Chapter 24：They have the worst name for an enemy to have, and the smell of betrayal.

Come on, just a few more weeks, it's already March, 4 more weeks and all these is over for awhile, unless the Anakdatu will ask me to stay longer to protect Elise, which I would like better because I'll have more time too with my best friend.

Oh hey, didn't see you there, oh well, things are really going great from the past two months, once again, no bad guys attacked us and that is what really is weird, not that I want something or someone to fight but, I kinda miss the action too, me swinging my sword, shooting with my gun and other gizmos, but yeah, I really miss the action.

For the past two months, Elise and I just pursued hardly in our studies because the year is already ending and we need to do our best so that we can move up into a higher level, on which, of course is very easy for Elise because she knows everything. We hung out at sometimes. Okay, okay, always, she's my best friend and my only friend after John just disappeared, she's the one I tell my problems with, my worries, also for some help on school things because she's the best at it.

We hung out even on weekends, treating her on cafés, going on food trips, playing on arcades or studying together, whatever that comes on our mind or what we feel doing. Elise also asked me to teach her my martial arts in which she learned very easily and she defeated me quickly (okay, I kind of faked it because I am a gentleman.).

Everything is really going well, except for this day, maybe once again, I jinxed evil and heard my request and be like 'Ha, I'll do the opposite.', just like when you told somebody not to open a box and that somebody still opened the box, so hard-headed.

Nevertheless, let us start the longest day of my life,

My day started well, normally, I did my routine once again, and as always, that is why it is called a routine, duh. But the very odd thing, after two months, Macabulos called me through Eve.

As I was fixing my things for school, Macabulos connected through my glasses so I answered "Hello Macabulos, what's up? I'm getting late for school!"

"Datu Puti, this is urgent, and this is very odd, and I smell danger on you for today." He said with melancholy.

"What? Hey, I took a bath, mind you," I joked but Macabulos stayed silent for some moments so I figured out this is a very serious matter. "Just messin' around, what do you mean?"

I feel his anxiety and distress across the line "Remember the very strong energy signals that I told you before that seem to be approaching the school area? This time Ramil, it is hell a lot closer than I last I checked, it's just 2 kilometers away from your campus and it seems to be approaching with some speed, on my approximates, it will reach your campus around your dismissal so be ready okay? The datus might head there too, all of them because I proclaim this as a Code Red, the highest of all threats and this cannot be considered as just any kind of threat. I am letting you know this because you need to be very careful and safe at all times, this thing is unusual, the Anakdatu never went into Code Red ever since the World War, which is like so many years from now, so keep your eyes peeled okay? Don't ever lose sight on your damsel okay? Protect her with all your life. Understood , soldier?"

After a very long time, like ever since I started being an agent, I never felt scared on anything, like I know I can fight all of those who tries messing up with me, but today, also Macabulos proclaiming this threat as a Code Red, I don't know, I feel somewhat scared.

"Yes sir." I replied.

"Good, see you later, may the experiences of your ancestors guide you." As he disconnected.

I rushed on fixing my stuffs, I brought two of my sniper pistols too and ran outside the house and to Elise's house to fetch her up.

I got there in which she is already waiting and her stuffs fully ready. And then we made our way to our school in which I kept glancing around me for threats.

"You're late." She told me as she looked at her watch but of course with a smile on her face but her smile turned to a frown when she saw the fear and panic that my face has shown, "Ramil? Hey, is everything okay?"

I nodded but I told her everything that Macabulos told me for what will happen and what is to happen today in this afternoon.

She turned quite white when she heard the news, "What should we do?"

"I will protect you, of course," I acted strong and confident for her sake, I should be strong for her at times like this "just keep your eyes peeled okay? And don't do anything stupid."

She seemed to ease off a bit and the air of fear and panic just dissipated, "Hey, I don't do anything stupid, you are the stupid one."

"Oh come on." I laughed and I grabbed her hand as we ran for the campus.

School has been always the same, just the usual lecture, the usual lessons, the usual teachers and their very fast power point presentations that they don't seem to notice that the students are jotting down notes from the power points (always and all the time.), and that made me and Elise seemed to be more at ease, like we have forgotten about the threat that was told to us. And I never want the day to end nor to dismiss the class because those threats are about to come at around our dismissal time.

Sadly, dismissal came, give or take and I've got nothing to do with that but just to accept the fact that it will happen no matter what happens. Elise and I headed out the campus and sat in our spot on the bench near Steve the street food vendor.

I was really anxious, stressed, I don't know, mixed feelings of doubt to myself and of such things which are negative that keeps on bringing me down.

I glanced at Elise in which she seemed to be looking at me too through my eyes and both in our eyes sent the same message: We are afraid.

I need to protect Elise, I told myself, I will never let her get into harm, I will never fail.

The sun never seemed to set even at this time in which it should be starting to set down the horizon, maybe some weird astronomical phenomenon mumbo jumbo.

"Elise, I want you to stay behind me when the enemies come okay? And never go far okay? And I've also got this plan but you wouldn't like it." I told her because I formulated a plan that will raise the chance of our survival for a decimal point.

"Okay. Anything, what is your plan?"

"I know you will hate this, but I think you can use your electric powers? I know we don't know how that happened but I could use some kind of help?" I asked.

She nodded and she seemed to understand but her eyes held doubt "I don't know Ramil, I know that happened, but I still didn't know why and how that happened. But for the sake of our lives, I don't know but I will try okay?" As she tried studying her hands, imagining how can she do that.

"Hey, let's ease off a bit, let's buy some foods and let's stress eat." I told her.

She rolled her eyes "Ramil Liwayway, we are facing a very dangerous threat and all that is on your mind is food? Okay, buy me some because I am insane as you."

I bought her food and then we ate. For our fear and such, we ate so much of the food I bought that it seemed to be not enough. But of course, we stopped eating and we finished our meal with a very cold and heart-warming (what an oxymoron) gulaman that seemed to ease us off a lot.

Suddenly, after we ate and wait for our threat and all the people in the campus already went out and Steve also bade his farewell because he will already go home, I felt a change in the air, something melancholic, a smell I knew from before but this time, a hundred times stronger. I missed that smell in which put a smile on my face because the heck I know that smell. The smell of metals transforming, the sound of teleportation and such. I know they are coming for us anytime now and of that I am sure.

And just on cue, a battalion of my favorite enemies appeared as if they teleported and formed ranks on the street just in front of me and Elise in which expanded so much in the whole street, the Splinter cell guys just looked meaner than last I saw them. I estimated them and wow, they seemed to be around the 500 count. But this time, they are weaponless, but of course, I know that they can just summon any kind of weapon out of mid-air.

Elise looked at me with fear. She signed to me asking what are those so then I signed back that it's some stupid guys wanting for my autograph, in which made her scrunch her eyebrows.

I stood up and signed to Elise to stay put "Hey! All of you stupid weird Splinter Cell guys! Why are you so many? You want to take Elise? You've got to go through me you know that?"

In a very well rehearsed unison "YOU HAVE A CHOICE, SURRENDER THE LADY OR DIE." They said it in which is very loud, good thing is the neighborhood seems not to notice this commotion.

"Hmm, I choose to destroy all of you instead. How about that?" I told them with the extreme confidence of mine.

"Ramil!" Elise whispered on my back "this is no time to be such an airhead! There are like hundreds of them and one of you!"

As if I didn't notice, thanks Ms Obvious.

The Splinter Cell guys seemed to be confused, they probably realized that what I said is not part of their choices.

"Gangway!" A familiar voice said from behind the ranks which made some of the futuristic soldiers make a path for someone to pass through.

The guy who went out the crowds, I was angered, I was disgusted, I was horrified at myself for trusting this guy. And he stood up in front of the battalion, wearing a suit similar to the awesome suit but this one, is made of like pure darkness itself.

"Hello Ramil, and also Elise." John, waved at me and Elise on my back with a very sinister smile in his face. "I'm sorry I disappeared, but what matters is, thank you Ramil Liwayway for letting me observe you for some time to know your weaknesses and your habits."

"You are a bad guy!" Elise yelled at my back to John.

I was angry and flustered but I tried to stay cool "Uh, John, you know that is kinda weird when you said that, like 'thanks for letting me stalk you' kind of thing. But how could you?"

"Oh well," He sighed looking at me with disgust "Your ancestors have one thing in common and that is your supreme loyalty to anyone, which makes you very easy to manipulate, so easy I could have squashed you like a bug in any chance I could have done this year but no, I know your power and I won't deal with it alone."

He motioned to his so-called army "See this? The demigod children of Hukluban, very formidable as they can do anything that they want and I'll simply command them to kill you, 500 of them to kill one of you and I will make sure all their weapons will hit your body, and then I take your Elise."

Demigods? What? Hukluban? A very ugly name for an enemy, I expected it to be like Astro Boys, or Spartans, or The Splinter Cell wannabes but why that name? Who's that? And he will take Elise, I am so mad, I felt helpless in the same time but most of it, I felt fire, fire burning my body, but this fire is different, it's like the kind of heat the Sun gives us, a warmth that gives us strength, to see what the world should look like, to make us look forward for tomorrow. I saw myself and my body is covered in flame, I feel stronger than a hundred fold. I took my umbrella from my bag and pressed the sword mode which turned it immediately into my Kampilan. The flames seem to engulf the sword too, sharing its intense power. I looked up to John in which he looked at me with horror, and then he ran towards the back of the battalion and ordered to attack. I won't let them take my Elise.

And then suddenly, I turned into a massive arc of destruction.