The Reincarnated Hitman

Senior Investigator Michael, a man who prided himself on solving any case... as long as it interested him.

Unlike Riley, he didn’t have a Factor that helped him during his investigations, which meant he could only rely on his instincts and brain.

And the combination of the two was exactly what got him here.

"I heard you’ve been looking for me, Senior Investigator Michael," Zero said with a smile as he stopped a short distance away from the man.

Michael observed him for a while, wondering if the kid before him was truly the same one that had caused a headache for both the HA and villain groups.

"Indeed, I am," he said with a small smile of his own, "I’ve heard quite a lot about you."

"I take it you’re a fan?" The hitman asked, still completely relaxed.

That caused the Senior Investigator to let out a chuckle before replying, "I guess you could say that."

"Well, you’d be the second one I met today," Zero said as he also looked around the abandoned parking lot.

He had survived the surroundings earlier, and he had made sure that Michael truly was alone, which meant that their conversation should remain uninterrupted.

"So," Zero continued, hands loosely in his pockets, "what exactly does the great Sherlock Holmes want with me?"

"I’m completely certain you know what I want, Mr. Bennett," Michael stated as he observed the hitman’s reaction.

He was disappointed to find only an amused expression as Zero said, "Are we playing ’guess Zero’s real identity’?"

"Not quite," the Senior Investigator answered, "after all, I already know that you’re Liam Bennett, and since we’re both here, I can prove that you two are the same."

"Is that so?" Zero seemed even more amused right now. "I’m curious, Mr. Owen, how exactly will you prove that I’m Liam?"

"Since you’re currently with me," Michael said, his smile widening slightly, "there’s only one way to prove it."

"And how’s that?" The hitman asked.

"Quite simple actually, since the kid seems grateful that you helped save his sister, why don’t you give him a chance to thank you?"

"..." Zero silently looked at the investigator, putting on a confused expression as he asked, "And how’s he going to do that?"

"You don’t have to worry about that part," the investigator started, "while you and I are having this conversation, my partner is heading to Liam Bennett’s apartment."

Zero continued looking at him for a while before asking, "Is that so?"

The investigator had deliberately created a situation where Zero was where he could observe him, whilst sending his partner back to Liam’s apartment.

If Zero and Liam truly were the same person, then Liam wouldn’t be in his apartment at this very moment.

It was a plan that would give Michael more than enough leverage over the hitman.

"What’s the matter, Zero?" The investigator spoke up again, "You’ve gone quiet."

Michael’s phone suddenly started ringing, and he pulled it out of his pocket with a smile on his face. "Would you look at that, it seems my partner is already at the apartment."

***

Meanwhile, back in Liam’s new apartment, Michael’s partner knocked on the door, and it was opened by Eli.

"Hello there," the partner greeted with a smile on her face, "I’m Investigator Nadia. Is your big brother around?"

Eli shook his head and said, "Big brother went out, but if you have a message, then I can...."

The kid suddenly stopped talking, looked behind the woman and said, "Big brother!"

The woman turned around and was faced with Liam, who seemed to have also come from the elevator.

He had grocery bags in his hands as he approached them.

"Hello," Liam greeted the woman with a smile, "how may I help you?"

The woman, Nadia, looked at him with a bit of confusion. Michael had been certain that Liam was Zero, a fact that she thought to have confirmed when the kid said he wasn’t around, so how was he here?

The senior investigator was hardly, if ever, wrong..... Perhaps Zero didn’t go to the agreed meeting spot because he suspected this would happen?

Either way, she had to play her part.

If Liam truly was here because Zero hadn’t met up with Michael, then their suspicions would be confirmed regardless.

"I’m Nadia," she said as she took out her badge. "I believe you met my boss this morning?"

"Mr. Owens?" Liam asked with a tilted head.

"Yes," Nadia nodded, "he asked me to deliver a message."

Liam raised an eyebrow, "A message?"

"Actually, it’s more of a request," She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, before dialing a number and extending the phone to him, "my boss would like you to speak with someone."

Liam simply smiled, handed the grocery bags to Eli and took the phone.

It didn’t ring for long before the phone was answered and a very familiar voice came through,

"Hello?"

It sounded like Senior Investigator Michael, who spoke up again as he handed the phone to Zero and said, "I think this one’s for you."

With a grin, the white-haired hitman took the phone from the man’s hand and put it on speaker before saying, "Zero speaking."

"Z-Zero?" Liam let out the best surprised tone he could muster, "Y-you’re the one that saved my sister?"

"Is there someone else running around with the name Zero?" The hitman asked, trying his hardest not to laugh at the situation.

Michael seemed a bit surprised as he listened to the interaction between the two.

His instincts were telling him that something was very wrong, but even he couldn’t deny what he was seeing.

There were two possibilities in this scenario: either Liam/Zero had a cloning ability, which would be impossible given that his Pragma was officially measured to be null.

There was no way he would be able to create a clone from this distance with that much Pragma.

Or, Zero and Liam truly were two different people.