...
***
ARROW
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
"World news, the whole center city of Portugal, is totally in chaos right now. According to the authority these massive destructions is, again,attributed to Mafia ---"
Before the news anchor can finished her statement, he already turned off the TV at napasandal sa swivel chair niya tapos tumingin sa tauhan niya.
"Now, its the Antinovi. And just like the De Luna, all of them were wiped out when they refused to join them." Anas ng tauhan nya tapos may nilapag itong itim na folder sa harapan ko,"That's the only information I can get."
Mabilis na binuklat ko ito, "Okay, contact Thomas immediately and warn him. If he ask for support send some Hawks to assist them." Utos ko while studying all the informations he gathered.
Tumango naman ang huli bago ito tuluyang umalis ng silid. Napabuntong hininga na lang ako habang pinagmamasdan ang mga nakasulat sa report. It's crystal clear that the Moirs is solidifying its foundation more, by trying to amass more power through forcing neutral party to side them before giving Zyralkire a lethal blow.
So far, they almost gotten control half of it and the only remaining Houses that are left, are now under my Famiglia. Thus, the next few days is very crucial. I just hope they agree with the negotiations I sent them. Just thinking of it makes my head hurt kaya napahilot na lang ako sa sentido ko.
"Will your plan work with them?"
Napatingin ako sa nagsalita at hindi na nagulat nang makita ko ang asawa ko, whose comfortably leaning against the door frame.
"Honestly? I'm not sure." sagot ko samantalang marahan naman itong napatango tapos tinungo nito ang isang couch sa gilid tapos prenteng umupo duon.
Tahimik ko lang itong pinapanuod. I can't help but feel burdened. Ito kasi ang naiipit sa sitwasyon namin. She might be calm on the outside, but I know she's having a hard time. Alam kong sa loob loob nito gusto nitong tulungan ang Zyralkire. However, she knew she cannot. She's now part of Fuirma Famiglia, a neutral party. And no matter what happen, we will never side to anyone.
"Do you have any back up plan in case they both reject your proposal?" Pagkaraa'y tanong nito dahilan para matigil ako sa iniisip ko.
Napabuntong hininga ko, "I --" ngunit di ko na natapos ang sasabihin ko ng biglang may maramdaman akong pamilyar na presensya.
Mabilis na napatingin ako kay Dama at tulad ko ay mabilis na naging alerto din ito. Pagkaraa'y biglang bumukas ang pinto...
"It's been a long time..." wika ng bagong dating tapos pinasadahan kami ng tingin tsaka bahagyang ngumiti.
"W-What are you doing here?" Gulat at kinakabahang wika ko.
Ngunit imbes na sagutin ako ay mabilis na nilipat ang tingin nito kay Dama at marahang sinuri nito ang kabuuan nito making my wife uncomfortable.
"Mama." Seryosong tawag ko dito dahilan para mapunta sakin ang atensyon nito, "What are you doing here?"
"Well...to see if everything is okay." Kibit balikat na wika nito tapos muli naman itong tumingin kay Dama dahilan para makaramdam ako ng kakaiba.
"How are you, dear? I hope you're not having too much stress with what's happening now." Pagkaraa'y tanong ni Mama kay Dama.
I feel something fishy...at di maiwasang magsalubong ang kilay. There something going on na tila itong dalawang taong nasa harapan ko lang ang nakakaalam.
"What is going here?" Ako
Pansin kong medyo natigilan si Dama at medyo namutla pa.
"You haven't told him yet?" pagkaraa'y kunot-noong wika ni Mama.
Umiling lang si Dama bilang sagot.
"Is there something I need to know?" Singit ko tapos napatingin sa asawa ko, "Are you sick or something?" medyo kinakabahang tanong ko.
Bumunting hininga muna ito ng malalim tsaka tinignan ako ng diretso sa mata, "I'm pregnant."
Sa sinabi nito mabilis na tumigil ang mundo ko. Hindi ko alam kung ilang minuto akong nakatanga basta nang maproseso na ng utak ko ang sinabi nito ay humalaklak at nagtatatalon na ako sa tuwa.
"Yes! Whoo!" Tapos mabilis na niyakap ko si Dama, "Yes! I'm going to be father now!"
"That's enough. You're squeezing her too much." Pagkaraa'y singit ni Mama dahilan para mabilis kong niluwagan ang pagkakayakap ko kay Dama at nag-aalalang tinanong ito.
"Are you okay? I didn't mean to -"
"I'm fine. Don't worry." Putol nito tapos napatingin kay Mama, "How did you found out?" tapos naguguluhang tanong nito.
"I have my sources." Simpleng sagot lang ng huli.
Ako naman bigla kong naalala ang nangyayari at biglang sumeryoso tsaka tinignan ng diretso sa mata si Mama.
"You didn't come here just for this." turan ko dito. She doesn't leave her fortress that easily. Kahit nga noong oras na naghihingalo si Zero ay hindi ito dumalaw.
"What business really bring you here?"
Hindi ito sumagot bagkus ngumiti lang ito dahilan para kabahan na ako ng todo todo. For all I know, there are only two reasons na makakapagpalabas dito. And clearly Fuirma is not yet on the verge of death, meaning...seryosong tinignan ko ito.
"Did Kachino do something?" Pagkaraay medyo kinakabahang tanong ko.
Sa tanong ko naramdaman ko ang biglang paninigas ng katawan ni Dama sa bisig ko. It's not surprising na takot din ito kay Kachino. Dama witnessed enough how scary and terrifying Kachino is. Who wouldn't.
"Ah, don't worry..." then bumagsak ang jacket na nakapatong sa balikat ni Mama showing her bare shoulders and arms full of intricate patterns drawn into it.
Nang makitang walang nagbago sa mga ito ay medyo nakahinga ko ng maluwag pero panandalian lang ito.
"There's just some disturbances." Patuloy nito and show me her arms particularly her wrists. There were magnificent tribalistic patterns used to be there, but now its already gone. "Someone accidentally stir her cage."
Mabilis na nanlaki ang mga mata ko, "Did she--" but I was immediately cut off by my mother.
"She's still in control. But that is not why I am here. " mahinahong ulat nito.
My whole body tensed up as the atmosphere inside the room suddenly changed. I don't like what's coming...pagkaraa'y muling bumukas ang pinto para saglit kaming maantala...
"Woah! A family reunion." Bungad ni Zero tapos pinasadahan kami ng tingin isa isa, "Where's Kachino or she's the reason why all of us are here?" Patuloy pa nito.
"Good you're here." si Mama.
"So what is this really all bout?" Zero
"Loose all your ties with anyone related to Moirs...and even Zyralkire." Sobrang seryosong wika ni Mama dahilan para matigilan kami.
"W-What do you mean?" Ako
"As of today, you and Zero will no longer communicate or be involve with Kachino. The whole Fuirma will now be under my control."
...
***
MORGAN
We've been driving for half an hour pero hanggang ngayon tahimik pa rin si Liyah. Lihim ko itong tinignan at tulad ng inaasahan malalim pa rin ang iniisip nito.
"Planning to kill someone?" Simpleng sabi ko, breaking the silence.
Hindi kasi ako sanay na ganito ito katahimik.
"Not exactly." Tipid na sagot nito.
"What then?"
Saglit itong tumahimik tapos pagkaraa'y humarap ito sakin wearing a serious expression.
"Who the hell is Vladimir Griffin?"
Napatingin ako dito at nakitang seryoso pa rin ito.
"He run almost all Ryker's private labs." sagot ko.
"I thought Siara runs them?" Kunoot noong tanong nito.
"That's his secretary." Ako dahilan para lalong kumunot pa lalo ang noo ni Liyah, "Well honestly, I don't know him that well. All I know is he runs Ryker's private labs. Those highly secure one. This is only the third time I've met him."
"When and where the last time you've met him?"
"During the 80's when one of the Cracken's experiment gone bad and 5 years ago when another nasty experiment about genetic mutation failed." Ako and then slowed down the car ng papasok na kami sa pier, "Why so curious 'bout him?"
"There something about him...about them." Pagtutukoy nito sa dalawang nilalang nakaharap nila kanina.
"What do you mean?" This time inihinto ko ng yung sasakyan at hinarap ito.
"My instinct tell me they're dangerous...as in dangerous."
This time kumunot na ang noo ko. Liyah rarely become like this.
"His ability...have you ever seen a Vanguard possessing such ability? No, actualy no one. And Vista, her modification...it was so perfectly done like she's naturally born with it. All the human modifications we created have flaws you know but seeing hers upclose..." tapos umiling ito.
Sa sinabi nito napaisip din ako. She's right. Vanguards are not capable of conjuring physical force like chains out of thin air. They at least need the ingredients that compose it and manipulate to turn into weapon or the actual thing itself. As for Vista, like what Liyah's said it was so perfect samantalang lahat ng mga human subjects na napag-eksperimentuhan ng Hades Gate ay hindi ganun pa kapulido. At kung meron man dapat nabalita na ito. Magsasalita pa sana ako kaso tumunog na ang phone ko. It was an urgent call kaya kinuha ko ito at sinagot.
"What?" Bungad ko sa taong nasa kabilang linya.
"Change of plan instead of next week, they changed it tomorrow night." Pag-iimporma ng isa sa mga tauhan ko dahilan para mapatingin ako saglit kay Liyah na mataman na nakatingin sakin, "Okay.." then I hung up.
"They change their mind. They'll move tomorrow night."
"Okay." Simpleng sgot nito
"Let's focus more on important matters." Ako pagkatapos lumabas na ng sasakyan tsaka mabilis na tinahak ang daan papuntang daungan kung saan isang yate ang naghihintay samin.
Right now, we're going to Guang Zhou. It is one of the pillars of Hades Gate. We just found out today that there some suspicious event occuring there and we need to check it out. With what's happening now, we need to make sure everything is under our control even if it just a little disturbances.
Nang matutong kami ng yate, I decided to go to the roof deck and get some sleep, because for last two weeks I only got 4 hours of it.
...
***
KACHINO
It's been f*cking week and my patience already ran out. I expected everything between me and Cray to finally be settled but it didn't happen. Instead, for the past days wala kong ginawa sa lugar na ito kundi tumunganga lang. I had enough and wasted so much time. Mabilis akong lumabas ng kwarto at tinahak ang lugar kung saan madalas naglalagi si Cray nitong mga huling araw.
Pagkapasok ko ng training room agad na bumungad sakin si Cray na nag-eensayo. Nang makita ako nito ay agad na napatigil ito samantalang dahan dahan naman akong pumunta sa direksyon nito. I didn't mind hiding the way I lavishly eye his so perfect physique.
"What do you want?" Blankong wika nito.
I shifted my gaze from his sweating hard rock eight pack abs up to his void of emotion face.
"I want out from this boring place." Malamig na sagot.
Tinignan lang ako nito tapos muling nagsimulang mag-ensayo ulit. Completely, ignoring me. The corner of my eyes twitch a little bit, really...the nerve of this guy, and in a blink of an eye, sinapo ko ang kamao nito na sana'y dadapo palang sa kaawa-awang punching bag.
"It's been a week, Cray." Nagyeyelong wika ko.
"I know." Pabalang na wika nito tapos marahas na binawi ang kamao nito tsaka tinalikuran ako dahilan para mawala na ang pagtitimpi ko dito.
Marahas na hinawakan ko ito sa balikat at nagpakawala ng isang malakas na suntok. Ngunit sadyang mabilis ang reflex nito at mabilis na nakailag and then grabbing my hand and twist it against my back, "Slow..." bulong nito tsaka malakas na tinulak ako palayo.
Damn! Mabilis na tumayo ko at inayos ang sarili ko tsaka tumingin dito ng nakamamatay.
"You'll pay for this." I hissed tsaka muling umatake, but this time a lot faster.
Binagyan ko ito ng sunud sunod na suntok na tipong wala na itong panahon para makaganti. But as usual, he can easily dodge all of them pero di pa ako tapos dahil nang umilag ito sa isang suntok ko at bago makaayos ay malakas na sinipa mapaluhod ito. At bago pa makarecover ito ay sinipa ko ulit ito sa mukha, throwing him at the far corner of the room.
That felt good ngunit agad din napalis ang tuwa ko ng makita ang reaksyon ni Cray. Inayos nito ang sarili tapos tumingin sakin na tila parang wala lang sa kanya ang ginawa ko. Mabilis na nagngitngit ako sa inis.
"You're still weak." Nagyeyelong wika nito that just hearing it makes me shiver.
My jaw clenched even tighter that it almost hurt. My wounds might not that fully healed yet, but I'm not that weak like what he's saying right now.
"Careful there..." nakakakilabot na wika ko dito. He shouldn't taunt me like that especially when my rage is bottled up and ready to explode any moment. He doesn't have the slightest idea how deadly I can be, right now.
Humakbang ito papunta sa'kin hanggang sa nasa harapan ko na ito. We held our stare long and cold, wala ni isa samin ang balak magpatalo hanggang sa makaramdam ako ng labis na sakit sa ulo ko na tila pinupokpok ito.
I really hate this ability of him. F*ck! It really damn hurt. Pilit kong nilalabanan ito. I wouldn't give this damn man in front of me the satisfaction of seeing me in pain. Lalo ko pang pinatigas ang ekspresyon ko and the corner of my lips twitch a little bit when an idea pop up in my nasty little head. Mabilis na pinatong ko sa balikat nito ang isang kamay ko and share the excruciating pain to him. Ah, how I miss this power. I was able to gain this ability again when my seal was lifted up.
I silenty smirk when I saw how his body instantly went rigid, jaw clenched in a tightly manner, and most of all his eyes became deadlier that it almost hurt just to look at.
"Pleasurable isn't?" I hissed between gritted teeth.
"Move away your hand." He darkly command intensifying more the pain in my head.
I deeply shut my eyes not minding if I lose our staring contest, because it really f*cking hurt. And damn I also felt myself is already on edge.
Minulat ko ang mga mata ko, "M-Make me." Anas ko and in an instant I felt my whole body already in the floor, every corner ache with pain, Cray's on top of me while his hand snaked perfectly around my neck squeezing it a little bit tighter.
"Granted" walang emosyong wika ni Cray tapos malakas ako nitong sinuntok sa mukha.
My face was forcefully went to my side and then tasted blood in my mouth ngunit di ko pa rin binibitawan ito tapos matalim na ibalik ang tingin dito, "That's it." Wika ko and I snapped.
All the anger and frustrations I 've keep inside me for the last week, explode. I firmly wrapped both of my legs on his torso, hands on his shoulders and head bang him that it almost crack both our skulls. When I saw him slightly swayed, I took this as opportunity to try to reverse our position, but then surprisingly failed and again for the second time my body was slammed on the floor.
"F*ck!" Mariin kong mura tsaka tinignan ng nakamamatay ang taong nasa harapan ko na ngayo'y mariing nakapikit ang mga mata.
Cray let out a silent growl then dahan dahang minulat ang mga mata nito at binababa ang tingin sakin, in a dangerously predatory manner. However, my anger and frustrations is all height up enveloping me completely at the moment that fear have no room in me.
"I did give you one f*cking week to settle everything." Angil ko dito tapos kinuwelyuhan ito, "One.f*cking.week.Bastard" patuloy ko almost spitting on his face dahilan para lalong magdilim ang anyo nito.
"Then let's settle it now." Nakakakilabot na wika nito that in an instant my rage have miraculously vanished and replaced with so much anxiety and...fear.
Magsasalita pa sana ako pero bigla ko na lang naramdaman ang isang kamay nito sa likod ng ulo ko and then his lips crushed against mine without warning. It was rough and punishing...and yet intoxicating.
This is what I've wanted, isn't? When I felt his lips become demanding..no erase it it's more like commanding me to respond. Hindi na ako nagdalawang isip, linking both my arms on his neck and answered his with same intensity.
He trace my lower lip with his tongue making me shiver and when he bit it and sucked it asking for entrance, I willingly parted my lips and allowed his tongue entry. Even in this situation, we still battle for dominance, but later on I felt him smirk when I lose from the tongue fight.
And Damn! My mind go haywire with the undescribable intoxication as he even deepened the kiss if that was even possible, and gently sucked my tongue in the process making me let out a soft moan of pleasure, that even myself can't believe i'm capable of.
Naramdaman kong lalong humigpit ang pagkakahawak sakin ni Cray and he become more hungier. Everything around us already momentarily forgotten and it's like the kisses we're sharing is the most important thing to do in this f*cking world.
My left hand came up to its own accord and reach his messy hair. I sigh, as I imagined it's so soft, rich and silky. I grab a fistful of it making his head slightly bending backward, making him groan in pleasure, and momentarily broken our kiss. When his eyes snapped open our gaze locked to each other. His eyes are masked with intense desire and lust and I believe so do mine.
"You are mine, Itaeli." He said and he brought his mouth down on mine again. But this time its gentler, like he was afraid that he might break me. But at the same time its like imprinting me as his as well.
As our lips move in sync, our hands started to dance around our bodies awakening foreign feelings we've never felt before. Hindi ko na nga namalayang nasa kwarto na pala kami ni Cray at wala na akong shirt na suot bagkus I'm only in my bra maging ito topless na, but I didn't mind. Because my mind only think of how euphoric his lips are as he kissed me slowly and agonizingly taste every corner of my mouth.
Suddenly, my breath become more ragged when he started trailing sensual kisses on my jaws down on my neck. I can feel every inch of my body on fire, burning with sinful desire. I tilt my head for him to have a better access. I shiver when he licked and traced my collarbone with his tongue.
Then a long moan escaped from my lips when suddenly his mouth went down to one of my breast, while one of his hand went to massage other one. Even with still bra on, I can still feel how hot his mouth and hand are.
My body is aching for more of his touch when suddenly he stop and slightly move away from me. I looked at him a little bit confused and was going to ask what's wrong, but failed to do so because his lips went to my ear and whispered, "Love, next time dont wear such complicated brassiere." And then a ripping sound of fabric was heard completely exposing me.
Yes, I can be in almost naked state, but I still prefer to cover my parts. Kaya naman my hands immediately went for cover pero mabilis itong pinigilan ni Cray and pinned my hands to side of my head.
"Don't..." he said his eyes burning with naked desire as he drink the whole me.
His burning gaze makes my whole body go delirious, craving more for his touch. A small evil smile escape from his lips when he saw what effect he has on me. Without second thought he lowered his mouth to one of my breast, rolling it with his tongue, pulling it, and relieving my aching bud, while his one hand massaging the other. I whimpered in pleasure. He repeat it again this time with the other one. And then he went to claim my mouth again.
I don't know how much time we've spent exploring and tasting each other, that I just found myself exhausted and then my lids become heavy 'til sleep finally took over me.
...
***
This is a work of Fiction.
PLAGIARISM IS A CRIME.