The Liberal Assassin

Funnily enough, the thing that woke me wasn't Spencer pounding at my door or Patrol Guards breaking through my window demanding that I turn myself in. Instead, it was a familiar ringtone from my dialler.

The flashing digits told me the sleep was only for two short hours. You'd think that after so many sleepless nights as the Night Walker, I would get some decent rest. Sadly, fate had something else in mind like always.

Exhaustedly, I answered the call and perked up almost at once.

"Are you sure?"

"Unlike you, we're still keeping tabs on the news. What have you been doing anyway? It's all over the news and it would be clear if you were on the streets."

Laughing sheepishly, I confessed I might have taken the opportunity to catch up with my rest.

"No matter," Khronos chuckled. "Spencer is in for it. The situation is better than we'd hoped for. With so many objections to your arrest, I think Spencer's hands are tied. Even if he did arrest you, he'll be facing an even larger issue. Nash and I won't be the only ones trying to break you out."

Well, that certainly was good news.

"What are we going to do now?" I glanced out the window of my apartment and true enough, faint chanting could be heard demanding for the Night Walker's freedom. I grabbed the visor from the bedside and had Kevin zoom in.

They were carrying signs demanding my liberation but that was not what had my attention. Among those were signs demanding the execution of Arvin and Rion. However, the one that stunned me most was the signs asking for the Night Walker to be Luna's next leader.

Whatever Khronos said next was lost to me.

"Uh… Khronos? Is it true these people are also calling for the Night Walker to become their next leader?"

The scientist sighed. "You weren't listening to me at all. I'll repeat so clean your ears out! Spencer has contacted Ignacio who relayed the message saying that he wanted to hold a private meeting with the Night Walker and everyone involved in the operation. I was asking for your available schedule and yes, those people demanding your freedom are also supporting the idea of you leading them. Spencer is aware of the circ.u.mstances which is why he's calling for an unofficial meeting."

It took a while for the information to sink in but when it finally did, I was in no control over the laughter bubbling from within. I never knew how good it felt when things exceeded my expectations in a good way.

It was worth it. Everything was worth it, the pain and sacrifices, the loss and confusion. Mia would be proud and so would my biological parents.

"We can meet him tomorrow. Tonight, I'm bringing over Ignacio's stash of Pantiumite and we're drinking to celebrate."

Without waiting for his response, I ended the call and threw on a coat. Celebrations were due.

***

Spencer frowned in disapproval and his moustache twitched non-stop. Still slightly high on last night's Pantiumite binge drinking session, I had half the urge to reach out and pull on it.

"Gentlemen, I've come for a serious discussion. Could you at least pretend to take things seriously? It's not every day that I pardon not one but three criminals."

Nash merely grunted while Khronos was already off to slumberland. I blinked owlishly before hiccupping. "I'm sorry, you were saying?"

"I'm going to stage your arrest. The public made their sentiments known and they want you to be their leader, Titus."

"You seem to assume I'm keen on taking up the position. I'll have you know that I hate paperwork. Didn't I resign from Luna Services for this very purpose?"

Ignacio entered the room just as I said it and raised an eyebrow in amus.e.m.e.nt.

"Really?" he asked, setting down the Pantiumite tea. "If my memory serves me well, you left because you couldn't cope with being both the Night Walker and the CEO of Luna Services. You had no issues with paperwork or office politics."

I gave the brunt a dry look. "Being able to do the job doesn't mean I enjoy it."

Ignacio shot back a dirty glare. "You don't think I actually enjoy sitting at the desk for hours on end, listening to people complain about insignificant matters, do you? I would rather much aid Khronos in developing the new formula for a Pantiumite substitute."

"Enough!" Spencer growled. "I'm not here to listen to your squabbles. If it weren't for him coming to me to negotiate a plan to nab the true evil behind it all, I would never have compromised justice."

What did he say? "Nash negotiated with you?"

Spencer glanced over to Nash who was now dead to the world on the couch with Khronos' legs sprawled over his torso. Ignacio took a seat beside me and looked at the law enforcer with interest.

"He visited me at my office with the physical evidence. I don't know what you lot did but with the evidence I've been trying to attain for years in front of me, I couldn't refuse. Also, he may have hinted that the Night Walker was someone I should have cared about. Being a career man, I don't have a family. You were entrusted to me by Janon, the closest to family I had. After hearing what he had to say, I couldn't sit and do nothing."

None of us spoke for some time. Now that the man, who should have been my father many years back, was sitting in front of me, I didn't know where to start. Despite having the man who raised me sleeping on the couch in the most uncomfortable position, I still wanted to know more about Janon.

"Spencer… could you tell me more about Janon? In his diary, he said that you were a close friend. I want to know the whole story."

He glanced at Ignacio briefly and then back at me as if asking if it was alright. Ignacio looked over as if asking if I needed my privacy. I merely shook my head. With all the crazy things that we've gone through, it wasn't really a big deal if I turned out to be a homunculus or some alien species.

Spencer sighed as he recollected his thoughts from many years ago.

"Janon Trueman is your biological father. He and I used to work together in criminal forensics. At that time, we were novices at the job and Alice was a senior with a special gift. Your mother could see the future and read minds, something passed down in her tribe's lineage. It was a very useful gift at the forensics. Back then, Luna was still struggling with the amalgamation of different sectors and the Slums were extremely unstable. Fights between the citizens of the Inner City near the border with the Slums weren't unusual."

I could imagine how my parents fell in love. "What did my mother look like?"

Spencer smiled. "She was a feisty woman with flame-coloured hair and the most captivating blue eyes that you inherited. She was a complete opposite of your father. Janon was a quiet and patient person. You got your hair from the genetic modifications made to your body as a child but if it weren't for it, you would have red hair too. Not many people on Luna had red hair and due to circ.u.mstances, your parents made the decision to change your hair colour. Your name Titus was chosen by Alice, it is a name from her native language which meant 'protector of the people' or so I was told. You lived up to the name well, she must be really proud."

"I know that I was frozen for a period of time? What happened?"

Spencer raised a brow. "During our time with the forensics department, Janon and I discovered something unusual about the deaths. Unknown chemical compounds were found in the victim's body as if they were ingested. Some digging led us to Arvin. At that time, the Parliament was unstable with many deaths of politicians from a series of unlucky events. Alice, who was with us, decided to infiltrate the Parliament and uncover the truth about these mysterious deaths while Janon and I worked on the case. Your father is an exceptional researcher and I, not so. I took to doing groundwork better than figuring things out in the lab."

I nodded in understanding. Things must have gone downhill soon after.

"For about twenty years, everything progressed smoothly. I transferred out to the Patrol Guards because of my vigilance. There was a man I was chasing after at that time who was responsible for the murders of political figures. I wanted to nab him and corner Arvin from the law's end while Alice and Janon made their way from the science end. Unfortunately, Arvin knew we were on his case and sent Nash to kill Alice. None of us were prepared for it."

Ignacio gasped and I didn't know how to react. Nash killed my mother and I had caused my father's death. It's funny how fate worked.

"You were about two years old back then, a wee brat unaware of anything. When I received news of Alice's death, I told Janon to go into hiding. He brought you along and we hid out for weeks. You became restless from being indoors the whole time and began to cry a lot, making yourself ill. Janon, at his wit's end, asked me to take care of you when you woke up. I didn't think he meant fifty years later after he froze you in the underground cryonics with the underworld. Yes, that was the one Mia's body was preserved in. Janon disappeared without a trace and when I received word that there was a new Parliament member, I couldn't believe my eyes. Your father was tight-lipped the whole time and I couldn't arrest Arvin. He only told me it wasn't time and that we couldn't win yet. He was right."

Listening to the story made me want to destroy something. With fists clenched tightly by my side, I tried to even my breathing as my eyes burned with tears that couldn't fall.

"To be honest, I don't know what to make of your actions. While I am glad things have finally ended, I can't say I'm happy knowing you had to stain your hands with blood. This should have been Janon's and my fight, I'm sorry we involved you. I never thought I'll see the hitman who evaded my capture for so long again but I'm glad he taught and raised you well."

I smiled at Nash's sleeping figure. "I never thought I'll do this either. I only ventured into the Slums out of curiosity and met Nash there. I started learning a lot from them and Nash taught me a lot about life. I became the Night Walker initially to get your attention while helping the poor people living in the Slums. I didn't think that the day where I can sit and talk to you face to face would come. Honestly, it would much easier if I never knew you so that I can continue hating you. Then again, if it weren't for you I couldn't have made friends whom I could trust with my life."

Nodding, the man chewed his lower lip. Ignacio placed a hand over mine as a gesture of comfort as we gave Spencer some time to think.

"Titus, I know I've been a lousy guardian and I don't expect to be forgiven," he paused. "However, I want to make it up to you. You've done so much not only for me but for Luna. I'll do my best to support you however I can from now on."

I smiled. "You know, you shouldn't make promises you can't keep."

Spencer grunted. "Don't be cheeky with me, brat."

I chuckled at his annoyance. "I'm joking! I suppose it will be nice to have a new identity. I don't always want to be the Night Walker."

Spencer nodded in understanding. "I've made preparations for everyone on the team prior to this meeting. However, if you have a particular name you'd like, I can arrange for it."

Now that's interesting. I wasn't opposed to changing names but I didn't want to erase my past along with it.

"Can I have Titus Skinner? I rather like the name my mother gave."

Spencer raised an eyebrow. Ignacio smiled and patted me on the back as the Patrol Guard leader guffawed, startling the poor scientist awake.

"Of course! I'll see to it. Could you wake the hitman? We have things to discuss. Besides, what kind of hitman sleeps without care? He must be out of touch… to think that this was the person who avoided me for years!"

Ignacio offered Khronos some tea before shaking Nash awake. There were some unsettled feelings inside of me after knowing a little more about my biological parents. However, looking at Nash made them fade away.

I knew where I belonged and that's one thing that will never change.