The Badboy 2

When the alarm he made sounded, Vince immediately woke up and got up from his bed to take a bath and get dressed. He first wore a white polo and a black necktie before carrying a black tux while leaving the room. He told Manang to just make food for her and the guards outside because he would not eat later once he will come home.

He hurried away to the ship where his cousin's birthday was to be celebrated. He parked at the pier before getting out of the car to board the said ship. He was at the entrance when he was blocked by two seamen.

“Good afternoon Sir,” greeted one. “What are you going to do here?”

Vince raised an eyebrow at the two.

“I'm here for the party,” Vince replied.

“Sir, do you have an invitation card?” question of one.

Vince frowned. Of course he has one, but he is irritated because why do they still need to see that? Can't they just let him in?

He would have answered when,

“Kuya Vince! (Big brother Vince!)” Rina happily called and ran to him and hugged him. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

Vince didn't say a word and instead of hugging his cousin, he just tapped her head as his greeting.

“Why haven't you come in yet? What’s the problem here?” Rina asked.

Vince let out a sigh. ”They are asking for an invitation card.”

“Huh?” Rina confronted the two men at the same time. “Why are you asking him an invitation? Don't you know who he is?” she questioned them.

The two men looked at each other.

“He's Kuya Vince—”

“Nevermind it Rina,” Vince interrupted. “Now that you're here, I'm sure they understand that so let's go.”

“Okay,” Rina replied with a smile.

As they enter the ship,

“I thought you couldn't come,” said Rina. “I heard that you entered ISA (International Sanders Academy) earlier.”

Vince let out a sigh. “I changed my mind,” he simply replied to his younger cousin.

Rina answered him with a smile.

“By the way...” Vince took something from his pocket and handed a black box to Rina. “Happy 16th birthday Rina,” Vince simply greeted.

Rina happily took the box from Vince's hands. “Thank you Kuya Vince,” she smiled happily once he opened the box.

Her eyes seemed to light up when she saw the contents of the box and took it.

“How did you know that I want this?” Rina asked like a child as she was holding a necklace with a knife pendant on it.

“Just a hunch,” Vince replied.

“Oh thank you so much Kuya Vince,” Rina said sadly. “Please help me put it on.”

That's what Vince did and when Rina put it on, the smile on her face couldn't be erased because of that.

“Is that you Vince?” someone suddenly asked so the two looked at the caller.

“It is you!” a man cheerfully said while holding a bottle as he approached Vince.

He suddenly put his arms around his shoulders. ”How are you hah?” he asked him.

Vince didn't reply and looked at him with judgment in his eyes.

“Don’t worry Vince, Zend isn't actually drunk yet,” a voice said suddenly so they turned to the speaker.

He smiled at them. ”I'll make sure he won't.”

“Clyne!” Zend said happily. “You're here. ”

Clyne let out a sigh. “Since a while ago Zend.”

And he said he was not drunk yet.

“Kuya Zend, that’s enough drinking. You'll vomit later,” Rina said like a child.

“Don't worry about me, baby girl. I can do this. I'm of legal age,” Zend replied.

“Zend you're just 19,” Clyne said. ”21 is the legal age of men. ”

“Ows?” Zend wondered to himself.

“Anyways how about Kuya Usher? Where is he again?” Rina asked.

“He's on our table, busy with his laptop,” Clyne replied.

“Hayst Kuya Usher,” Rina commented.

“Hey what is this, what is this?” a tall and elegant woman in a white dress entered suddenly. “Am I missing something?”

“Ah Ate Quincy,” Rina whispered. “Nothing really. Thank you by the way for sponsoring me a boat Ate Quincy.”

“Of course anything for you,” Quincy replied. “That's one of my birthday gifts to you. But hey, I heard that you entered ISA earlier Vince, is that true?” Quincy asked suddenly.

“Really?!” Clyne and Zend asked at the same time and almost everyone looked at him because of that. Vince suddenly felt uncomfortable.

“Come on Vince. Tell us something juicy,” Quincy said, intrigued.

Vince let out a sigh. “There's nothing to tell you. I only went there because of Auntie's orders,” he replied to them.

“Ows, really pre?” Zend still couldn't believe it. “Why didn't I see you there?”

“Is it necessary?” Vince frowned.

“Also we are in the other building, Zend,” Clyne said. ”But how long did you stay there?” he asked.

“I left during recess,” he replied.

“In that case, what did your Aunt Jacky ordered you to do?” Quincy asked. “I'm sure it's something really interesting so you went.”

“It's not,” Vince replied numbly.

“Oh really?” question of Quincy with suspicion. ”Then why did you go?”

“Because that's Aunt Jacky, Ate Quincy,” Rina said. “Even if you don't follow the orders of others as long as you follow Aunt Jacky. You don't want her when you disobey her.”

“Yeah, I agree with you baby girl,” Zend replied while drinking from a bottle.

“Stop calling me that! I'm not a baby anymore,” Rina replied annoyed.

“You look so cute so you still look like a baby girl,” Zend replied.

Rina pouted because of that.

“See?” said Zend. “She really looks like a baby girl—”

Zend didn’t finish what he was going to say and stiffened in his place because of what happened.

Few saw how Rina pulled out a knife and pointed it secretly at Zend's back. Rina gave him a sinister look.

“Call me baby girl again…” Rina smirked. “…I'll show you who's a baby.”

Even so, there was no panic on Zend's face and he pretended to raise both hands saying he surrenders.

“Okay. You said so,” Zend replied.

Rina quickly hid the knife in her dress and smiled as if nothing had happened.

“All right, I'll leave you first. I need to greet some of our guests,” said Rina and walked away. The four watched the birthday celebrant and it was obvious on their faces that they were not affected by what happened. Zend drank again from the bottle he was holding.

“That's enough Zend,” Clyne stopped and took the bottle from his hand.

“Oh come on Clyne. I still want to drink,” Zend complained.

“Try to take it from me, I'll break this bottle on your head,” Clyne smiled at him.

Zend immediately stopped at what his friend did.

“Pssh,” he once avoided looking at Clyne. “Let’s go Vince. There are still other things I can drink,” while he put his arm on Vince’s shoulder again.

“Yeah I heard Xoey is singing today,” Quincy announced. “Let's get a table together.”

“Sorry Ate Quincy but old women like you are no longer part of our table,” Zend commented.

“Did you say something Zend?” Quincy asked and at the same time the three guys stopped at Quincy's smile, more like a smirk.

“Ah no nothing,” Zend took it back quickly. “Come on. I was just joking.”

Quincy was still smiling, but seriousness covered her eyes. “Try to say that again...” she suddenly approached Zend and gave him a deadly grin. “...I'll rip your neck off. ”

Zend swallowed up in no time. Quincy's smile returned and flipped her hair before she turned away from them.

“God. Women are really stressful,” Zend complained.

“Oh and by the way…” Quincy added once again facing them.

At the speed of events, no one saw how Quincy threw it at the three guys but the three immediately got the thing that Quincy threw at them. Quincy just smiled again before she turned around and walked away.

The three looked at the white card they were holding. There is no writing on it and there is no mark, but the faces of the three are not mixed with surprise.

“Tss, this is it again,” Zend said.

Clyne let out a sigh. ”What are we going to talk about this time?”

Vince was speechless while still looking at the card and just walked away while removing Zend's arm on his shoulders. Clyne followed.

“What the heck. Are you not going to eat first?” Zend asked them but the two ignored him.

“Tss. I just hope there is food ready there,” said Zend.

They went down a flight of stairs in the boat and as they went down, little by little the people around them decreases. Until they reached the lowest part of the ship where there were really no people. All the three could hear was loud machines until they reached the middle of that room.

Vince first knelt down to scan that white card with a scanner on the floor that no one could see but them.

After scanning, a hole opened and Vince jumped in there and it immediately closed as well. The two who followed did the same. When Vince entered, he saw that Quincy and Usher were already there holding a glass of champagne.

“Oh, number 3 is here,” Quincy said.

When the two entered, Quincy also greeted them.

“Number 4 and number 6.”

“Is that wine?” Zend asked.

“It's champagne Zend,” Usher said.

“Whatever, same-same. I want some too.”

“No. You're still a minor.”

“Tss, minor-minor. I was able to drink a while without anyone confronting me. ”

“Well, it's different this time because I'll be watching you Zend,” Usher said and turned away.

After he turned his back, Zend was about to simply take the bottle of champagne to put in the glass next to him when,

Tik. Suddenly a toothpick landed on the table where the champagne is that stopped Zend. He glanced at Usher with his back still turned away from him.

“I told you Zend…” he turned slightly to confront him. “…I’ll be watching you. ”

Zend didn’t continue his plan.

“Tss, is there really a lot of killjoys in the world?” Zend just complained and sat on the empty sofa in the room.

The hole opened again and two women entered, and as they jumped in,

“Oright,” Toca said suddenly. ”I am excited about what to talk about. ”

“Hello number 5,” Quincy said.

“We're not late are we, number 8?” Xoey asked.

“No number 2,” Quincy replied. “We are just waiting for one.”

“Who is it?” Xoey asked.

The hole suddenly opened and a girl jumped again.

“Whoop,” she exclaimed when she landed on her feet. ”Hi guys,” Rina smiled at them.

“And there is number 1,” Quincy said. “Looks like we are complete.”

...

As the eight sat on a long sofa circled on a round table in the middle,

“So to start it all off…” Quincy began. ”…I called you seven here because—”

“Of work,” Zend finished it so they looked at him. “Yeah, yeah. What other reason did you call us here, Ate Quincy?”

Quincy paused at her place. “Well, you’re right Zend. I really don't have any other reason,” she took out the folders and placed them on the table in front of them. “You can pick any cases you want that you are interested.”

After Quincy have done that, the others took one by one, but the others didn't even touch one of those folders, like…

“So, not interested at all Vince?” Quincy asked.

Vince was just looking at the remaining folders on the table.

“I'm not in the mood,” Vince replied.

“Are you sure?” Quincy added. “These cases can hone your skills. It's been 4 years since you really went out there. Maybe your abilities will falter and you will no longer be number 3.”

“I don't f*cking care Quincy,” Vince replied. “I went to that school to be trained on how to kill that creature. I don’t care what my number is. That's why I was called number 3 because of the certain creature I need to kill. ”

“So why did you come here then Vince?” Quincy asked. “If you knew very well that this is all we will talk about.”

Vince closed his eyes first.

“I came here just in case…” Vince replied and looked at every person in the room. “…that one of you has any news of where those beasts might be.”

They looked at Vince after he said that, but also went back to the folders they were holding afterwards.

“Nothing?” Vince exclaimed once he looked at Quincy. “It's impossible that you don't have information either,” Vince told her.

Quincy let out a sigh. “Well it's the information of my beast so what does it have to do with you if I say so?”

Vince was surprised by what she said. ”So you have your information already?”

“Of course,” Quincy replied.

“Argh!” frustrated Vince said and stood up. “While I don't even know where mine is?!”

No one spoke at Vince's outburst. Because of that, Vince walked out of his place and togsh! He punched the metal wall of their room.

How many years have passed since that happened? To see and touch her lifeless body in that place?

He lowered his hand that is getting red and slumped. He suddenly pulled something out of his polo shirt afterwards. A locket, and opened it to observe a small photograph.

He just wanted to visit her at her place of work at that time... but the explosion happened just in time. Without hesitation he rushed to that burning building just to look for her but...

...she just found her lying on the ground. Memories came flashing back to him during those moments and when he couldn't stand it, he just locked the locket and held it tightly.

“There's nothing you can do if you let your emotions control you,” Usher said suddenly so Vince came back to reality and frowned at him. “I suggest you do more of your research if you really want to find it. Ask around. Look around and find places where that beast could be,” Usher added. ”You will not get results if you just stay in your mansion.”

Vince was actually triggered by what Usher said. He was ready to vent his anger, but just like his advice, he wasn’t swayed by it, because he has a point. He just let out a sigh to calm down and while still holding his locket,

I promise you Ma, I will avenge your death. I won’t stop until I find it.

Suddenly the ship stopped so Vince came back to reality and almost everyone in the room was surprised.

Krrgh! Sound of the thunder.