THREE years had passed when Enigma chose money over her tiring yet safe life.

"Damn, I'm so pretty," puri niya sa kanyang sarili habang nakatingin sa side mirror ng kanyang Mazda MX-5 na kakabili niya lang no'ng isang araw.

Currently, she had 21 cars. Thanks to the man who called her three years ago, she now could buy anything she wanted without worrying the prize.

The man who called him was Commander X, the commander and the handler of Abilio Cryptic Agency. Isa itong exclusive and private agency na ginawa ng gobyerno para itumba ang malalaking krimen na nagaganap sa Pilipinas.

In those three years, she was trained to be an agent. Mahirap pero dahil pera naman ang kapalit, hindi naramdaman ni Enigma ang pagod.

This is better than just being stuck in the laboratory 24/7.

Pumasok na siya sa loob ng sasakyan. Tinali niya ang nakalugay niyang buhok na pinakulayan niya ng puti kahapon. Tinaas niya ang kanyang fitted black turtle neck upang tignan ang maliit at manipis na belt na nakakapit sa kanyang tiyan. Tinanggal niya iyon at tinignan ang mga karayom na nakalinya.

"Ba't may kulang 'to?" tanong niya habang pinipitik ang bakanteng puwesto ng belt.

Sumagi naman sa isip niya ang ginawa niya no'ng isang linggo. Right, she injected it on the neck of the person who tried to flirt with her in the bar.

He wasn't pretty and he didn't look like he had a lot of money. Not her type.

Binalik na niya ito sa kanyang tiyan at nagsimula nang mag-drive papunta sa agency.

Nagtungo si Enigma papunta sa isang orphanage. Pagkarating niya, kaagad siyang pumasok sa loob. Binati siya ng mga bata at binigyan niya naman ito ng tig-iisang libo. S'yempre, bumabaha ang wallet niya ng pera kaya sino ba siya para hindi magbigay ng grasya?

"Good day, Miss," bati ng isang babae na tagapagbantay ng orphanage.

Tumango lang siya at sumunod sa babae nang maglakad ito papunta sa isang kuwarto. Everything, from outside to its inside, the orphanage looked simple and normal, but not until the door of this room was opened.

There were two ways to get to her destination, but she preferred this way.

Binuksan iyon ng babae at pumasok naman kaagad siya. There's a hidden button engraved on the floor so she stepped on it. Bumukas iyon at bumati sa kanya ang isang hagdanan pababa.

Mabilis siyang pumasok doon.

Naglakad siya sa isang madilim na pasilyo na ilang beses niya nang nadaanan kaya pamilyar na siya. Mga yabag niya lang ang maririnig hanggang makarating sa dulo kung saan naroroon ang metal door. Nilapat niya ang palad sa metal door dahilan para lumiwanag ito.

"Welcome, Agent," the system greeted her.

"Rogue." After she said her alias, the door slid open.

And there, she was greeted by other agents.

She's here. The Abilio Cryptic, an agency made only for women.

The waiting area still looked like a living room. Wala pa ring pinagbago. One woman was on the couch playing with her dagger, another one talking with someone else. At may iba pa na abala sa kanilang ginagawa.

They were called by Commander X for a new mission. Wala ang ibang agents na kilala niya, mukhang tapos na ata ang iba na bigyan ng mga assignments. Siya ang huling dumating.

"This way, Lady Rogue." A woman in her 30s gestured her hand to follow her on the hallway, to the left.

Habang naglalakad, may nakasalubong si Enigma na isang agent din. Mukhang kagagaling lang nito kumuha ng assignment dahil sa folder na dala-dala.

"Your Panthera tigris is looking healthy as usual. You're really taking good care of this baby, huh," she greeted Agent Death as her hand patted the tiger's head.

"His appetite is getting bigger these days."

Napangiti naman siya sa sinabi nito. Parang no'ng isang taon lang hindi pa ganito kalaki si Avionnaldo.

"Feed him lots of meat."

"I'm feeding him the highest quality of meat."

"A human meat?" biro niya at umaktong nagulat.

Umiling naman si Death at bahagyang natawa sa sinabi niya. "That's gross, Rogue."

Tumawa naman siya. "Let him try it," pahabol niya pa at naglakad na muli para humabol sa babaeng nauna na sa kanya.

Pumasok sila sa isang office. Sumalubong sa kanya ang isang lalaking nakaupo sa swivel chair. Matipuno at punong-puno ng peklat ang mukha pati na sa ibang parte ng katawan nito.

"You're late, Rogue," his baritone voice echoed around the room.

"Special people always comes late." Naglakad naman siya at umupo sa upuan na kaharap ng table. "So, my assignment?"

Commander X just sighed. Sinenyasahan nito si Dixie, ang kanyang secretary, na nakatayo sa gilid upang ibigay sa kanya ang folder na naglalaman ng kanyang mission.

A black folder. Black meant the level of difficulty is at its highest.

She grinned as she accepted the folder.

Higher danger meant higher risk of her life. But the higher risk, the more higher she gets payed.

Her bank account will be showered with money again.

"You will be sent to different head quarters covered by ACA to do your mission. I'm looking forward for your success. Good luck and God bless."

Hindi na siya sumagot pa o kahit tignan man lang si Commander X at nakangisi nang naglakad palabas.

"More money is on the way," pakanta-kanta siya habang naglalakad sa hallway.

Hindi niya pa tinitignan ang kanyang misyon dahil inuna niya munang magdiwang sa laki ng pera na makukuha niya 'pag napagtagumpayan niya ito.

Nang makalabas at makapasok sa kanyang kotse, doon niya lang binuksan ang folder.

"Engineer Tremondo Pandora..." basa niya sa profile ng isang sikat at pinaka-influential na bachelor sa kanilang bansa.

Engineer Pandora, a man in his late 40s and owner of the famous Pandora Oil Corporation in Butuan City, had been linked to an illegal production and transportation of explosives to country's abroad. Several agents from different agencies already attempted to reveal his dirty job, but due to his wealth and influence, he could easily cover his underhanded job without getting caught. 

And now, it's her turn to gather enough evidences to disclose his illegal activities and arrest the man.

"Losers," komento niya patukoy sa mga agents na pumalya sa trabaho na ito.

Pumunta siya sa kasunod na pahina upang makita ang report ng ibang agents tungkol kay Engineer Pandora. All of them infiltrated the corporation and didn't get any evidence of his illegal activities there.

Higit sa sampu ang mga agents na sumubok at lahat sila ay hindi nagtagumpay.

"Dummies," muli niyang komento sa mga report nilang pare-parehas lang.

Kung ilang agent na ang pumasok sa corporation at walang nakitang kakaiba roon, malamang wala sa corporation ang problema. It could be in another place, and yet the following agents still entered the corporation which was, for her, a very dumb move to do.

They were just repeating the same thing what the first one did.

"The hypothesis had been rejected but they still keep on doing it. Hindi kayang tanggapin ang rejection?" sarcastic niyang sabi at pumunta sa kasunod na pahina.

Nakalatag doon ang personal na impormasyon ni Engineer Pandora. His address, his telephone numbers,  birthday, age at marami pang iba pero pinasadahan niya lang iyon ng tingin.

Napunta ang atensyon niya sa mga taong may koneksyon kay Engineer Pandora.

"An illegitimate child?" Naningkit ang mga mata ni Enigma nang makita ang isang picture ng lalaki.

Nero Pandora, 25.

Walang nakatalag na impormasyon tungkol sa ina ng lalaki at inilagay lang doon na biological son ito ng bachelor, pero pinalabas siyang anak sa labas dahil hindi kinasal si Engineer Pandora sa babae. It was a discrete information because the public didn't know about the existence of the child.

Enigma closed the folder as she smirked.

This is very intriguing.

If the main corporation and all its branches didn't have traces of illegal activities, the production of illegal explosives must be in other locations. What could be the place to perfectly hide it? Where it is not obvious and is out of reach of public?

Sumagi sa isip niya ang anak nito. Muli niyang binuksan ang folder at tinignan ang lokasyon.

It's in Butuan City, Mindanao, where the Pandora's main residence is located. It'd be her first time to be in the agency's quarter in Butuan.

"I guess I needed to travel a little farther this time."

Pinaandar na niya ang kanyang kotse upang bumalik sa ipinatayo niyang mansyon no'ng nakaraang taon. She called her maid to get her stuff ready. Sinunod niyang tinawagan ang ACA para ihanda ang transportasyon niya papuntang mindanao.

Habang nagda-drive, napadaan si Enigma sa isang mansyon kung saan may lalaki na muntik na niyang masagasaan tatlong taon na ang nakakalipas.

The mansion was owned by the Pandora. And the guy he saw three years ago resembled the bachelor's son.