for the emotional assault that followed this image.
But she hadn't.
She was naïve.
If only she had glasses with her, her appearance would've been complete. Selena Andrews. The selfish girl who made all the wrong decisions. The identity she created so that she could hide from the prying eyes of the media. The girl, who in all sense, was her truest form, stripped of the popularity and privileges and past. The one who was too weak and too dumb to be of any use. The one who ultimately symbolized all that she had lost and given up.
Stop right there.
Distraction equals failure, 04 was wise enough to tell her that on more than one occasion. She cussed under her breath, applying the brown-colored cream on her pale skin with unsteady hands. Fortunately, she was too tired to cry. She didn't have time to cry. Had not that luxury. Her priority was this mission. This was her job. His chance. Period.
She knew she could do this. She's an Equation, after all.
Instead of wearing her black coat, she opted for some casual attire, a brown tee with matching orange leggings, black mini-shorts and black doll shoes. They were cheap and durable, thanks to the clothes thrift store she discovered as she tailed her target.
She was still shaking when she exited the restroom; the queue of girls waiting for her throwing daggers at her with their eyes. She straightened her back and gazed back at them. Her face devoid of emotion, they shrank back unconsciously, unable to bear her scrutiny that made them feel as small as ants. With a purposeful stride, she headed to her destination, Rael's secret night career.
Cirque de Luna, self-proclaimed the "pride" of the province of Isabela.
The lights, the music and the noise of chattering people made the atmosphere of the small circus festive. For a small town show, the crowd was particularly large. She immediately noticed those who were simply there to see an otherworldly spectacle and those who meant business. Dirty business. Children had cotton candies in packs, some holding balloons, others popcorns as if they were to watch a movie. Their parents either had an annoyed look or a judgmental one, no doubt cynical with the authenticity of the show that had such an expensive ticket.
Faye read the glittering letters on the board that hung low near the entrance. Paeng the Freak, the Devil's' Spawn. A boy wonder who is as close to immortality as any human can be.
She had known this from Creed's report. Rael, being the eldest in the family, was forced to drop out of high school to sustain his family. In the morning, he worked in the fields as a farmer or in his barrio as an errand boy. But that wasn't enough to pay for his mother's medicines or his siblings' education. So at night, he pretended to leave because of a 'friend who tutors him'. In reality, he was selling his body for a meager amount of money from the millionaire who owned Cirque de Luna.
The owner was using him; now, it was her turn to use the Gifted boy.
She paid for a ticket and contended herself at the back row of the audience. From there, she had access to all the people gathered in the giant tent. Her eyesight was good enough to witness everything even when the lights dimmed, signaling the start of the show.
"Ladies and gentlemen, a remarkable evening to –" and she pretty much tuned out everything after that. His introduction spoken in Tagalog, she hardly had any chance of understanding the ring master. Faye merely watched; the abuse of animals, the corny clowns, the reed-like acrobats, without moving as much as an inch. She was sitting still like a statue, her muscles tensed as she waited for her target to come out.
Rael.
Even if his family was here, they wouldn't be able to recognize the young man clad in a pair of black leather pants and a metallic collar. He wore a Venetian mask and had iron-pierced palms. He was half-naked, exposing his smooth muscular chest which was painted with red and white symbols. His ears too were pierced with multiple silver lightning bolts. All in all, he appeared inhuman. A devil's spawn.
Earlier, she noticed that he lacked the injuries he received last night from their dangerous hike. Now, the wounds on his nailed hands appeared weeks old. Faye was sure as hell those weren't on him when he left that afternoon. His mother would've fainted at the sight.
Self-regeneration. How convenient.
A man with a case full of daggers entered the arena. Faye didn't have to watch to know what he would do with those blades. With that thought in mind, she spun on her heels and strutted away from the suddenly noisy and wild bunch of onlookers.
She would wait back stage. Negotiations would definitely occur there. If the anti-Creed organization happened to be there, then she's lucky. She would be spared hunting them down. If not, then she would abduct Rael and send him off to the HQ without any explanations. She could keep him dead on his feet for hours if she uses enough dosage of the drug 06 gave to her once upon a time. Then, she would purge the enemies of the organization and send enough money to the barrio so that they could live off the rest of their lives. That's the least she could do.
Ignorance would prevent Rael's family from getting hurt.
* * *
Rael was surprised when after he washed himself, the ring master Marcos ordered him back to the cage.
"Man, I'm heading home already," he yelled after making sure he appeared decent. He checked if his wounds had healed; most have, the rest would shortly follow, completely vanishing once he reached home. He was glad that it didn't rain tonight, the mud would've sucked. He smiled dreamily at the thought of having Hannah welcome him home. For a stranger, she's such a sweet girl. He wondered if he should buy something to give to her. Not flowers, but something more memorable. Maybe a bracelet or a locket. He had saved enough to buy at least a silver one. He wondered if he could invite her to tour the plaza tomorrow. She would surely enjoy the flowers adorning the plaza square, even the architecture of their two-century-old cathedral. He was sure she would love the sight of the horse carriages and the goats loitering around the bushes, not to mention the ring of stores that could provide economical but good-quality goods. Maybe he could bring some of his siblings with them.
All except Carlos. That little guy's smart mouth would be the death of him.
He was giddy with the thought.
"Don Dadio wanted your ass back in the cell. Move yourself now or you'll have your pay cut!" the ring master shouted with ferocity.
Rael scowled. The owner should give him a good reason for staying.
Once inside the cell, Marcos locked him.
"Hey! Let me out of here!"
"Sorry, kiddo. Nothing personal. Just doing my work."
A group of men in sophisticated clothes approached him, Don Dadio following them like a dog eager for a treat. Rael didn't like that one bit.
"Don! That idiot Marcos left me here! I have to get home ASAP!"
"Paeng," Don Dadio called using his stage name. The middle-aged man grinned with his greedy black beady eyes shining bright. He gestured to the dangerous-looking men in front of him, "these men bought you from me. Be a nice lad to them, okay? From now on, you're going to work for them. And, don't worry for your family. I'll make an excuse. Maybe how you got a scholarship or something."
"What are you saying?" Rael was having a hard time breathing, speaking, and standing. Thinking seemed difficult enough. "You... sold me? How can that be? I'm not yours! Get me out of here! This is not funny!"
"You're my merchandise. Of course, you're mine." The vile man sneered maliciously. "If you make a headache out of yourself, I'll tell your family that you're dead. Hell, I won't even give them the 3% commission I designated for them. Let me tell you, that meager 3%, you won't even get to see that much money even if you work your butt off for the rest of your pathetic life. Be happy with what I'm giving you, Paeng!"
His family... what?
"No! Let me out of here! Let me go!" He shook the metal bars with unrestrained rage, much in vain. "Let me go you bastards!"
One of the men opened a canister and sprayed the contents directly to Rael's face. Before he could even blink, his world was swallowed by darkness.
**
Unedited.