Badass in Disguise Chapter 254

The music still pulsed through my veins as Ethan and I stepped out of the concert venue. The sky had opened up while we were inside, and now rain poured down in steady sheets, transforming the Ethiopian streets into glistening rivers. Concertgoers rushed past us, hunched against the downpour, seeking taxis or shelter.

Ethan shrugged out of his tailored suit jacket and draped it over my shoulders in one fluid motion. His fingers lingered at my collar, adjusting the fabric with unnecessary care.

"You'll get soaked," I said, though I made no move to return his jacket.

"I'll survive." His smile was soft in the dim streetlight. He popped open an umbrella and pulled me closer, his arm a warm weight across my shoulders. "The hotel's only a few blocks. Mind walking?"

I nodded, and we stepped into the rain, moving at an unhurried pace despite the downpour. The streets of Addis Ababa took on a different character in the rain—the mix of modern architecture and traditional influences blending into something almost otherworldly behind the watery veil.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Ethan murmured, his breath warm against my ear. "I wish we were just tourists."

His unspoken thought hung between us: how nice it would be without the Shadow Organization hunting us at every turn. If we were just two people enjoying a trip, a concert, a rainy evening walk. No killers lurking in shadows. No wounds barely healed. No constant vigilance.

I was about to respond when something shifted in the atmosphere. A presence. Watching. Waiting.

I stopped abruptly.

"Come out," I called to the seemingly empty street corner ahead, my voice carrying despite the rainfall.

Ethan tensed beside me, his body automatically shifting into a defensive stance.

For a moment, there was only the sound of rain hitting pavement. Then, a figure emerged from the shadows of a narrow alley—a woman with pale blonde hair, holding a black umbrella.

Ethan immediately moved to position himself between us, his instincts as sharp as ever. I felt his muscles tense, ready to react.

"Why are you following me?" I asked, my tone flat.

Selene remained silent, her expression unreadable as raindrops pelted her black umbrella.

"Running from Shadow Organization?" I added with a hint of mockery.

Back at the desert fortress, Selene had helped me, but I understood perfectly that her actions were purely self-preservation. She had no options left. With Shadow dead, the organization's greatest enemy had vanished. To strengthen itself, the organization would continue its inhumane experiments. Soon enough, Selene's clone would be floating in a cultivation tank.

And the original Selene would meet the same fate as Dusk and Shadow—eliminated for "mission failure."

"Shadow Organization doesn't have time for me right now," Selene finally spoke.

They were all busy hunting me.

"What do you want?" I asked.

After a moment's hesitation, she answered: "Cooperation."

"You want revenge for Shadow?" she asked.

Beside me, Ethan's expression shifted slightly at the name. "Shadow?"

I didn't respond.

"You plan to kill SPECTER?" Selene pressed.

"Of course," I answered.

"What are your chances?"

Though we'd fought before and she knew my capabilities, I wasn't just facing SPECTER alone—I was up against the entire Shadow Organization.

I didn't exaggerate. "Either he dies or I die."

Selene was quiet for a moment. "I have a condition."

I watched her face.

"I need to know," she said, her eyes boring into mine, "are you Shadow's secretly trained protégé, or are you her genetic copy?"

Selene stared intently at my eyes. "It's unsettling," she said, her voice barely audible above the rain. "You have different eye colors, but the way you look at me—it's exactly like her. Even your aura, the energy you project..." She shook her head. "Apart from your appearance and height proving you're not Shadow's clone, everything else about you screams that you are."

"When did I say I wanted to work with you?" I countered.

"My skills may not match yours, but I'm exceptional within the organization," Selene replied. "You won't find a better guide like me."

She clearly considered herself valuable.

"Any intelligent person would accept my offer, unless you're absolutely certain of success. In that case, pretend I never appeared." Her voice softened slightly. "If you manage to destroy Shadow Organization, I would be extremely grateful."

I studied her through the rain, our eyes locked in silent evaluation. "Shadow and I..."

Both Selene and Ethan were hanging on my next words.

"You'll never know," I said simply.

Selene had sought me out, which automatically placed her at a disadvantage. As a defector from the organization, she had no choice but to ally with me against SPECTER—unless she wanted to spend her life hiding like a sewer rat. And even then, her chances of staying hidden were slim.

The consequences of being found didn't need explanation.

Selene's face tightened at my arrogance, but she couldn't deny my abilities. I had effortlessly killed the organization's top operatives.

My dismissal of her went further: "I'll contact you when I need you."

"I remember you were close with Wraith," I added casually.

Surprise flickered across her face. "Shadow told you that?"

"Stop wondering about my relationship with her."

Selene studied me for another moment. "I'll find him."

She immediately set off to locate Wraith. Another ally meant better odds—if she could convince him.

Selene's silhouette quickly disappeared into the rainy streets.

I turned away. "Let's go."

Ethan looked at me, his mind clearly racing with questions, but he remained silent.

We walked several blocks before I spoke again. "That woman is a Shadow Organization assassin? Codename Selene?"

"She's betrayed the organization?"

"Mmm."

Ethan tilted his head slightly. "Can she be trusted? Shadow Organization is known for their deception. Every operative is a master of disguise. Could this be a trap?"

"Staying with the organization is a death sentence for her."

"Why?"

"Shadow Organization has perfected cloning technology. The island in the desert that Chris Jensen blew up for me was their cultivation facility."

Ethan's eyes widened. "Clones?"

He processed this information. "So the organization's leader plans to clone all their assassins? Then eliminate the originals?"

"Clones are easier to control, aren't they?"

Ethan followed this train of thought. "Why do they all say you're connected to Shadow? Selene just suggested you're..." He hesitated. "Shadow's genetic copy? Why would she think that?"

I answered lightly, as if discussing dinner options: "Because Shadow and I are similar."

"In what way?"

When I didn't answer, Ethan softened his tone. "It's okay if you don't want to tell me."

"I'm a living, breathing person," I told him. "What are you afraid of?"

All the tension seemed to drain from his body at those words. "Nothing."

"I'm hungry. Walk faster."

We returned to the hotel, had dinner, and then left again.

A few days later, we'd settled into a new location. The rain had finally stopped, and the air felt fresher than it had in weeks.

"I want some fruit," I said as we walked down the street. "Something sweet."

Ethan perked up. "There's a fruit stand on the street we passed earlier. Want to go now?"

"You go," I replied.

"You don't want to come?"

"Too lazy to move."

"I'll carry you," he offered.

"Just go by yourself."

Ethan looked at me, studying my expression. He didn't move.

I kept my face neutral. "Go on."

Ethan hesitated. "Wait for me, then. I'll be quick."

He walked away with long strides, his figure soon disappearing around a corner.

The moment Ethan was gone, I left too.

I walked toward the less crowded areas until I found a deserted corner.

"Come out," I said to the empty air.

A figure emerged from the shadows. Lean frame. Sharp features. Eyes devoid of any human emotion.

It wasn't Milo. It wasn't Dusk.

It was the Dusk clone—the one who shouldn't exist.