COPULA TRILOGY: Her Vengeance

PROLOGUE

Four weeks ago...

I fixed my hair before looking at the girl beside me, sitting on the passenger seat.

We're currently at the parking lot. The moon is peeking a little through the small space between two buildings near us.

"Two minutes before all the workers will completely disappear."

I stared blankly outside while tapping my nails on the steering wheel. Silence occupied the whole car, but my not-so-loud tapping nails could be heard.

"It was a false alarm."

Magkasalubong ang kilay nang tinapunan ko ng tingin ang katabi ko. She's reloading her gun, not showing any emotions either. She looks up to me. A playful smirk was visible on her face. "The director knew about it. Maybe he's already shouting from that team," she said, pertaining to the mission that other team handled a week ago.

Ngumisi rin ako. "Deputy is on it, for sure."

"I guess they'll be needing you because of that. Baka ipasa pa sa'yo ang ipapagawa sa kanila."

My smirk eventually faded when something came inside my head from what she said. "I don't even feel like an officer... I barely deserve this position."

When she finished reloading her gun, she put them in her two big pockets inside her pants. She gave me a deadpan look. "Your rank is actually great. You're not an agent anymore. Graduate ka bilang asset. They saw something in you. That's why they gave you a promotion. You even aced the training." A sweet smile followed her lips.

I sighed. "It's just...it was so sudden. I felt like I haven't shown them what I'm more capable of. I was recommended, I trained, but I need something more to prove."

"What? " Umayos siya ng upo. "Then show it to them with your current position. Malay mo, a few years from now, you'll be our intelligence manager. Baka maging direktor ka pa ng agency kapag sunod-sunod ang magandang records mo."

I can't help but breathe out at what she said. Acrid's position was an analyst. She loved her job, and she's truly committed to it. Until a year ago, she requested to shift from being an analyst to an intelligence officer. It was tough for her since she needed to undergo several trainings under Barn Camp, a training base for new recruits. At this point, she's currently a rookie and would be tasked with me for some missions.

I command and follow commands at the same time. Magkalayo ang agwat namin ni Acrid, pero it was nothing to compare to.

Her presence became normal to me after our third mission together. I became her mentor even before that. She would sometimes get caught at the edge, but it was normal... normal for me. She's my first friend in the agency, after all.

I put the tip of my middle finger on the tip of my tongue, and she did the same, and after that, we smoothly touched each other's middle finger and made a hiss sound. Our own secret code.

We exchanged annoying smirks at each other until we heard a voice in the car.

"Acri-ri-d, Ava-a-rice. A-A-Are yo-o-ou in? "

I rolled my eyes. The glitch again.

"Hello? Are you still alive there? " Acrid innocently asked beside me while knocking the screen of the encrypted tablet inside the vehicle.

There were seconds of silence on the other line until we heard the other person for the second time, but this time, buo na ang boses niya sa pagkakataong ito.

"Facility to Acrid and Avarice, do you copy? " A deep, formal voice was heard. We already knew who it was.

"What the hell happened? Sira na naman ba 'yang computer mo? The agency must hate you, then."