Are You Her?

She slowly sat down making Kenneth look at her in confusion. Just what is she going to do this time?

Surprisingly, she’s checking the unconscious guy. What's more surprising to that is she's now holding the stranger's gun.

She checked the magazine, still full.

“You know how to use that?”

“No.” eyes still at the gun. “I just saw them in movies. I’m not going to use this anyway. This is only to scare them—I just hope it’s effective. Shall we? Let’s save your friends.”

“Then why did you check the magazine?”

The tables have been turned. Kenneth is now the one who’s looking at Cheska with big confusion on his face.

He just followed her before someone pops out of nowhere and might catch her off guard. He might have said he’s not going to save her, he still doesn’t know what he’s gonna do if he’s actually in that situation.

Ralph spit blood on the floor. Their arms are completely tied up at their backs while kneeling in front of the strangers.

All of the pain is on him since he’s the so-called leader. He can’t count anymore how many punches he already got since the moment they got there.

They’ve been trying to know the whereabouts of Lorenzo and Kenneth but he’s giving them nothing—they’re giving them nothing. They’re trying to get it out from him by making him feel pain.

Little did they know, he felt greater pain before because of training. Whatever they’re doing to him, it’s just nothing.

If they think they would speak by throwing punches, speaking threats, and showing them guns, they’re absolutely underestimating them.

“Just tell me where those two are!”

“Are you that desperate to get the Underground World from us?” he asked and looked up. “You have successfully made us drop to the floor because we did not fight back. There’s no even a game to begin with. Don't you have any pride?"

The guy in the middle clenched his fist tightly. Triggered.

What happened earlier was a one-sided fight. They did not fight back.

They just let themselves get dragged all the way up to the second floor and put them inside a room. Not once they raised their arms to throw punches.

If they did, if they threw a punch, if they fought back the game will start.

That’s what they are avoiding. Lorenzo advised them not to fight back if someone from the Underground World tries to challenge them.

They’re not open to any games or challenges. They’re not opening anything. They can’t take the risk.

What if they lost? They still don’t know what kind of people the Grounders are.

They had a lot of a hard time fighting against the last group. They won not because of their strengths but because someone distracted them.

They just can’t underestimate the twin of the Mafia World.

“Fine,” one of them said after their long silence. “If you don’t want to speak then don’t. I’ll just make this easier for both of us.”

He took out his gun and pointed at him. Alex’s and Xander’s eyes widened. Ralph just stared at him as if the gun isn’t existing at all.

“If I kill you that would make things easier, right? A dead leader must be replaced no matter what the circumstances are.”

Ralph scoffed. “You will regret it if you do that. Don’t blame me for it. You’ll be dead. Right after you pull the trigger."

The annoyance grew so he cocked the gun. Alex and Xander wanted to shout at him to tell him how stupid he is.

He always stops them from provoking Alexandra but he’s so carefree of provoking someone holding a gun?

He sees that girl more threatening than a person holding a weapon?

Talk about love.

The gun kissed Ralph’s forehead. Just by seeing his eyes, they can tell he’s ready to kill, that he is ready to pull the trigger any minute from now.

"Last chance," he said heavily. "Where...the hell are they?"

Instead of answering, Ralph only smirked at him. "I said, go to hell."

But before reaching his limit, one person opened the door. Ralph, Alex, and Xander had to close their eyes because of the brilliance of the light from the outside.

When they finally recovered, they found Cheska holding one guy’s neck with the gun kissing his temples.

“If you pull the trigger, I assure you, his head will be blown as well.”

Their foreheads creased, most especially the three.

Just what the hell is she doing in front of them now?

Of all people in the world, she’s one of the persons on their bottom lists that will appear right in front of their eyes.

“Who are you?!”

The gun pointing at Ralph went to Cheska. She should be shaking by now especially since all of the guns are ready to fire.

But even those weapons are not enough to make her shake and lose her malign smiles.

Does she even know fear? Does she have nothing to be feared of? That could make her shake and lost her composure?

They got interrupted with their thoughts when they felt someone behind them.

It’s Kenneth.

He cut off the ties on their wrists using his kunai. They didn’t say anything even if they have a lot of questions on their mind. There’s no way those two aren’t working together.

That can wait. They can’t speak. Not right now.

Kenneth motioned his hand to the other door. There are some of their men waiting for them patiently that could help them from the current situation of their bodies.

They just followed him silently. Instead of walking, they remained kneeling.

Suddenly, one’s eyes went in their direction.

“What the hell—achk!”

Kenneth’s hands are fast. As soon as he pointed his gun, he instantly pulled the trigger. The bullet reaches the guy's shoulder.

Cheska did what she saw Kenneth did to the guy earlier. She struck the guy’s nape making him lose his consciousness.

She next used the gun she’s holding. Instead of pulling the trigger, she just threw it to one guy’s face. Since he got distracted, she took that opportunity to trip him and struck his nape.

Fortunately, she saw that move from Kenneth, or else she would have no idea of stopping them without putting in so much effort.

Kenneth didn’t stand up. His one knee is still resting on the floor while looking at how Cheska quickly moves.

He followed her swift moves with his bare eyes. He knows he doesn’t have to leave his place to help her.

He knows…he just knows that his help is not needed. He can feel it. She can perfectly handle the situation even if she’s outnumbered.

And Cheska successfully bested all of the guys without pulling one trigger.

She might be outnumbered but she outsmarted all of them.

She didn’t use any guns to defeat them. She doesn't have to.

She used her brain, the most powerful weapon that a person has. It’s the most powerful and deadliest. Without it, a sharp knife is just nothing but a tool.

That made her wonder. Where did she learn it? Did she read it somewhere? Or did someone tell it to her?

If someone did, then who could it be? Joshua? She doubts. Perhaps she heard it somewhere?

When she felt her head aching, she stopped wondering. She’s gasping for air when the last guy dropped to the floor.

Her shoulders are going up and down quickly. She clenched her chest. She started to control her breathing calmly. She didn’t feel the exhaustion until she stopped moving.

Come to think of it, she didn’t see Kenneth moving.

She looked at him. Irritatedly. “I thought we’re going to fight together?! You just let me move alone? Look at me? I’m tired!”

He didn’t speak but the deep stares remain.

The way she complaints, the way she looks at him with pure irritation, it all reminds him of his best friend.

He’s now sure he’s not just seeing things, that he’s not imagining or hallucinating just because that girl is sharing the same name as his best friend.

He witnessed a lot of times her annoyed and irritated face. So he knows, he knows he’s not being manipulated by his own memory.

She’s not just sharing the same name as that girl.

She’s also sharing the same personality as hers.

Her patience, her kindness, her courage, her intelligence, her words, her expression,

And that…her hazel brown eyes…

He cannot be mistaken.

“What?” she asked, still in an irritated tone. “What are you looking at? Want a fight?”

Kenneth slowly stood up and went to her. Even when they got closer, he didn’t stop. Cheska was forced to step back.

“W—what…” her irritated tone has slowly faded. She’s now leaning against the wall. “What…are you…doing?”

Kenneth’s stares are so intense. It’s like those eyes are looking into her soul.

It's like it’s figuring out everything about her. That if their eyes will meet for so long, he would know all of her secrets—including the secrets that even she doesn’t know about.

His brows furrowed and rested one of his hands at the wall she’s leaning against. She got more nervous.

Did she do anything wrong? She started to think of every possible reason.

Why is he being like that? She's sure she did nothing wrong.

In the first place, she’s the one who should be intimidating right at this moment. He let her fight alone. That's not the plan.

But somehow, she feels safe.

He’s not locking her up compared to what Lorenzo and Alexandra did to her before. She can walk away or run away from him if she can’t handle his presence anymore.

“You remind me of someone…” he muttered and tilted his head. His eyes squinted at her, observing every inch and every detail of her face. “You remind me of my best friend who died more than a decade ago…”

She’s still looking away. She doesn’t want to be observed by him anymore.

It’s scary. It’s making her nervous. Why is she feeling it anyway? She did nothing wrong?

She can’t even understand any of the words he’s saying. She doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

The hell she knows about his best friend? He’s not making any sense.

But she feels…she feels guilty without any particular reason.

“You,” he called sternly. “…are you her?”