The pitter-patter of footsteps outside my door was an inadequate warning for a deafening slam against my door so early in the morning. It was as if someone had run at full speed only to go splat.
Jolting out of bed with a blade in hand and bleary eyes from my half-asleep state, I prepared for an attack that never came. Nash would be proud of me if he knew how well-trained I'd become. The knocking sound persisted and immediately my mind narrowed down to the few people who had the tenacity to request my attention at this ungodly hour.
"Open the door!" a keening whine grated on my nerves. That was definitely zeroing my options to one very noisy Alastair Campbell.
Another set of knocking had me stumbling for my pants while finding a safe place to hide my Night Walker related equipment. "Cool your jets and let me find my pants!"
The pounding on my door ceased long enough for me to contemplate ignoring the idiot outside. Maybe he would go away if I pretended to forget. It was over a minute before the sound returned, twice as strong as before. "Sirius darling, did you find your pants yet? If you haven't, could you find it later? Let me in now, please! I have something important to show you!"
"Is it very important?"
"Not really but I wanted to show you first before anybody else!"
"Can you come another day?"
"Maybe I could but since I'm here, can't you let me in? It's okay if you're not wearing anything either!"
Deep breaths… take deep breaths, Titus. You can do this! Just don't lose it and kill this imbecile. Graduation is only three months away… you can't act in the heat of the moment and become arrested for something as silly as murder.
Checking once again to ensure everything was stashed out of prying eyes, I went over to the door. It clicked open and Alastair tumbled in. I swear someone has to teach this boy some basic form of manners. Giving in to every whim of his isn't going to help. Io will not hear the end of it after I kick this pest out of my room. That overly doting sister has spoilt this kid absolutely rotten!
I deadpanned when Alastair rubbed his nose. "Ouch! Why do you always do that to me, Titus? You're so mean! What will you do if my nose was broken, huh? They'll definitely put you under supervision. You should go find someone and get laid already!"
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I reminded myself to take deep breaths. Alastair Campbell was Spxtro's biggest moron and as someone more intelligent, I should be more understanding. That aside, it was impossible for a third generation body to break so easily. Alastair's nose will remain intact unless he annoys me more than usual.
The kid loved to exaggerate and was always poking fun at me ever since I told him I wasn't interested in girls or boys for that matter. My lower half wasn't malfunctioning. It's just that the ones Alastair recommended left a foul taste in my mouth.
They were all credit suckers that Alastair fell victim to every single time. Some honeyed words and empty promises later, the boy would be giddy and love-struck. I don't understand how the Academy hasn't done anything about it, especially when this has become a monthly occurrence.
Once I felt the control return to me, I shot the boy my meanest glare. "You have five minutes to explain why you disturbed me from my sleep. I'm busy so keep it short."
Alastair pouted. "If you're going to be busy you would have woken up a lot earlier. Don't think you can lie to me, Sirius."
"Four minutes and fifty seconds. For the record, stop with the Sirius thing! I'm not your shining light to success. Go pester Raoul or someone else."
Feinting hurt, he clutched at his heart and bemoaned, "How could you reject me? I came all the way to your room to pass you some first-hand information and this is how you welcome me? You're a horrible friend! No wonder nobody likes you."
"You have three minutes left," I said, conveniently filtered his comment about my social life.
This boy must have nerves of steel and guts to be unfazed by my killing intent and icy glare. Then again, maybe he didn't possess the intellect to pick up on my foul mood.
"Ok, ok! Sheesh! Don't get your panties in a bunch now. I just wanted to show you this article." A news tablet was shoved into my hands and the article read "Partners in Crime: Night Walker Strikes Multiple Times".
Several pictures of the Night Walker, that I recognised as my decoys, and the picture of my play date with Spencer almost made me smile. The photographer had a decent angle this time. My handsome jawline was highlighted by the flashlights, not too shabby at all. I felt the corners of my lips twitch a little but stopped them before they could curl into a smile. The last time I let it slip, the platinum-haired boy had overstayed his welcome by an hour.
I glanced up and tossed the tablet back to him. With a neutral voice and an annoyed expression, I growled at him.
"Is that all you came for?"
The olive-skinned boy looked confused. "What do you mean by that? It's big news! The whole of Luna is in a frenzy. The ladies are swooning over him as usual and I heard that Spencer refused to make any statement to the press. The Night Walker had outdone himself this time… I'm not sure how he did it but attacking two places at the same time and breaking into two very different places within a night? Only he could pull this off. I mean, Area Forty-One is all the way near the border towards the West shores of Luna and Area Six is way up north."
I yawned and started dragging the unwelcomed visitor out of my room. There was nothing to be amazed about when you knew all the shortcuts in Luna. Sometimes travelling on foot using the shortcuts can be a lot faster than travelling in a wheeler. The only setback was how physically tiring it proved to be.
"Yes, I heard you the first time. Now you can get out of my room and go talk about it with someone else. Good night." The door slammed shut in Alastair's face and I smirked. The colour language he possessed never ceased to amaze me as I caught a few new vocabularies when the curses ricocheted off the door. I casually added them to my vocabulary bank for future use.
The sudden emptiness in my room gave me time to think about last night's events. Even though there were pressing matters like reporting to Nash about my findings from the lab and digging information about that underground connection between Area Forty-One and the Slums, I found myself playing back the image of Mia's smile and her cold dead body like an unstoppable record.
Deciding to keep my hands busy so that I can push the memories aside, I picked up my knives. Even though they weren't in terrible condition or in need of attention, I decided to polish them anyway. An unfamiliar feeling coiled at the pit of my stomach, threatening to suck my entire existence like a black hole.
Mia's cell samples were the only things keeping me sane. Replaying last night's event, I regretted running. It wasn't impossible for me to take Mia back to the Slums. Why didn't I do that?
A clanking sound jolted me from my thoughts. The dagger laid there innocently but it tempted me to grab it and draw blood. It didn't matter whose blood, the more the better. With a sigh, I picked it up. This isn't working. My emotional state is in chaos and it was affecting my judgement. Stowing away the knives, I decided a nap was what I needed.
The ceiling was a dull grey as I lay on the bed. Before I knew it, the ceiling had turned a molten orange colour. I didn't notice when I fell asleep but I was glad I did anyway.
With a sigh, I stretched and heard some bones pop in satisfaction. The feeling was now mostly gone and my mind was clearer although I knew the bloodlust was still simmering beneath the calm exterior. I knew what I wanted to do and a shower sounded like a perfect start. After that, I had seventy-two babies in need of my attention. Some of them are in need of some good fine tuning.
A good shower later, I was back at the desk contemplating what to do first when my communicator buzzed. For a moment I thought it was Nash calling me but I quickly remembered that I had switched back to the Inner City's network. Nash wouldn't be able to get through unless I contacted him after receiving a notification from Cain informing me of his attempt to call me.
Donning my playboy persona as a precaution, I answered. "Hey baby, you called?"
A very manly chuckle from the other end of the conversation had me cringing. Big mistake! "Well, my apologies for interrupting your fun night. Would you like to reschedule this conversation?"
Chuckling nervously I reassured Felix that it wasn't necessary. For Felix Riggs – the wealthiest man on Luna to call me on his own accord in the middle of the night meant a great deal to me. I met the man at one of the extravagant parties for elite businessmen that Alastair had forcefully persuaded me to attend.
In a nutshell, there was a man who was trying to get Felix to invest in his company and I overheard their conversation by chance. I didn't know who Felix was at that point of time but the man who was trying to get Felix to invest had a reputation for deceiving investors. After the investors made a credit-deposit, he would transfer the investment funds from a back door to his personal credit account before winding up the bogus company. From the goodness at the bottom of my heart, I exposed the fraudster and gained the good graces of Felix Riggs.
The wealthy entrepreneur offered to add me to his contact lists out of gratitude to which I agreed, not silly enough to turn down an ally. Never in my wildest imaginations did I expect him to be the founder of Luna's most successful business empires. That man was said to own half of the Inner City's wealth. From then on, Felix would occasionally call me out for a city tour to chat. The man always reminded me to approach him should I need any help after the incident. In my opinion, there wasn't a real need as I didn't help him with the intention of wanting a favour. I just hated dishonesty.
I've always declined his offer and like a routine, Felix's parting words every meeting would be, 'My offer still stands'. Tonight would be the first time I'm considering asking him for a favour. With graduation approaching and a mountain load of things to do, I needed all the help I can get. It was impossible for me to handle everything alone. Unlike the cheap clone stunt I pulled, this is not something I can fool myself into doing.
"I see that you have been busy as of late, Titus. How are your preparations for graduation coming along?"
Smiling fondly, I informed him about Raoul's more recent attempts of bullying and ranted about Alastair's pushiness as usual. The man merely guffawed at my tales and told me not to worry.
"I suppose a city tour would be inconvenient for you at this point of time. It's always a pleasure to chat with you, young man. I only wish you weren't so insistent on keeping up that playboy facade with the public. You've got great potential and there's no fooling me."
I did not reply, opting to settle for a scoff. How typical. It wasn't the first time the pompadour wearing man tried to recruit me as his assistant. Even if Felix was a man with a weird love for the pompadour hairstyle, he was far from harmless. As a shrewd businessman, he did his dealings with a lot of caution. One can never be too trusting of others in the Inner City. For me to be given such trust, is indeed a great honour.
"You know, my offer still stands."
There it was again. The momentary silence between us was broken by a sigh on his side. "I know your answer but I still want you to know I'm willing to help. You're so young and it would be a waste if you didn't make it."
I chuckled at that statement. "Thank you, for your offer but I'm fine… is what I would have said any other day."
There was a pregnant pause.
Almost as if I lit a fuse, Felix fired away rapidly, making wild guesses. "Really? Can I interpret that as a request for me? I can't believe it, Titus my boy you make this old man so happy… What can I do for you?"
The warmth in my heart spread when I heard him call me his boy, dousing the flames of regret from last night's episode temporarily. It was times like this that reminded me of how human I can be. The overwhelming joy from Felix was infectious and I nearly spilt the beans about my plans there and then. If it weren't for the reminder of how his affections were similar to Mia, I would have caved. Heart pounding and nervous, I did not trust my voice to speak until Felix's concern at my silence cemented my resolve.
"I don't want it to be a request actually, how do I say this? I have a proposal for you, an equal exchange as two businessmen. What do you think about it?"
The stumping silence on the other end dragged on as Felix tried to wrap his head around my logic. I was starting to feel insecure and ready to pass it off as a joke to protect the relationship we have when he didn't answer after a minute. Before I could utter a word, his thunderous laughter had me cringing. Those had to be some powerful lungs.
A minute later and with the patience of a saint, I waited till only wheezing sounds could be distinguished. I was a hundred and two percent sure that the middle-aged man was rolling on the floor in tears and clutching at his sides. That man laughed way too hard and it was always embarrassing to be seen beside him whenever he had one of his laughing fits.
"Ah… forgive me. I just wasn't expecting that…"
Neither was I.
"Titus Crowley, you are truly one of a kind. I never expected to be turned down in such a way. You're going to be a worthy business rival in future. Since you've put it that way, I shall treat you with the same professionalism as I do with others. Let's hear this proposal of yours."
I shifted, the nerves acting up again but I squashed them quickly. "I'm still in the finalising stages of this plan and I promise you it is huge. I can't tell you much as of now because I want to ensure it works perfectly once we set the wheel in motion. However, I'll need an office immediately and have no time to scout for it with graduation approaching. I'll work on the business proposal as soon as I am an official citizen."
Amusement and interest were evident in the way Felix hummed. I swallowed thickly before continuing.
"I might take a few weeks to a few months to gather all my sources and evidence before I pitch my proposal but as of now, I'm hoping for a business joint venture. The interest of this potential market is huge, untapped in the Inner City."
It was going to be hard to get Felix approve the proposal when I had no concrete facts and data to show him. The only thing at my disposal to win Felix over was my ability to convince him. I was gambling everything upon the trust he has in me, which was actually the worst possible move I could make. However, it isn't impossible to gain his approval with his trust in my abilities.
"You know, Titus, this isn't how I normally work. I like to have numbers and evidence before I place my investment chips."
My heart sank a little. I'll need to try another method as expected.
"However," Felix continued, rekindling the dying hope. "As a friend, I will take you for your word. Don't disappoint me, boy. I'll contact you once I have your office, don't worry about this and focus on what you need to do."
Jaw slackened, it was hard to believe I had gotten a deal with the wealthiest man alive in Luna so easily. It was a little bit of an emotional tug of war but the mission was a success. A strange feeling choked up at my throat and I felt it hard to breathe much less talk. Struggling to get the words out, the only sounds heard for a while were undignified squawks.
Felix's hearty laughter brought back that warmth back in my chest. The waterworks in my eyes overflowed like a broken dam. It felt like Mia's spirit was guiding me from afar. Not too long before I was cursing life at how hard and bitter it was. Yet now, I'm being supported by frien— no, Family.
If this was what it meant to be human, I'm glad to be born as one.
After bawling my eyes out for an incredibly long time and mumbling my thanks, Felix ended the conversation with his blessings. The weight that had been on my shoulders this whole time had been lifted considerably with Felix's help. I had been struggling, even before Mia's death, with the righteous part in me who was bitter at Luna's corruption.
Something about determining a person's worth based on credits bugged me. With Mia's death, the weight became crushing. Graduation was approaching and I was nowhere near ready to face the world.
I didn't know where to start before but now, I had someone to turn to. Someone whom I could depend on.
Slowly but surely I felt my eyes grow heavy as if they were going to sink. There was still something I had to do before I retired for the night. Pulling myself together, I had Kevin dial for Mr N and duly noted that tonight Titus Crowley has officially lost his marbles. Not once but twice, I was seeking help from the least expected people.
The dialler finally connected and immediately a grumpy voice greeted me. "State your name and business. If you're selling anything, I don't want it."
"Nash, it's me. I'll be sending you the results of my findings with the next batch of Pantiumite due in two weeks. Meanwhile, could you help me scout some information?"
There was a pause. "Scout information? I'm not the tech wizard here."
Ignoring his sarcasm, I mailed him my encrypted file. "You should be receiving a map I just sent you. It's something I found in Area Forty-One that night. The route is marked out for you. As graduation is approaching and there are many things to finalise, I can't move around too freely. Please, I'm counting on you now."
A groan was heard from the other end, making me smile.
"I hate you," he huffed.
A small snort came from me. "I love you too. Good night!"
Without waiting for a reply, I ended the conversation and glanced over at my flow chart. Two items were struck off the list of things that needed to be done and I sighed. The list stared back at me disapprovingly. Apart from graduation preparations, the Night Walker's gadgets were still waiting to be modified and an unfinished business proposal was on the desk. I groaned.
This will take a while.