Here is the Third Interlude, again taking place directly after its predecessor.

##########################################

Interlude Three

Rachel Elizabeth Dare (And Kat)

##########################################

Katarina (no last name) slunk through the darkened trees of the park, eyes never wavering from her target, a young male dressed in jeans and a black hoodie, who was in turn stalking a beautiful brunette girl who was probably in her early twenties, from the looks of her.

She had started tracking the male a few days ago, after noticing a pattern in his movements during her 'patrols'. He always walked through the same few parks in the general area, always wearing dark and concealing clothes, and always watching young women who walked the parks. While that was certainly nothing significant in and of itself (men and women watched each other all the time in the parks, being noticed was one reason they went), the way that he did so seemed less like a guy checking out girls, and more like a creep checking out marks.

There had been a string of sexual assaults over the last few months, and while none had yet been full-scale rape, each one had been escalating from the previous iteration, which led her to believe that the instigator was working his way up to actual rape.

She wouldn't allow it. Her hand went to the long scar that crossed her left eye. She couldn't allow it.

Flashback!

"Stupid bitch! Embarrass me in front of my friends, will you?!" the man assaulting her snarled, kicking her shaking form as she lay on her side, curled up around as she held the bleeding gash that had nearly blinded her left eye, courtesy of the beer bottle the man had hit her with.

Not half an hour ago, this man had tried to pick her up at the bar she frequented on her darker Friday nights, when sitting alone at her apartment watching Netflix got too lonely and depressing even for her anti-social preferences. He had made the mistake of coming on far too boldly and fairly insultingly, and the result had been her shutting him down hard instead of being polite about it. His friends, who had been watching nearby, had further embarrassed him by very loudly mocking him for his failure, loud enough for the entire bar to hear.

She had left not long after, and the man had ambushed her as she crossed through a small park in an effort to get home faster. In hindsight, not the best idea, but she honestly never thought that a guy she had turned down would assault her. She had done it dozens of times without incident, why should this time have been any different?

Except it was. Another kick had her on her back, and the panties under her short skirt were torn away as his weight pinned her to the ground, his freed hand fumbling with his zipper. Her hands slapped at his chest desperately as she struggled to force him away. He elbowed her in the face and started to fish himself out of his boxers.

Her hands scrabble desperately across the ground, praying for something-anything- to help her keep her innocence. A soft clink caught her attention, and her hand latched around the neck of the bottle he had hit her with. A high scream echoed through the park as she plunged it into him, and he roared in pain, rolling off of her as his hand flailed at the injury. Shrieking like an enraged val'kyr, she fell on him with her improvised weapon, plunging it into his flesh over and over again, warm blood splattering her face and clothes. Finally, she collapsed sideways off of his mangled, bloody corpse, the bottle clattering to the ground once more as she sobbed softly.

A Few minutes later, her head came up again as she glared at the now-cold corpse. Climbing to her feet, she made an oath then and there that no man would ever take advantage of her again, and she would kill anyone who tried.

Sometime later, she stopped another attempted rape in its tracks, cutting the man's throat with her nail file and tipping the police. Her oath expanded to protecting all innocents from the depredations of others.

Flashback Ends

Her eyes narrowed as hurried movement drew her from her memories, and she watched as the male seemed to make his move, grabbing the woman from behind. Her flailing attempt to dislodge him knocked his hood off, and Katarina's eyes blzed as she recognized the accused serial rapist Erik Brown, who had gotten off on a technicality despite DNA evidence that he had raped five women in the last year alone. One of her personal targets was at last in her reach.

She palmed a pair of throwing knives and sighted his back, but before she could let fly a hand grabbed her shoulder. She spun, ready to attack, but stopped when she saw a girl that looked remarkably similar to herself standing there, finger to her lips.

"Hush, just watch and wait." The other girl said softly, and Katarina glared angrily into her jade eyes as she spat back, though just as softly.

"If you think I am going to sit her and let her get raped…!" she was cut off as the girl shushed her again and pointed towards the pair. Katarina turned around again just in time to see the "victim" stop playing the damsel in distress and swiftly lay a beat-down on the rapist with some highly impressive, and professional, moves. Moments later, a swarm of cops (both uniformed and otherwise) materialized from the trees and acquired their target with barely professional glee. Eventually they dispersed; all save for the female officer who had played the part of the bait.

Instead of leaving, she made directly for the bushes that Katarina and the girl were hidden in, and the girl cursed softly and flipped her hood up, shrouding her face from view as she stepped further back into the shadows. It proved unneeded, however, when the officer stopped just in front of the bushes and spoke softly.

"I know you're here. I spotted you watching him a few days ago while I was doing the same. I know who you are, or at least what they call you, 'Sinister Blade', and I wanted to thank you, off the record, for doing what you're doing. You've saved young women from suffering a horrific fate, and while I wish you would do it from this side of the law, you're doing it regardless. The only reason I could perform this mission was the knowledge that if anything went wrong, you were watching from the shadows."

"…what is your name, Officer?" she asked, just as softly, and the woman blinked, apparently not expecting of an actual reply, before smiling slightly and responding.

"Caitlyn." Katarina hummed aloud, acknowledging the answer she honestly didn't think she would receive, before giving the woman her own name.

"Katarina Du Coteau."

Now the Officer was truly surprised. She had hoped for a first name, or something other than the media's title to call the woman, but a full name was ludicrous for a vigilante to hand out to a cop. Even if the cop seemed to be willing to let her go.

"Thank you again, Katarina, for doing what you can to protect innocents. Just…try to avoid being noticed next time. We have orders about you, and as much as I appreciate what you do, I took an oath. Understand?" she said, sounding rather regretful, and a soft laugh answered her.

"Don't worry about me, Officer. I know how not to be seen. Stay safe."

With that, there was no more sound but that of the wind rustling through the park, and Caitlyn smiled as she pulled out her phone and called her girlfriend, the ex-criminal Victoria (or, as she preferred, Vi) for a pick-up. She would enjoy regaling her pink-haired brawler with this particular tale…although, she would probably be lectured for the risk she had taken. She weighed the pros and cons of telling the other woman in her mind, and elected that telling her would be best. Not only was honesty the best thing in a relationship, but Vi might…chastise her for her part in the mission.

##############################################################

"How did you know that they were there?" Katarina asked her fellow red-head, who had once more removed her hood, and the other girl shrugged slightly in response. After leaving Officer Caitlyn behind, the pair had, in silent unison, decided to stick together for the moment, and headed towards the nearest exit to the park.

"I dunno. I've always just…known things. It's a talent of mine, I suppose." The girl said, before blinking and blushing slightly. "Ah, please forgive my rudeness. I forgot to introduce myself. Rachel Elizabeth Dare, at your service."

"Pleasure to meet you, I suppose." Katarina responded, feeling a little uncomfortable. Being polite and diplomatic wasn't her strong suit, hadn't been since The Incident. The pair rounded a bend and came to a T-intersection in the pathway. A few feet in front of them was a small pedestrian bridge, while to their right lead deeper into another section of the park. Both girls stiffened as a group of men, gang members from the looks of them, stepped out from under the archway, fel intent clear in their eyes and their bearing.

"Well, lookie here boys." The apparent leader sneered, slouching towards them with his baggy pants as he twirled a knife in his right hand. "Twin birds tryin' ta fly away. We should catch 'em and cage 'em."

"I'd love to see you try." Katarian hissed, drawing two of her longer knives in response, and Rachel looked around, noticing a few more men filtering out of the trees, surrounding them. As they drew closer, only one thought crossed her mind, a desperate plee she knew would be heard.

'RIVEN!'

##################################################################################

So end the Third Interlude. The Fourth will be the last one before the next real chapter, just so you know!