Dead City

Attacked

Napatingin naman ako kung nasaan si Theo na inaasikaso ng mga kasamahan ni Antonio. Sila Tin at ang iba din ay inaasikaso na.

"Will he be okay?" Nagaalala kong tanong sa babaeng may kulay berdeng buhok. Tulad ng mga nandito, meron siyang maraming hikaw at tattoo.

"He will be and he should be." Sagot ni Mia saakin na nasa likuran ko pala.

"He just need some time to recover." Sambit ng babae saakin bago umalis.

"You okay?" Paghawak ni Mia saaking balikat.

"I'll be lying if I say yes. I'm actually worried about him. I'm also--"

"Shhh." Pagpapatigil saakin ni Mia atsaka naupo sa gilid ni Theo.

"You didn't even let me finish my statement."

"I already know what you're about to say, and I don't want to hear it, especially coming from you." She said.

"Captain's super protective, especially for those who he values." Aniya.

Bigla ko naman naalala yung paguusap namin ni Theo kanina dahil sa sinabi niyang ito. Ganito din ang sinabi ni Theo tungkol kay Stone.

"Let me tell you something about my past." Sambit niya.

"One time, I was been involved in a trouble. The daughter of the General from the past stole a valuable tablet from one of the restricted office in the headquarters. I was with her when that happened. And when they found out about it missing, they checked the CCTV and saw me and her entering the office."

"I was the one who got it because she said if she touches anything from the room it will trigger the alarm since she is the daughter of the General back then, and she assures me that her father allowed us to use it to play a game. And when we were confronted, she lied. She said that I, and only I, is to blame because I was the one who told her that we should get the tablet into the restricted office to play."

"But Theo stood up and defended me. He didn't stop until the consequences was given to him."

"I felt really bad for him and guilty, although I didn't done anything wrong. We were just kids back then."

"And do you know what he said when I was crying on him because of guilt?"

"No." I said and waiting for what she will going to say next.

"He smiled and said he just did what he had to do."

"So don't feel guilty for what he have done for you. Everybody in this team has experienced what I've told you about, and what have just happened to you. Be grateful that he did it, because it indicates that you're important to him." She said that made my heart skip a beat.

"Yes. Don't feel guilty, please. That's one of the most hated word and feeling of captain." Pagsingit ni Gale kaya ako bahagyang nagulat.

Napatingin naman ako kay Theo.

"Why?" Kusang lumabas sa aking bibig kaya napatingin saakin si Mia ng kunot ang noo, ngunit napangiti rin ng maliit bago magsalita.

"It may not look like it, but he is a soft-hearted man. Once he already care for you, it will never be easy for him to remove it. Although he rarely smile, and almost never laugh." Patawa niyang sabi. Sumang-ayon naman dito si Gale atsaka ako hinawakan saaking balikat.

They really know their captain very well.

Why am I feeling so happy about it? What's wrong with me?

"And everytime he was scolding us for being irresponsible and always getting into trouble, he never leave us behind. And we know that deep inside, he truly cares and value us, just like how we care and value him not just our captain but a friend, best friend, a brother, and a father." Sabi rin ni Gale sa aking gilid.

"Just like what happened to Ian. You guys saw it, right?" Tanong ni Gale kaya ako bigla napatingin sakaniya.

"Wait. You knew?"

"We knew." Mia answered.

"You forgot that we're expert in computers. Everything in the headquarters, except the restricted areas, are connected to our own devices. And each our own devices are connected to each other. Like my phone that is connected to--" biglang napatigil si Gale na parang may napagtanto.

"My phone is connected to my laptop!" She exclaimed.

"The ETP's may have stolen from us, but at least I've got some backup files. I also have the code which captain told me to save!"

"Speaking of code. We also found a code in the basement from the bank. It is in the eyeglasses Theo have used. But I don't know where he put it." I informed them.

"I think I know. Hans." Tugon ni Mia.

"Oh my! We can also retrieve the datas from our devices that has been caught in explosions by connecting to the satellites again. But I only got my phone. We need a bigger device to connect to our satellite." Gale said.

"Ian. Ian can connect to our satellite whatever device he have." Mia stated. Ngunit bago pa kami makatalikod ay nasa harapan na namin si Ian habang hawak ang kaniyang cellphone at ang smartwatch na sa pagkakaalala ko'y kay Owen.

"Guys. May I ask you something. Did you know my password to--"

"For a hundredth times, Ian! It's 'WHEREISMYPOTATOWITHACAPITALI'. All caps, without space." Wika ni Gale.

"Oh."

"Yes! It is! It opened. For whomever sake, it opened!" He exclaimed and started to type on his phone.

Sumunod naman na sakaniya si Gale at nagumpisa na sila sa kanilang ginagawa. Si Mia naman ay nagpasalamat muna saakin dahil daw sa ginawa ko kanina sa pagsama sa loob ng banko bago nagpaalam dahil may gagawin pa rin daw siya. Ako naman ay naupo sa gilid ni Theo at hindi maalis ang tingin sakaniyang mukha.

Why did you protect me? Why did you care about me? We've only known each other for a very short period of time. Why are you lying here?

For a very long time, I've never trusted anyone except my friends, and my mother and sister. I have been betrayed and cheated by my own relatives and my past lovers and friends. So I think it was just a normal defense to any more disappointments and heart breaks to not trust anyone anymore.

I have been living alone ever since I turned 19, when my mother left, and trusting nobody is on my top list to live on, but when I met my friends who are my friends now, they became an exception.

But these people I have just met seemed to make me become soft like a little girl that I was before. I don't want to be like that again. I don't want to trust anyone anymore. I don't want to be in that same situation that poisoned me.

"Dah. May I request something?" Tanong ni Kurt saakin kaya ako nabalik sa kasalukuyan.

"Me?" Hindi makapaniwalang tanong ko.

"Ano naman ang maitutulong ko? My skills are useless here." I said.

"It's not about your skills. I'm just gonna ask you if you could accompany Athena to get some things to treat wounds."

"Oh. Is that so? Okay."

"Okay. Thanks, Dah. May kailangan din kasi akong gawin."

"Ano iyon?" Tanong ko.

"Sasamahan ko sila Antonio, Hans at Luke na kuhanin yung mga armas sa kabilang bayan, sa base nila Antonio." Aniya.

"For what? I mean, we can't use that to fight aliens."

"We don't. But we can use it to defend ourselves from the gangs that are coming to kill us all."

"Gangs? What gangs?"

"I don't have time to explain it to you, Dah. I'm so sorry. But Athena could explain everything to you. Just ask her. I'm really sorry." He said while almost running to the door. Paalis na kasi sila.

Lumapit naman na ako kay Athena, yung babaeng gumamot kay Theo kanina.

"You must be Dahlia." She said.

"Yes. And you must be Athena."

"Yes, I am." She replied.

May binigay saakin na earpiece at smartwatch sila Gale upang magamit ko raw dahil lalabas kami. Nagpaalam na kami sakanila atsaka na umalis.

Hindi mawala ang kaba at takot ko dahil nasa labas kami, ngunit itong kasama ko'y parang walang takot o kaba ang nasa kaniyang sistema. She's hella chill.

"Why are you so calm?" I asked to break our silence. She gives me a deep sigh before speaking.

"Well.... you can't think rationally if you're so overwhelmed by your emotions. Especially us, women, that tend to be consumed by our own emotions. We're emotional beings." She said.

It make sense. Us women, are emotional beings. So our rationality tend to be clouded by our heated emotions. That's why we should be really work hard to control our emotions in order to think properly and rationally.

Naalala ko naman bigla yung ginawa ko kay Theo dati noong nilaglag niya si Ian sa tubig. Er, it makes me still feel angry about it.

"About the gangs. What about them?" Tanong ko habang kami ay naglalakad.

"Oh! Ayon sa balita, pati na rin sa mga kasama mo, ay inutusan daw ng gobyerno ang apat na kilalang-kilala na grupo upang huliin at patayin kayo, pati kaming mga kasama niyo."

"They said that the Government's legal forces can't win your group, as well as the other group which they called The Velvet group, so they will gonna use dirty and violent way."

"The group they were talking about are famous because of how violent and brutal they are. They killed many innocent and offenders for the purpose of either entertainment or work."

I am speechless. Is this how strong the two groups are? That even the legal forces can't stop them?

Nang makarating kami sa lugar ay sira-sira na ito dahil sa mga L-X na marahil ay sumugod dito.

"How're we gonna buy things here?" I asked.

"Who said we're gonna buy things?" Athena asked.

"We'll gonna steal things." She said.

"What?" I asked with disbelief.

"Let's go. We only have 15 minutes until the gangs reached our temporary shelter. I don't want the worst to happen." She stated that almost made me stop walking.

The worst to happen.... s**t! They are only few of them that can fight. Kahit na nandoon ang mga kasama ni Athena, hindi kami nakasisiguro sa dami ng mga aatake doon. Mia, Dylan, Owen.... they're still hurt. And besides, they're not made to fight like Captain Stone's group are. Theo, their captain is still injured. What are we gonna do?

Nagumpisa na kaming kumuha ng mga magagamit naming gamot. Pagkatapos namin ay inaasahan kong aalis na kami ngunit dumiretso pa si Athena sa isang aisle kung nasaan ang mga pang kulay ng buhok.

"What are we doing here? We don't have much time. Let's go." Nagaalala kong sabi.

"Calm down, please! I'm choosing the best hair color for you and your lover." She said.

"Pardon?" I asked, making sure I didn't heared wrong statement.

"What is not clear about my statement? The haircolor or the lover?" She asked innocently while grabbing lots of hair colors.

"Both." I said abruptly, waiting for her explanation.

"The haircolor is to keep you and your lover's identity, since you two have been exposed. Your images are now all over the news."

"Oh, I see. Okay."

"Please! We're not lovers!" I said that made her laugh.

Habang kumukuha siya ng mga ito'y tumunog ang relong nakasuot saakin na nagsasabing may na-detect itong tao.

Nakakonekta kasi ito sa kamera na sinet-up nila Kurt kanina sa labas ng building kung nasaan kami. Para daw mabigyan kami ng abiso kung may paparating.

Pagkakita ko rito'y biglang bumilis ang t***k ng aking puso.

The vicious and brutal gangs.

Ang dami nila at may mga dala pa silang iba't ibang klase ng armas. May iba na ang hawak ay sibat, ang iba naman ay kutsilyo, ang iba ay baril, at marami pa.

"We need to go back. Now!" I firmly said to Athena.