Found
"At last... you've been found." Leo whispered the words beneath his breath, the sound barely brushing the evening air.
The dying sun bled across the sky, smearing shades of gold and scarlet over the rooftops. The streets were empty, lifeless, as though the entire neighborhood was holding its breath. A gentle wind stirred the leaves, brushing against Leo's face. He stood beneath a tree, half hidden in its shadow, watching the small brick house across the road.
The Assassin's house.
It looked painfully ordinary, almost too ordinary. A single-story building with a tin roof, paint worn from years of wind and rain. Curtains drawn, no movement inside. A front yard lined with dry grass and a crooked mailbox whose flag was long rusted shut.
"Quiet neighborhood," Leo murmured. His tone carried both irony and admiration. "Not much effort put into hiding... but perfect for laying low."
He stayed there for a while, studying the house. Every corner. Every window. Every possible escape route. His breath slowed as his instincts sharpened. The mission's weight pressed on his shoulders like iron. He had traveled far for this, through storms, deserts, and hostile territory, all to find him.
Teezae.
The name alone carried weight.
Leo stepped out from under the tree, his boots crunching softly against gravel. "Here we go," he said to himself, exhaling slowly as if to calm a beast within.
He crossed the street in long strides, his coat brushing behind him. The air was cold, almost sterile. Even the crickets seemed to have gone silent. He reached the gate, its metal whining softly as he pushed it open.
The house loomed closer now, simple and unassuming. Leo took in every detail, the half-open front door, the faint flicker of light from inside, the smell of old dust and faint cologne carried by the wind.
He moved quietly up the small path and paused. The door was ajar, not much, but enough to let a sliver of dim light leak through.
"Was he expecting me?""
Leo's fingers hovered over his sidearm, but he didn't draw. Instead, he nudged the door gently and slipped inside.
The air was still. Silent, except for the faint hum of something electronic, a television perhaps. The living room was plain: a worn-out couch, a coffee table, and an ashtray filled to the brim. Empty bottles lined the counter. Whoever lived here didn't entertain guests often.
Leo's boots made no sound as he stepped through the hall. To his right, a door stood slightly open, and through the crack came faint music, the rhythmic pulse of 1980s hip-hop, its beat echoing faintly like a heartbeat from another era.
He moved closer.
Through the thin opening, Leo saw the figure sitting on the couch. A man, relaxed posture, one leg over the other, his head tilted toward the glowing TV screen. His hand held a remote, tapping it lazily against his knee.
Leo held his breath, his fingers curling into fists. This was it. The Assassin himself.
Teezae.
Leo watched him for a few seconds, steadying his pulse. He reached for the handle. But before he could move....
"You know," Teezae said suddenly, voice low but sharp, "there are ways to tell when someone's close to you... without even looking at them."
The words struck like a blade.
Leo froze. His eyes widened.
Teezae clicked the TV off and leaned back, his reflection faint in the black screen. "You've been standing there for quite some time, Leo."
The sound of his own name made Leo's stomach tighten. Slowly, cautiously, he pushed the door open.
Teezae stood, smooth and deliberate, moving like a predator waking from rest. In one swift motion, faster than Leo's eyes could follow, he drew a pistol and aimed.
"You entered my home without permission," Teezae said, his tone calm but laced with danger. "You tried to kill me days ago. Give me one reason why I shouldn't finish it right here."
"That wasn't me," Leo said quickly, his hands half-raised. "It was an android..... a copy. I came here to ask for your help."
"Not buying it," Teezae muttered, thumbing the safety off.
"I swear it!" Leo stepped forward, his voice trembling but earnest. "I have information, about the hunters. About where they come from. You've interrogated some, but none of them talked. I know why."
Teezae's eyes narrowed. "Prove it."
Leo reached slowly into his jacket pocket, moving with exaggerated care. He pulled out a folded, wrinkled piece of paper and held it out. Teezae snatched it, unfolding it in one motion. His eyes skimmed the page, then flicked back to Leo.
"Where did you get this?"
"Before I left Brian behind, when he stayed to fight the others, he gave it to me."
Teezae's eyes flickered at the name.
****
Flashback
The battlefield was burning. Smoke coiled into the night like black serpents. Screams echoed from the ruins below.
Brian's arm was slick with blood, his breathing ragged. "No… not this time," he said, his voice trembling but resolute. "No matter how many times you run from death, Leo, it always finds you. Guess it's my turn to stop running."
Leo clenched his fists. "I won't stop you. But promise me one thing : kill them all. Every last one of them."
Brian gave a faint smile. "You always were the stubborn one."
Leo turned to leave, but Brian stopped him. "Wait." He reached into his leather jacket and pulled out a small folded paper. "Take this. It's information on the Corps, their movements, their structure. Use it wisely."
Leo hesitated. Then he took it and shoved it into his pocket. The two men locked eyes.
"Stay alive, Leo," Brian said quietly.
Leo forced a smirk. "Funny. I was about to say the same to you."
They clasped forearms, a final bond between brothers-in-arms, and parted without another word.
***
Back in the present, Teezae folded the paper into neat squares and tucked it into his pocket. His tone softened slightly.
"So they replicated you completely?"
"Every cell," Leo replied. "That thing that came after you wasn't me, it was a perfect imitation. A disposable weapon."
"That explains a lot," Teezae muttered, pacing slowly. "Still, I can't trust you. Drop your weapons."
Without hesitation, Leo removed the pistol from his back, then a knife from his belt, setting them gently on the floor.
"Shoes too," Teezae added.
Leo sighed, pulling them off and stepping away. Teezae advanced, quick and precise, checking Leo's pockets before tossing the weapons aside onto the sofa.
"Did I earn your trust yet?" Leo asked with a smirk, though his hands still trembled.
"On a scale of ten?" Teezae said coolly. "Four."
Leo exhaled, half in relief. "That's better than zero."
"Bathroom's down the hall," Teezae said, waving dismissively. "You reek. There are clothes in the closet, pick something clean before I change my mind."
Leo sniffed himself and grimaced. "Fair enough."
Thirty minutes later, Leo emerged from the bathroom. Steam rolled out behind him. His hair was damp, slicked back. He wore a red oversized hoodie and black track pants : casual, comfortable, foreign to him. The air smelled faintly of mint soap.
Teezae sat on the couch, studying the paper again. His gun rested loosely in his hand, not aimed, but not far from reach.
Leo sat beside him. The silence between them was thick, not hostile but heavy with unspoken questions.
"So you're Leo," Teezae said at last, eyes still on the page.
"Indeed," Leo replied, voice calm now.
"How much do you know?" Teezae asked.
"Not about your personal life," Leo said. "But I know your legend."
Teezae looked over at him, expression unreadable.
"Teezae. Age twenty-five. Known as the Assassin of Assassins. You dismantled governments : South Africa, Japan, Ghana, China, all between eighteen and twenty. You worked with a covert unit. Names that surfaced include Thando and Curl."
Teezae smirked faintly. "That's it?"
"Every time we tried to pull more data, it vanished from the system," Leo admitted, gazing at the ceiling. "Someone erased you perfectly."
Teezae gave a small, humorless laugh. "Thando's handiwork. Always covering my tracks."
He turned toward Leo, his expression serious now. "How did you find me?"
"I tracked your movements. I'm a hunter. And honestly, you didn't hide very well. You made my job easy."
That earned the faintest grin from Teezae. He stood, rolling his shoulders, stretching like a man preparing for battle. "Then it's time."
"Time for what?" Leo asked.
"To work," Teezae replied, eyes narrowing. "We're assembling my old team. Before we go after the hunters, we pay Thando a visit."
A dark smirk curled across Teezae's face as the shadow of dusk swallowed the room.
"Let's wake the ghosts," he whispered.