C11 Kabanata 5.2

"Could it be, Zues, know about this? Well, it's not possible to enter their University. Hindi sila tumatanggap ng scholar sa ZU. Alam natin kung sino lang ang pwedeng mag-aral sa Unibersidad nila," Achylles suddenly blurted a question. He got all of them curious.

Who coul be really backing her?

"What if she's a criminal?! And she stole someone's identity because she is hunted by the authorities!" Regal blurted out, nonsense. Sabay na napabuntong hininga si Cage at Achylles dahil sa imahinasyon ni Regal. Sometimes, hindi talaga ito nakakatulong lalo na sa pagbibigay ng opinyon. He is suck at it.

Binatukan agad ito ni Athena.

"Alyssa is not a freaking criminal!" Athena defended her friend.

"Aw! That hurts, Athena." Sinapo nito ang nasaktang batok. Napailing na lang sila.

"Should we ask Zeus about this? Maybe he knew something," Achylles suggest.

"Who? The young Zeus or the old Zeus?" Regal asked.

They stopped talking when Uranus interrupted them. Kanina pa hindi mapakali ang lalaki dahil malaking palaisipan pa rin dito ang nangyari kanina bago siya tawagan ni Cage na ipasa na ang report ngayon.

And Cage noticed it.

"What is it, Uranus?" Cage asked, thinking that, Uranus, maybe forgot to tell them some important information. Nakuha naman nito ang atensiyon ng lima.

"I think something is off with her," he started and continue,"Dahil kulang ang nakalap kong impormasyon tungkol sa kanya, I wanted to confirm her routine and I confirmed it, pero kanina bago ako pumunta rito, I was following her. Iba kasi ang tinahak niyang daan. Nakasakay siya sa kanyang bisekleta, but I notice that someone is following her, too. At first, I though I'm being followed, so I decided to let them first. Ang nakapagtataka rin ay walang plaka at kotseng nakasunod sa kanya. So, that's when I notice they were obviously following her. Their car is tinted."

He click something on the laptop and a picture of a black tinted Nissan is showed to them.

"Who could be following her or you're just mistaken?" tanong ni Achylles dito.

"I'm sure they're after her. As soon as Alyssa Craig disappear my sight they also disappeared. Hindi na ako nagkaroon ng pagkakataon na sundan ang mga ito," paliwanag naman nito.

"Paanong nawala siya sa paningin mo, when you said she was just riding her bike?" Hades, eventually asked, na ikinatango ng mga kasama. Tahimik lang si Athena at nakikinig, walang balak makialam. She just wanted it to be done, para makauwi na ito.

"She was fast. Paikot - ikot lang siya sa ibang direksiyon hanggang sa nawala na siya sa paningin ko. As if she knew that I'm following her or we."

Kung paikot - ikot ito sa ibang direksyon, that means she's trying to distract them because she knew someone is following her.

Sino ba talaga ang Alyssa Craig na iyon? Bakit kahit osangahalagang impormasyon tungkol sa kanya ay walang nakalap na impormasyon ang pinakamagaling na imbestigador ng SIA. Cage was really disappointed, he was expecting to see worst, but they were left by questions about her identity. Someone is really blocking her information.

"Athena you don't know anything about her do you?" tanong ni Cage kay Athena na kanina pa tahimik.

"I admit, Kuya Eros, I already know those basic info about her. As I said, I respect her privacy, that's why I don't ask her any personal questions. I know she's hiding something but it's her decision, we can't do anything about the fact that she wants it to be hidden. And what we are doing right know is invading her privacy without her knowledge. I know she's a good person," she sincerely said.

"You're right. But you need to stay away from her."

They know Athena is hard headed, she won't listen to the. Makikita ang hindi pagsang-ayon ng dalaga sa sinabi ng pinsan.

"We have a deal, Kuya Cage." Tumahimik sina Achylles at hinayaan si Cage na magdesisyon. Mas nakikinig kasi si Athena dito at kay Hades.

Before Cage could argue with her, he noticed Hades beside him. Unmoving and occupied, as usual.

Hades is browsing all the photos in his hand, iyong naka-envelop na inabot kanina dito ni Uranus. Ilan lang iyon at puro stolen shots pa. Kilala ni Cage ang kaibigan, komplikado man itong pakisamahan pero alam nito kung para saan ang mga reaksiyon nakaguhit sa mukha nito. Cage knew when Hades is interested on something or not.

'Could it be?' Cage thought. There is one way to find out. Maybe, it's time for the cold Hades to melt.

"Okay. I'll let you be friends with her. As long as we can see that she's no harm on you," pagpayag ni Cage.

Athena smiled, ear to ear. She almost hugged his cousin!

" Are you sure about this, Cage?" Achylles butted in. Cage turned to him with a knowing looked and Achylles understand.

Cage is pretty sure that Hades is not aware that he's staring at the photo of Alyssa Craig.

Uranus coughed.

"Ahm, Sir. I think I'll be heading now," paalam ni Uranus.

"Sure. Keep me posted."

"Yes, sir." He bid goodbye again before he went out and left them in the room.

Ilang sandali pa ay napansin ni Regal ang naiwang flash drive ni Uranus sa laptop. Binuksan nito ang laman nang mga iyon bago nakarating sa isang folder. Tumambad dito ang ilang videos kaya nacurious ito.

And then suddenly a video played in.

Napatingin ang lahat doon. Nagulat sila nang mamukhaan ang taong sa video.

A girl doing some stunts. It was more like a gang fight inside a warehouse. Tumalon ang babae sa video mula sa mataas na bahagi ng warehouse papunta sa baba habang hinahabol daw ito ng mga kalaban. May nakalapit na isa rito at may hawak pang baseball bat na akmang ipapalo sa kanya. She moves swiftly, then duck and kick the guy between his knees kaya natumba iyon. Pagkatapos ay kinuha ng babae ang baseball bat at sunod sunod na sumugod ang kalaban daw nito.

Tumakbo siya at tumalon na naman. She's good.

Another scene.

Hinahabol daw ito nang mabilis na sasakyan. Tumigil ito sa gitna ng daan hawak ang isang baril na nakatutok sa mabilis na sasakyang nakasunod dito kanina. She's obviously sweating.

Para siyang eksperto sa paghawak ng pekeng baril na iyon.

Nahigit nila ang hininga sa sumunod na eksena.

The car is obviously fast parang mababangga na talaga siya. Inasinta nito ang driver. Binaril nito ang driver. Pero nabangga na siya ng sasakyan. Animo nagpagulong - gulong ang katawan niya sa bubong ng sasakyan hanggang sa likod ng kotse at pagulong gulong na ulit sa simentadong daan.

Wala man lang cit ang eksenang iyon at parang diretso na ang pagkuha.

Halatang totoong nagasgasan ito sa braso. Wala man lang ni kahit anong proteksyon sa katawan nito.

Then they heard the word "CUT" from the director. Nilapitan naman ito ng dalawang lalaki siguro ay mga kasamahang stuntman ng babae.

The next scene. Nasa mataas na bridge ito at akmang tatalon mula roon.

Napaayos ang limang katao sa pagkakaupo nang makitang tumalon nga talaga ito ng walang harnes sa katawan.

Natapos na ang eksena dahil sumigaw ang director ng break.

Nakita pang pinapaypayan ng make up artist ang babaeng artista na wala namang ginawang eksena. Nahagip ng camera ang babaeng tumalon kanina nasa gilid lang ito at nakaupo habang basa ang damit mula sa pagkaahon.

At ang babae sa video na 'yon ay walang iba kundi si Alyssa Craig. Maikli ang buhok nito doon pero halatang wig lang.

They may not be a video expert but they could tell that it's not a fake act. Those stunts are dangerous.

At ilan pang mga delikadong stunts ang napanood ng mga ito.

Some of the scene are very familiar too.

"Whoa ! I already watch that scene in one of the action movies,recently" Regal reacted "Siya pala ang stuntwoman ng main character na babae ro'n. To think that,malaking papuri ang natanggap ng artistang babae. The director even told that some of the scenes are true."

"Damn. I thought those stunts are fake. I forgot they hired stuntman to do those dangerous stunts." Achylles said with disbelief

"She's cool, isn't she?" Regal complimented.

'I can even hire her as one of my security agent," Cage thought.

"Next time remind me to get her autograph," dagdag na biro naman ni Achylles.

"Me, too," pakikisakaya ni Regal dito.

Nagbiruan pa ang mga ito tungkol kay Alyssa. Hindi nawala ang ngiti ni Athena dahil sa tuwa habang pinakikinggan ang pagpuri ni Achylles at Regal sa kaibigan. Nakisali rin ito at ipinagyabang kung gaano kagaling at talino ng kaibigan.

Habang si Hades ay nililipad nasa malalim na pag-iisip, nanatili kasing bumabagabag dito ang dalaga. He was calculating the possibilities about Alyssa and the girl he had met years ago.

The girl could had lied to him about his name.

5 months ago, Hades, thought about all the possiblities that Alyssa could be her because of the ring. The ring he had lost 9 years ago, it was his father's ring.

Hades was blind and he didn't saw the ring personally, but he knew it was his because of the lines in-craved in the ring.

***