Hiya.

Glad that you like Sarah and Ed's part. Hehehehe. I know Malik and Izzah are adorable. I'll try to mention them more. I'm still figuring out Malik's personality, since he's approaching his teen years.

.

.

.

I felt like I was falling further and further down. And when I reached the end, cold water greeted me. And then everytime I tried to reach the surface to take a breath of air, the water is pulling me down. I struggled until I felt my chest is hurt and suffocated. Bubbles escaped my mouth and lips as I screamed for help.

At that moment, I knew I was asleep and having a nightmare. My body remained still even though I desperately tried to move. My eyes refused to open. I attempted to wiggle my toes but they didn't budge. I muttered prayers immediately. I recited Ayatul Kursi loudly in my head and praised my God a few times.

I struggled for a few more seconds, trying to wake up and then my eyes jolted open. My heartbeat was fast and loud. I pushed my body up to sit against the headboard. The clock at my nightstand shows it was 3.17 in the morning. I decided to do my tahajjud prayer after drinking a glass of water. After that I read the Quran until Subh prayer arrived.

My son came into my room to wake me up as usual but since I was already awake, he hugged me a good morning. "Morning, mommy," he muttered in his squeaky morning voice.

"Morning, champ," I responded. "Go brush your teeth and make wudhu. I'll wait for you."

I could feel his nods against my shoulder before he walked into the washroom. We prayed together and then made breakfast together. I'm pleased to spend time with him.

"How is the date going?" he asked, cracking five eggs into a bowl.

"Good."

"Just good?"

"Just good."

"Hmmm…" he wondered loudly. "Are you not happy with him?"

I was silent for one or two seconds before I answered. "He always made me laugh and smile."

"Okay."

I turned off the stove and took the cooked sausages out of the pan. "What's going on in your head, Malik? You can tell me," I softly said, sensing he has something more to say.

"I mean… you could, uh, find another one. If you think he's not the one," he muttered.

"It's still early to call it off. We still need time to know each other first," I reasoned. "Do you want to meet him?"

"I can?" he asked; giving me full attention, forgetting the eggs. "Really?"

I smirked. "Why not?"

Thank God, for Mr. Laine's umbrella.

As I parked my car, big fat droplets of rain were tapping against my windshield. I really need to check weather forecast before I go out. I grabbed the black umbrella and went out of my car. A couple of hours ago, after my breakfast, Selina had sent me a picture of a poster of a gambling night: a horse race. She told me that Harvey wanted to rob the place. This is what I was waiting for.

The date of the horse race is the day after tomorrow, so I called office that I would be a little late for work and drove to Gotham Central. I made arrangements for Mabel and her family to move out of the city. Ever since I decided to help them, I had told Mabel to always be prepared for a sudden transfer.

Skipping my way to the GCPD with a basket of pastries, I greeted everyone I know with a fake friendly smile. Then I went to Jim's office – he was there, massaging his temple while looking down at a report on his desk. He was wearing a faded dark blue suit, making me think that he gave up on his fashion, like Bullock. I even notice his growing moustache.

"Good morning, Jim," I chirped loudly. "Please tell me you're not keeping the moustache."

He removed his eyes from the papers and glanced at me up and down indifferently. "Morning. No work today?" he responded, disregarding my critics on his appearance. When I sat before him, I smelled strong coffee.

"You should be eating meals, instead of more coffee. It's not good for you. Listen to me because I'm a mother. And to answer your question, today is desk job day. And I want to talk to you." I paused, making an awkward face. "It's personal."

"This is personal?" he chided after I told him about Harvey. "Why don't you tell me this sooner?" His lips curled into a frown. His previous tired eyes were furious now. He leaned back against his seat and threw out a hefty sigh.

"Well, I'm telling you now," I rambled, gesturing my hands to him.

"You only told me, because you finally need my help," he huffed, stabbing a finger against his chest, pointing at himself.

"I'm sorry, okay. Anyway, you handle Harvey and when he's busy fighting you, I will send Mabel and her family out of town. Capish?"

The commissioner was obviously turning more annoyed. I didn't just asked for his help, but I also ordered him around. I felt a little guilty for that.

"If you want to ask my help, you should have asked sooner. This should be a team-play!" he scolded. "And you hired Selina to shadow him? You used to hate it if she gets involved with these sorts of things!"

"I was stupid, I know," I expressed regretfully. "And Selina's an adult now. I paid her, if that makes you happy."

I heard another defeated sigh from him. He was tired of arguing with me. "You told the family already that they are moving?" he asked, massaging the bridge of his nose.

"I'll tell them tomorrow."

The following early morning, I woke up to the same drowning dream at the same time again and so I performed tahajjud again. When I was finishing my solat, my phone buzzed. I frowned. Who could it be? The sun is not up yet. But when I saw the caller ID is Mabel, I quickly answered it. I haven't told them about the move. I was about to tell them today. The sound of sniveling could be heard at the other line. She had been crying.

"Mabel?" I called softly. Then I heard a notification, saying that I got a call from Selina, but I ignore it first because I need to know what Mabel is trying to tell me at 3 in the morning.

"Jamie, she…" she choked. I could tell that she was trying to keep her voice down. I was starting to have this ominous feeling in my gut so I quickly grabbed a cardigan and my hijab.

"What's going on? Talk to me," I encouraged.

She was a sobering mess. I could only hear her breaths and snivels. I rushed to my safe security safe and punched the pin numbers to take out my knives and baton.

"She's been texting to Harvey… all this time," she whimpered. She sounded very betrayed and scared.

Well. Shit.

"And he finally replied just a few minutes ago."

"What?" I said, panicked, gripping my phone tightly.

"H-he said he's coming. Oh my God, what should I do? What should I do?!" I could imagine how she looked right now: petrified and rickety.

I tried to sound as calm as I can. "What about Jamie?"

"I locked her in the toilet. Please. Come faster. He kept on calling Jamie's phone!"

"Listen. I'm on my way. I got some help here. Call me if he's there."

"Distract him will charge you more," Selina begrudgingly said. I already sensed that she was calling because of Harvey so I called her back. She had told me that Harvey was looking through his phone when he suddenly turned mad and rushed to his car. The sudden change of behavior made Selina to call me.

"I'll pay you!" I snarled. "Just punch his tires or something."

"Already did." I could hear a snicker laced in her voice.

"Thanks."

I ended the call and call the police, telling them that there is a possible violent scene at Mabel's address due to a raging man in his forties. I sped in the streets and highways, hoping that I would reach there faster than Harvey. Then I made a call to Jim's phone. He answered a little late. I informed him of what had happened; he told me to wait for him, even though we both know well that I will not wait for him.

I didn't see any other car at Mabel's house so it is safe to assume that Harvey is not there yet. The police have not arrived as well. Urgently I banged the door, calling Mabel. Hurried footsteps appeared behind the door and finally the door is opened, revealing a woman in her nightwear. Mabel looked disarray. Her tear-stained face was relieved to see me.

After locking the door, we head upstairs to help her get her husband and belongings. Her husband still has difficulty walking down the stairs.

"The toilet… Where's Jamie?" I asked after we set everything in the living room.

"Oh, no need to look further," came a deep voice. A voice that I recognized used to be very compassionate and kind-hearted, but now it sounded wicked and rough. "She's here."

Mabel gasped uncontrollably behind me. Jamie must have broken out of the toilet from the window. She was standing behind Harvey, holding his arm and looking at him with absolute admiration. Harvey's face looked gruesome. It must be very painful when the acid destroyed his face. The left side of his face has no more skin; left only with flesh and bones. His eyes, the pair that used to held so much care and empathy for others were gone. They were replaced with so much anger and hatred; that he wouldn't take a second thought to kill someone.

"Harvey," I said. "Let these people go. They didn't call the cops."

"Telling you is like telling the cops," he responded with a sneer. I could the muscles of his face moved clearly at the left side when he spoke. I wondered if the scarred face smelled foul.

"Yeah. That's true. That's why they are on the way."

He tilted his head to the right to show off his scarred side. "It's your first time seeing this. What do you think? Jamie still thinks I'm handsome."

"It is a good transformation. Since you refuse to continue your treatment, it makes me think that you have accepted your look. But… I don't like your new character. You hurt people, using a coin as an excuse."

"The coin is fair; unbiased. The coin allows me to give what man deserves. Now tell me, Sarah… did you know what he had done? To young female students? What you would have done if you know?" he leered and then he chuckled evilly. "He's a professor, for God's sake. Our justice system is rotten. There so many grey areas, when there should be only benevolent and malevolent. Black and white. Nothing in between. "

I didn't know about Mabel's husband's treacheries so I wavered slightly. I know that he teaches art to freshmen in Gotham University. "The coin is not fair," I argued, focusing on bringing Harvey down. I could deal with Mabel's husband later. "Because there more options and answers other than yes or no, Harvey. Admit it. It was just your decision to be evil, not the coin."

He then abruptly pulled Jamie to his front, pointing his gun against her head.

"Harvey! Please," I begged, taking a step forward, and taking out my baton. "She's just a kid."

"I will shoot her if you took another step. I can show you and I will show you how the coin works. You'll agree with me. It's simple," he prompted. "Show us the coin, my dear," he whispered to Jamie.

Jamie held her hand up in the air with a coin between her index finger and thumb. I could see the head of the coin.

"If it comes up head, I won't shoot you, Sarah. But it comes up the other side…" he explained as Jamie turned the coin to the other side of the coin which is also a head but with a slash on it. "… you'll be dead. Now let's see what my little buddy says, shall we?"

Then, Jamie flipped the coin. It landed with the cleaned head face up. I sighed in relief, but Harvey scowled. I pray for protection; hoping the coin will land with the cleaned head up.

"Best of three," he instructed and so Jamie flipped the coin twice. The results were the same. "Best of five!" he screamed in frustration. "I'll do it!" With his shoulder he shoved Jamie away, causing her to fell on her knees. When the coin was tossed again in the air, I took the chance and flung my baton at his hand that was holding his gun. The gun fell off his grasp so I jumped on him after kicking the gun away.

He swerved his fist against my side. Clenching my teeth in pain, I wrapped my arm around his neck and went around his back. He tried to shake me off but I hammered an area at his shoulder blade with my fist.

"Argh!" he threw me off his back. Then he swung his foot against my side. I recoiled, holding my stomach in pain. When he tried to kick again, I held his foot and clamped my teeth at his calf. He shook his leg to get me off.

Sirens could be heard from the distance and so Harvey struggled even more. However, I bit harder. My drool wetted the fabric as I keep on sinking my teeth at his calf. He used his other leg to kick me away. But I held as tight as I can, not letting go.

"Let go!" he roared. My jaw hurt from gnawing his leg.

"Let him go!" screamed a young lady. Releasing my mouth from Harvey's calf, I looked for the source of the voice and saw Jamie was pointing Harvey's gun at her mother. "Get your filthy hands off Harvey!" she screeched.

Mabel was weeping in shock at her daughter's actions. Reluctantly and irritably, I released Harvey's leg, wiping my saliva with my sleeve. He smiled in triumph. "Good girl," he complimented. Then, he ran out of the front door, leaving us all behind.

Shit.

"Jamie," I breathed, slowly standing up. "Put the gun down."

"This woman… This bitch!" Jamie started, glaring at her mother. "She knows of what that fucker had done!" She pointed at her unmoving father. He had an indifferent facial expression on, as if he did not regret of what he had done. "She bribed and threatened those students so that they would not make any cases of what he had done. She helped him hide his crimes! He's a rapist! But no one listen to me! Only Harvey listens to me… only him."

"Baby, all of what I done is for you! For your future," Mabel whimpered.

"Shut up!"

"We need your father's money to fund your college…"

"Shut up!" she yelled louder. Her hateful eyes remained at her mother.

My gut churned in disgust at Mabel and her husband's crimes. "Put the gun down and I'll listen," I proposed to Jamie. "I'm friends with the commissioner and he's on the way. I'll tell him about this. But you have to put the gun down."

"No. Harvey is right. Our law is broken. There's nothing we could do but be our own judge, jury and executioner," she fumed. Her blazing blue eyes glaring darts at her parents. "If no one is going to prosecute them, then I will."

All of a sudden, there was a loud crash at the door. "GCPD!"

"How could you?" I hissed at Mabel, after she was handcuffed by an officer. She looked down at her lap, not giving me any response. "Just a heads up, you and that disgusting husband of yours will be put on trial."

I had told about their disgusting acts to Jim. He was the one who came in first. When he announced his appearance, I rammed myself to Jamie and struggled to take the gun from her. A shot was accidentally released during the struggle. And then Jamie gasped in pain. The bullet grazed her left cheek. While she was shock, I pressed her against the floor, holding her firmly, before passing her to the authorities.

Jim sent a few officers to find Harvey after I told him that he had escaped earlier. "You can go home now," he ordered. His hair is slightly disheveled and he looked very exhausted. "We'll check Harvey's house to see if we could find anything."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me. For the last time, don't ever do this again. Call the cops right away if you encounter things like this. Don't do it on your own."

I gave him an awkward small smile and left the scene. Blinking blue and red lights occupied the front lawn. Uniform officers were placing yellow police lines outside of the house. Some were canvassing at the back of the house. I reached my car and drove home. The sky is pink when I reach my apartment. I looked at the rising sun and pondered for a while before getting in.

A few days later

Hakeem appeared to be strangely quiet at our third date today. It was a dinner at one of Hassan's restaurants. I chewed on my pasta slowly, while studying him. He seemed to be troubled about something, especially when he saw the dressing at the side of my forehead. There was a gnash after I fought with Harvey two mornings ago.

"You don't like it?" I said.

He was startled. "No. I like you… I mean, I like the food," he blurted.

I covered my mouth and chuckled. I felt the dressing detached slightly itself from my skin so I pressed it with my hand to secure it.

"That's gotta be nasty." He directed his eyes to the bandage.

I raised my left shoulder and shrugged. "Just a little scratch."

"Work-related?"

"Yes," I lied. But my work environment usually got me bruises and cuts.

"Wow… you're strong," he murmured sadly.

That moment; and that tone; and that facial expression, which I had witnessed… I'm not fond of them. Hence, I didn't acknowledge his compliment because it doesn't sound like one to my ear. It was like he doesn't approve of my work. Perhaps I was thinking too much and misinterpreted his actions, so I suppressed it.

"How was your week?" I asked, changing the topic.

"It's been great," he said, happier than before. "I help a friend for his new game." Then he remembered something. "Oh! Are you free next Tuesday? We're doing Motion capture for some fighting scenes."

"I have to check my schedule with my boss first."

"Okay then, on what day are you free?"

"My next day off is this Sunday, but I will be very busy; meeting some friends and going to the zoo with my kids," I stated. "I could spare maybe two or three hours of Tuesday, but I had to ask my boss first. If I was given desk job for that day, then it's fine. What are we going to do there, if I can go?"

"Are you okay with doing some martial arts for us? You just have to wear this amazing motion capture suit and flash out your skills." Hakeem's eyes sparkled, really hoping for me to give my consent.

I guessed it should be a brand new experience to learn. "Sure," I smiled. "But no promises, okay? I have to check my schedule."

This time it's a pixie-cut pastel purple colored hair lady. There is a party to celebrate the birthday of the Mayor James' daughter going on and a few high prominent figures were invited including Bruce. The woman by his side is new and I never saw her before. I tucked a strand of hair that had escaped into my hijab as I scanned the posh people. Lee was there as well in replacement for her hardworking husband who couldn't come. I gave a short smile when our eyes met and she returned the smile.

Everyone is looking very grand and elegant. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary so far and I hope it will stay that way.

"Drunkard situation here. Toilet area." A voice in my earpiece device said. I swallowed a grunt and took a deep breath. "Can I get someone here?"

I glanced at the other bodyguard in the same area as mine and gave a firm nod. "I'll go," I informed, then I walked towards the toilet.

I could hear a man was shouting, wanting to "talk to her" a few times. There was a small crowd there as well. I began by dispersing the crown, telling them that there is nothing to see.

The guard before me was trying to bring the man out of the place to prevent causing more disturbances. "Sir, you're making people feel uncomfortable with your antics," my colleague, Agent Boyer said. "Please allow us to bring you outside."

"Let me talk to that chick! She dare to refuse me! Do you even know who I am?" the drunkard man spitefully slurred. I wish I didn't know who he is. He is the son of a famous former car-racer. His father is a respectable man. I wondered what had gone wrong.

My not-so-tall colleague, Boyer glanced at me with a knowing look and I raised my brows to tell him that I agree of what he was telepathically saying. He moved to the man's left side while I moved to his right, then we gripped his upper arms.

"Hey! The fuck? Let me go!" the young man shouted at us.

Then we forcefully dragged him out of the place towards the lobby area where there are less people. He kept on shouting in rage at us but we ignored him. He was really drunk. I doubt he'll remember anything after this. His struggles weren't even that strong. Boyer sat him on one of the benches in the lobby while I went to the receptionist to get a glass of water.

"Drink this," I ordered to the intoxicated man.

His hand swung to smack the glass away but I grabbed his hand before he did. I placed the tip of the glass against his lips and tilted it. He had no choice but to drink it. "Please have a rest here… until you're sober enough to get in," I scolded, placing the glass on the seat next to him.

All of a sudden, there was a panic voice in my in-ear.

"We have a problem," a woman huffed. It was Agent Vega. She was supposed to be responsible in the control room with another agent. She seemed to be having difficulties in speaking. She was breathing harshly. I looked at Boyer in alarm. "A breach… i-in the ventilation… control room. The air infiltration…" And then there was no more sound from her.

There are about three hundred people in the party. If there is a problem with the infiltration system, it could endanger us all. I quickly rushed to the receptionist area and calmly told them to alert the police. We can't be panic and freaked out the people in the party.

"Agent Vega," someone else in the earpiece called. "Agent Vega."

No answer from her.

I pulled the mic of the device closer to my lips. "I'll check the control room," I blurted, speeding quickly towards the elevator. "Agent Tucker should be with her." I sped up my pace, still talking through the device. "Agent Tucker, are you there? What happened to Agent Vega?"

Before I reached the elevator, I smelled something. It was sweet, pleasant and alluring. It was the kind of smell that is familiar in spa to make people relax and fell asleep. I slowed down my pace, inhaling more of the sweet fragrance. But all of my strengths are gone all of a sudden. It was as if someone switched off my power button. Then my knees weakened and so I fell on the floor with my front against the floor. I managed to tilt my head to the side before falling. "Guys…" I breathed out as all my senses began to get blurry. "Call the health security… I think… there's an airborne attack."

My consciousness is leaving me, but I tried to move my body even though nothing moved. The view before me was the door of where the party was held and my vision was getting dark slowly. The door slammed opened and Bruce appeared in panic. He was covering his nose and mouth with a handkerchief. I wanted to shout at him to get out of the building, but I cannot say anything. The only thing that came out of my mouth is my hectic breathing. I felt as if I was in that dream again where I was drowning. And gradually everything faded to nothingness.

I know...

I kept on writing Sarah got knocked out of conscious.

XD