The Liberal Assassin

I know it sounded dramatic to complain about waking up to a dull throb at the back of my skull and a sharp pain in the back of my neck but I really couldn't care about my image. The current predicament didn't permit it.

Used to waking up to the white walls, staring at a grey one was a shocker. I might have jolted a little but nobody was complaining. It's not even surprising to see how my arms were restrained together with very cold and heavy metal chains to a wall. I twisted a little to test the strength of my confines and g.r.o.a.n.e.d mentally. Quickly accessing my situation and running through my available options, my heart sank. The captors certainly knew who they were dealing with. The hidden knife I had was useless against metal restraints and the length of the restraints didn't allow me to reach the other end of the cell. If only I had Nash's ridiculous strength…

Lying on the uncomfortable ground in a dimly lit room, I stared at the laser bars. There were no guards in the vicinity last time I checked and certainly no cameras in plain sight which was funny. Not wanting to attract unwanted attention, I remained still. Without my gear or any means to contact the team, I was stuck here indefinitely.

Left alone to my thoughts, I wondered why Lady Luck hated me so much. Surely Khronos must have informed everyone by now so the team should be safe. The only worry I had was for the safety of everyone on Luna now that the truth has been exposed. Would Rion start hunting down and killing those who opposed?

My death didn't seem so distant given my predicament but somehow I wasn't afraid. The belt and gadgets I normally carried with me had been confiscated save for the shoes I wore. The weapons hidden in my gauntlets were removed except for the finger-sized dagger cleverly hidden on the underside. My communicator was no longer lodged in my ear and the visor was gone. If I were an optimistic person, I would think of getting that dagger out to stab someone in the eye before I died. Unfortunately for me, I was thinking about getting it out to slit my wrists instead. Then again, that would only cause unnecessary pain because I now possessed inhuman regeneration abilities.

Time passed too quickly when I was left to my own devices. Footsteps alerted me that my hosts were arriving but there was nothing I could do. Pretending to be asleep was useless as there were cameras around. I'll put all my credits on Arvin making a personal appearance.

It didn't take long before the laser bars were disabled. I could have taken off running in a random direction in an attempt to escape but seeing the person behind Arvin made me freeze. The expression on the Luna Security's head was far from kind. In fact, the glare spoke volumes about how he would enjoy tearing me apart limb by limb. Killing Kalifa had been a decision he was going to make me regret even if he had no proof that I did it.

"Hello, Titus," Arvin's smooth voice made the hair on my neck stand.

The politician knelt down to eye level as I struggled to sit up. The flawless smile set off warning bells inside my head. That was a smile of a liar and possibly, my soon-to-be murderer. If Arvin thought he could lower my guard by playing civil, he's got something coming his way.

"How have you been? I've been expecting your visit for a while now. I'm actually surprised it took you this long to seek me out."

I returned his smile with my own despite the numbing fear growing inside of me.

"Of course, I apologise for the wait. There were some complications and I'm a busy man with many things to steal but I'm here now, aren't I?"

Arvin sighed and shook his head in mock disappointment. The casual conversation was balanced on very little patience at Rion's end. The man looked as if one wrong word would cause him to go berserk. Despite Arvin's relaxed behaviour, I knew I was treading on thin ice that was already beginning to crack.

Arvin nodded in an understanding manner, humouring me. The way he treated the matter made my skin crawl. Now I understood how anyone could use their daughter as a test subject. The man was a monster in human skin. He cared for nobody but himself.

"Yes. As a matter of fact, I do believe you have something that belongs to me and I want it back. You've done a lot and I think it's time for you to take a break from running around the Inner City. Many citizens are distressed because of your actions, not to mention that publicity stunt you pulled just before you paid me a visit."

Pulling my brows together like I would do in confusion, I asked. "What publicity stunt?"

The smile was back. "The one involving stolen information and distributing it using the press… I don't know who you bribed to do it but it matters not. All I ask is to know where you've hidden the physical proof."

Now we're talking.

"I don't have it, it was destroyed."

The smile never left Arvin's face even though the man must've been fuming on the inside.

"Really? That's a real shame. I was going to let you go after I've found the evidence."

I sighed dramatically. "In that case, I guess I'll be here forever."

Arvin hummed, pretending to be deep in thoughts while looking slightly troubled. Rion, on the other hand, was clenching and unclenching his fists. If the interrogation failed, the torture would not.

Arvin nodded and put a hand up as a signal to stop Rion from advancing. "It would be a real shame if you were to be locked up in here forever. Luna needs more talent like you somewhere. I'll be generous and give you the benefit of doubt for now. We'll need to confirm your words before deciding the next course of action."

He turned to give the intimidating man a nod before walking out of my cell. Every step that Rion took felt like an additional weight making me sink deeper into the abyss of hopelessness. I wasn't afraid of death, I was afraid of failing the mission. In the face of torture, I might sell my friends and family out. That thought terrified me.

As the distance between us decreased, the air in the room seemed to thin out. Instinctively, I struggled to put distance between us in vain as the overwhelming presence encompassed the entire cell.

Three strides later, I was thrashing in the hold of a very murderous man. Hands bound, there was hardly a thing I could do when he lifted me off the ground. My legs flailed uselessly in the air as the man hoisted me over his broad shoulder. The man gave up on unlocking the chains holding me to the wall with my struggling and decided on gifting me with a swift chop to the back of my neck.

Stunned for a moment but not for much longer, darkness claimed me and swallowed all my anxieties.