CHAPTER 2

THE HACKER — SavxX

Savannah

The long week has ended, and the hacker SavxX is back again. The job on the underground office of Alv.X waving again.

On my table, a box of a my favorite chewing gum is now empty. That gum helps me concentrate on my work as a hacker.

A memory of Liam and I came across my mind again. I was exhausted and frustrated last night when I was on my way home. Removing my make up and replacing my designer dress into a black hoodie where my next character SavxX feels comfortable, and that SavxX is also me!

Think about it, replacing my character every week is making me crazy! Remembering what happened last night when Liam approached me, didn't got out of my mind.

I put my hair into a bun and before puting my black cap so is the first thing I did before coming out from the car to buy a bunch of gums on the convenience store that's a 600meters away from the office.

Putting my earpiece, before walking inside the store.

A 2 guys in a black mask holding a gun showed off from outside minutes before I entered the store, making everyone scared. Well except from me.

"Baba!" The guy shouted into a pregnant costumer who's shaking in fear. He was pointing the gun to the woman, while the other man pointed his gun to the cashier.

"Ilabas mo ang pera!" The guy shouted from the counter. The cashier quickly opened the cash holder and gave the money to the man.

I picked a box of gums from the store, not caring what was happening. A waste of time.

I tapped my earpiece twice to make a call from the agency.

"2 guys are holding gun here on this Convenience Store of Boomart." I muttered, looking for my favorite flavor on the sweets rack.

[Okay, is everyone alright?] The agency talked back.

"Kind of. No ones dead" I said, smirking. I found the mango flavored gum and got 2 boxes of it. I can eat it for a month so that I won't go out again.

[The police is on it's way, be safe Agent—]

I stopped the call. I called them and after a seconds, everything will be fine.

"You! take out your money, now!" Finally! A fun and interesting guy! The man pointed the gun on me. I just smirked and started walking to the counter again.

"What? do you want to die" The man shouted loudly and angrily while pointing his gun at me.

"Yeah, but you'll be sentenced to death if you'll do that." Saying that, I put the box on the counter and dropped a 500 peso bill. "Keep the change."

I turned to the man beside me who's still holding his gun before looking at the man behind me, trying to shoot me from behind but failed.

His bullet just missed my neck. I tilted my head slightly to avoid getting shot by his bullet. I turned around to face him but he's too busy pulling the trigger of the gun. The ammunition is out. And you're in danger, mister.

"Shoot me, again. You're weak than I expected. " I calmly demanded. But before he could even shoot me, a bunch of police came, pointing the gun on to the criminals.

Looking at the criminals, begging for their escape amuses me. I waved at them before smiling.

"Good bye, fuckers" Chuckling, I poked their forehead by my middle finger. Deserved.

The woman in the cashier and the pregnant one thanked me again and again. They even offered me a cash, the way of showing that they really appreciate me.

I didn't accept that. All I wanted was a box of gum for my comfort and concentrates.

•••

"You're 32 minutes late." Dad said, angerly. Three gums are already in my mouth, chewing them with anger.

"It's not intentional." I removed my cap and my earpiece before sitting down infront of him with a table on the middle of us.

"What happened?" He was digging some files from his computer, not looking and checking if I was okay.

"Nothing rare. I just ran into some man with guns. Calling the police and saved women." He looked at me for a moment with a serious face saying nothing. His eyes landed on the computer again before typing something.

"Anyone following you?"

"No, swear."I don't know what he was looking at the computer, but I am sure that he called me here to make some discussion about the plan of me becoming an assistant of Axxe .

Making a new personality again. I wonder, what would be my name. . . Hmm what about Alisha. . .  no too cute. Francine? No too blunt.

"I already have access to their agency. You should look different. You have to accomplish your work for 2 weeks so no one will get suspicious about your modeling agencies that you're gone. If you beat the man with the guns earlier, then you can find out who killed your lola."

That 12years case of the killers is not yet done, and I'm here to prove that they're wrong for killing my grandmother.

He showed a picture of a selection on me, dying my hair in blue. What the hell is this color! I should look like a professional woman with glasses. I should always tie my hair into a ponytail.

"You have to look like a careless nerd, but the most careful one. Once he looked at you, you should act professionally. Do not mention our agency, your co-workers might be suspicious on you. They might start asking questions about where you live, but your only answer will be at your information. You have to be careful, one of you will end up as a prey. A predator can also be a prey, Sav."

I kept listening carefully on dad's words, but my eyes are in the files looking for the name.

"You'll be Veronica Lianda for 2 weeks. Not too weak and not too strong. Axxe knows everything, but we hacked the government files for your name to exist. Your age will be 26, your birthday will be August 09."

August 09. The same exact month and date where Liam left and Lola died. Is this a pure coincidence? Or this is intentionally planned.

Good. Veronica Lianda, the future assistant of Axxe. Another role, another rule.

"Your work will start tomorrow, a group of glam and hair styler are coming here in this afternoon. You will not change anything or inject your face, only make up can be used."

Dad said it clearly. Tomorrow was my first day of working on Axxe's agency. I wonder how he looks?

I miss lola. She's the only one who cared about me while mom wasn't home. She's the kindest woman I've ever talked to—but she died without a reason knowing nothing.

It was 12 years ago, exactly August 09 when I saw her laying dead on the kitchen holding a spatula cooking our dinner. In one blink of an eye, lola was gone; Liam was gone; and everything changed.

•••

Picking the darkest shade of blue, is what I was doing now. Sitting on the salon chair while my feet was resting on the small pedicure chair my toes were cleaned again and again by Sahara, my personal pedicurist.

My 3 make up artists are working on my face. They knew about my character changing every week, I don't trust anyone knowing my secrets. One mistake on sharing a little personal information of mine can change everything.

After dying my hair I was infront of my walk in closet filled with a variety of suits, dress, slacks, shirts, heels, and everything that is worn.

Getting a pair of black 4inch heel, black slacks, black tube, and a black suit on my closet was done. My hair was dyed dark blue and was tied into a ponytail. My eyes were on glasses and my aura is now Veronica Lianda.

Looking at a full body mirror reflecting the practice of every moves, holding a bunch of files and eating a lollipop—that's what I did for a minute.

Everything's perfect but I need to be careful. Axxe is someone who knows everything, but for now . . .

Get ready Axxe, Veronica's here.

K_SHADES || K.S.