V

Zack wakes with a groan, eyes unfocused and slightly dizzy. The teen holds his head in his hands, trying to get back his bearings. A moment later, his eyes go wide and his head snapping up and his back going straight with tension. He gently touches his head, feeling the bandage around it. His hand roam down his body, feeling the same thing.

He jumps out of the bed, failing to remove the duvet fully, and as a result, he tumbles. The teen lets out a groan. He sit up with a cuss, head aching.

"I advise you be careful Mister Zack." A voice speaks out, making the teen to jump in fright. "It won't do you any good if you add more injuries to the ones your body is currently trying to heal."

Zack stands up, looking left and right for the owner of the voice.

"Ummm… are you perchance Mrs. Xander's A.I?"

"Yes. I am Zoranne, Ms. Leilyn's creation. Good morning Mister Smith."

"Ahmm… good morning?"

"The time is 9:36 am. If you want to know, Ms. Leilyn currently outside, under the apple tree swing. My mistress has already set down clothes for you to wear after you wash up, and breakfast has also been prepaid for you." While Zoranne is saying all these, she undarkens the windows, allowing the sun's light to flow into the room. Zack grunts at the intensity, but his eyes quickly adjusts.

Zack eyes catches sight of the clothes on a chair – which has been angled to face him – and he walks over to it.

"Um, Zoranne?"

"Yes Mister Smith?"

He looks up at the ceiling, gesturing at his body. "How exactly am I going to bathe?"

"Do need to fret about them Mister Smith. They are special waterproof bandages made by Ms. Leilyn. Unlike other waterproof bandages, these are long lasting and they correspond and work in line with the Nanobots in you to help heal your injuries at a fast rate."

"Nanobots?" Zack echoes, brows furrowing.

"Nano-Helpers. They are one of Ms. Leilyn's many creations, along with the bandages, not yet known by the government. She injected the only batch she had – for now – into you. They correspond with the bandages to heal your injuries faster. In a few hours, you will be as good as new."

Zack doesn't know what to say about that. To know that Mrs. Xander used a secret technology meant for her is touching. It made his chest heat up with happiness and a wide smile took over his lips. He picks up the clothes and gives them a quick sniff.

Vanilla and cinnamon. How nice.

Zack didn't waste much time in the bathroom. He took a quick shower, got dressed and went downstairs. Seeing as this was the first time he has been upstairs, he took time in taking in the pictures on the wall of the stairs. There were pictures of Leilyn and various people. Some had Leilyn in it while others just had those people together with other people or standing alone. Zack leaned in closer to examine them well.

One had her in-between two old looking men with a kid each in their arms, the background what looks to be an amusement park. The taller one had medium olive skin; a head full of unique gravity defying spiky blond hair, which almost seems to be golden; perfect face which held blue-greenish eyes and a huge grin on his lips. He looked like a Eurosian. His stylish patchy beard enhanced his Adonis appearance. He held a boy with the looks of the other man; only difference was that the boy was grinning like him, his eyes were blueish green and his long hair was blond. The other man was clearly an Aesianese. His skin tone a warm tan. He had a blank look on his face as he stared with narrowed, sharp, vivid purple eyes at the camera; but that didn't dull his looks. He was as handsome as the other man, having a fitting goatee on his chin and his waist length black hair was specked with grey. His hair was in a perfect bun, which was held in place by two metal hair stick. He had some bangs fanning his face, increasing his sexy look. He held a little girl with the appearance of the other blond man; difference was that she had a blank expression like the man holding her. Her eyes were a shade vivid purple too and her spiky hair was black. Both she and the Aesianese man looked as if they were bored out of their mind. Both men wore three piece suits – without a jacket and with the sleeves rolled up – which clung to their muscled bodies.

Another picture had Leilyn once again standing in-between two men, holding a brown skinned, red-grey haired shy child in her arms, who had grey-blue eyes and a mole inches under his left nostrils. One of the men had an amber skin tone, short curly ash brown hair, a clean stubble beard on his handsome face, which bore a sexy smirk. His pale azure eyes, which had tints of emerald, were intense, even through the picture. He bore a beauty mark under his right eye, intensifying his killer looks. If one were to look closely, they could see a dark red tint in his hair. He wore a three piece suit without the jacket, which cleaved to his muscled body. The other man was also an Aesianese, his skin tone a warm sand. His short hair was a mix between white and blond, part of it coming down to the left side of his devilish handsome face and the right side – as well as the back too, it seems – was barbed. His eyes - which kinda looked as if they were blue - are sharp as they stared into the camera. He wore tight fitting clothes, which stick to his toned body like a second skin.

In another picture, Leilyn stood with another man, whose skin was a golden almond. He had long mint green dreadlocks pulled in a pony-tail, and from the middle of his hair down was a dull red. His face was home of two dream jewel as eyes which his glasses couldn't hide. He had a beauty mark inches under his left eye and he had a little bit of facial scruff. His body was toned and he wore pastel clothing.

Another picture had Leilyn with a dark skinned woman – who Zack suspected is from the decimated Africa - with long curly-wavy dark red copper hair – clearly, Leilyn got her hair from her - with white streaks. Her eyes are a beautiful vivid old world blue, with hints of emerald. Like Leilyn, she had beauty marks few inches under both eyes, but she bore a third by the corner of her lips. She was the picture of elegance and dark beauty in all the single and paired up photos of her.

In all the pictures on the wall, their eyes shone with happiness.

Zack tapped a picture and the background started moving. He then realized that these were Mobilis-Imago. The background of the pictures moved so gently while they were frozen in one state. Zack tapped all of them and he was awe struck at how more amazing they all looked.

Zack made his way to the dining room but he paused when he got to the living area. His attention was caught by the huge - clearly hand drawn - portrait overlooking the parlor. It was a portrait of Leilyn, the pale azure and dream eyed men and the beautiful dark skinned woman. They stood while the woman sat down. Now, Zack couldn't deny that they were related. They were all beautiful.

The teen left the room and headed over to his original destination. On his way, he saw Mrs. Xander on the outdoor swinging bench through the glass door leading outback, rocking back and forth. On the table are three food warmers filled to the brim with food. By the side was an empty eating plate along with cutlery and serving spoons on different saucers. To top it all off, there were freshly baked muffins, which smelled heavenly, by the corner. Zack didn't hesitate to dig in. His taste buds were blessed with the flavors and he almost melted in pleasure. As always, Mrs. Xander's foods were delicious.

Once Zack was done, he took his dirty plate to the kitchen and washed it. He took two muffins and went out back through the door facing the woods. On his way over to her, he took in a deep breath, enjoying the sun caressing his skin.

"Morning, sleepy head."

Leilyn's voice brings him back. He opens his eyes and sees that Leilyn is looking at him fondly.

"Good morning, Mrs. Xander."

He walks over to her and sits beside her on the bench.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling great." He smiles.

"No pain or feelings that your wounds are still fresh?" Leilyn gently pokes his chest, eyes examining him.

"No." He shakes his head. "I'm just sore. I think you and your Nanobots have cleaned me thoroughly." He teases.

Leilyn snorts, her lips tilting into a smile. Once she's done with her check-up, nods approvingly, seeing that he wasn't lying.

"Here." Zack hands over a muffin to her, getting a soft smile and a thank you as she accepts it. When Leilyn took a bit, Zack does as well. The two sit in calm silence before it was broken by Zack. "Mrs. Xander?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you okay with me having the Nanobots in me?" He has on a look of uncertainty on his face.

"It's fine Zack."

"But Zoranne told me that it was for you and it's the only batch you have!"

Leilyn huffs in amusement, lips quirking into a smile.

That blabbermouth of an A.I.

"Zack, it's okay. Honestly." The teen gives her an unsure stare, making her to sigh. "Zack, let me tell you one thing about me." She sits up straight, half eaten muffin still in hand. "Every year, I make new inventions, and Nanobots are one of them. I tend to upgrade them into newer and better versions than the last."

"What about the others in the body?"

"They are flushed out. I recently had the previous ones in me flushed out in preparation for the ones I gave you."

Her reply has him frowning in guilt.

"Zack, it's fine." She breathes a sigh. "I flushed the previous ones the day before yesterday and it needs to take a week before I inject a new batch into me."

The teen blinks owlishly. "Really?"

"Yes. The residue of previous Nanobots needs to be fully gone before new ones are injected. Sometimes it takes two weeks before one could be fully cleared."

"Oh."

Leilyn chuckles at his look, wondering how a teenager could be so adorable.

"Yes, oh." She chuckles again. "You can keep the Nanobots. Now that I have a new formula, I can now create them easily. Seeing as Zoranne has already begun the starting process, I'll administer them to Jason and Rick in a week or so."

"You are going to give them too?" Leilyn nods in reply. "But aren't your inventions been kept hush hush from the government?"

Leilyn blinks in surprise, an eyebrow going up. "Why, yes, they are. How did you know?"

"I kind of figured." He uses a finger to scratch his cheek nervously. Wow, these Nanobots really work fast. His face was healed, only sored in some areas. "Zoranne hinted at it and I kinda picked that up."

Leilyn looks at him with an impressed smirk on her lips, eyes alit with pride. "I knew there was a reason I liked you."

"Well, you can thank Jason and Rick for that. I picked up a lot from them."

Leilyn hums, saying, "Don't sell yourself short kid. You are your special self because of your efforts. Don't ever give anyone or anything credit for your hard earned results."

That gets Zack blushing. He averts his eyes, taking a nibble from his muffin.

"Wait." Zack's head shots up, a frown on his face. "If you keep your inventions secret, those that means that you don't manufacture it for the public, especially for those that need them?"

"Yes and no." Her answer gets her a puzzled look and she elaborates. "Anytime I come up with an invention, I always make sure that I have another prototype for the public. Like the Nano-Helpers. The ones I create for myself and those closer to me tend to be long lasting. They can last until I create new one and replace them. The newest version I injected into you is NH-7. Unlike the previous ones, they work in an hour, even healing bones at a fast rate.

"Now, the NHs I create for the public, however, have a shorter life span. Once injected, they heal the injuries at a slow rate and not fully. Once their mission is completed, they automatically flush themselves out by either being pissed out, sweated out or shat out. Very easy and also impossible for anyone to replicate. To be frank, it's impossible for anyone to replicate my inventions. I don't want them to fall in the wrong hands."

"Is that why they are manufactured by Normaric Tech.?"

"Yes." She nods. "My mother, Amharic Anabimbola, is the CEO of the company. She and my brother, Alexander Veniamin, oversee it, so they tend to dumb down the techs a little."

"Wait! Lady Amharic is your mother?! And Alexander Veniamin is your brother?!" Zack eyebrows shot up in surprise as he squeaks.

"Yep. He's my little brother."

"Wow…" Zack looks at her in admiration. "Not only are you awesome, you're also related to people who are on the higher food chain! You are so lucky Mrs. Xander! From what I've seen and read about them, they are the nicest people ever! No wonder you're nice."

Leilyn gives him a sad smile. Lucky? She never thought so of herself. Luck had nothing to do to who she is today.

"But wait." Zack speaks out, his brows furrowed again. "If you're hiding things from the government, are you okay with telling me?" He leans in, a hand covering the side of his mouth. "Don't you think they are listening in?" He whispers, pointing at the sky.

Leilyn chuckles, a brow arching in amusement.

This boy is honestly cute.

"No, they won't be." She replies, shaking her head. "Zoranne intercepts all satellites and she scrambles the signals when she detects someone listening or viewing down on me and my family. I appreciate if no one disturbs my privacy, and so do the others."

"Ohhh." Zack trails off, impressed by her genius.

Due to her owing the satellites of Healer 101, Leilyn integrated Zoranne into the system, making her to watch over them in case the government wanted to temper with them once more. In the process, Zoranne uses them to stay connected to the family. Even if something might happen to her main self on earth, her backup was in space.

The two sits in comfortable silence, gazing into the woods. From the corner of her eye. Leilyn notices how Zack was fidgeting, obviously fighting with himself. The scientist just kept quiet, leaving him to his battle. Two minutes later, Zack finally speaks up.

"Mrs. Xander?"

"Yes?" Leilyn answers, turning her neck to look at him.

"It… it was my father."

Leilyn's eyes narrow into slits, her teeth gritting in irritation behind her closed lips.

Zack timidly continues.

"He… he was the one who…" He gestures at his body. "Your confrontation with him got him mad. Well, more than usual. Due to you humiliating him in front of half of the town, he decided to take out his rage on me. Like usual."

"Zack…"

"It's okay. I'm used to it anyways." He shrugs.

"No Zack. You're not supposed to be used to it. By the Cosmos, you're a child."

"Teenager." He corrects.

"Teenager or not, you're still a kid." Leilyn says firmly. "A parent's job is to protect their offspring and see to the wellbeing of their children; not stomping on what is left of their mental and physical health." She heaves a sigh, fingers going to pinch the bridge of her nose. "This is why I say not everyone deserves to be a parent. Some people are just monsters in the form of a human skin, preying on the weak, even though they're their own flesh and blood."

Leilyn couldn't wait for the day where the government –or her– will create a virus to curb down reproduction. Abuse cases are getting out of hand –even with the help of the Welfare Organization– and she's honestly getting sick of it.

"But I did something awful." Zack's voice jolts her out from her thoughts. She settles her eyes on the teen, encouraging him to go on. "I…" he pauses, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth.

"Zack." Leilyn moves over to him, grabbing his hands in hers, making him let go the squashed muffin. She uses her thumb to caress his bandaged knuckles. "Don't be afraid to speak. I won't judge. Heck, I will be a hypocrite if I judge you." She snorts. "So, what is it?"

Zack still hesitates, but Leilyn's soft eyes and smile breaks his resolve. "I… I hit him back."

Leilyn blinks in surprise.

"I was taking his beating and his insults like I usually do, but then… he insulted you. He called you names. Names I couldn't bear to be associated with you. You have been nothing but kind to us. I couldn't bear that he was tarnishing your name. And so… I hit him back. I grabbed something – I can't remember what it was – and I used it to hit him. When he dropped on the floor, I grabbed his belt, the same belt he was using to hit me, and I whipped him with it until it broke. Even still, I got on him and used my fists and continued hitting him. When I came to, when that red haze cleared from my eyes, I saw him on the floor, bleeding with his face unrecognizable. And so, I grabbed my hover board – which he smashed on the floor, but was luckily still working – and backpack with some of my clothes and ran here."

"I see." Leilyn hums, finger still massaging his knuckles. "Did anyone see you?"

"No."

"What about your mother?"

"Step mother actually. She was the one with my father when you confronted him yesterday." His reply gets a hum in return. "I kinda knocked her out. When I used the object to hit my dad, she came to stop me and so I used it to knock her out. Well, beat her with it actually. She was out cold before I left."

"Hmm." Leilyn's hands left Zack's, making the boy don a worried look. Leilyn hand slowly raises up and Zack's eyes closed shut, thinking he was going to get hit. But it never came. Instead, Leilyn's hand patted his head. Zack's eyes snaps open, and he stares at her in shock. Leilyn has on an amused smirk, eyes alit with pride. "That was a good thing you did Zack. I'm proud of you."

"But…" He stutters. "I- I did something wrong! The bible said that we shouldn't fight our parents!"

"Zack, I'm the last person you'll ever meet that will judge you based on a fictional book that transcends time. And if I remember correctly, it also said that parents shouldn't anger their children. Zack, always know that humans will use anything to back up their twisted and sick minds, personalities and agenda. They constantly change their scriptures to suit their taste and use them to discriminate and trample on others.

"Religion is nothing but a long lasting tool used in preying on the weak by the wolves in sheep clothing. It has done nothing but bring down the human race. People kill just because of religion. A god who says that you should kill the so called heretics for his sake and in his name, is that a god? No, they are nothing but blood mongering tyrants. We are given free will but in the end, that free will is being taken slowly away from us by the very people who preach peace, love and light.

"Zack, one day, the oppressed will get fed up with how they are being treated. When an animal is backed into a corner, they don't have any other choice but to fight and kill for their freedom. It was only a matter of time before you got tired of being oppressed and trampled. I'm happy that that day came sooner than later."

"Mrs. Xander…" Zack heaves a shaky smile, turning his head to avoid her eyes. Leilyn smiles warmly at him.

"Zack, let me tell you a story." Leilyn sits up straight, staring into the woods. "Years ago, a lucky survivor from one of the decimated continent - Africa to be precise – fell in love with a mixed descendant of a royal family. He too was deeply in love with her, and soon, they got married. Rose, the woman, thought her life was complete. She was successful, well respected and now married with a child on the way. She was living the life, not knowing that the man she married was a monster. His true colors began to show and it wasn't pretty. He was abusive and manipulative, a true tyrant. There was no day that his fist didn't meet her body, battering her and breaking bones. Their children weren't safe from his wrath. He even made her to miscarry. But no matter what he did, her love for him was still strong and she couldn't let him go.

"They bore three children: Asaju, Furaha and Buhle; a boy and two girls. Asaju and Furaha did everything in their power as children to protect their mother and sibling from their father, taking all his blunt force unto themselves. One day, when no one was around, he did something unspeakable to Buhle and that was the day Rose's eyes became open. She became the one who started to take care of her children, not minding the pain. She made sure that she came home before them and was always with them when her husband, Frank, was in the room. She couldn't let what happened to the traumatized Buhle happen to her other children.

"But nothing changed. Furaha even seeked help but she was shut down. Her father got the news and he descended on her. Because of the beatings they took from him, they learnt at a young age how to cover their bruises with make-up and assuring smiles. To escape from the harsh reality, the children escaped into the world of books. Along with their loneliness and the pressure from Frank, they became prodigies, surpassing everyone in their age group. Of all three, Furaha was the most gifted one, and Frank focused more on her.

"One day, while in college in a faraway land, Furaha was tired of the cruel world, and so, she decided to end her life." Zack inhales sharply.  "She jumped into the river and waited for her arrival into the afterlife. But her soul was too young to go yet. She was rescued by a professor, who had taken it upon himself to look after her.

"Unknowingly to her and everyone else, he was the master of an assassin guild. Furaha begged him to train her. She was tired of being weak and unable to help herself and her family. And he reluctantly agreed. Halfway across the world, Asaju was in a similar situation. He also was picked up by a hitman, who trained him in everything known in the history of hitmen. Buhle was with Rose, who took it upon herself to enroll her daughter in a defense class, not only to help her learn how to protect herself, but also to make her forget her traumatizing incident.

"Years later, Asaju and Furaha became best of the best in everything. Their kill scores were higher than that of most hitmen or assassins - and they were only teenagers. After finishing university, they came back home, only to see that their mother was having an affair with their father's lawyer, and best friend - unbeknownst to him. They saw how he made their mother happy and they saw how their father made her miserable. He never changed. And so, they connived with the lawyer, Hector, on how to get Frank killed. And it was flawless.

"Hector wrote a will meant to be signed by Frank. In that will, it was stated that everything; his wealth, houses, company, everything, was to be given to Rose. Then Hector, one day, suggested to Frank that they should take a trip with Asaju and Furaha. And the idiot agreed, not once suspecting anything. Whist on their trip, Frank was drugged and made to sign the will. Furaha and Asaju were witnesses to it. It was never mentioned to anyone.

"Months later, Frank was killed. On the day his will was to be read, Hector brought out the fake will. Seeing as his signature was perfect on it, and with the testimony of Asaju and Furaha, the will was met and everything of his was given to Rose. Sweet darling Rose, who up till today is unaware of what her children and now husband did for her.  She shared the wealth equally between her and her children, as a compensation for what they had to suffer under the hand of a psychopath."

A heavy silence descended on them. Leilyn heaves a tired sigh before turning her head to face Zack.

"Zack." She begins. "Freedom has to be forcefully taken if denied. Just because someone is your parent doesn't automatically give them the right to abuse you mentally and physically. There's a difference between being strict and just being outright abusive. No parent has the right to make their child feel like shit. Parents are the protectors, the last line of defense to the wellbeing of a child. What will a child become when instead of protecting them, they are being abused by their protectors? It never ends well, for either the child or parent. Kids are meant to be that; kids. They shouldn't be worried about the troubles of life at a young age. But sadly, it isn't that way.

"Life isn't fair and biased; neither is reality. That is why you should start controlling your reality at a young age." Leilyn takes Zack's face into her hands, staring into his gunmetal blue eyes. "Zack, you did great. Never, ever take bullshit from anyone. Take control of your reality and never let it go. You did great kid."

Tears were flowing down Zack's face at the end of Leilyn's statement. The teen throws himself at her, burring his face into her bosom. Once again, she doesn't pay attention to the tears seeping into her blouse.

"It's okay." She caress his head, humming deeply in her chest. Once he calmed down, she says, "You did great Zack. I only wish you smashed his skull into the ground and making his face look like a pancake."

The teen snorts weakly. He raises up his head from Leilyn's chest, wiping away his tears.

"No, I'm serious Zack. You should have pounded him into the next century."

Zack arches a brow, giving Leilyn an amused look, making the woman realize what she just said.

"Okay, that came out wrong. That came out very, very wrong" Leilyn grimaces, prompting Zack to start snickering. "By the fucking Cosmos, that is so disgusting. Why did I even say that?!" Her faces squeezes the more and that has Zack bursting out in laughter.

The two went into a light chat after that. They talked about everything and nothing. The air becomes lighter. Soon, they sit in calm silence, looking into the woods once more and enjoying the cool breeze. The swing rocks back and forth slowly, making the silence more enjoyable.

"Mrs. Xander?"

"Yes?"

"Is it bad that I don't feel remorse for what I did?" The teen looks at her with worried eyes. "Like, I don't care if what I did was horrible. Even now, deep down, I wished I killed them on the spot. Does… does that make me a villain?"

Leilyn smiles with a huff. "Zack, listen to me closely and always keep what I'm about to say very close to your heart. Reality and life aren't white and black; they're grey imperfections. Good balances evil and evil balances good. They both can't exist without the other. Humans, no matter how advance we claim to be, are soaked in the waters of grey.  We are imperfect to the core. We take actions which we know will be a benefit to us. Some give into the evil in their hearts, others don't. But the majority of us are in-between."

Leilyn shifts the strands of hair from her face.

"Zack, what you did was in order to protect yourself. You were clearly in danger, and your mind and body, for the first time, finally reacted in the way it was meant to; it reacted with violence. The body and mind can only take abuse for a limited time. In the end, there must be a finale. Your finale came. At that moment, your mind was in the in-between. It didn't see anything wrong in protecting the body. Never feel bad for protecting yourself. If you have to kill your attacker, then so be it. You come first before anyone else. That's nature. Nature isn't biased, it's perfect. And so is retribution."

They sit in silence for some minutes staring into the woods, before Zack speaks once again.

"Leilyn?"

"Hmm?"

"I want to leave this town." Zack says calmly. Leilyn turns to face him and he meets her stare. "Like you said, I need to take control of my reality. I want to leave this godforsaken hell hole and forget everyone and everything in it. I have no obligations here. I want to leave… but I don't know how."

Leilyn hums, saying with a smirk, "Leave that to me. I'll get you sorted out."

"Really?!" Zack eyes sparkles with excitement. Leilyn nods in confirmation, making the boy to pump his fist into the air in excitement. "Yes!" He shouts in happiness. But as quickly as that happiness came, it disperse into dust. Zack's excited expression melts away, giving way for a worried and guilty look to take over. He drops his hand down, his brows furrowing.

"Zack?" Leilyn stares at him questioningly.

The teen shakes his head slowly. "It's nothing." He worries his lip. Leilyn gives him a pointed look and he finally gives in. "It's just that… I just remember that if I'm leaving, I'll have to leave Jason and Rick behind. I really want to go, but I can't leave them."

"Zack." Leilyn sighs. "Remember what I just told you. Control your own reality. Even though it feels as if you're betraying others just because you are creating your own happiness." She flicks his forehead, getting a pout from him. "Besides, I for one am sure that if you tell them, they'll gladly follow you to the ends of the earth. Am I right boys?" Leilyn says loudly, turning back with a smirk on her lips.

"Right as usual Mrs. Lyn." Jason steps out of the open door, a mighty grin on his lips. Rick was behind him, adjusting his glasses. Hmm, seems like he was loving the glasses Leilyn purchased for him.

"How did we know we were in and close by?" Rick asks.

"Well, for one, your steps were pretty loud. Besides, I have Zoranne." Leilyn taps her ear, making the three realize that she had on an Ear-Seed. "I ordered Zoranne to allow you both in when you showed up. She informed me of your arrival thirty minutes ago."

"Wait! What are you guys doing here?!" Zack exclaims, standing up.

"Mrs. Leilyn informed us that you're here." Rick replies.

"We got worried when we didn't see any message from you this morning. So, we went to your house. We met Enforcers there and they asked us some few questions." Jason adds.

"Like what?" Leilyn squints her eyes at them.

"Well, just simple ones." He shrugs. "Why were we there? Are we the family of the attacked? If we knew about the whereabouts of Zack. So and so." He spins his hand.

"What was your reply to the last question?" Leilyn asks.

"That he was with you. He didn't come home with us."

"Hmm." Leilyn holds her chin. "They might be suspicious of that. I won't be surprised if they come to question me."

Immediately she said that, the gate bell rings, making the teens jump in surprise.

"Speak of the devil." She mutters with a sigh.

"Oh my god! What are we going to do?!" Zack almost shouts in fear.

"Well, for one, you three need to calm down." Leilyn huffs as she gets up. "Yes, all three of you. I know Zack isn't the only one panicking." Her words has Jason and Richard laughing nervously. "You three stay in the living room. I'll go see what they want."

With Leilyn in front, the four of them walk back into the house. They change from outdoor slippers to indoor ones. As instructed, the boys stayed in the parlor, Zoranne switching on the hologram TV for them and tuning it to their favorite movie channel.

"I want you three to be perfectly calm. Especially you Zack. I won't be surprised if you are called to answer some questions. I want you to act surprised when they inform you that they are in the hospital. Do not tell them that you're having problems with your dipshit parents. Also, don't show too much emotion. These people are good. And also, do not, I repeat, do not act surprised by anything I say."

"Okay, Mrs. Xander." Zack nods in understanding.

"Go upstairs and get a hoodie. There're some in the closest in the room you were in." Leilyn jerks her head towards the stairs. "I don't want them getting too inquisitive about your healing injuries."

"But what about his head?" Jason asks.

Leilyn calmly walks over to Zack, in no rush to answer the still ringing bell. She inspects his head, gently removing his bandage. Seeing as it was a new one –she cleaned the wounds again and changed his bandages again while he slept through the Nano-Healers operation– it was clean, not even a smudge of blood

"Hmm." She turns his head sideways, parting his hair to take a look at the spot. "Well, you're fully healed. But I advise you to be careful. When they are gone, I'll re-tie the bandage again." She folds the bandage, placing it on the glass center table. "If they persist to be let in, I'll invite them to porch. I so do not want my hard work in here tarnished."

Zack winces, knowing what she meant. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Leilyn flicks her hand dismissively. "After I cleaned you up, I couldn't sleep. So I took the liberty of cleaning the entire house for the second time this week before performing my morning exercises. Boredom sure is a great motivator."

Zack nods curtly. Leilyn turns and begins to walk over to the door.

"Zoranne will inform you all when Zack is being called." She turns to face them. "I want you both - Jason and Rick – to stay inside and out of sight. Your presence here will be a red flag for them." The boys respond with nods of understanding.

Once again, Leilyn switches to outdoor slippers before going out the front to meet the Enforcers standing by her gates. Behind them was their car, someone still in the gear.

"Good morning gentlemen." Leilyn greets as she reaches the gate. She crosses her arms, staring at them with her usual cold gaze, dissecting them. They squirm under her gaze, sharing unsure looks between themselves. "How may I help you?"

"Yes, good morning Mrs…"

"Xander."

"Leilyn Xander?" Another echoes with a frown. "Pardon me but do you perchance related to tthe world -wide known Mrs. Leilyn Xander?"

"I am she." Leilyn arches an unimpressed brow when her confirmation has them going wide eyed. "Once again, what can I help you with?"

"Um, yes." The strawberry blond Enforcer brings out his Enforcer badge, his partner following suit. A hologram pops up from the sliver badge, presenting their names and ranks to her. "My name is Sam Rogram. And this is my partner, Thomas Huang."

Ahh, she was right. They are 2nd class.

"We have some questions to ask you ma'am." Sam continues. "May we come in?"

Leilyn's narrowed eyes turn into slits. "You can ask your questions from over there."

Sam and Thomas share a look.

"Ma'am, we were told that a Zack Smith stayed with you last night." Sam says.

"Yes. What of it?"

"His parents were attacked last night. We just want to ask him some questions."

Leilyn puts up a show of frowning and pursing her lips into a thin line. After a minute of dissecting them with her eyes, she tsks.

"Zoranne. Open the gate."

The gate slides open without a sound. She throws them an irritated look before saying, "Come on in then."

The men nod slowly, before Sam raises his finger and pressing it on the Ear-Seed on his ear.

"Only the both of you can come in." Leilyn says, cutting him before he starts to talk. "I am quiet uncomfortable with people, much less Enforcers, suddenly invading my privacy."

"Ma'am-"

"It's either they stay out here with the car, or you all stay here." Leilyn didn't allow Sam to talk. "I am perfectly fine with talking to you here. So, decide."

Sam and Thomas begin a stare down with her, getting an unimpressed brow in return. They finally gave up with a sharp nod. Once Sam informed the person in the car that they were to wait outside, Leilyn gestures for them to come in with a cold smile.

Leilyn leads them pass the front yard and unto the porch. She gestures for them to sit down on a comfortable porch swing bench, and once they did, she too sits down.

"So, once again, how may I help you?" Leilyn ask, leans back on the chair and crosses her legs before interlocking her fingers.

"We need to talk to Mister Smith." Sam says. "We are conducting an investigation and we need to speak with him."

Leilyn stares dispassionately at them, face impassive.

"Zoranne, please inform Zack that his presence is being required." She says out loud, making the two men before her to frown in confusion. "My A.I." She says, not giving any other explanation. When the two sees that she wasn't going to add anything else, they stayed silent.

Zack came walking to them, dressed in a purple oversized hoodie. It covered his body, even his hands. Leilyn smiles at him, nodding in approval of his choice.

"Leilyn." He says as he reaches them. "You called?" He frowned, throwing a side eye glance at the two men at his left.

"Zack." She nods. "These two men have some… news to share with you." She turns to look at them, Zack following her lead, brows furrowed.

"Hello Mister Smith." The brought out their badge again and presented their names to the teen. "We're Sam Rogram and Thomas Huang. We are here to ask you some few questions."

"What's this about?" Zack asks.

The Enforcers share a look between themselves, not knowing how to put the news to the teen. With a roll of her eyes, Leilyn decides to help them.

"Unfortunately Zack, your parents were attacked last night." Leilyn says bluntly, face impassive and eyes blank.

Zack whips his head to face her, eyes going wide in shock. "What?"

Leilyn turns her head to the Enforcers and raises an eyebrow.

"Oh." Sam clears his throat, grabbing Zack's attention. "Like Ms. Xander said, Zack, your parents were attacked. A neighbor decided to check up on them when he noticed that they haven't steeped out of their house in their usual time. Both Mr. and Mrs. Smith have a schedule and they mostly keep to it. So, they decided to check up on them. They knocked but nobody answered. Music could be heard coming from the house but no one was answering the door. So, they decided to check through the windows. Lucky, they weren't blackened. On the floor were your parents, in a pool of their own blood."

Zack slowly sits on the swinging bed Leilyn was on. His eyes are blown wide in shock and mouth agape, unsure of what to say.

"Are… are they dead?" The teen whispers out.

"No. They are still alive." Thomas answers. "But they are in a critical condition. Your father was severely beaten, almost to an inch of death. His face was beaten into by either an object or fists. Your mother-"

"Step mother." Zack corrects him, expression still frozen with shock. It was said robotically, almost as if it was an everyday occurrence.

"Your step mother," Thomas continues, "Had the back of her skull cracked open due to her skull being bashed in. Unlike your father who needs his entire denture replace, your step mother only has some of her teeth knocked out. Their current appearance isn't… pleasant. It was as if whosoever did this to them has some grudge against them. We are not sure that they will even make it. According to the doctor, their chances of survival are 40%. Not even Nano-Healers can heal the injuries they sustained."

Zack nods numbly. Leilyn kept staring at them with her usual dispassionate look; elbow on the hand rest of the swinging bed and her cheek rested on her closed fist.

Well, it's a good thing only the dumbed down versions of the Nano-Healers are released to the public.

"So, have you found out who did this?" Zack asks.

"No, Mister Zack." Sam shakes his head. Zack face squeezes into that of pain and sadness. "But we are still investigating."

"Please, find out who did this." Zack says in a broken voice. Tears begins to fall from his eyes and he tries to wipe them away, but to no avail. "Please…"

"Don't worry Mister Zack." Thomas says. "We will do everything in our power to catch them."

Zack tries to reply but he just breaks down. Leilyn shifts over to him and throws a hand over his shoulder, comforting him. She speaks to him in a soft voice, telling him that it's okay.

"Ms. Xander." Sam calls out, getting the copper head's attention. "If I may ask, what is Zack to you?"

"He's my apprentice." Leilyn replies. "Both he and his friends visit me once in a while."

"So, you're a friend to him?"

"Yes." She nods. "He and his friends took it upon themselves to visit the lonely lady in the woods, who isn't quite welcomed in the town. It's nice to have them over."

"I see." Sam nods.

"We were told that you and Mr. Smith had a fight yesterday. Can you please tell us what happened?" Thomas asks.

"Sure." Leilyn nods. "Like I said, I'm not quite welcomed in town. The people have this crazy superstition about the woods-"

"What superstition?" Thomas asks, getting an irritated look from Leilyn. He sheepishly averts his eyes.

"The people of the town have this crazy believe that the woods are cursed, that anyone who steps foot into it will die. Because I've survived for a year unlike others, they believe I am also cursed. I'm called a witch and so many other things by them."

"I take it that Mr. Smith was one of the people who believed this?" Sam asks.

"Yes." Leilyn answers.

"How did that make you feel?"

"I felt, and still feel, indifferent about it." The woman smiles. "I've been called worse. This isn't the first time I've been called names, so it's now a normal thing for me." She shrugs.

"So, I take it that due to this superstition, Mr. Smith didn't want his son to associate with you?"

Leilyn nods. Beside her, Zack is now calm and has a far-away look in his eyes. She smiles sadly.  

"Zack is a nice boy. I didn't want to get him into trouble, so I usually try to send them away. But teenagers are persistent." She huffs with a smile. "I didn't like the way Mr. Smith held Zack yesterday." She continues, a frown on her face. "I had to bring him down to cool him off before he did anything irrational. And due to Zack's fear and mine, I kind of forced the boy to stay here and spend the night in a guest room. Now, I'm glad I did."

A heavy silence blankets them. The Enforcers and Leilyn stare at each other. Sam and Thomas were looking at her to see if she showed any signs of lying and Leilyn was looking at them with emotionless eyes.  Leilyn gives them nothing, and neither did Zack, whose face was still blank.

"So, you had no animosity for him at all?"

"Why would I? He was just a father being worried about his kid, although he exhibited it wrongly yesterday."

The Enforcers nod curtly. They ask both Leilyn and Zack few questions before Leilyn ends their interrogation with a cold smile.

"I think that is quite enough." She says. Her eyes were cold, as were her tone and smile. "Zack here has had enough. I suggest you take your leave and give the boy breathing space, and time, to wrap his mind about his new development."

"Yes." Sam nods. "Say, do you have any relatives, Zack?"

Zack shakes his head. "No." He says hoarsely.

"Do- do you have anywhere to stay?" Thomas asks.

"I can stay with my friends for a while."

"I thought their parents were hostile to you?" Leilyn asks with a frown.

"Oh…"

Leilyn closes her eyes and sighs under her breath. She opens them again and looks at the worried teen with fondness.

"You know, you can stay here until you get back on your feet. Lord knows I have plenty of rooms to go around."

"Really?!"

Leilyn nods with a smile.

"Thanks Mrs. Xander!" Zack glops her, making her release a grunt.

Leilyn pats his back, eyes rolling in fond exasperation. Zack releases her, a huge grin on his face.

"Now then," Leilyn gracefully stands up, dusting the skirt of her red knee length gown. "Why don't you head in and freshen up, I'll see them off."

"Okay." Zack jumps up. He turns to the Enforcers with a lost look. "Can… can I come get some stuffs from the house?"

"Not now I'm afraid." Thomas says sadly. "The place is still… a mess. We'll try to clean the scene as best as possible."

"Oh… I see…" Zack frowns sadly.

"But we'll let you know when you can go, okay?"

Zack nods. He thanks them for their hard work before heading inside.

Leilyn leads them back to their vehicle –them in front and her behind them (yes, she's that paranoid). Leilyn was about to command Zoranne to close the gate when Thomas turns back and faces her.

"Ms. Leilyn?"

Leilyn tilts her head in reply, a brow arching questioningly.

"Forgive me for asking, but… what is your real relationship with Zack?"

The corner of Leilyn's lips twitches in amusement. She was wondering when they were going to ask. It was pretty obvious they wanted to question her the moment she hugged the teen.

"I see Zack and his friends as siblings." She answers silkily. "And the boys see me as the sister they never had. Do not fret, I only have platonic feelings for them. Thinking of them any other way apart from sister or parent aspect is frankly disgusting."

The men nod in understanding, relief clear as day on their faces.

With another goodbye, they walk over to their hover car, the gate behind them closing. Leilyn watches as they drive away, an impassive smile on her face. Once they were fully gone, she walks back into the house, the boys waiting for her. When Zack opens his mouth to speak, she places a finger on her lips.

"Zoranne."

"I sense no chips on you or Zack, Ms. Leilyn." The A.I replies.

"I see."

"Chips?" Rick asks with a frown.

"Sometimes, Enforcers place chips on the people they view as suspects."

"Wait… isn't that against a privacy law or something?" Jason asks.

"Yes; but when has the government not played dirty." The copper head gestures Zack to sit down. While the blond hair teen takes a sit, Leilyn walks over to the glass table and picks up the bandage. While she was re-wrapping it, she continues talking. "The government has never been one to understand the concept of privacy. They spy on everything and everyone. Especially those of wealth. Currently, I'm number one on their 'To Watch' list."

"What?" Jason hisses. "Are you telling me that our conversations could be eavesdropped on right now?"

Leilyn smiles. "Jason, who do you take me for?" Her smile turns into a smirk and she arches an eyebrow. "It's one of the reasons I built Zoranne at an early age. My family and I have so many dirty secrets that will be detriment to us if discovered. I built Zoranne to help hide those secrets and ensure that they are hidden. Heck, she's destroyed the footages of Zack ever going home yesterday."

"What?" Zack looks up with a frown.

Leilyn pats the teen's head –done tying the bandage around his head– and walks over and sits down on the single couch.

"When you were asleep, I took the liberty of destroying every footage of you ever leaving my house. From the cameras on your street to those in your home, I deleted them all."

"…you knew." Zack whispers. "That's why you weren't surprised when I told you about it all."

Leilyn nods. "I have given Zoranne the same instructions I did for those close to me: to destroy any information or footage incriminating you in any crimes. She destroyed everything concerning you of yesterday. So, even if the Enforcers dig deep, they won't find anything that will incriminate you in the crime."

"Wow…" The teens breathe out.

The boys could not believe that they forgot about the cameras. It's a good thing that Leilyn was on their side.

"Leilyn?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you know what will happen to me if my parents die?"

"As their orphaned child, you will gain all their asserts, no matter the will. The law clearly state that if a deceased person have a child or children who are under the age of sixteen, their asserts will be given to them. If they have living, certified spouses, who can take care of them and has a good working condition, the will written will be met. As you are fourteen and have no one to take care of you, your parents' asserts, everything about them, will be handed over to you."

"Wow." Zack whispers.

"Yes. You can thank the war for that. But still, you'll have a lawyer checking on how you use them every month. That is, until you reach sixteen. Then the asserts are fully yours."

"But what if a child purposely kill their parents for their money?" Jason asks.

Leilyn arches a brow at him. "Before the asserts are given to the child, the deaths of the parents are fully investigated; to see if the child was involved or not."

"So that's why you deleted the footage." Rick says, getting a nod from Leilyn.

"For the bullshits they made Zack passed through, their asserts will be their payment."

"Wait." Zack looks at her with a confused frown. "But… they're not dead…"

"They will be. Soon." A cruel smirk graces Leilyn's lips.

"How?" Jason frowns. "I know the Enforcers say that it's a 40% chance, but won't they wake up?"

"Not if I have a say in it." A deadly glint was in Leilyn's eyes, making the teens squirm in discomfort.

"How?" Zack asks.

"That's for me to deal with." She closes her eyes, smiling warmly. "Now then…" She claps her hands, standing up. "Are you three planning on going out?" The shake their head. "Okay then. If any of you is hungry, there's food in the fridge. You can bring them out and heat it up. Be careful not to burn down my kitchen though." She squints at them. "Also, there're snacks everywhere in the kitchen cupboards and fridge. Have a go at them. Just don't ruin my kitchen, capish?" They nod in understand. "Okay then! Have fun boys! I'm gonna get some shut eyes." She waves at them and makes her way up to her bedroom.

When Leilyn made it to her room, she heaved a tired sigh. She removed her gown, throwing it aside. She hurriedly removed her bra, groaning when her breasts where freed from their suffocating cage. She massaged them with a relived sigh. She removed her panties before picking up the dirty clothes and dumped them in the empty hamper. She proceeded in taking a hot shower, moaning in delight as the hot water ran down her tensed body. She took twenty minutes to be done, and when she came out, steam followed her.

Leilyn didn't waste much time to clean up and three minutes later, she was in black laced sports bra and panties. Once she was done drying her hair with the electric cap, she combed her ever stubborn hair and tied it in a high pony tail. Before she made it over to her bed, she decided to call someone.

"Zoranne, call Sensei."

"Yes, Mrs. Leilyn."

A hologram appears before her. It takes just three second for the person on the other end to answer. The aged face of the man who trained her to be who she was today appears on the screen.

"Daughter."

"Sensei." She smiles warmly at him. "How are you and the others?"

"Drowning in your comfort" He says in a flat voice.

Leilyn chuckles. "It sounds as if you're displeased."

"Daughter, you're going all your way to spoil your siblings and I. Siblings who definitely don't need to be spoilt. It will only soften them."

Leilyn rolls her eyes in amused exasperation. "Sensei, just hush and enjoy your vacation. It's been long since you had one with Lexus and Ihara." She looks fondly at the old man. "Speaking about vacations, how are the services?"

"Top notch."

"Good. I didn't pay one hundred million UPCs for lousy service.

He sighs. "How many times have I told you that you shouldn't waste your money on us?"

"Countless." She grins roguishly.

He sighs again. "You are as stubborn as Shinji. No wonder you to get along so well, like gasoline and fire on human skin."

Leilyn's grin widens the more.

"So, why did you call me, daughter?"

Leilyn cocks an eyebrow. "What? Can't I call my Sensei out of love?" She pouts, holding her hands together and fluttering her eyelashes. He just gives her a deadpanned and unimpressed look. "I can never lie to you, can I?"

"You keep forgetting that I trained you to become the skilled assassin you are today, Leilyn. Your expressions are too easy for me to read."

"It's not my fault that you're ancient." She crosses her arms, pout still there. He just rolls his eyes.

"Now, tell me the true reason you called-"

He is interrupted by the door banging open. As a reward for their unthoughtful interruption, he sends senbons flying at the intruders. Some caught them in between their hands or fingers, while others simply dodged. Knowing him, they're definitely laced with poison. Obviously.

"Still as fast as ever, I see." Leilyn comments with a smirk.

"What have I told you lot of knocking before entering?" Sensei snaps at them, his Japanese accent coming out thickly in his annoyance. "Just because we are on vacation doesn't mean that you should discard your training. And just because you are my students doesn't mean I won't kill you."

Leilyn could feel his glare from where she is, and she's happy that for she isn't among those on the receiving end of it.

"We apologize Sensei." The seven intruders say as one, bowing with their eyes closed.

Sensei heaves a tired sigh and looks at Leilyn with an expression that clearly says 'Look at the bullshit I have to deal with', a hand pointed at them. Leilyn snorts in amusement.

"You are forgiven." He sighs out. "Again." He pinches the bridge of his nose before waving his hand dismissively. "Just straighten yourselves and come say high to your big sister."

That has them snapping up, eyes filled with surprise.

"Leilyn is here?" A black haired man asks.

Sensei just enlarges the hologram, making everyone to see her clearly. As usual, they were not bothered by her half-nude form.

"Hey, minna-san!" Leilyn greets with a wave.

"Lyn-Lyn!" The black haired male walks forward.

"Hey Shin-Shin!"

"It's been forever since I last saw you! How're ya?!"

"Shin, you just saw me three months ago." Leilyn deadpans. "And I'm fine."

"Sis, that is like, forever." He flicks his hand.

Leilyn rolls her eyes. How's Hide?"

"He's fine. Enjoying his vacation with Lexus and Ihara." He chuckles.

Leilyn smiles at that. 

"So, judging from your tone, nee-sama, you want someone dead. So, who's it?"

She arches a brow. "Is it that obvious that I want someone dead?"

Everyone either cocks an eyebrow at her or give her a deadpan look, making her to huff. She tells them what happened, giving them the full detail and the main reason for her calling.

"Hmm." Sensei hums, a hand on his cheek. "So, you want his parents dead?" Leilyn nods. "And what does the boy feel about this?"

"Unmoved. He's even pleased that they'll be gone. I get a feeling that he wishes that they died instantly by his hands."

"Hmm, sounds like someone I know." He gives her a look, making her smile. "Oh well, I take it you want Shinji's help?"

"Yes." Leilyn nods. "Except for you, Shinji is the only one my mother and brother are familiar with. I want him to take the boys to them and set them up. They will find it easy to find new lives for them and be happy."

"Sure sis!" Shinji raises a thumb at her. "No problem!"

"Thanks Shin."

Suddenly, Shinji's demeanor changes and his expression became serious.

"Do you plan to leave them after you helped them?"

"No." Leilyn instantly replies. "Unlike the rest, I'll like to stay in contact with the three of them. I have a feeling that they will be my legacies."

Shinji nods at her reply.

They all entered a lengthy conversation after that. Leilyn moved to her bed and took a relaxing position. It took an hour before they were satisfied with their discussion. With a promise to call Sensei again – and this time having an uninterrupted conversation -, Leilyn ended the call. She issued Zoranne to wake her up around two for lunch. And with that – making sure that the windows were blackened -, Leilyn fell into a light nap, dreaming about the past.