Chapter 7

Ayashi's POV

I scratched my nape before I carry my bag with me, Calvin approached me the sooner the bell rang. Hawak-hawak niya ang bag niya habang nangungulangot pa.

Calvin okay ka sana, medyo dugyot ka lang.

"Don't slid your finger on your nose in public, mangulangot ka kapag walang tao sa paligid." Inis kong panininghal sa kanya, "Wala ka talagang hiya ano?"

Ngumuso siya.

"Alam mo Ayashi—"

"Hindi ko alam at wala akong balak alamin."

"You're just so mean to me."

"I'm not mean, I prefer the word honest, gets mo?"

"Ewan ko sa'yo."

We went outside the classroom, I don't want to approach Kaitlyn this morning but I really have this weird part of me that would do such things I never plan on doing.

"So Ayashi—"

"Ehehem, nakakalimutan mo yung title ko." Umirap at ngumuso si Calvin.

"Master Ayashi," pagtawag nito sa akin, "natapos mo na ba yung kaso ni Linette? May resulta na ba? Pwede ko bang malaman? Malapit na din kasi yatang magsubmit ng report si Giovanni, baka matalo tayo."

Tita Ysabel told me that she won't be able to fetch me so I decided to just let Calvin walk me home.

I crossed my arms. "Yeah, I already pointed most of the dots."

"Most?" Takang usal ni Calvin, "Do you mean hindi mo pa totally tapos resolbahin ang kaso?"

I was about to say something when two cars and three motorcycles suddenly stopped in front of us, they are blocking our way. May isa sa kanila ang lumabas mula sa kotse, naka mask siya kaya hindi ko masyadong kita ang mukha, lumapit ang lalaking yun sa amin bago kami tinutukan ng baril.

I roamed my eyes around the area, I noticed that nobody is passing by on the street that Calvin and I walked into.

"Are you Ayashi Yamamoto?" Malalim ang boses ng lalaki and I tell you right away, he doesn't seem friendly at all.

"Affirmative." Kalmado kong sagot.

"Sumama ka sa amin—"

"Huwag kang lumapit sa akin baka mauso ulit yung covid," I rolled my eyes, "one meter distance please. Mahirap na magka-covid at baka magkapandemic pa ulit, you remember what happened on 2020? Don't even let me start lecturing you with that." Mas diniinan niya pa ang pagtutok niya sa akin ng baril.

"I have no time for your jokes miss—" I kick him in his 'sensitive' part dahilan upang mapahawak siya doon, I grab that chance to take the gun from his hand and just a matter of seconds red lasers started showing on Calvin and I's body. Tinutukan rin kami ng baril ng mga lalaking nakasakay sa sasakyan at motor.

I knew it. They want me dead.

"Dad, what is that red dot on mom's chest?" I asked while pointing on the red dot.

My father smiled before hugging me.

"It's nothing, dear."

I saw the same red dot on my father's forehead.

"Woah, you have the same red dot too Dad!!" I uttered excitedly, "What could that be?"

Then suddenly, my dad put a necklace on my neck. It's a lockett with little diamonds surrounding it.

"Wear this and never take it off, okay?  This will save you someday."

"Dad, why are you crying?"

I shook my head as I remembered that scene again, I need to forget it.

"You really want me dead huh?" I laughed.

Napapalibutan kami at isang galaw namin ay pwedeng-pwede nila kaming tirahin sa kahit na anong anggulo. One wrong move and it will be the end of our lives.

"Starfire in position, waiting for your signal, Vixen."

"Tigress is now in position also, still waiting for the signal, Vixen. All back ups in position, waiting for the signal."

On the far building nearby, I saw a light purposefully hitting the side of my face. That must be Starfire.

"What should we do, Ayashi?" Bulong sa akin ni Calvin na halatang takot na. 

I pointed my gun at my head before I smiled at the enemies.

"Hey mister, do you wanna know why people are afraid of snakes?"

Naguluhan ang lalaki dahil sa sinabi ko.

"Cut the bullshit—"

"Because they can kill."

In just a blink of an eye, the man I'm talking to quickly fall on the ground because of the bullet that hit his head. Isa-isang nawala ang pulang tuldok na nasa katawan namin ni Calvin, the rest of them seem confused about what's going on.

"Vixen, the snipers are already out of commission."

It gave me an opportunity to shoot those men in front of me but some of them dodged it, when my gun ran out of bullets—I quickly kick and took them out in combat.

May isang lalaking sumulong papunta sa direksyon ko kaya agad ko siyang sinipa sa tiyan at binalibag ang katawan niya sa lupa. Surprisingly, Calvin know how to fight that's why it became easy to take them all out at once.

Sumakay ako sa isang motor tsaka ko sinenyasan si Calvin na sumakay na agad naman niyang sinunod. Even on the road, those people who are in the car started following us as they started shooting at us as well.

"Tigress in position, Vixen."

A couple of seconds later, a woman riding on a motorcycle started shooting at those guys chasing after us. 

"Who is she?"

I shrugged.

"No idea."

"Seriously, Vixen? Do you really have to say that?"

The woman already eliminated those guys chasing us but my eyes quickly widened when I saw the girl being shot on the head.

Fuck it.

Nagulat ako nang biglang sumabog ang gulong ng motor dahilan upang pareho kaming mapatilapon ni Calvin, sakto namang nasa kaligtnaan na kami ng isang tulay. I looked at the sun, it's starting to set.

I flinched when I felt a bruise on my knee, nakita ko rin ang noo ni Calvin na dumudugo.

Five black cars surrounded us so that we will have nowhere to go. I tried my best to stand up, I saw Calvin regaining his consciousness but I quickly saw a red dot on his chest.

A sniper again?!

May isang malaking lalaki ang lumabas mula sa sasakyan tsaka nito binuksan ang pinto ng isa pang itim na sasakyan, then I saw someone wearing a tuxedo walking out from the car. He's wearing a black shades.

"What an unfortunate event for you, Ms. Yamamoto." Nakangisi nitong wika sa akin.

"Spare Calvin, he has nothing to do with this."

"That weakling?" Sabay turo nito kay Calvin na iniinda ang sugat sa noo. I clenched my fist.

"Yeah, him. Spare him. I'm the one you wanted, right?"

"Let me think about that."

I smirked at him as I move a little close at the edge of the bridge, he was quickly alerted.

"Seems like you're kinda afraid to see me scarred." I took a knife that's been hiding on my socks all along, I pointed it directly in my arm. "What if I stab this body? Will your boss get angry?"

He gritted his teeth. "Don't you dare—"

I stabbed my left arm, I didn't mind the blood escaping my body. "Oops, sorry, my bad."

He took a gun and pointed it at me. I hit a nerve.

"The boss won't mind to see you a little bit wounded." He said in a threatening tone. 

Psh.

"Vixen, this is Starfire. Back up will be on their way, I repeat, back up is on their way."

"Go on, shoot me."

He pulled the trigger, I was expecting for me to get hit but I saw man hugging me—trying to block me from being hit. He groaned when he was suddenly hit on the shoulder.

I quickly lost my balance and the both of immediately starting falling, the man kept hugging me—it's like he's protecting me.

"Fuck it, the boss will gonna kill me if something happens to her!!" Dinig kong sigaw ng lalaking nagtangkang bumaril sa akin pero hindi ko na siya narinig pa nang maramdaman ko ang tubig na tumama sa buong katawan ko.

What the hell, why can't I move my body? I saw the man's blood escaping from his wound. I cannot keep my eyes open because of the water. Unconsciously, I hugged the man back but I cannot even swim to take us out from the water. I'm starting to lose my consciousness and my breath too.

I am slowly losing my grip to the man and when I was about to lost my consciousness, naramdaman ko ang pagdampi ng isang malambot na labi sa labi ko.

Why does his lips taste like strawberry?

I felt my phone vibrated inside my pocket, I didn't have enough time to check it because I suddenly lost my consciousness.

From: 09123456789

Ayashi, I'll justify.

Received 5:37PM

I opened my eyes as I felt someone staring at me, sinubukan ko igalaw ang katawan ko pero hindi ko na rin pa pinilit dahil medyo masakit yung braso ko.

When I finally opened my lovely and beautiful eyes, I saw a woman same age as mine looking at me.

"You're awake." Kalmado niyang usal na tila ba nabunutan siya ng tinik sa dibdib.

"Well, I'm still alive and kicking so I'm okay." I roamed my eyes around the hospital room as I suddenly remembered what happened before I pass out.

"The boy you're with, Calvin Johnson, he's fine. He got discharged just this morning."

"Glad to know that, but how about Tigress? Is that bitch really got hit in the head? If not, then I shall do the pleasure."

She chuckled.

"She's fine. Alam mo naman ang masamang damo ay mahirap patayin."

So masamang damo ba ako dahil hindi pa ako namatay sa lagay na yun? Ang ganda ko naman ata para maging damo lang. Mas bet ko maging bulaklak.

"What did the doctor told you about my situation?"

"You're already fine, pero they still need to run some tests—hold on, what do you think you're doing?"

I took all of the aparatus that's been pestering in my arms and hand, I forced myself to sit on the bed. I still feel dizzy but I'll be fine for sure.

"How many hours am I unconscious?"

"13 hours."

"May alam na ba si Tita Ysabel?"

"Nope, I told her that we are having a sleepover." 

"No witnesses for that incident? All cleaned up?"

"Yeah, just like what you told us to do." She looked away, "Tita Ysabel will surely find it out soon. I mean, you drag your own team from the SSI for this. What are you even planning to do Ayashi?"

Minasahe ko ang tungki ng ilong ko.

Tigress and Starfire are their code names, they are only the ones who successfully entered the S-Unit—most likely MY UNIT. I am the first young member of the organization who got their own unit, I'm just 14 when I achieve such thing. The S-Unit follows my command, in or out of the organization. Wanna know why it's S-Unit? S stands for snake.

"Remember what I told you about the death of my father?"

"Yeah, why?"

"This has something to do with this."

We stopped talking when we heard a knock from the door, she opened it and I saw Giovanni standing when he was about to enter the room my brother, Lancelot, approached him. I turned my back so he will not gonna be able to see me.

"Gio, we need to talk."

"About what?"

"Linette's case."

Third Person's POV

Giovanni entered their limousine as he remembered what happened at the hospital, when he finally arrived at the school, many students quickly greeted him.

What Lancelot said left him puzzled.

"What is it that you want to talk about, Chief?" Giovanni asked as she stared right into Ayashi's older brother.

"It's about the case," he uttered, "Ayashi told me the other day that she will she just gonna let  you solve the case on your own. I was wondering why would she do that, she's a competitive person and I see no reason why she would just decide to drop it."

Natigilan si Giovanni dahil sa narinig, the last time he warned Ayashi—the girl refuses. So what gives?

"What did she told you exactly?"

"It's not like she told me the reason directly but she told me this..." 

Giovanni waited for him to answer.

"If a snake is surrounded by a bunch of people, the snake will bite them and the snake's venom will spread to those people. The venom would kill them. I don't want to be that venom."

Upon walking down the hallway, he saw Ayashi together with Calvin.

His jaw tightened.

"Yamamoto, we need something to discuss." He said firmly that made Calvin and Ayashi looked back at him.

Calvin was confused and Ayashi just smiled, she's eating a lollipop.

"Yes, Pres? What do you wanna discuss with me so early in the morning?" Ayashi said, she's sweetening her voice. It'll creep you out.

"Why did you give it up?"

"Do you mean the case?" Ayashi pouted before she signaled Calvin to distance himself, "Shoo Calvin, just wait for me over there." Sabay turo nito sa isang classroom, agad namang sinunod yun ng lalaki.

"Tell me the reason why, Yamamoto."

"That's what you wanted me to do, right?"

"It just doesn't make any sense to me, you are so determined when you challenged me and now you're backing out?"

Ayashi hissed before she crossed her arms.

"You know what mister president, my father was a very dedicated and determined investigator. Many people would love him, some will hate him, others will ruin him and everyone seems to be envious of him—he never surround himself with people. I never understood what friends was supposed to mean, like, are you just gonna make friends so you're not gonna be lonely? Are they tools that would help you grow? Or are they just there, existing in your life to mourn for you when you die. He hated being surrounded by people, he considered himself as a venom. Deadly and avoidable." She smiled, "I considered myself as a Vixen, I know that Vixen refers to a female fox but it kinda change the way I interpret it. My father told me that I need to act like a snake, I laughed at him when I told him that my name Vixen doesn't mean snake it actually means a female fox. But you know what? Vixen also mean fierce, and the most fierce reptile I know, is the snake."

Giovanni looked at her.

"The more I become close to human, the more I'll be able to harm them."

"Are you saying that you wanted to drift me off from your way?" Giovanni is furious.

Ayashi chuckled.

"It's not actually my habit to think about others..." Ayashi kissed him on his cheeks, "...but I won't turn my back to protect my savior. Got it? But this case, it’s different. How can I protect someone who save me, if I am the danger that would harm?”

Ayashi left Giovanni stunned as she walked towards Calvin, inakbayan niya ang lalaki tsaka sila nagpatuloy sa paglalakad.

"So, when will I gonna meet them?" Kumunot ang noo ni Calvin.

"Meet who?"

"The school publication of course, don't make me look like a fool Calvin."

He gulped when Ayashi's snake-like-eyes darted at him.

"I know you're hiding something."