I lay shirtless and sweaty on the small dingy mattress, the suffocating heat of Brazil lingering along with the flies in the thick air as I blinked up at the cracked ceiling of the room I had rented, waiting.

Just as predicted the cheap door of my small living space busted open, slamming against the gray concrete wall as the rusted hinges creaked in protest while the men flooded in, all in muscle tanks and machine guns before I grabbed my own weapon from beneath my pillow, aiming and shooting a head shot at each guy in a row all while keeping my gaze fixated on the ceiling.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, right as I moved off my bed when two more men flooded in, trying to aim their weapons at me before I quickly disarmed them, shoving one into the nearest wall and kicking another in the gut before I retrieved my cell.

"Harry." I said into the phone, fighting off the injured guys who rose up on wobbly knees, blindly swinging at me as I deflected their hits, taking on three at a time when more of them entered the small space while effortlessly keeping the device to my ear.

"Ah Harry, been quite a while hasn't it? Hopefully you didn't forget me." Angelo greeted with a reminiscent sigh, his voice much deeper with age than the last time I had heard him as I grit my teeth, grabbing one of the men's shoulders and head butting him, causing the guy to go cross eyed for a second before crumbling to the ground.

"What do you want." I snapped, not in the mood for idle talk as I heard more footsteps from outside nearing my torn up room, causing me to quickly grab my wallet and pack of cigarrettes from the chipped table.

By the time the reinforcements entered through the open door I had already jumped out of my window, landing swiftly onto the the cheap scrap metal roofs six feet down, the people of Brazil shouting and calling out to one another from below in the narrow, cobble stoned alleyways, seeming to compete with the overbearing honks of scooters and mobiles.

"Ah come on, I haven't talked to you in years and I don't even get a simple hello from you? Where have you been anyways, my men and I have been trying to find you but it's like you disappeared." Angelo chuckled as I peered down one specific dingy alley from above, my green eyes zeroing in on the unguarded motorcycle leaning against the stone wall near a worn fruit stand.

"You haven't been getting into any trouble have you Harry?" He continued to bait, his tone lingering lightly over my name while I put my shirt over my head, tugging it down and preparing to jump into the middle of the alleyway before sudden shouts were heard from the window of my small room.

"Ei! Ele está ali!" (Hey! He's over there!) One tan brawny man peering through the window spotted me, cradling his strapped machine gun in one hand and pointing in my direction with his beefy finger, catching the attention of his fellow men who crowded around the opening while I calmly stood a good few yards away from them, calmly make eye contact with each and every one of them.

"If you called me to tell me something do it now or I'm hanging up." I instructed in a deep voice, my words laced with impatience as I looked away, hearing the other men jumping out the window just as I did and landing onto the wide roof that I was on, bullets whizzing passed my body not bothering me in the slightest as I took my time to climb down to the alleyway below.

My feet firmly planted against the dusty cobblestones before I moved towards the unattended motorcycle, easily swinging my leg over it and starting the engine before Angelo finally responded while the bullets fired above me at the roof of the building to my left.

"Three is dead."

His sentence left a deafening ringing in my ears that drowned out all the noises around me as I stared straight ahead of me, freezing for a moment as if undergoing an out of body experience before a bullet flew right past my face, lodging itself into the stone wall making me snap my gaze up above at the men who were coming down into the abandoned alleyway.

For some reason, I actually felt a stronger emotion than irritation or impatience.

I was furious, absolutely fucking livid and I had no idea why.

I shut off the motorcycle with gritted teeth, peering up and glaring at the roof before raising my gun and shooting like a mad man like something inside me had snapped in two.

The men fell down one by one around me, already dead from my bullets before they could even hit the ground while some safely landed, joining the dark corridor that I was in only for me to bash their skulls into the nearest wall and snap their necks quickly, my weapon not satisfying my rage enough.

"You still there?" Angelo's confused voice questioned through the speaker once I was the only one left standing, knuckles stained with blood, the metal of my gun still warm to the touch, and my anger still festering inside as I looked around at the corpses at my feet with heavy breaths.

I raised the phone back to my ear, an empty expression on my face as I stared at nothing in particular, feeling like my senses were overwhelming me even if I was the only one alive in the cobble stoned corridor.

"I'll be there." I said in a low voice, ending the call before he could answer.

**

The facility looked just like a regular, middle class office space with shitty technology and even shittier looking people as I made my way through the hall, not bothering to hide the disgust on my face as I kept my hands stuffed into the pockets of my black coat.

My thoughts were in motion ever since I left Brazil to come back here to California along with my feet that were carrying me to Angelo's office.

I hate this place.

I hate Angelo.

I hate everything.

I hate that fucking shit doorknob piece of metal shit-

The door to Angelo's office adruptly flew open as I strode in with a glare, the barrier propelling and harshly hitting the wall to the side from the mere force of my push as Angelo glanced up from his desk with a perplexed expression.

"Why Harry, you haven't aged a bit-"

Once I was in front of him I grabbed the flimsy material of his tie, twisting it around my knuckles firmly enough that if I decided to pull any harder the air would be choked right out of him as I tugged him forward, opening the pocket knife with a jerk of my wrist in my other hand.

I took in his different appearance from the last time I had seen him, obverving the fat that now covered his boney frame and the wrinkles of age on his mid forties face.

"I don't like when people lie to me." I threatened, keeping my voice an octave lower than usual due to the anger I was experiencing as Angelo's face became an unhealthy red at how tightly I was keeping him in place with his tie while he watched my hand expertly flip and weave the knife between my tattooed, ring clad fingers.

"Guess you never were one for jokes." Angelo wheezed, causing my dark, impatient eyes to narrow into slits at him before I violently shoved him away, his body flopping back into his chair as I reluctantly pocketed my knife.

He had informed that the funeral for Three was today at the small hidden church underground in this facility that was used to mourn the deaths of agents.

I entered that place to find it completely empty, and when I approached the open coffin at the front to pay my respects, all there was was a stupid note with the letters 'J' and 'K' scrawled over it in Angelo's handwriting.

"It was one of my dad's final death wishes to have you come back and have Malu meet you. Strange really, she doesn't even remember you, let alone anything that happened before you brought her here. What happened to that poor girl?" Angelo rubbed his scruffy round chin in thought as I paused to give him a look.

So the machine did work, her memory was wiped away which meant she could see colors.

A slight feeling of relief washed over me but I made no move to show it as I maintained my stone cold expression.

"Malu?" I tested the foreign name on my tongue, for I only knew her as Three.

"Yeah, dad renamed her after a tattoo my late mother had. Malu's the name of some kind of Samoan tattoo used for protection on woman. Thought it'd fit her since she always took great care of her assignments." He informed, rubbing his closed lid with his pointer finger, a tired expression etched across his face as I let his words sink in.

Malu.

The name echoed in my head for a moment before I turned my head to Angelo.

"What is she, twelve now? I'll buy the brat a gumball and leave." I decided, brushing my thumb along the tip of my nose before crossing my tatted arms over my broad chest as Angelo raised his brows at my response.

"You really have no concept of time do you." He chuckled, my glare never leaving his face before I felt the presence of another enter the room, catching both my attention and his as we glanced over at a small, tan, teenager with a tattered beige, cloth bag in her hand.

"Ah, just the girl I wanted to see." Angelo clasped his hands together as I scrutinized the kid, catching her attention as her harsh brown eyes met my own, her glare matching mine.

So this was Malu.

She approached the desk, placing the bag onto the wooden table as Angelo smiled with satisfaction.

"My mission is completed. His head is in there." The unfamiliar girl reported, her voice just as cold as her face while she stood straight.

I glanced at the mysterious bag in front of her, aware that more than just appearance had changed with Thre- with Malu as I pinched my bottom lip in thought, unconsciously playing with my lip ring as she slowly turned her head to look at me before breaking eye contact with flushed cheeks.

Angelo followed my gaze.

"Harry, I'd like you to meet-"

"Not interested." I cut him off, not bothering to even look at the girl who stood in front of me as I stuffed my hands into my pockets and walked out of the door with the slight bitter taste of disappointment in my throat.

It was plain stupid of me to expect her to still be the same.

She had changed and was a cold blooded killer now, she was no different than me or anyone else who was an agent.

She wasn't special.

I smirked to myself, somewhat relieved to have that realization dawn upon me before a warm, female voice caught my attention.

"You obviously have somewhere to be, totally understandable! I'll just leave your cupcake on your desk okay?" I turned at the sound, finding a young woman, either around my age or younger with caramel colored skin and friendly brown eyes that matched her dark waves of hair as she cradled a basket of what looked to be cupcakes to her chest.

After leaving the iced treat on one of her co-worker's table as promised, she smiled to herself, situating the cupcake perfectly on the desk before nodding with satisfaction and walking away, humming to herself before her eyes caught mine in the hallway.

I made no attempt at hiding the way I was shamelessly raking my gaze over her body, from her supple curves to her chest as I brought my lip ring between my teeth.

Usually a woman who looked as simple her wouldn't interest me in the least.

But there was something unexplainable that made me focus all my attention on her.

I would fuck her.

She blinked, tilting her head to the side and observing me as I was doing with her -well, maybe with less lustful thoughts- before an almost blinding, small friendly smile appeared over her face.

Walking over to me in her small heels until she was right in front of me she brought the basket of sweets up to me as I stared at her with furrowed brows.

"Hi, I'm Malu. I've never seen you here before, are you new?" She greeted, catching me off guard at her statement as I blinked at her in shock.

She was Malu?

So that bitter looking teenage girl in Angelo's office wasn't Malu.

This woman was.

When the hell did she become a woman?

I didn't say anything, just stared down at her with my scrutinizing gaze, wanting to punch a wall for having such sexual thoughts about her when I first saw her, sickening myself now that I knew that this was the little girl I had saved and who had saved me.

The annoying little girl who still seemed to be embodied in this sinful body of a woman as she kept the basket of cupcakes out for me.

Her eyes had remained kindhearted and smile free of any malice even after all these years.

What a child.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I guess I'm kind of scaring you a bit with being so straight forward, but here, take one." Malu spoke up after I stayed completely silent, taking a cupcake into her hand and giving it to me as my eyes skimmed over the words that were iced over the tiny cake.

'You're Invited to Malu's Birthday Party' it read in white icing, along with some scrunched up miniscule writing squished at the bottom.

I flickered my hard gaze up to her expectant face as she smiled with excitement, hugging the basket to her chest in a giddy manner.

How old was she again?

"I'm just having a small office party, ha nothing special. Although it would be special if people actually came this year, I mean I do this every year but I know people are busy so I completely understand. Look, I even iced down what office room I'll be in and the time," She quickly pointed at the cupcake in my hand, leaning slightly closer to me making me stiffen at how good her soft looking hair smelt.

"I kind of ran out of room and squished everything together, but if you squint really really hard I think I can make out the time." Malu leaned closer to my hand in concentration, squinting her eyes as I resisted the urge to push and smash the cupcake into her face.

She was still as irritating as she was back then.

"Well, the time is eight o'clock if you ever decide to come and stop by. I bought confetti if that will tempt you. Nice to meet you by the way- Oh shoot, I don't even know your name." She blinked, grabbing my free hand causing me clench my jaw at the contact as she eagerly shook my hand vigorously with excitement.

I kept my lips shut, not answering her as I continued to stare at her with an uninterested expression, making her face soften.

"I don't know if anyone's ever told you this but... you kind of look like a Harry." She noted in a small thoughtful voice, making me quickly retract my hand away from her warm one as if I had been burned but she didn't take notice.

"I really like the name Harry," Malu explained as I looked away, feeling an unsettling feeling stir in the pit of my stomach before she subtly waddled into my line of vision, tilting her head to the side so our eyes would meet again.

"And I really like you. You're the only one who hasn't run away from me and my cupcakes so you've already made my birthday a great one. Thank you for not hurting my heart." She confessed, genuinely beaming at me as I sent her an incredulous look.

Deciding I've had enough, I turned and walked in the opposite direction without another word, forcing myself not to look back as I felt her confused gaze on me.

"Alrighty then, I hope I'll see you later at my party if you have time!" She called out to me from behind, her voice fading the faster I walked away as I kept my head lowered, a brooding gaze on my face while I examined the cupcake in my hand.

I came to conclusion that the name Malu fit her well.

Just like Harry did with me.

**

No one was left in the facility by the hour of 11:45 pm, even Angelo had gone home as I stayed leaning back against the wall, hidden by the shadows and staring at the only light in the entire building where Malu patiently sat in the decorated room, a few balloons and a lighted cake with the number '25' on it in front of her as she rested the side of her face against the table.

She blew out a small breath through pursed lips, drumming the pad of her fingers lightly over the edge of the furniture before she raised her head, straightening in her chair.

Fixing the cake a bit, she curiously swiped her pointer finger over the icing, bringing it to her mouth with a bored expression before releasing it with a pop.

Okay that made me fucking uncomfortable.

She checked the time again, her eyes always attracting towards the ticking clock on the wall before she inhaled.

"People are just busy nowadays. There's always next year." Malu told herself, her hope not diminishing in the slightest as she stood to her feet, smiling down at her cake.

"Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, I smell like a monkey, and I look like one too." She quietly sang to herself under her breath, her head bobbing side to side slightly with the melody before she leaned forward and blew out her candle.

"Woo- yay, happy birthday! Woo!" She whisper yelled, mimicking a crowd and clapping her hands together before she looked around, pursing her lips slightly in thought at the empty space around her before she began to cut the cake with an unbothered expression.

To my surprise she cut two slices, putting one on each plate along with plastic forks, saving one for herself while pushing the other to the empty seat besides her.

"Just in case he comes." Malu said to herself, resting the side of her squished face in the palm of her hand, staring at the cake slice as I stiffened, knowing she was talking about me, completely oblivious to the fact that I had arrived here for her birthday since eight o'clock sharp.

It was by 12:15 that Malu started to snore, her face hidden in her folded arms on the table as her shoulders slowly rose and fell with slumber, making me finally enter the room.

I looked at the sad cake and the sad girl before shrugging my jacket off and putting it over her.

Pulling the chair besides her back, I sat down, making sure to face her as I propped my feet on the table, holding the flimsy paper plate in my hand and eating the cake silently as I watched her sleep, seeing her finally turn her sleeping, slightly flushed face up so it was towards me, her lips squished, eyes closed, and strands of hair over her cheeks making me smirk as I glanced back down at the slice of cake she saved for me.

"Such a child." I muttered in amusement, shaking my head as I stayed there by her side, keeping my attention on the dessert as I poked at it with the fork in my hand before opening my mouth one more time.

"Happy Birthday Malu."

AN: Yus, next chapter will go back to Malu's pov and the present but that was just a little mini story/insight of Harry's past with her.

Ima start replying back today after I'm finished with work so be prepared for lots of activity.

AND ALSO, I'm gonna start reading on wattpad again cuz usually I only have time to write and post but IM GONNA GO BACK TO READING AND COMMENTING HA FUN.