Z.E.R.O (Wattys 2016)

Ch 1 - I Want Answers

❤️💃🏼🙌🏼😁🙈

*THIRTEEN YEARS AGO*

I waited for my parents to come and fetch me. They had never been late in coming to fetch me before. The kindergarten teacher was doing a terrible job in trying to convince me that they were probably just running late.

But then again, she can't be blamed for thinking I'm a normal five year old.

You see, I was born freakishly smart. I was already speaking fluent Greek and English by the age of three, and I was currently doing middle school math and science. My parents didn't understand how I was born so intelligent, but they didn't love me any less for it.

The teacher knelt before me. "I just spoke to your father. They're coming ok?"

I played along and nodded and she sent me a sympathetic smile before moving to pack away the toys. I was the only one who hadn't been fetched yet and again, I was too smart to know that there was something definitely wrong.

Nothing would ever prepare me for what was about to happen.

I watched my father's expensive car roll around just as the rain started drizzling outside. He left the car and was about to come and fetch me when he was shot. My mother, out of panic, left the car to run over to him, only for the man in red to shoot her too.

I watched, numb, as the man approached the car, where I could hear my little sister crying. He walked up to her, caressed her cheek before putting a bullet in her head. I was yanked down before I could see anything else.

"Xander, I want you to listen to me ok? My real name is Silver Solano, and I know that what you just witnessed is the worst thing you can ever witness, but I promise that you will be taken care of ok? I'm going to get in touch with some important friends of mine who are going to help you. I know that you understand me better than all of the kids in this place, so I need you to be a big boy and do everything I say ok?" my kindergarten teacher told me.

Before I could respond, the glass door to the kindergarten smashed to pieces. She signalled for me to be quiet as I watched her take out a gun from her boot. She was waiting, seemingly listening out for something.

She's definitely not a kindergarten teacher.

"Come out, come out wherever ye are Silver. I promise I won't bite, much," a deep voice spoke.

"Do you have any idea what you've just done?" she asked as she stood up.

"It was only fair that balance be restored," the man replied.

"You just murdered two of the best agents that Cypher has ever seen. You can't possibly think that you'll get away with this," she told him.

Best agents? My parents were agents? Like spies?

"Oh come on Silver. I'm sure your precious organization wont miss them. Besides, I hear the son is the one who's the real catch. Now, are ya going to hand him over, or am I going to have to take him from ya?" the man asked. I could hear more footsteps enter the place.

"Seven on one? You don't fight fair," Silver said, her voice wavering.

"They say the kid is a prodigy Sil. I'm not here to play fair," the man replied.

From the sudden grunts and ruckus, I knew that a fight was occurring. I also knew that with Silver occupied with six people, the leader would probably come looking for me, and I needed to protect myself.