Do Not Touch Me!

Chapter 2: Seven Deadly Sins

Chapter 2: Seven Deadly Sins

After I said my name out loud, they were quiet. I felt the uncomfortable silence, they looked at me as if they were already measuring my worth. I intertwined my own fingers and played with the black gloves I was wearing. A part of me just wanted to run away, I know I didn't belong here. I don't belong anywhere.

"Hi, Mary." Ngumiti ang isang lalake na may matikas na tindig. His voice was deep and soothing. I looked at the man, at this distance, I can see his features vividly-his caramel brown hair with a natural curl, emerald green eyes that seem to see through your soul, Greek nose, thin lips, and his well-chiseled jawline.

His skin was like a porcelain. He was a walking perfection. "I'm Athanasius Dunkirk, codename-Wrath. I am also the leader of this group, Seven Deadly Sins, or SDS for short." He smiled at me. "Your codename, by the way, is Lust. I won't argue on that. We all fell quiet for a moment because we were mesmerized by your ethereal beauty."

I felt my cheeks heat up because of the compliment he uttered. I wasn't used to it and I will never get to. Growing up alone, with no one to protect me, I hid myself with my baggy and worn-out clothes, I made sure I wouldn't stand out too much as well, I am the wallflower type, I was. As a child, I already know I had the looks. I was adored because of it. But ever since my parents died, there were opportunists who wanted to get my hand for marriage, because of my good looks.

That's why I decided to just hide my beauty to put an end to it. Then, a few years later, I was diagnosed with acute leukemia and I was on my last stage, my beauty was long gone... but now that I am cured by my own poison, I seem to have drunk the fountain of youth and my skin was glowing once more, I was back in shape-I was beautiful again.

The fact that I am still alive, it feels like a beautiful lie, I was already ready to heave my last breath back then and rest with my parents, then a man came, telling me there was a cure.

"My power is regeneration." Bumalik ako sa riyalidad nang magsalita muli si Athanasius. He seemed to read the confusion on my face and he smiled once more, "I guess showing you is better than telling you." After that, he pulled out a dagger from its leather sheath, he positioned it on his hand and starting slicing his palm.

Nanlaki ang aking mga mata dahil sa kaniyang ginawa. Hinarap niya sa akin ang kanyang palad na may sugat at dumudugo, beads of his thick blood fell to the cold marble floor as if droplets of hot water. He was wounded! I wanted to go near him, to mend his wound, but then I remember how dangerous I was, I needed to keep my distance or I might put him or anyone in this room in danger. Why did he cut himself?!

A few seconds later, blood stopped flowing out of his palm, then the fresh slice on his skin seemed to stitch themselves together, his open wound started to close, then it was already gone, as if it wasn't even there in the first place. He wiped off the remaining traces of blood with his hanky and showed me his palm-no sign of cut. I stood still, enthralled by his power.

"My power is-"

"Lethal touch. Anyone you touch will meet their demise." A lady from the back spoke as if she already knew, cutting me off. "We saw the live feed of you touching the criminal last week. We also saw his excruciating death."

Singkit ang kanyang mga mata at maliit ang kanyang mukha. She had bangs on and her hair fell until her shoulder-level. "Oh, by the way, I'm Sayuri Shimamura, otherwise known as Envy and this is my twin brother, Shinigami Shimamura, also known as Pride." He pointed the guy beside him who looked exactly like a carbon copy of her, just the male version. "We both have the same power-enhanced speed."

After saying that, bigla silang nawala sa aking tingin. Then I felt a gush of wind hit my face and there they were all of a sudden, in front of me, just a few inches away, as if they teleported. And they both were gone once more before I can react. They were already back to their chair.

"Sunhell Firefly." Tipid na pagpapakilala naman ng isang lalaki na nakatayo sa may tabi ng bintana. "Gluttony," he said his codename, "fire resistant." And then his power.

"And I'm Portgas Phantomhive, I am Greed of this group and my power is ultra-strength." His buffed built do not lie about that.

Binilang ko silang lahat. There were only five of them... and I was supposed to be the seventh. Where is the sixth member?

As if on cue, the television flickered on and off and then it was finally stable. Bumaling ang atensyon namin doon, matapos ang ilang sandali, may mukha ng isang babae ang biglang nagpakita. "I am the sixth member of the group, I am Viveron Celestino, codename is Sloth. I have no physical body and I am but a data. I may not be there physically, but as long as there is a technology with you, consider me present. As for my power, infinite dive-I can breach any security system, decode, hack, access any information, satellite, or technology. I can do anything intangible."

"And that makes all of us, the Seven Deadly Sins." Athanasius announced. After that, he walked towards me, "welcome to the group, Mary." He offered me his hand, as if asking for a handshake. I walked a few steps back, careful not to touch him. He smiled, "don't worry, you won't harm me. You have gloves on."

Remembering that what he said was true, I gulped the lump in my throat and held my hand out, he grabbed it for a handshake. "We're a family now." He whispered. Biglang bumigat ang aking dibdib at nangilid ng luha sa aking mga mata.

Tumalikod agad ako at mariin kong pinikit ang aking mga mata upang pigilan ang pag-iyak. The words he uttered rang in my head once more. It felt like I can really belong on this team. I was happy and sad at the same time, happy to have met them and sad because of the same fate we all had.

I had to harden my heart. I cannot be over sentimental. He may say we're a family, but the truth is, we weren't. We were just a group of successful human experiments who were bestowed with the task to do the dirty work of the Central Government, we were the agents of RAGE. Somehow, thinking of it like that makes things a lot easier for me. Less attachment, less hurt.

Humarap ako sa kanila... and when I did, I was no longer the same.