Kylo’s Point of View
I thought Wagner was handling things pretty well, not until I saw him yesterday. He arrived home with a dirty uniform and bruises on his body. Wagner said that he let John beat him to a pulp. He did what I told him.
At that moment, I felt guilty. For a second, I thought Wagner doesn’t deserve to suffer like I did. It seems like he inherited my bad luck. I felt sorry that he has to maintain my image.
Mom was always busy with work that sometimes I forget that I have a mother. I understand that it’s hard to raise a child alone, so I didn’t plant any hatred for her. I still love her more than anyone else because she’s all I have.
Staying at home with nothing to do makes me sick. I can’t figure out how to get our lives back. I have to breathe some fresh air.
I went out to the grocery store to look around. My eyes scanned the shelves, and it landed on a napkin. I suddenly remembered that it’s almost my monthly period and Wagner was clueless about it. He needs my warning before it’s too late. I hope he won’t freak out.
I grabbed a pack of it and smiled. It’s a good idea to piss him off when the time comes and tell him he has cancer and he’ll die soon. I could imagine his face in my head and it made me chuckle.
My smile vanished when I felt something hard being pointed behind my back.
“Don’t make any sound,” the man behind me whispered.
I think he was holding a gun.
“Don’t make unnecessary movements and go out slowly,” he added.
I was so nervous that I followed his order. I was being kidnapped.
We walked out like nothing happened while he’s still behind my back. He was covering the gun with his leather jacket so it’s not visible in the eyes of the public.
“Get inside the car,” he whispered.
This is it, I’m being kidnapped. I’m screaming in my mind but I was voiceless.
I opened the black car in front of us and went inside.
“Move,” he said in a terrifying tone.
I moved to the right side, and that’s when he entered the car and sat beside me. I’m scared to death that I did the sign of the cross while closing my eyes.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked while my body’s shaking in my seat.
“Open your eyes, dickhead,” the man replied.
I slowly opened my eyes and to my surprise, the man was smiling widely at me. He was a buff, black American with his corn-row hair. His white teeth sparkled and almost blinded me.
“Wagner! It’s me, Stinger!” he gleefully said and hugged me tightly.
I didn’t move an inch, and I still do not know what’s happening. He looks like the guy from the video game I used to play. CJ, he looks like CJ.
“Oh, man. You should look at yourself in the mirror. It’s priceless. I was just fooling around, but you look threatened,” he said and laughed.
What’s so funny about this? Is he insane?
“Ugh… Do I know you?” I asked with a confused look on my face.
He stopped laughing and stared at me for a moment.
“Are you kidding me?” he asked, amused.
“I’m serious. I’ve been on an accident and I have amnesia.”
He looks more surprised as he covered his mouth with his hands.
“Holy crap, that’s crazy!” he exclaimed.
“Yeah, it’s crazy.”
“That’s why you talk different and you act differently too. You’re supposed to punch me in the face, I’ve prepared myself.”
“Am I that violent?”
“You’re that hot-headed.”
He looks at me in disbelief. I think he didn’t expect me to act like this since Wagner was always been domineering.
“I’d like to hear our story from you,” I said.
“Okay. Let’s do that while we go on a trip. Puerto, take us to my place.”
The car immediately went on its way to somewhere I don’t know.
“What happened to you? Did you catch Lambo?”
“Lambo? Who’s that?”
“Man, you’re in trouble. Lambo’s the thug you’ve been chasing around. He looks peculiar in his cowboy attire.”
Oh, I remember now. He was the guy who captured me. He’s giving me the creeps.
“I escaped from him. He was about to kill me, but I survived from the explosion.”
“What do you mean you escaped? Did he catch you? Man, that’s not you.”
It shocked me for a moment. He’s too fast to identify that I’m not Wagner. I’m doomed.
“I mean, you’re not the type who would get caught that easily. You wouldn’t leave a battlefield without bringing the head of the enemy,” he added.
I sighed in relief.
“It’s complicated. Accidents could happen in my job. Not every plan works. The explosion damaged my brain so I couldn’t remember a thing aside from my name and my recent activity.”
“That’s unfortunate. It’s a good thing that the IIF sent you here, away from the stressful world of secret agents.”
“They don’t know that I’m here.”
“You mean they don’t know whether you’re dead or alive?”
I nodded.
“We have to ask them,” he said and dialed something on his phone.
He was talking to someone over the phone. Wagner didn’t mention this guy to me, but I think he knows a lot.
“So how did it go?” I asked.
“They said that they can’t assume you’re dead without seeing your lifeless body. But they’re considering the possibility that you turned to ashes. Still, they can’t just declare your death. They’ve been tracking you, but they found no signs.”
“You must not tell that I’m alive.”
“Why?”
“I can’t do my mission for now. I don’t need their help with my medication. My enemy can’t find out that I exist. I haven’t prepared for the worst.”
I don’t know if I made the right decision, but I’m going to consult Wagner when I come back.
“I also think that it’s the best choice. If IIF gets involved with your treatment, it will be chaotic. It’s better to live in peace. It was the wisest decision I made,” he said.
“What do you mean?”
“Let’s continue the chit-chat inside my humble home.”
The car stopped. We stepped out and an enormous house welcomed me. Its foundations look perfectly sound, all set to stand for generations to come.
As we entered, we walked past a small pond and a garden filled with enchanting flowers. It’s telling me it’s beautiful than I am.
The inside was quite simple. The floor was an old-fashioned parquet. There were pictures of children on the walls. I paused and looked at the photograph of their loving family.
“You and I are batch mates where there were only five of us. We were partners back in the days. We accomplished a few missions before I quit,” he said as he reminisced the past.
Does Wagner have a partner? This is extremely startling.
“I quit because I’ve fallen for a woman I used to hunt down.”
A smile formed on his lips as his eyes glittered. I was imagining the scene in my head while he speaks, and I find it romantic.
“It wasn’t easy. It was love-filled with bullets and blood. You cursed at me when you discovered it.”
Goodness. I could imagine Wagner’s face. The news must frustrate him. For him, accomplishing a mission is a top priority.
“I only cursed? I thought I would’ve killed you,” I grinned.
“Yes, you almost did. But in the end, you made me choose. Your exact line was — me and your career, or that fucking bitch?”
We both chuckled.
“I’ve chosen love because she was pregnant that time. I have no regrets.”
“Since then, I chose to work alone. Maybe what happened traumatized me.”
“It’s alright because you became the best agent. I’m proud of you,” he said and tapped my shoulder.
“What if she’s not pregnant? Would you still choose her?”
“If she’s not, then I’ll impregnate her soon after.”
I shook my head as he laughed.
“You don’t have plans on returning?” I asked.
“I’d rather not. It’s hard to go out there if you have a family. Consider the fact that you might lose them.”
“What about Lambo? Who will go after him while I’m not around?”
“The second best agent, I guess.”
“There’s a second-best agent? Wow.”
“Yes, she can experiment with Lambo in the meantime.”
“A woman? Sounds cool,” I said in amazement.
“You wouldn’t be saying that if you remembered everything,” he smirked.
“Does she have something to do with me?”
“Oh, boy. You don’t want to know,” he shook his head with a sly smile.
I became curious about the woman Stinger was talking about. Is she Wagner’s love interest? I definitely want to know more about it.
“Honey? Who’s that?”
We diverted our attention to the woman who came downstairs. She’s wearing a floral dress, which made her more attractive. The wind blew through her red, wavy hair as she flashed her innocent eyes to us.
She stared at me for a couple of minutes. Her eyes widened when she finally recognized me.
“Vad? Is that you?” she asked.
Stinger and I looked at each other.
“She’s my wife,” Stinger whispered to my ears.
Did he used to hunt down this woman? No wonder he fell in love with her, she’s a goddess.
I turned to the woman and smiled.
“Hi. It’s me, the one and only.”
That moment, I sounded like Wagner, and I’m quite proud of it.
“It’s really you, huh? Is this a reunion?”
She crossed her arms and sat on a chair.
“We bumped at each other at the grocery store.”
“Actually, he kidnapped me.”
We both laughed by the thought of it.
“So you’re back at being best friends?” she asked.
Silence filled the house as no one uttered another word.
“Anyway, how have you been? Don’t you have work to do? As far as I could remember, you’re not the type who visits an old friend in the middle of a mission,” she said with her angelic voice.
“I stopped.”
“What do you mean you stopped? Did you quit?”
“No. I’m under a treatment for my temporary amnesia.”
She paused for a moment.
“Amnesia?”
“Yeah. IIF knew nothing about it. They might think I’m dead, and it’s better this way.”
“But the enemy will be confident since you’re gone.”
“IIF will strengthen their defense for sure,” Stinger said.
“Wait for a second, Miss red hair. I’m confused,” I said.
Stinger and his wife looked at each other.
“What did you just call me? Miss red hair?”
“Ugh… I don’t know your name, to be honest.”
“Back then, you used to call me that.”
“Actually, he used to call you Miss red hair with three horns,” Stinger said and laughed.
“Really? It won’t surprise me because he’s a fucking asshole,” she added.
“You almost shot her straight to the head, but I jumped and caught the bullet for her.”
“I did that?”
“Yes, you did. I almost died.”
“What a dramatic scene that was.”
“It was part of your mission to kill me, so it’s forgivable.”
“How did you end up together?”
“We faked my death. Stinger resigned, and we got married secretly after two years.”
They must fill their love story with suspense since they’re always on the run. How marvelous could that be?
“I don’t get why you did that. Why are you making things complicated? Do you have to marry someone that you have to kill? Why choose the hard way?”
Stinger looked at me with weary eyes.
“Because one day, I woke up and realized that I’d rather choose death than live a life without her by my side. I’d rather catch a bullet for her than catch a cold alone. I’d rather die because of her than dig my own grave.”
His wife held his hands. They looked at each other with the fire burning in their eyes. Instantly, they kissed in front of me. It took them ten seconds before I broke the silence.
“You’re making me hungry,” I blurted out.
They glanced at me and laughed.
“You’ve become very poetic, my friend,” I said to Stinger.
“Wagner, don’t you think it’s time for you to settle down with a family?” she asked.
“He never thinks of that. It’s not in his dictionary,” Stinger said as he shook his head in skepticism.
“Yeah, I have Goosebumps every time I hear such a notion,” I replied.
“You never change. Anyway, call me Suadela and don’t forget that,” she said.
“Of course, I won’t. The two of us used to chase after you, I can’t believe you fell for him rather than me,” I chuckled.
“I’ll never grow weary of your lines, Mr. Perfect,” Stinger said.
“Let me correct that. You’re missing one person. There were three of you. IIF let Frea joined the mission after a month,” Suadela said.
“Frea? Who’s that?”
“Hm. So I guess Frea will take over the mission while you’re gone. I miss that bitch.”
“Frea? Is she the second-best agent?”
“You have amnesia. It’s unfortunate that you’ve forgotten about her.”
“Is she that important?”
Stinger and his wife laughed.
“Dude, you’re always been mean even when you have amnesia,” Stinger said.
“Poor Frea. You may not lay your eyes on her, but you’re all that she sees.”
I smell an unrequited love story here. But Wagner mentioned that he’s never been involved with a woman. Whether she’s an ex, a lover, or a temporary pleasure, I would like to find out from him.
It surprised me to see Wagner arrived home wearing a jersey uniform. It looks familiar to me. I sat on the sofa while having a cup of coffee. It reminds me of my stay in Apostria. How I miss that place, especially the food.“What is going on?” I asked while crossing my arms.He put his bag on the couch and stood in front of me. He turned around, showing to me the back of the jersey.“Son of a bitch… Is that Treyton’s jersey? Why are you wearing that?” I almost yelled with my lungs out.“He gave it to me.”“And why would he do that?”“Because I’m cool,” he smirked as he sat on the sofa in front of me.“I don’t believe you. First, he never notices me at school. Second, he wouldn’t just give me a jersey without a reason. Third, he can’t possibly like me. So how on Earth did you do it? I bet you stole it, didn&rsqu
Before we leave the house, I left a letter to Mom, which I pinned on the fridge. I told her we have camping and it will take us a week, while Wagner will stay with a friend that he met at the grocery store. Wagner fabricated a document which states that our school will have a camp and I’m pretty sure that it will convince her.We packed a few things for our one-week stay in Wagner’s house if we’re going to make it alive. His place was farther than I expect it to be. We rode two buses and a cab. It took us 16 hours to arrive a few blocks away from his house.While we’re inside the cab, we wore a black jumpsuit and black facemask to hide our identity. We also used earphones so we could talk with each other when the race begins.The worst part was we were unarmed. I don’t know if his plan will work out, but the least I can do was to believe. I was so nervous that I took tranquilizers to minimize my panic attack.
Wagner’s brows crossed.“What are you talking about? I could see that you haven’t recovered from the incident last night,” he said in dismay.His response tells me he wasn’t ready for another near-death experience.“Maybe,” I replied.“Let’s have some breakfast. I cooked something.”He gleefully led the way out of the master’s bedroom.When I came out of the room, a gigantic chandelier caught my attention. It was hanging at the center of the living room, which was downstairs. It seems like everything was shining.The staircase was modern European style, and the railings were shining with gold. The living room set up was colored gray with minimalist designs from the sofa to the carpet.I walked down the stairs behind him in awe. His place was fancy.“By the way, How about those gunmen? Where are they?” I asked.He walked towards the kitchen.“They’re gone,” he said while setting up the table.
After hearing what Wagner said, my mind became numb. I felt like listening to a theory without supporting evidence. His idea was inconceivable.“You want me to fight you? Are you kidding me?”I forced a laugh.“You want me to test your strength, right? Then it’s the only measurement that I can offer and it’s more precise than any tool in this world.”The tension slowly crawled inside my body.Though my posture, skills, and confidence have improved, I still don’t think that I can beat him.“What’s wrong? I thought I’ve encouraged you enough?” he said.Frustration was evident on his face.I clenched my fists as I looked down in shame.“I don’t think I’m ready to fight you,” I firmly said.“Well, you can’t go for another adventure without fighting me. Anyone can beat you up with the state of mi
Wagner calmly raised his hands while my eyes were shifting from Wagner to the assassin. I could see that his grip on the gun was tight, and he fixed his eyes on Wagner. We didn’t shake him at all.“Vad Wagner, IIF has been looking for you. You need to follow me for an interrogation,” the assassin firmly said.“W-well… drop your weapon first,” I said.“I can’t do that.”“Are you crazy? You almost killed what you’re looking for and you expect us to cooperate?” Wagner interrupted.“We can’t let Wagner escape. He’s wanted. Also, we only need him. You’re not included. We don’t even know you.”Wagner’s face darkened. It might be hard for him to accept that no one recognizes him aside from me.“You don’t know me? Let me show you who I am,” Wagner said and grabbed the gun from the assassin
Vad’s Point of ViewWhen we were sailing using my million dollar yacht, it relieved me. I was glad that we made it alive. The assassins were a bunch of skilled chickens and they outnumbered us. Kylo was severely wounded.To be honest, I didn’t know what to do. All I know was to defend ourselves, no matter what happens. It was fun and games for me, not until I saw her on the floor covered with blood.I thought it was the end. My world stopped, and for the first time, I thought I failed a mission which rarely happens.My knees fell on the floor, trying not to break down. I pulled myself together amidst the smoke brought by the explosion. I did surgery and carefully plucked the bullet out of her body.Fortunately, all the medicines and types of equipment were still intact. It was my last resort to save her life.Kylo was like a book that I could read effortlessly, but she can’t see through me. She can&rs
I wrote confusion on her face.“Let me do my thing. I’m always been good at destroying someone’s integrity. If you know what I mean. While I do my part, observe your surroundings. Keep your stupidity to yourself,” I said before leaving her at the table.I looked at a pirate who was lying on the floor. His eyes were closed, but he was unconsciously smiling from ear to ear, revealing his decaying teeth.I grabbed the cowboy hat on his head and wore it. They already wore it out over the years of their voyage and probably battling against pirate hunters.I scanned my eyes around every corner until I detected a potential target. It was a drunken man who was talking to his friends who were already asleep.The floor screeched as I walked towards him and sat on the empty seat beside him.“That’s a wonderful story, my friend,” I said out of the blue while tapping his shoulder.I
“Wagner!”Kylo’s voice echoed. My bleeding filled her voice with distress as captain’s blade cut through my left leg. My blood glided on the tip of his cutlass.My eyelids tightened, and my mouth flung open while I breathe. I didn’t make a sound of discomfort.“You need a slow death, Vad. I’ll inflict to you torture that will remain in your memory even after you die.”The captain set his ferocious eyes at me. I gently wiped the droplets of sweat on my forehead. He raised his sword and struck me. My blade smacked his. It whistles as it cuts through the air.He gathered his maximum force and pushed me to the floor. My back produced a crackling sound that made me moan. I rolled on the floor while he continued to attack me with the sharp edges of his weapon.The cuts on my body increased like a multitude of incised wounds. Its stinging sensation wriggled through my vein