"YOU know that we should not, Sire." Napatingin hindi lang si Alastair sa taong nagsalita, nakuha niya rin ang atensyon ko. Nilingon ko ang isang babae na may katandaan gamit ang matigas nitong Ingles. I can hear Italian tone on her speaking voice.

She's a middle-aged woman who's wearing the same lab-coat. Her facial feature is screaming an aristocratic shape at halata sa mukha nito ang natural na pagkamataray. She's wearing a strong makeup to hide her age and her blonde hair was fixed in a queen-like style. I can definitely say that this woman is part of Privus Trata. Has a higher rank I must say?

Since I'm still wearing my Lenses, it scanned her personal information and I can see that she's Maria Antonietta Poli— a former Italian Ambassadress in the Philippines and now a politician in her town. Before she got the title of being an ambassadress, she's a chemist of the University of Oxford.

"All of our efforts, time and sacrifices will be wasted. I hope you do understand the gravity of your sin for keeping this to Supremo for a long time if you are going to stop this." The fear I inflicted on her has gone when she crossed her arms over her chest and raised a brow to Alastair.

What a total bitch we have in here? Ito nalang pala sana ang pinili ko kesa ang batang scientist.

"Are you threatening me, Antonietta?" Alastair's voice became impassive because of the threatening tone of the woman used.

"I just want to keep this study and experimentation proceeds and finish this."

Marahas ang paglingon ko kay Alastair nang marinig na galing sa bibig ng babaeng ito ang hinalang kanina ko pang iniisip. Ang dahilan kung bakit ako galit sa ginawa nito.

"Looks like your puppets are being naughty. I thought this is just for keeping them safe?" I sarcastically told and asked Alastair when I faced him.

Kita naman sa paglaki ng mata ng binata ang pagkagulat rin sa narinig at tila hindi rin iyon ang inaasahan na sasabihin ng ginang.

Ano? Magsisinungaling ka pa?

"Study? And experimentation?" he asked punyeta— Antonietta with disbelief then he faced me. "I do not k-know what they're talking about Asia."

Napapikit ako at napakuyom ng kamao. I'm suppressing my anger as much as possible. Ayokong magwala dahil hindi nila gugustuhin na makita iyon.

"Of course, you do not know about it, Sire." Antonietta revealed and a perfect grin has been plastered on her aristocratic face. "Do you really think that I'm going to yes to your request of doing this if I won't be benefited?"

"You tricked me?!" Alastair bombarded the whole room with his raging voice.

"If that's what you call it." Tugon pa ng babaeng iyon tapos ay may kinuha sa isang container hindi kalayuan rito. "It has been years since I waited to finally have a hand on this project, Sire. Privus kept me away from this and now that you offered me this work, I won't just lend you my expertise to secure these freak humans for yourself."

Nang makuha ang isang maliit na device sa lagayan na iyon, Antonietta put it both on her ears and grin at them.

Tama ba ang naiisip kong sa bagay na hawak nito? If that so, then this is damn dangerous.

"What is that?" Alastair finally asked the same question that I was about to utter.

"A Resistor. With enough information that we gathered from these freak humans. We were able to stabilize a device to resist or reverse the effect of your hideous abilities."

It seems she's ready for this. Tingin ko'y hindi lang nakapaghanda ang mga ito sa ginawa kong pananakit sa utak nila kaya hind nila nagamit ang device na nagawa para protektahan ang sarili.

I gritted my teeth when the whole team of Scientist is now wearing the same device Antonietta is wearing.

"Most of your abilities are being done with your voice. You're using the sound wave to do the trick and once we heard it, our brain will function in the way you pleased to do so. If that's the case, this device will reverse the sound wave into static and it will result to chop the sound coming from your tune."

Bahagya kong nilingon si Alastair at ang kasama namin kanina. Alastair seems startled by all of these while, on the other hand, the big guy is now ready to attack with his stance. Ready to protect the Heir of Aldeguer Mafia.

"Why don't we try it now?" nakangising wika sa kanila ni Antonietta. This woman has guts to show her evil side and didn't hesitate to reveal her true intention with all of these.

Sinenyasan nito ang isang kasama at mariin namang tumalima ang isang babae. She clicked something on a keypad at tunog ng isang makina ang aming narinig mula sa likuran.

Lahat kami ay napatingin sa taas. May isang containment pod ang biglang gumalaw paibaba sa sahig. The water inside is being drained slowly hanggang sa bumagsak ang Enhanced na nasa loob.

The containment pod opened after that. "Where am I?!' isang nagngingitngit na Nikkadorpha ang mabilis na tumayo habang hawak nito ang dibdib at hinahabol ang hininga. Nikka immediately grabbed a towel somewhere and covered her naked body.

"Your co-freaks wanted you all to be contained there, my dear," Antonietta answered and I rudely faced her with utmost disbelief.

This is not fucking good.

Napabaling ang tingin ko kay Nikkadorpha nang sumigaw ito nang malakas dahil sa galit. Damn, ito na nga ba ang sinasabi ko. Mas lalo lamang sila nagalit sa sitwasyong kinasadlakan nila ngayon.

"It's not what you think, Nikka—" She immediately put me in paralyze.

Good thing I'm still wearing the Maticum that's why I was able to release myself from it pero dinamba naman ako nito sa sahig.

Parehas kaming nagpagulong gulong. Nang maramdaman nitong lalapitan ako ni Alastair at ng kasama nito, Nikka used it again.

"You will all stop from moving!" sigaw nito habang galit na galit na nakatingin sa akin.

Alastair and the big guy froze from where they are but we both noticed that the group of Scientist are murmuring something with joy.

Hingal na tiningnan ni Nikkadorpha ang mga ito. Bakas sa noo ang pagtataka.

"I said, all of you will be paralyzed!" sigaw muli nito. Seconds later, tuwa at pagkagalak ang kanilang narinig sa mga ito na mas nagpatangis kay Nikka.

"W-What the hell is h-happening...?" Nikka asked while walking backward. Hindi makapaniwala na wala itong na-paralyze sa mga siyentista. Her expression is now tainted with fear. I felt that she was scared upon realizing that she's weak without her curse.

"They created a device to reverse the effect of our curse, Nikka." I replied while I'm standing up from the floor.

"P-Pero papaano?" she murmured to me but I just glanced on the whole area to give her the answer that she's looking for. "Shit, they studied us. Pakana mo ang lahat ng ito ano?!"

Nagulat nalang ako nang sakal sakal na ako ni Nikka sa leeg habang galit na galit itong nakatingin sa lahat.

"You planned on doing this para mapatay kami? I'll kill you myself then." I can feel her rage and I know for sure that she's serious about what she has been said.

Akmang lalapitan na sana ako ni Alastair nang senyasan ko siya na tumigil. I glared at him, giving him a message that I'll handle her to make her calm.

"I didn't do this shit, Nikka." Wika ko habang nahihirapan na sa paghinga.

"At sino'ng niloko mo? Ako?" Nikka scoffed. "Think again, Bitch!"

"Listen, they will kill us here if we are not going to escape. Saka mo na ako patayin kapag nakalabas na tayo rito." I tried to bargain. Hindi ko na inabalang sabihin pa na si Alastair na hindi man lang inisip na mangyayari ito ang may kasalanan. Hindi rin naman ito maniniwala sa kahit anong sabihin ko. I just told her the most important part of this situation para lang pigilan siyang patayin ako ng tuluyan.

"I can kill them myself—" Pinutol ko agad ang sasabihin niya.

"I know, but any moment now parating na ang mga tauhan ng Privus. This woman in front won't hesitate to call any reinforcement even she was able to restrain us from using our curses. Kahit mapatay mo pa kaming lahat rito, kung maabutan ka naman ng Privus ay wala ring silbi iyon." I explained.

"I will paralyze them." Nikka pointed out na tingin nito'y gano'n lang kadali ang lahat.

I hissed at her. "And how sure we are that those guards don't have the same device that this woman is using?" I pointed out my say on this.

Natigilan ito sa pagsagot nang ma-realize na tama ang punto ko. Hindi ako sigurado kung naibigay na ba ng Antonietta na ito ang lahat ng impormasyon ng mga Enhanced sa kinauukulan ng Privus. Kung gano'n man ang maging siste then malamang, nakagawa na ang mga ito ng mas marami pang Resistor na pwedeng gamitin ng mga tauhan ng Vexigo at Privus.

"What should we do then?" she asked that made me grin a bit.

"I have a plan." Anas ko rito tapos ay pinakatitigan ko si Alastair. Bakas sa mukha ng binata ang pag-aalala. Hindi nito ginamit ang compulsion laban kay Nikkadorpha marahil ay mabawasan ang kasalanan niya sa akin. Tama lang dahil hindi ko gugustuhin gawin niya iyon.

I looked at him straightforwardly. His eyes are attentive. Nang bumaling ang mata ko sa taas at sa controller machines, alam na nito at nakuha ang gusto kong gawin nito.

Sunod kong tiningnan ang leader ng Action Force Unit na lalaki. I still don't have any idea kung ano ang role niya rito pero kakailangan ko rin ang lakas nito ngayon. Kung ang main priority nito ay ang kaligtasan ni Alastair then I must say that he's willing to do anything to protect the Heir.

I gave him a warning look at pasimpleng tinanguhan.

"What are you waiting for, my dear. C'mon, kill her. Six of you are enough to study your origin and your genes' composition. We've already had enough information so we don't need her." Antonietta insinuated.

"I have to admit this but we both want to keep her mouth and life shut, so tell me your fucking plan." Inis na wika ni Nikka sa akin habang masama ang tingin sa ginang.

"I need you and the big man over there to restrain them. Don't remove their devices." Pauna kong utas rito.

"Bakit hindi ko pa tanggalin?" takang tanong nito sa akin.

"I have a way to deactivate it temporarily. For now, you need to use brute force. Don't rely on your curse for now." I explained. Nang hindi ito nagsalita ay tingin ko nakuha niya ang gusto kong iparating. "Alastair will release the rest from their containment pods. I just hope na magawa niya iyon ng mabilis."

"Fine." Pagpayag nito. Nagulat nalang ako nang bigla itong sumugod na wala man lang pasabi.

Ano atat lang, girl?

That's the cue of the big guy to attack as well. I saw how shocked Antonietta was.

You may have the device to stop us from mental torturing you but it seems she forgot that we are skilled fighters. Walang magagawa ang device na iyan para iligtas sila sa physical attacks.

Alastair nodded at me and went straight to the controllers of pods. Mabilis naman akong tumakbo palapit sa isa pang controller to see what I can do to stop that freaking device.

Nang makalapit matapos kong bigyan ng mag-asawang sampal ang isang babaeng mas nakakabwiset pa ang make-up kesa kay Anabelle ay mabilis kong kinalikot ang makina.

Napamura ako nang most of the programs linked to the mainframe are well-equipped with passcodes. I need someone to encrypt it.

"Austin." Tawag ko and I heard him saying yes on the other line.

"At last, you called us." Rinig kong wika ni Claude sa kabilang linya. "We're about to go there five minutes kung hindi mo pa rin kami kokontakin."

"What do you want us to do?" Austin asked then warned me about something. "The Vexigo guards are almost there. I can sense something wrong, Asia."

Miski ako. Pero hindi muna iyon ang pinagkatuunan ko ng pansin.

"I need you to cipher the codes needed to open the mainframe of this Lab, Austin. If both of you are listening then you must know that we are in great danger. We need to stop the device." Sabi ko kanila then I punched someone at the back when he was about to kick me. "Austin, I need you to crack this while Claude will have to disconnect its device from the main source."

"Ibig mong sabihin..." anas ni Austin.

"Yes, the resistors won't work if they don't have the source to connect it with the device. Kailangan may mag-disconnect no'n at ma-trace kung saan nanggagaling ang source. Ayoko mang isipin pero they might have the formula of how to repel the Apollo. And we need to destroy that."

"Roger," Austin said.

"Copy that." Claude second the motion.

"Ugh!" I grunted when I felt someone stabbed my arm. Nang ibaling ko ang tingin sa salarin ay doon ko nakitang si Antonietta ang may gawa niyon. She stabbed me with a syringe.

"Do not ever let your guard down, my dear." Nakangisi nitong sabi sa akin habang tinutukan ako ng isang maliit na baril.

I clenched my fist when I felt something dripping inside my veins coming from the Syringe. Fuck! Ano iyong kemikal na iyon?

"It's just a sedative, my dear. It won't kill you... yet."

Napamura ako sa aking isip nang marinig ang sinabi niya.

"Make it fast." Sabi ko sa harapan ng ginang but I'm talking with Austin.

"Oh, you want me to kill you right away?" the woman laughed with glee.

"Almost there," Austin replied and I can hear his fast typing speed.

"Can you?" this time, nginisian ko na itong si Antonietta. I need to maintain this act so she wouldn't notice anything.

Idinikit bigla ni Antonietta ang dulo ng baril sa noo ko nang mapaluhod ako sa sahig dahil sa panlalambot. My eyelids are starting to close and I'm just fighting it. Hindi dapat ako mawalan ng malay ngayon.

"Your tongue spits nonsense and it makes me want to kill you now." Antonietta's Italian accent is now spitting like an acid to me.

Napadaing ako ng bahagya nang bigla nitong hablutin ang buhok ko habang nakatutok pa rin ang dulo ng baril sa kanang noo ko.

"Let's see how brave you are, Antonietta." Mahina kong bulong dahil sa antok ng nararamdaman. When I finished telling her that, Austin signaled me that its done.

"Source deactivated." Sabi ni Austin sa kabilang linya na may kasabay na pagbunga ng hangin. "Wait for the static effect."

Ilang segundo lang nang bigla akong mabitawan ni Antonietta. Napatumba ako sa controller na nasa likod ko at napaupo bigla sa sahig dahil sa bigat ng katawan.

Antonietta and her scumbag's witches are screaming while they're being electrocuted with the device they're using.

"Make sure that you locate the source, Claude." Utos ko sa dalaga na nasa kabilang linya.

"Roger that— what?! Fuck! No—" nanlaki ng bahagya ang mata ko.

"C-Claude? A-Austin! Damn it!"

Nawala ko sila sa linya matapos niyon. Fuck, nagkalokohan na. They were being attacked by Privus.

"Are you alright?" his accent made me look at him with my dilated eyes.

"What's your name?" I asked this big guy again. Damn, effects of the sedatives I guess. I shouldn't have supposed to ask him.

I heard his manly giggle. "Curiosity will kill you, weakling."

As much as I want to roll my eyes, I can't. I'm thanking Diaperno for taking the sedative slowly.

"Do you r-really t-think, he's on y-your side?" parehas kaming napalingon ng lalaking sumalo sa akin kay Antonietta.

Antonietta's condition is worst for I could have imagined. Her blood is dripping like a fountain in her eyes. Sunog na parte ng pinagsusuotan ng device naman ay masyadong tusta at halata sa ulo nito.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Antonietta laughed mischievously but a gunshot on her forehead made her laugh stopped.

Nanghihina kong tiningnan ang may gawa no'n. "Alastair..." bulong ni Nikka na nakatayo malapit lang sa akin.

Alastair's eyes made its way to me. He's staring at me unusually. Hindi ko alam pero nakaramdam ako ng kaba na hindi ko maintindihan. Then Antonietta's last words hit me.

"Do you r-really t-think, he's on y-your side?"

"The Enhanced...?" I asked him. Trying to avoid the ideas popping on my head.

No, he won't. He won't do this to me.

"Still alive." Maikli nitong sagot sa akin then we heard machines working.

"Then we need to leave now," I told him but Nikka asked something with curiosity.

"Why did you release just one of them?"

Hindi ko matanaw kung totoo ngang isa lang ang binuksan nito but I looked at him with questions plastered on my face. Medyo napapapikit pikit lamang ako gawa ng gamot na tinarak sa akin but I must say that I'm really different from any other human beings, huh.

"None of your business. I only need one of them."

I don't know what happened next but Apollo with my fiery rage consumed me. It made my Diaperno Maticum blasted forcefully and now here I am, holding the Heir's neck.

"I hope you don't forget that it's my business as well, Alastair." Nanginginig ako sa galit, poot at kaba sa ginagawa at inaakto nitong lalaking ito.

Para itong nagbalik sa dating siya na walang emosyon at walang pake sa nararamdaman ng iba. This is the first Alastair he'd shown to me. Ang hindi ko maintindihan ay kung bakit nanunumbalik na naman ito sa dati.

"Do you r-really t-think, he's on y-your side?"

Mas hinigpitan ko pa ang pagkakasakal sa leeg nito nang muli iyong pumasok sa isip ko. Ang tanong na nagbibigay sa akin ngayon ng libu-libong tanong.

"Put him down, Asia." Nabaling ang atensyon ko sa taong nag-utos sa akin na bitawan ko si Alastair.

Aarav is looking at me impassively once he's done getting dress. "I know how to stop you now that you have awakened me and I don't want to use it against you."

"Listen to him, weakling." Rinig ko pang segunda mano ng lider ng Action Force Unit.

Muli kong naalala ang eksena bago kami pumasok rito kanina. Pati ang araw na nahuli namin sina Nikka, Jake at Arnold. At pagkaka-assign ni Archilliah sa klase ko. Ang oras na nagpahuli si Aarav ng gano'ng kadali... at ang araw kung kailan ko unang nakita si Alastair.

Biglang nanlabo ang paningin ko nang tiningnan ko si Alastair. I'm silently gasping for air because of the thoughts rushing through my mind. Pakiramdam ko malalaglag iyon sa aking mga mata lalo na nang maalala ko ang mga oras na pinakita at pinaramdam sa akin ng binata kung gaano ako ka-espesyal at kung paano niya ako pinuno ng mga magagandang salita.

"Y-You..." napalunok ako nang hindi ko makayang itanong nang diretso ang nasa isip ko. "... planned of these?"

Mas napahigpit ang sakal ko rito. I tried signaling him to say no but his grin... states otherwise.

"I don't believe you..." iyon lamang ang nasabi ko dahil gusto kong papaniwalain ang sarili ko na hindi ito totoo. No! Alastair won't do this to me. He cares about the existence of his co-enhanced. He explained and justified na he doesn't feel alone again with the curse that he has.

"Believe him... Asia." Napabaling ang tingin ko sa tarangkahan nang pumasok roon si Supremo. Kasabay ang mga tauhan nito.

"What the f-freaking hell is happening?" ramdam ko sa tono ni Nikka ang takot na bumakas roon.

Supremo nodded at Aarav. Aarav pierced me with his eyes. I gawked when I felt something isn't right. Nabitawan ko si Alastair at napaluhod kaming parehas ni Nikkadorpha sa sahig dahil sa ginawa ni Aarav.

Supremo filled the area with his evil laugh. Tila hindi na nito napigilan pa ang sariling tumawa. "As expected, may isa sa mga tinatawag mong Enhanced ang kayang patigilin ang kapwa nitong sumpa."

This is what I'm talking about. Aarav has the ability to nullify. Hindi lang kami. Once he used his curse to nullify a normal human, he can stop their breathing, their senses and he can forcefully nullify emotions as well. That's how dangerous his curse is.

We need to get out... now.

"You're the Sixth victim?" hindi makapaniwalang tanong ni Nikka. "You're with a twin, meaning to say he is..."

"No, he's not the last victim." Pagkumpira ni Aarav sa kongklusyong nabubuo ni Nikka.

"Then... who's the last—" si Alastair na mismo ang pumutol sa gustong sabihin ni Nikkadorpha.

Alastair looked to his Supremo— the Consigliere of Alderguer Mafia. "Both of them should be contained. They're both dangerous. We need to halt this mission since this woman was able to destroy most of the devices that you asked to create."

My eyes are starting to shut. Nagawang patigilin ni Aarav ang Diaperno Maticum and now my eyes went back to normal. Lenses are still active kaya kahit papaano ay nakakakita pa rin ako. Pero kapag tuluyan nang nakuha ng mga alagad ni Supremo sina Claude and Austin then most likely, the Lenses will be shutting down as well.

Parang walang narinig si Supremo sa sinabi ni Alastair dahil imbes na sumagot sa suhestyon ng binata. He started to walk towards my point. Nang tuluyang makalapit ay ni-lebel nito ang mukha sa aking harapan. Hinawi nito ang takas na buhok na tumatakip sa aking mukha tapos ay nginitian ako ng matamis.

"I know how badly hurt you are physically... and emotionally." Wika nito na nagpatagis ng aking panga.

"Supremo." I heard Alastair called him.

I know it's not about ignoring him about his suggestion. Kahit paano alam kong pinapatigil nito ang matandang magsalita patungkol sa ginawang kagaguhan sa akin ng Mafioso na iyan.

He betrayed me. Now it's cleared, damn it!

Supremo titled his head towards Alastair and said nothing but his dagger looks. This man. He has the aura of a killer and a monster I must commend. He faced me again and caressed my cheeks.

"I'm really sorry if Alastair needs to do that, Hija." Gusto kong kumunot ng noo dahil sa sinabi nito. Why he's saying sorry on behalf of his puppet? "Sabi ko naman sa'yo noon when I invited you to be part of Privus, I wouldn't say no for an answer and yet you defied me."

"Go to hell." I spat it like it has a venom. I wished it has.

"Oh, this is hell, Premiere." Anito tapos ay hinawakan ng mahigpit ang panga ko. "Akala mo ba talaga na kaya kita pinadala rito ay para lang gawing makapangyarihan at mapalabas ang tattoo na pinakita ko sa'yo sa braso ng Mafia Boss? He's already powerful! Ang kailangan ko lang ay buuin kayong lahat sa iisang lugar."

"And then what?" nahihirapang kong tanong sa Supremo.

"Hindi na dapat pang sagutin ang tanong na iyan, Premiere." Supremo replied then he tossed my face in a harsh way.

I spat a bit of blood from my mouth and asked again. "You want to use all of us to awaken the Apollo, I see. How are you supposed to do that if you don't know who's the last victim?"

Nilingon ako ni Supremo nang magsimula itong umalis sa harapan ko. "Hindi ko sisimulan ang plano na ito kung hindi ko kilala ang panghuling bata na naging biktima noon."

Bahagya akong nagulat sa sinabi nito. Kilala na niya?

"Tell me who..."

"Ilan lang ba kayong Enhanced na nasa kwartong ito?"

All of them looked at me when Supremo asked that question.