"Wakey wakey little princess."
Naalimpungutan ako nang may tumatapik sa aking pisngi. Hindi pa ako nagmulat but the nerve of this man, whoever he is to touch me.

Sinubukan kong ikilos ang kamay ko para suntukin siya pero hindi ko maikilos ito.

Agad akong napamulat at napatingin sa paligid. I'm in some kind of abandoned warehouse. It was empty and dark and dirty.

Napabaling ang tingin ko sa lalaking nasa harap ko.

Malaki siya at may konting balbas, singkit ang mga mata niya and he has a japanese accent, so obviously hapon nga ito.

Tinutukan ko ang mukha niya, trying to find some familiarity. I was looking back on my past deeds.

Eliminating competitions,  killing disobedient underlings and blackmailing to expand our power, that's what I do best for the Otokawa mafia. Marami na din akong napabagsak na mga kompetisyon nang Otokawa, maaaring isa siya dito. Maybe he's after me for revenge.

"Well, do you remember me now, princess?" sabi nito habang hawak hawak ang baba ko. Iniwas ko naman ito sa kanya.

Sinamaan ko siya nang tingin tsaka dinuraan.

"I never really bother to remember someone weak. Sorry but your face really doesn't ring a bell"

Agad niyang pinahiran ang mukha niya tapos at malakas akong sinampal at halos matabingi ang panga ko sa lakas. I could definitely taste blood on my lips.

"You brat,  Dahan dahan ka sa pananalita mo, baka nakakalimutan mong ikaw ang nakatali ang kamay at hindi ako."

"Old man,  I think your underestimating me that much. I wasn't called the Legendary Dark Demon for nothing. Kayang kaya kong basagin ang bungo mo kahit di ko ginagamit ang kamay ko."

Agad akong tumayo at sinipa ang mukha niya nang pagkalakas lakas dahilan para matumba siya paatras.

"You bitch!" yun lang ang nasabi niya habang dahan dahan akong naglakad patungo sa kanya.

"Babatiin kita,  kung sino ka man, you got to slap the legendary dark demon, but I think that's as far as you can get with that revenge of yours. Too bad hindi na kita pagbibigyang hawakan ni hibla man nang buhok mo. Your petty revenge for whatever it is na pinaglalaban mo ay magwawakas na ngayon. Kung bakit kasi kamay ko lang ang tinalian mo,  you're underestimating me a lot at nakaksinsulto iyon. "

Pilit niyang ini-angat ang katawan niya sa pagkakahiga, habang palapit nang palapit ako.

Dumura siya nang dugo at napatawa.

"Laugh all you want because it will be the last thing you can do before I flatten your face with my foot."

Tumawa parin siya nang tumawa. Baliw ba itong lalaking ito?

"You naive girl, malakas ka nga but you're still a stupid,  naive little girl, a lost little kitten trying to be a fierce tiger in a big jungle."

Sinipa ko siya sa sikmura at napasigaw siya.

"Might I remind you, I'm in control here,  kayang kaya kitang patayin,  so why don't you beg for mercy and I'll let you die as fast as possible."

"Diyan ka nagkakamali, you were never in control, all your---ughh"

Di ko na siya pinatapos at muling sinikmuraan.  Every time he open his mouth ay umiinit ang ulo ko.  He's totally pissing me off.

"You know,  if you could just have shut your mouth, you could've lived a little longer."

Itinaas ko ang paa ko at handang tapakan ang ulo niya nang may maramdaman akong bagay na parating saakin kaya inilagan ko iyon kaya bumaon ito sa pader sa tabi namin at napatingin ito doon.

Tranquilizer darts?  Nanaman?

"That thing won't work on me again." sabi ko habang patuloy na iniilagan ang pagpapaulan nila nang tranquilizer darts.

"Sige rakrakin niyo yan!" sigaw nang lalaki habang nakaluhod na ngayon.

Patuloy akong umiilag at tumatakbo,  once they'll ran out of ammo, I'll kill them one by one and end this once and for all.

Patuloy lang akong tumatakbo, eliminating a few men along the way. They're all just pathetic losers.

"Sorry but I  won't lower my guard down again." sabi ko sa kanila habang tumalon paatras para ilagan ang mga pinapaputok nila.

"You just did sweetheart. " suddenly, may tao sa likod ko and before I could react, may itinarak ito sa leeg ko ang later on I could feel the familiar drowsiness.

May ibinulong pa ito sa akin.

"Stay still  Haruka,  all will be well soon."

I continued struggling and managed to land a punch on him. As my consciousness was slowly fading away, isang bagay lang ang tumatakbo sa isip ko, it's how the voice really resembles the guy Raven's been acquainted with lately , Kairo Weston.

...............................................

'Ugh'

Agad akong nagising nang maramdaman kong ibinagsak ako sa sahig. My back freaking hurts.

Iminulat ko ang mata ko and struggled to get up.

Dinoble nila ang pagkakatali sa kamay ko,  tinalian na rin ang mga paa ko. Nagmukha akong baboy na kakatayin.

Sinubukan kong makawala sa pagkakatali.

"No use princess,  we doubled the tie in your hands just to make sure. So don't even try something stupid again, that is as far as you can go. " napaangat ang ulo ko sa nagsalita.

"Well, I got to beat the shit out of you though. " natatawa kong sabi sa kanya.  It was the same japanese guy I encountered earlier. May pasa siya sa mukha niya at paika ika habang humakbang papunta sa akin.

Inilapit niya ang mukha niya sa akin as if he was trying to intimidate me.

" I don't need any of your bull shit comebacks. If I were you,  I would just shut the fuck up since you're the one that's tied up and not me."

"You're begging for it though, and at sa natatandaan ko,  the last time you said that, I totally kicked your ass." sabi ko and slammed my forehead into his.

Napatumba naman sila but recovered easily.

Isa nanamang malutong na sampal ang natanggap ko pero hindi ako nagpakita nang kahit anong emosyon. I can't let him get the satisfaction.

"As much as I would like to put you through hell, I have orders. For the meantime, kiss your friends goodbye already,  your time with the real devil's finally coming soon." sabi nito at umalis. May naiwang nagbabantay sa amin pero malayo sila, keeping their distance.

"That was quite a slap Haruka,  masakit ba?" narinig ko mula sa likod ko and surprised to find the three idiots, sina Angelo, Claude at Venz. Nakatali rin ang mga kamay at paa nila.

"Dude,  of course masakit yun, there's this one time sinabi kong tapos na kami nang isang kafling ko ayon sinampal ako, damn parang nahiwalay yung pisngi ko sa mukha ko,  my cheek was stinging the whole day."

"Shut up Venz,  that was completely unnecessary, mas kumakalam ang sikmura so iyo."- Claude

"Di ko kasalanang di ka kumain nang hapunan!"

"You ate the burger I bought for dinner."-Claude.

"Eh sa pakalat kalat eh so kinain ko nalang,  and who the hell eat burgers for dinner?"

Even when facing a life and death situation di pa rin sila nagbabago.

"Itikom niyong mga bunganga niyo, bwisit. " kalmang sabi ni Angelo.

Tumikom naman ang dalawa.

"Anong kailangan nila sa iyo?" tanong ulit niya, he looked at me suspiciously.

Napaiwas ako nang tingin.

"It's none of your business, why don't you gayshits stop your chitchats at mag isip kayo nang paraan kung paano tayo makatatakas dito. "

Inilibot ko ang tingin sa paligid. The guards are keeping their distance from us at wala akong makitang matulis na bagay that would cut off our ropes.  If only I have a knife---

Natigilan ako, I still have the dagger strapped inside my thighs, muntik ko nang makalimutan.

May namumumuo nang plano sa aking isipan.

"Listen up,  I've got a plan." halos pabulong kong sabi. Lumapit naman sila.

"We cut these ropes nang walang nakahahalata. We'll take them by surprise. Pagkatapos nating makawala sa pagkakatali gumawa kayo ng ingay para lumapit sila tapos doon na natin sila susugurin. "

Nagsitanguan naman sika

"One tiny problem princess, we don't have a knife to cut the ropes."

"Una, don't fvcking call me princess, you idiot.  Pangalawa, I have a dagger strapped in my thighs,  someone's gonna reach it since I can't."

I was still wearing my uniform kaya nakapalda parin ako.

"Nice one,  Haruka.  Angelo, ikaw kumuha, kami na ni Venz ang bahalang magbantay."

"Bakit ako?"- Angelo

"Ikaw yung pinakamalapit. Wag kang mag inarte." sabi ni Claude.

Napaungol siya sa inis pero pumayag naman.

Mas lumapit ako sa kanya para makuha niya yung punyal.  His hands are tied behind his back kaya ako nalang ang nag adjust. Hindi niya makita at di siya pwede lumingon dahil baka may mahalata.

"Why do you have a knife strapped on your thighs anyway" sabi ni Angelo.

"Those hands better not go somewhere unnecessary."  sabi ko nalang sa halip na sagutin ang tanong niya. Ayokong magdahilan.

Mahina namang napatawa si Venz.

Ikinilos na niya ang kamay niya at kinapa kapa kung asan yung punyal. Medyo nakikiliti ako pero di ko ipinaramdam.

"You've gone too far idiot." malakas kong bulong when his hands ventured further. Nakacycling shorts naman ako pero nakakailang parin.

"Damn,  sa tingin niyo ba madali toh? " halos pasigaw niyang bulong niya.

"I swear, if you go any further,  hahanap ako nang paraan para putulin yang kamay mo. "

"Dude,  pervert ka pala." natatawang biro ni Venz.

"Shut up fvcktard,  hindi ka nakakatulong" sabi ni Angelo na timba timba na ang pawis. Naramdaman kong nanginginig yung kamay niya.

We silently rejoiced when he managed to get it. 

Agad akong pumosisyon dahil ako ang unang kakalasan nang tali. Angelo was trying to cut the ropes behind my back when someone spoke behind us.

"And what do you think you're up to? "