"Every villain is a hero in his own mind." –Tom Hiddleston
Street rats scurried past as the man rushed down the desolate alleyway. New York City rain water from earlier in the day soaked the tops of his industrial strength combat boots. Rust from the oncoming chain link fence stained the fabric of his golden gloves as he climbed its top. A shot rings out into the sky as he clears two trash cans and rounds the next corner into another corridor. Two more blasts escape nearby as he quickens his pace. His intense physique is what embodies his impressive endurance. Encompassing the element of surprise opened a new time frame as he wound out and took a brash swing at the perpetrator. Within milliseconds after the man's jaw contacted with his brass knuckles, he was lying face down on the ground. Our hero experiences a blow to the back of the head as well. Although he did not fall to the ground as well he felt a lump already growing. Turning he sees three more thugs walk out of the darkness to join their other crew member on the ground. With cat like reflexes our hero activates his taser shocking the two men that were closest to him. Both men fell temporarily unconscious as the correct voltage did the trick. The first man that fell to the ground regained his strength as he joined the final man. The three engaged in a hand on hand combat battle. All three men experienced blows as the various weapons repeatedly clashed against one another. Our hero brought his hands to the face of the first thug and head butted his skull, breaking his nose long before the decent to the concrete floor. The last man never stood a chance as the taser regained strength. He too easily fell to the ground, as our hero handcuffed the four unconscious thugs. Placing his taser back in his belt, he ensures that the rest of the alley is safe. As he looked down to press the button on his belt pager to notify the authorities, he hears a gun cock behind him. Slowly turning to the entrance of the alleyway, Mr. Taro, the leader of the thug unit steps into the light pointing a fully loaded revolver. It all happened the one time he let his guard down.
"Karma really is a bitch, isn't it?" he grins his yellowed teeth.
Our hero nearly rips his suit as he grabs his taser. But this time his reflexes cannot match such human invention. Neurons and gray matter splatter on the wall behind him as he falls to the Earth one last time. Blood soaks the detrivores below him in willowing defeat. Taro steps up to our hero and notices the brass knuckles around his fingers. Kneeling down he peels back the cold metal statures off of his fingers to claim them as his own. Laughing one last time he winds his hand up and does the unthinkable.
The Times headline read "REKNOWN NEW YORK CITY VIGILANTE FOUND DEAD IN ALLEYWAY". Cosima inadvertently sighed as news of her older brother's death reached the general public five days after the incident occurred. Cosima found out the morning after when she knew her brother had not returned her text from the night before. The authorities informed her of the news later that afternoon. She was overtaken with disbelief. Thirty years old: left by her parents and now her brother. What more would come next?
Today was the first day that Cosima showed up to work after taking the past four days off as sick leave. She was bombarded with many "welcome back Dr. Niehaus" and "if you need anything I am here for you's" when her colleagues greeted her. Delphine was reluctant to send her off to work, but Cosima assured her it was what she needed. She kissed her on the cheek, not ruining her newly applied lipstick and Delphine promised that when she was home for dinner that she would help begin arranging the funeral. Cosima headed out the door, deciding to walk instead of driving to the lab. She barely made it through the day despite believing that consuming herself within wet lab work for the latest project would allow her mind to stray at least for a few hours. Well a fifteen minute bathroom break in which she slid to the bottom of the stainless stall as few tears managed to escape proved otherwise. Despite managing to leave her eyeliner unthreatened she bravely picked herself and completed the day. It was nothing more than a blur.
The sun was still shining after 6:30 that night, during Cosima's walk home. Although, a group of black clouds appeared to be moving in off of the shoreline, threatening to rain heavily for a second time that week. She closed her eyes and hummed a familiar tune that Delphine used to sing while cradling her those nights she came home upset. Her mind conjured visions of tall grass, a gentle breeze and the woman of her dreams standing in the near distant end of a meadow. She smiled as Delphine twirled in a lovely lace white sundress- a dress with a low cut back and empire waistline. It jumped up towards her waist, showing off fair long legs beneath it. She truly was a beautiful woman. Cosima knew she was very lucky to have crossed her path back in her undergraduate years. Snapping out of her day dream, she opened her eyes just before she reached the edge of the building that both girls shared an apartment in. It honestly seemed like eternity to climb five sets of stairs and unlock the door that led to the spacious apartment. As she turned the lock, Delphine was already waiting for her at the dinner table. She was hesitating to let out a small shaky breath that she was holding in, in which Cosima offered a small smile in return. Getting up from her seat, Delphine stepped towards Cosima and let her envelop her in a much needed embrace. The two stood intertwined in one another as the silence was the only reassurance that Cosima needed. Once Cosima was ready to let go, Delphine guided her to the couch and sat her down.
"You can talk whenever you're ready. I will always wait for you," Delphine stated.
Cosima looked straight ahead and momentarily pursed her lips knowing she had to tell someone, "It was rougher than what I expected, but I pulled through."
Delphine's face lit up in a sincere grin as she took Cosima's hand and stroked the back of it with her thumb, "You are a survivor, you know that mon amour." Cosima looked her in the eyes and offered a weak half smile as the two sat in a comfortable silence while Delphine continued to stare at the fingers she was playing with. It was all she needed to hear. "I went to the doctors today," she began quietly, once she noticed that Cosima's thoughts immensely fogged her immaculate mind.
Cosima slowly looked up to her girlfriend, choosing her words carefully, preparing for the worst "How did the test go?"
Delphine could no longer contain her excitement, "It worked, chérie. It worked!" Suddenly, the tears she had been holding back stumbled down Cosima's cheeks as she began to laugh. Her emotions were completely chaotic at this point and not even worth the attempt to contain. "It worked?"
"Yes, I'm pregnant! We're going to have a child," Delphine laughed along with her. Cosima sporadically brought her hands to cradle Delphine's cheeks and crashed their lips together.
"You are so beautiful," she whispered on her lips. Delphine merely smiled into the kiss before gradually pulling away. She was far too excited about the good news. "How far along are you?"
"Almost eleven weeks," she mirrored Cosima's ecstatic grin while running her fingers down her neckline. The two stared lovingly into one another's eyes, until Delphine broke the silence. "Let's go eat before the food gets too cold." Cosima leaned up and kissed the older woman's temple. "Yes mom," she flashed her cheekiest grin. Delphine giggled and shook her head as she got up, ensuring to give her hips an extra sway as she walked over to the stove. "Delphine?" Cosima quipped while still seated. Delphine turned to face her. "Thanks."
"No need to thank me," she smiled genuinely and turned back to the pot of pasta she was preparing to serve.
Insomnia burdens Cosima deeper into the night as the two women are entangled within one another. Cosima waits until Delphine is in a deep sleep to deftly sneak past her caring grasp, while ensuring she does not wake her lover. Stalking over to the bathroom she notices that the dark circles beneath her eyes have further progressed. Not like she would be missing another night's worth of sleep or anything. Vertigo spins the room as she falls forward to the cabinet of the sink. Luckily, her reflexes anchor both sides of the sink as her head dips in light pants. She slowly unscrewed the tap and runs water, ensuring that Delphine does not wake. Splashing the cool water on her face splays the nauseous sensation. Minutes pass before she obtains the courage to pick up her coat, step into her purple wellington boots and go outside into the rainy night.
She felt bad leaving Delphine alone that night, but she knew it was now or never. She has to do this. After wandering the outskirts of the lower west side, she turned down an alleyway that led to the entrance of a nightclub. Bypassing the line, while keeping her head down she made her way to a large green dumpster. Pushing the dumpster away to the right revealed an outline of a door that would have normally camouflaged with the red brick casing of the building. Fumbling with her keys, she placed the shiniest one into the lock. It took longer than normal to open the door as the key stuck because it has never been used before this moment. Once she finally got the door open she stumbled into the dimly lit room- her brother's locker. Ryan was an electrical engineer during the day which made sense why he had a bench full of prototypes. He fought hand on hand only when needed. His go to weapon was the variable taser that he developed. It was self-sufficient and completely alternating current. Photochemical cells ensured that it charged three times faster than a phone battery. His large lamp to charge the device was standing behind the bench. The walls were lined with blueprints of other prototypes. Another wall encased his tools that he used to work with. Walking back further into the room, Cosima found Ryan's suit erect on a mannequin stand. It wasn't the one that he wore normally as he had multiples ready in case he tore his current suit. She stood beneath it apathetically staring at the only shining light in the locker. Out of fear she looked away momentarily. As she turned to her feet she noticed that the purple eye mask had fallen to the floor. Kneeling down on one knee, she curiously cradled it in both hands before rising to her feet and looking up to the rest of the spandex suit. Looking back to her stretched hands, she knew she needed to make a decision. On one hand she felt obligated to carry out the promise that she made her brother if something like this had happened. It was the only way she agreed to let him be a vigilante, although it was hard enough not having their parents still around already. The city still needed to be protected! But on the other hand she couldn't place the aguish that her brother placed on her on her pregnant and soon to be wife. She pulled the engagement ring out of her pocket and opened the jewelry box. Delphine and their unborn child is all she really has now. The thought of Delphine experiencing the grief that she has is disheartening. Placing the box back into her pocket, she brushes a single tear from her eye. Looking back down to the mask, she knows that it is imperative to make a decision. Crooks were on the loose with a five day advantage on her. Delphine was at home unknowing that she left in the first place. It really was now or never.