The Liberal Assassin

"How's it going boys?"

Ignacio jumped in his chair. The tablet in his hand clattered to the ground, triggering a chain reaction and collapsing a highly stacked pile of paperwork. I cringed.

Rush, sitting at his desk near the office's door readied a knife, poised to strike. Parrying the knife with ease, I grinned. Rush recognised me and cursed before apologising as Ignacio shot me a spine-chilling glare.

"Can't you enter through the door like a normal person? I remember closing the windows and this is the top floor. Isn't it inconvenient for you to enter by this way?"

I grinned sheepishly. "I am a person that everyone is looking for. Waltzing in won't help my case since I'm supposed to be heavily traumatised after two near-death experiences."

I couldn't exactly tell them about the new gravity boots Khronos made me test. It was way more effective than it should be with the improved camouflage technology. The only thing that needed refining was the particle phaser gloves.

As icy northern wind swept through the office, Ignacio sighed. The window previously preventing the cold wind from entering was currently nowhere to be seen.

"What did you do to my window?"

If jaws could literally drop, Rush's would create a crater on the floor. My attention shifted back to Ignacio who had a serene smile. Despite the calm demeanour, I knew he was only an inch away from strangling me to my demise.

Instead of owning up to my mistakes, I decided to be a smart boy and tell him the truth. "The particle phaser that Khronos made me test didn't work too well."

"So instead of phasing through the window, you disintegrated it."

It was a factual statement that held no threat but the monotone voice still sent shivers down my spine. Not even Nash had the guts to laugh when Ignacio was in his 'dark' mode. Khronos wouldn't be hearing the end of it from me when I make it out of here alive… if I make it out of here alive. Surely Ignacio can't be that strong, right?

Rush chuckled nervously, inching away from the increasingly foul aura radiating from his best friend. "Look Nacio, it's not really his fault. Khronos gave him no choice…"

"You had to test it at my office," the brunet snarled, drowning the Yankee's input. Rush wrung his hands and pulled at his hair as Ignacio stood from his chair, a sure sign of the demon in Ignacio awakening.

I gulped.

"I'm sorry! I'll fix it…?"

Suddenly I wasn't so sure if I was truly the intimidating Night Walker. The meanest looking pair of eyes with the scariest smile plastered on any human face stood just a few steps away from me before stopping. His piercing glare made me wish I had the power to go back in time. If only I had tested it on the Patrol Guards' Headquarters instead of Ignacio's office. Now it was too late for regrets.

Screwing my eyes shut, I awaited the verdict. If Ignacio was going to throw me out of the non-existent window, I wasn't going to complain.

Instead of a harsh shove, I found myself crying out in pain as my right cheek was attacked mercilessly.

"Let go! Let go! I need this face to make a living!"

The brunet only sneered at my plight. "What living? You come crashing into my office while I help plan and coordinate building your new house! Why can't you use the front door like a normal person? Would it kill you to go back, grab a change of clothes, put on a disguise and pay me a visit like normal people would?"

Nursing the right side of my face, I explained how I just wanted to know the progress of stage two. If he pinched that cheek a second longer, my face would have fallen apart. I wasn't sure if my cheek still retained its elasticity after Ignacio released it.

"Have you completed stage one?"

I nodded obediently and silence ensued. I was half certain Ignacio was going to chew my head off when I felt two light pats on my head.

Surprised, I looked up. The scary faced brunet from earlier morphed into the sweet brotherly man I loved and knew.

"You did well," he beamed and I stared at him as if he had grown wings. Rush mimicked my expression in a more dramatic manner.

Ignoring the cold wind in his office, Ignacio picked up the fallen tablet and searched for something as if I didn't just disintegrate his window.

"Rush darling, could you pull out the schedule for the mansion's progress? Thanks."

Trotting out of the room silently after flashing me a quick victory sign, the maroon-haired Yankee disappeared and left me alone with the highly bipolar CEO.

"I've contacted Sable and made the necessary arrangements for her concert tour around the Slums. The objective is to help bridge the gap between the Inner City citizens and the people in the Slums. She will act as a representative for our latest campaign. After your stunt with Lilith, the property development sector of Luna Services recruited Rush's gang for extra manpower solely in charge of constructing that mansion. The western and northern parts of the Slums are now under our control. Phase two is progressing smoothly. The marketing team has arranged a session with the media so you don't have anything to worry about."

I glanced over Ignacio's shoulder, already taking the information to mental account while my focus redirected to the atrocity he wore. This man should take my advice and put on the red suit Lisa made. How can anybody prefer light grey over red?

"How long before I can get into action?"

He shot me a peeved expression and I blinked.

"We'll need to wait for Rush for that. As for why I refuse to wear a red suit, I find it an obnoxious colour that is unprofessional for a person of my current status."

Oops! Did I say that aloud?

Ignacio deadpanned.

"You need to work on your brain to mouth filter especially after going without sleep for forty-nine hours. I'm only letting you off the hook after you destroyed my office because I know how hard you've been working. Also, please try not to give Spencer anymore excuse to approach me because of the Night Walker. My hands are full as it is."

"I really said everything aloud, didn't I?"

"Your thought sensors aren't exactly functioning in its prime. I suggest you sleep the moment you get back to the base. Don't let me catch you elsewhere within the next three days or I will hand you over to Spencer. Personally."

"Are you worried now?" I teased the brotherly CEO and he swatted at me. Before things could escalate any further, Rush returned with the schedule.

"Did I miss anything?" he asked and passed the folder to Ignacio who flipped it open with practised grace. I shrugged and gave the Yankee a reassuring smile but that only made the man frown deeply.

The sound of Ignacio clearing his throat brought our attention back to the schedule. "The progress is moving quickly. It is estimated that the mansion will be ready in three more weeks. Of course, the underground systems will be fully functional. Khronos mentioned that he would set to work immediately after receiving the materials."

"How can he cope? I've just finished extracting all the evidence from Spencer's office. That man doesn't even have time to take a shower!"

Ignacio smirked in reply. "Don't underestimate him. He's more resourceful than you think and from what I know, the design for the underground system is already completed. While you slaved over finding evidence, that man has completed machinery and androids required to carry out the construction."

Rush whistled and I stared in disbelief. No way…

"Yes way. Now it's your turn to rest. You've got three weeks before you'll be busy again. I don't want to hear any activities from the Night Walker until next week so you can use that time to plan how you want to trap your next prey."

Nodding numbly, I bade the two men farewell and set the coordinates to the charged orb.

In a flash, familiar white walls greeted me. I g.r.o.a.n.e.d inwardly, hating this part of the base the most. The room was in serious need of a paint job. White walls didn't sit well with me.

Climbing into one of the beds, I vaguely wondered if Ignacio would allow me to get some pink paint to cover these dull walls. He might just agree to it if it keeps me off the streets for a longer period of time.