Miracles in a Lifetime

VIII • THE BLACK ANGEL ☓ REPUTATION

     I don't move and keep an expressionless face when Netero-san recognizes who I really am. I don't really care, anyway, since small things like this won't bother me.

     Besides, I never really meant for my secret to stay hidden for that long.

     "Well," I start with a fake smile. "It's quite a surprise that I'm famous enough to be recognized by the great Chairman."

     The sarcasm in my tone makes him frown at me.

     "What kind of idiot Hunter wouldn't know the deadliest assassin who worked alone up until about a year ago when she suddenly stopped? It's not a hidden fact that the Black Angel is known to have killed many and disappear without a trace after a job well done.

     "And the most surprising thing of it all, is that even though it's believed that she's taken many innocent lives, a few Hunter investigators discovered that all of the Black Angel's victims were actually criminals. The more brutal they were in their crimes, the more ferociously she murdered them," he says, exposing my intentions.

     Again, I shrug.

     I always knew what people thought of me, but I don't mind being mistaken as such an immoral being. It didn't change the fact that I still killed, and I still tortured.

     A little annoyed with the topic of conversation, I ask, "Where is this going?"

     "I'm just wondering why you're okay with people assuming that you're just a mass murderer who kills innocent people, when you're really a person who eliminates criminals in which justice did not? You're the dark horse, the hero in the shadows. It does not make sense."

     I smirk with a humorless laugh.

     "Before I carry out my mission, I look over my targets' profiles to see if they're innocent or not," I start, explaining what I've done. "If they are, then I leave them alone, and search for criminals who're in need of punishment. Of justice. I admit, I dislike killing for no reason.

     "It's just as you said, Netero-san. I make the death of those who've committed severe felonies more painful than those who've only done mere crimes. Innocents shouldn't be killed," I say with a pause. Then, I continue with a soft, "I know how it feels."

     Unfortunately for me, Chairman Netero hears that last part, but he says nothing for now. He looks as if he's about to collapse for hearing my voice in a prolonged period of time. I immediately dash to his aid, catching his almost falling body.

     "What do you mean 'you know how it feels'?" His dizzy eyes try hard to stay open. I raise an eyebrow. This man... Even though he should be worrying about himself, whom is at the brink of falling unconscious, he wonders about what I said instead. I smile softly and shake my head. No harm in telling this man everything.

     "When I was born, I was abandoned. Forsaken, you could say. Being less than a few months old, I was about to die, but fortunately, someone found me. It was a woman, and she nursed me like a real mother would, until I turned four years old." The atmosphere in the room changes as suddenly as my mood.

     "She gave in to her insanity and started to abuse me — beating me everyday, feeding me poison, and even going as far as torturing me with weapons. Her favorite one was a tie between her chain whip and her whip sword. It wasn't fun, looking back at how I grew up. The pain from the infections of my wounds and the poison she added to them was... too excruciating for me to put in words.

     "A few years later and I was still alive, surprisingly. My body got accustomed to the treatment; it became immune to both the poison and pain. I will never forget this one moment, when I was five years old. She was getting bored of my reactions and only torturing me.

     "Actually, her exact words back then were, 'It's useless to torture someone who doesn't scream in pain, begging me to either spare or end their lives. To be honest, your lifeless eyes please me, but for some reason your lack of emotion annoys me so. I know. To make things interesting, I'll train you to become the greatest assassin the world has ever seen. Like I was. Before I met you.' 

     "I was pushed and trained until I could no longer move. She didn't starve me, albeit my only meal choice was poison. Me being quite young, I didn't have the strength to stay awake any longer than thirteen hours. While I slept, she'd think of different ways to keep me awake, not really thinking about how much my body could actually take. Some nights she'd carve nasty gashes into my flesh, or whip me like cattle, and even electrocute me. I guess you could say that she's kind of the reason why I'm not too fond of sleeping," I say with a sad smile. The chairman looks at me with sympathy, and a bit of confusion.

     "Tell me something, Tenshi. Why is it that every time you speak, I have this urge to either swoon, or obey you?"

     His words cause me to chuckle. For some reason, I feel so comfortable around Chairman Netero, so at peace.

     "I don't even know myself. I never knew my voice could make people have that kind of reaction, until the woman who took me in said something about it. She tied up my mouth so she wouldn't get affected." My confession causes Netero to frown. I mentally roll my eyes. Pity is for the weak, for those who're unable to do anything for themselves, and I don't like it when it's given to me.

     "Who is the woman you keep speaking of?"

     I take a moment to ponder if I should answer his question or not. If he knows, it's possible that he can help me reach my goal. I take a deep breath.

     "The one and only Bloody Widow, Ryouko-san. The notorious killing machine who was crazy for murder and bringing death upon people, guilty of crime or not. She was more gruesome than I could ever imagine myself to be, and killed more people than I can count. The reason why she disappeared from the radar was because she was raising me," I laugh bitterly, my voice cracking at the end from the reminder of the pain that she had brought.

     "May I ask you a favor, Netero-san?" I ask a bit hesitantly.

     "What would that be?"

     "Now that you know, about my reputation and what happened," I start off with a soft whisper, "please support me in reaching my goal of eliminating every criminal from the face of this world and saving Ryouko for last."

     I feel the Chairman shiver for a very short moment as he looks into my devilish eyes, gleaming with murderous intent and hatred.

EDITED ON: Friday, November 29th, 2019