Chapter 10

Third Person's POV

A nurse walked on the silent hallway of the hospital, there are only few patients outside and the hospital is extremely quiet.

May isang nurse ang tumigil sa paglalakad upang batiin ang kapwang nurse na kasalubong niya, tumingin ang nurse sa name plate ng dalaga.

"Bago ka ba dito, Ariel?" Malumanay na tanong ng nurse sa kanya, ngumiti naman ng matamis si Ariel.

"Ah oo, akala ko nga hindi ako makakapasok sa hospital na ito dahil sobrang daming nurses ang nag apply."

"Mabuti naman at nakapasok ka, welcome nga pala sa hospital iha."

"Salamat ho." Napadako naman ang tingin ng nurse sa chart na hinahawakan ni Ariel.

"Saang room ka papunta?"

"Ahh, sa room 8. Si Fiona Banao yung pasyente, ichecheck ko lang sana yung kalagayan niya."

"Ah sige, mauuna na ako." The nurse then walked away, Ariel started walking on the hallway once more.

Miles away from the hospital, there is someone who is looking at Ariel through the sniper. On the other hand, the security guard that was in charge in guarding the footages in the cctv camera—his brows arched as he tried clicking something on the keyboard.

"Anong nangyari dito?" Kunot noo nitong bulong sa sarili habang unti-unti siyang nalilito sa kung ano ang kailangan niyang gawin. "Ano ba ang dapat pindutin dito?"

He glanced over at the screen where there is a word witten—offline. He took his phone as he dialed one of the number of his colleagues.

"Hello Ferdinand? Nasaan ka? Nasa parking lot ba?" Napakamot ang guwardiya sa batok niya, "May kaunting problema kasi."

"Ano ba yun?" Tanong ng katrabaho niya.

"Eh kasi yung camera 6 na nasa hallway ng hospital ay offline, maayos naman yung ibang mga camera pero nagkanda letche-letche yung signal sa camera six."

"Ah sige, sige. Magpapatawag na ako agad ng maintenance." 

Someone who heard the conversation of the guard and his colleagues smirked as he turned his laptop off, he stood up before he walked away.

"Okay idiot, how was your job going?" Pang-aasar ni Tigress sa lalaking kakarating lang sa rooftop kung saan siya nakapwesto habang hawak-hawak ang sniper niya.

The man glared at him.

"Don't call me an idiot, Tigress." He rolled his eyes, "Starfire should be the one doing this job and not me for goodness sake, I'm a chemist and not some weird techno guy."

Tigress shrugged before she went back to her old position.

"Starfire is out of business for a while," tinutok niya ang mga mata sa nurse na naglalakad ilang milyang malayo sa kanya, "that's why Vixen hired you to do this mission with us."

The man scoffed in disbelief.

"Vixen didn't hire me, she asked a favor. I don't even wanna call it as a favor since she approached me so differently that day, this is just so unfair."

"Oh shut it Cooper, you're acting like a big baby." Iritang usal ni Tigress sa lalaki, "Why don't you get ready for the fourth part of the plan?"

Cooper carried his backpack with him that contains his disguise and his laptop.

"Fine."

Ang building kung saan naroroon si Tigress at Cooper ay pagmamay-ari ng organisasyong pinagsisilbihan nila, that building is a little near to the hospital. Tigress maintained her focus, she placed her finger on the trigger as she saw the nurse getting close to room 8.

"The target is approaching the room," Tigress' feminine yet cold voice lingers into Ayashi's earpiece.

The woman remained her eyes on the target using her sniper.

"She's 10 steps near the room, should I shoot her now?" She asked in a low voice.

Ayashi is just staring at the nurse's back as she continue walking to the hallway, she is holding a bouquet of flowers in her hand. Ayashi glances over at the cctv camera before she smiled.

"Go."

Ayashi stopped herself from walking when she saw a bullet pass through the window and it quickly hit the nurse that was walking in front of her, she was shot on the forehead.

Blood started to escape from the wound in her forehead, Ayashi looked at the poor little creature.

"Sheesh, that bullet must've been buried deep in your head." Walang ganang usal ni Ayashi, she took a glove from her pocket before she decided to put it in her hand.

Lumapit siya bahagya sa biktima bago siya may kinuhang maliit na container sa bulsa ng uniporme nito, there is also a small syringe in the same pocket. She only took the small container with a weird sparkly bluish luquid.

Ayashi looked at the woman's name plate.

"Ariel huh?" She took off her glove before putting it back to her pocket, "You are the most wanted assassins, lagi kang nakakalusot sa tuwing gusto kang dakpin ng pulisya. You are the most precious assignment in the organization, pero namatay ka lang sa kamay ni Tigress?" She huffed. "An eighteen years old alcoholic teenager who does nothing but to judge other people and shoot someone's head. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Sayang."

Nainis naman si Tigress sa narinig mula sa kanya.

"Ayashi namumuro ka na ha, you're just so mean. I'm not alcoholic—"

She put the little container to her pocket as she started walking like nothing happened. It's not just a coincidence that there is no one who heard the gunshot, and no one passed through the same hallway.

It was all part of the mission.

"Sad to say but you're really alcoholic Tigress."

Ayashi's POV

I entered the room where Fiona was admitted, the first thing I saw in the room is her unconscious and pale face.

Nilagay ko ang bulaklak na dala ko sa ibabaw ng isang mesa na malapit lang sa kama niya. After we investigated the whole dormitory, we hurriedly went to the hospital. Calvin is the one who look out for Fiona since yesterday because Fiona's parents weren't around. Kakauwi lang siguro ni Calvin sa bahay nila.

While I was busy slicing the apple, Fiona slowly opened her eyes. She blinked her eyes a multiple times before she roamed her eyes around the whole room, napadako naman agad ang tingin niya sa akin.

"It's nice to see you awake and well," sabi ko bago nilagay sa pinggan ang bagong slice na apple, "you're unconscious for almost a day. Sigurado ka bang ayos ka lang, Fiona? We're still waiting for the doctor kaya hindi pa masyadong malinaw kung ano talaga ang nangyari sa'yo."

Fiona just stared at me then a few minutes later, fear was immediately visible in her face. 

The same fear that she showed yesterday and she's looking at my back as if someone scary is behind me.

"Fiona," I called her out but her attention remains on my back.

I sighed before I pinched her arm that made pulled her back to reality, gulat niya akong tinignan.

"I was spacing out again," mahina siyang napatawa bago niya muling inilibot ang tingin sa kwarto, "why am I in the hospital?"

"You fainted yesterday while we're doing the investigation," binigyan ko siya ng isang slice ng apple, "what's up with you? Bakit para yatang hindi ka okay?"

Parang nakakita muli siya ng isang bagay na nakakatakot.

This has to stop. Fiona won't be able to focus on the case if she keeps on acting like she's scared, it's normal to be scared of something but you know what's normal?

Being scared of something that is only an illusion made by your mind.

"Tell me frankly Fiona, what do you see behind my back?" She gulped upon hearing my question, I can clearly tell that she's hesitating.

"There is nothing—"

"You can tell me anything Fiona, I won't judge you. Just be honest with me."

She looked directly to my eyes before she heaved a deep sigh, she took a bite of the apple I gave her as she diverted her gaze at my back once more.

"There is..." she bit her lower lip, "...there is a bride behind your back."

"Bride?" Kunot noo kong usal, "Can you be more detailed, Fiona?"

Bumalik ang tingin niya sa likod ko.

"Her whole body is burned, she's crying, her wedding dress is the same dress that was on the dormitory, her hair is b-black a-and..." I signaled her to stop from talking but she refuse, "...she is u-uttering this o-one word."

The bride huh? It means she also saw it but there is one thing from her description that doesn't make any sense at all.

Tumingin ako sa parehong bride ngunit siya ay nakatayo sa likod ni Fiona habang kasama niya pa rin ang kaluluwa ni Linette.

"Hannah." The bride behind Fiona's back said.

"Shannah." Fiona uttered.

Hannah and Shannah, that Shannah is probably Shannah Pablo but who the hell is Hannah? At bakit sunog ang buong katawan niya?

"Fiona, don't tell anyone about what you told me." I took something from my pocket, "And here, drink this."

Tumingin siya sa palad kong may lamang isang pulang gamot, taka akong tinignan ni Fiona pero tinanggap niya din naman yun.

"What's this?"

"It's better for you not to know, don't worry, that medicine is safe. And do me a favor, don't tell anyone about what you told me even Calvin or Phoebe. This conversation should only be between us."

"But why? They are my friends."

"It's better that way Fiona, trust me. There is no one in this world that wouldn't betray you, even things that are programmed to be faithful to you can still be a traitor." Pagkatapos kong sabihin yun ay agad bumukas ang pintuan at bumungad sa amin si Phoebe na may hawak na isang basket ng prutas, kasama niyang pumasok ay isang doctor—siguro siya na yung doctor ni Fiona.

Phoebe and the doctor went inside, she put the basket on the table while the doctor is busy checking on Fiona's condition.

"So far, you're body is doing good. You just fainted due to exhaustion and hunger, I advise that you should eat and sleep on time. Pwede ka na din namang madischarge sa hospital mamayang hapon." Nakangiti nitong usal sa pasyente niya.

I crossed my arms while looking at them, Phoebe sat down beside me.

"Kakarating mo lang ba?" She asked in a not so gentle tone.

"Yeah, I decided to visit and check Fiona's condition." I glanced at her, "Ikaw ba ang magbabantay ka sa kanya hanggang mamaya?"

"Yep, no one else will do it anyways." Bagot niyang sagot.

"Again, stop doing things that will exhaust you easily. Take it easy Ms. Banao, life is short so you don't need to rush everything."

"I understand, doc."

After they finished their conversation, Phoebe immediately went to Fiona's direction to check on her once more. The doctor turned his back and our gaze met.

"Doctor, can I have a word with you?"

"Sure."