Spoiler, but not Spoiler, balanced against the old apartment building's
ledge about ten stories from the ground. A large drop landed on the left
side of her neck and slid over her throat to the right. Then to her
shoulder where, because that arm was reaching back across her vertically
extended body to clutch the rope, it was redirected beneath her shirt and
along her side before gravity got the best of it again. It wasn't raining
anymore so she let her head loll back and looked up along the building.
Looming over a tier another ten stories up was a large gryphon gargoyle.
The drop could only have fallen from the end of its beak. She smiled
broadly. Hanging there for the sheer thrill of it was wonderful but being
in the right place at the right time for that little tickle was kismet.
She had no idea she'd missed this so much during her long month of
recovery. She swung herself in a side-arc and then pulled up to stand on
the ledge. She figured she had better get to her destination before Tad
thought she'd bailed on him. She smiled to herself again. Poor guy, she
thought, he opted to take the stairs.
Adding to the thrill of her climb was her attire, or lack of it. When Tad had asked her to go out tonight he also suggested she leave the costume behind. So, instead she stayed in her cropped tank and shorts and donned his offered mask (which was dorky but effective) and tossed freely into the night all inhibition. It felt liberating.
She hoisted herself over another ledge and counted windows until she found the one Tad had described. It was open a crack and the end of a curtain fluttered out. As she approached she heard voices and realized Tad was already there. She heard a loud smack of skin on skin and her heart leapt then sunk into her stomach. She quickly shimmied to the window and threw it open. Bending down to look through, she gripped the sill ready to leap in. But instead she hesitated.
There was Tad standing like a seething giant over a middle aged man strewn before him on the floor. She could not see the man's face but he shook slightly. With fear? With rage? She couldn't tell. She had no idea why Tad had brought her here or what this man had done to deserve Tad's wrath but uncertainty was not the cause of her hesitation.
Standing wide eyed in the door behind Tad was a girl. She was eight maybe nine, blonde and a little tom-boyish in her stance and expression which conveyed a little fear but also the fascination of one never really sheltered from the world. She wore a large shirt and her hair was tousled. Did Tad know she was there?
Tad and the girl both looked from the man on the floor to the woman in the window. Tad flicked his head to indicate he wanted her to come inside. The girl saw this and her eyes lingered on Tad for a moment then expectantly locked on Stephanie, waiting to see if she would comply. The man never took his eyes off Tad.
Stephanie slowly stepped through the window to the floor where she assumed an unagressive stance with palms out and very slightly raised.
"What's this?" She asked.
"It's my present to you for getting better." He did not smile. "This jerk is a crook and a murderer." He jutted a thumb to indicate somewhere in the apartment behind him. "He's also got a little girl." He waited as though that should explain everything.
In their month or so of sitting around talking, Steph had told him about her own father and the original reason she created Spoiler. She'd expressed her contempt for the man on several occasions.
The man.
She looked down at the man now sprawled before her who had still not turned to look at her. From behind, the back of his head could be her father's. The light was not good so she could imagine the hair color was the same. His build was certainly very close, at least from this angle. She looked up to the girl who still gazed back. She recognized the rough edges and lack of fear. The tainted innocence. She could easily believe this was the daughter of a man who snuck out at night when he thought she was asleep. She could imagine the angry tears of betrayal as she wondered where he was going and why he would leave her.
Why do you have to go away? Why didn't you take me with you? I don't care if it's wrong; I just want to be with you. The thoughts flooded unbidden into her mind. She had to clench her eyes closed suddenly to keep the tears back. The transformation from grief and pain to rage, honed so finely by Tad, was instantaneous.
"Where do you go?" she asked in a voice tight quivering with anger. The man stiffened. "Where do you go at night when she's crying before you even leave but stays quiet and pretends to be asleep so you don't wait too long?" she had made her way around to his side. Now she heard a whimper confirming the truth of her words and Tad swung around in surprise but she ignored them both. She stared fire into the man but he did not look up at her or answer
"Tell her!" she nearly screamed and pointed toward the girl with an unsteady finger. Still, he stared only at Tad and did not comply. Stephanie leaned over and grabbed the man by his hair twisting his head so they were face to face. "You won't ignore me." She snarled. "You will not ignore her." With that she let go his hair and slapped him hard across the face. "Now tell her or I will cripple you so you can never leave this building again without her assistance." The girl let out a sort of muffled yelp but didn't move. Without taking her eyes from the older man, Stephanie continued.
"She has a right to know. She has the right to hate you for it. When she knows what you really are do you think she'll care if I hurt you?" Finally he looked past Tad toward his daughter.
"Would you baby?" He asked smoothly. "Would you hate me?" The girl's eyes filled with tears but she blinked them away.
"I already hate you Daddy." She replied stiffly.
The man sat there dumbfounded. Then he threw his hands up in the air.
"You see? There's no point in me telling her, she already hates me. I do this all to give her a better life. All the jobs. Including the one..." the girl began to weep quietly "that stupid guy had to be a hero. He had to get between my gun and the clerk so the clerk could pull his own gun." He looked up at Stephanie. "I ain't ashamed ya know. I did it all for her" then back to his daughter "and I don't care if she is an ungrateful witch." Stephanie reached to slap him again but Tad was faster. There was a crack as his fist landed on the man's jaw. But he didn't stop there. He began a barrage of kicks and blows, cursing under his breath. At first Stephanie just looked on, a sick sense of satisfaction leaking into her heart.
She felt a small hand grasp her own and pull. She looked down bewildered.
"Please!" The girl begged hysterically. "Please, stop him. I know daddy's bad but I don't want him to die. He's all I have. Please!" She tugged again and Stephanie started as if she'd been asleep. She looked again and realized that's exactly what would happen. If she did not stop Tad he would kill this man. Just like he'd killed the guy in the alley.
Stephanie's heart broke in that moment. She'd hoped that guy would die, just like she'd hoped her father would die. And when he did she'd berated her own mother for missing him. Now, she hated this man for what he was doing to his daughter's childhood, for his lack of shame. But, someone did love him, despite what the girl had said, and Stephanie could not begrudge her that love. She gave the little hand a quick squeeze and strode purposefully forward. Firmly grasping Tad's arm before he could swing again she spoke his name. He whirled batting her hand away, and instantly turned back. This time she caught his knuckles in mid-swing and didn't let go.
"I won't let you." She said calmly. He wrenched his fist free and it swung toward her head. She dodged easily.
"Why would you stop me?" He asked bitterly and advanced on her now. She backed away but did not cower. "Don't you see this is the only way? You told me yourself your father was better off dead." Stephanie stopped abruptly, facing him with resolution.
"It's not right, Tad." She did not raise her voice. This time there was no fear or anger for him to manipulate. He lashed out in frustration. Stephanie found herself on the floor and tasted blood.
"I thought you understood!" he shouted down at her. "Damn it! You were so perfect. I actually wanted you to come with me. I wouldn't have been alone anymore." He was screaming now and the last few words cracked. His anger tripled, fed by the emotion he refused to feel. He kicked her in the same ribs he'd been so careful to avoid. She croaked in pain, and grasped her side. He stood there heaving as she slowly stood. She almost doubled over again but only winced. Stephanie took a step toward him and took his hand gently. He watched her, speechless. She looked up with pain dancing in her eyes.
"I'll...I'll still go with you." She whispered, smiling. "But only if we leave right now." A war played out on Tad's face, but he did not let go of her hand. Just when Stephanie began to hope she heard a small voice from across the room.
"Daddy?" whispered the little girl. "Daddy!?" Stephanie thought she understood and her heart fell. Dropping his hand, she stepped around Tad expecting to see a dead man. Instead she saw an open drawer and a gun pointed at Tad's chest.
All thought fled Stephanie's mind as she watched the man's lips move and his finger pull the trigger.
"Bastard." He cursed.
Time slowed to a grind as she placidly stepped in front of Tad. The heat exploded in her shoulder and she heard all three of them cry out. This amused her. "What else did you expect?" She thought what she could not say.
Stephanie felt herself slide to the floor in Tad's arms. She let her head loll back for the second time that night, and smiled. His face was spattered with her blood and held the most anguished expression she'd ever seen. She reached up and touched it. He let out something between a laugh and a sob. Then her fingers slid down his chin as her arm could no longer support its own weight.
Adding to the thrill of her climb was her attire, or lack of it. When Tad had asked her to go out tonight he also suggested she leave the costume behind. So, instead she stayed in her cropped tank and shorts and donned his offered mask (which was dorky but effective) and tossed freely into the night all inhibition. It felt liberating.
She hoisted herself over another ledge and counted windows until she found the one Tad had described. It was open a crack and the end of a curtain fluttered out. As she approached she heard voices and realized Tad was already there. She heard a loud smack of skin on skin and her heart leapt then sunk into her stomach. She quickly shimmied to the window and threw it open. Bending down to look through, she gripped the sill ready to leap in. But instead she hesitated.
There was Tad standing like a seething giant over a middle aged man strewn before him on the floor. She could not see the man's face but he shook slightly. With fear? With rage? She couldn't tell. She had no idea why Tad had brought her here or what this man had done to deserve Tad's wrath but uncertainty was not the cause of her hesitation.
Standing wide eyed in the door behind Tad was a girl. She was eight maybe nine, blonde and a little tom-boyish in her stance and expression which conveyed a little fear but also the fascination of one never really sheltered from the world. She wore a large shirt and her hair was tousled. Did Tad know she was there?
Tad and the girl both looked from the man on the floor to the woman in the window. Tad flicked his head to indicate he wanted her to come inside. The girl saw this and her eyes lingered on Tad for a moment then expectantly locked on Stephanie, waiting to see if she would comply. The man never took his eyes off Tad.
Stephanie slowly stepped through the window to the floor where she assumed an unagressive stance with palms out and very slightly raised.
"What's this?" She asked.
"It's my present to you for getting better." He did not smile. "This jerk is a crook and a murderer." He jutted a thumb to indicate somewhere in the apartment behind him. "He's also got a little girl." He waited as though that should explain everything.
In their month or so of sitting around talking, Steph had told him about her own father and the original reason she created Spoiler. She'd expressed her contempt for the man on several occasions.
The man.
She looked down at the man now sprawled before her who had still not turned to look at her. From behind, the back of his head could be her father's. The light was not good so she could imagine the hair color was the same. His build was certainly very close, at least from this angle. She looked up to the girl who still gazed back. She recognized the rough edges and lack of fear. The tainted innocence. She could easily believe this was the daughter of a man who snuck out at night when he thought she was asleep. She could imagine the angry tears of betrayal as she wondered where he was going and why he would leave her.
Why do you have to go away? Why didn't you take me with you? I don't care if it's wrong; I just want to be with you. The thoughts flooded unbidden into her mind. She had to clench her eyes closed suddenly to keep the tears back. The transformation from grief and pain to rage, honed so finely by Tad, was instantaneous.
"Where do you go?" she asked in a voice tight quivering with anger. The man stiffened. "Where do you go at night when she's crying before you even leave but stays quiet and pretends to be asleep so you don't wait too long?" she had made her way around to his side. Now she heard a whimper confirming the truth of her words and Tad swung around in surprise but she ignored them both. She stared fire into the man but he did not look up at her or answer
"Tell her!" she nearly screamed and pointed toward the girl with an unsteady finger. Still, he stared only at Tad and did not comply. Stephanie leaned over and grabbed the man by his hair twisting his head so they were face to face. "You won't ignore me." She snarled. "You will not ignore her." With that she let go his hair and slapped him hard across the face. "Now tell her or I will cripple you so you can never leave this building again without her assistance." The girl let out a sort of muffled yelp but didn't move. Without taking her eyes from the older man, Stephanie continued.
"She has a right to know. She has the right to hate you for it. When she knows what you really are do you think she'll care if I hurt you?" Finally he looked past Tad toward his daughter.
"Would you baby?" He asked smoothly. "Would you hate me?" The girl's eyes filled with tears but she blinked them away.
"I already hate you Daddy." She replied stiffly.
The man sat there dumbfounded. Then he threw his hands up in the air.
"You see? There's no point in me telling her, she already hates me. I do this all to give her a better life. All the jobs. Including the one..." the girl began to weep quietly "that stupid guy had to be a hero. He had to get between my gun and the clerk so the clerk could pull his own gun." He looked up at Stephanie. "I ain't ashamed ya know. I did it all for her" then back to his daughter "and I don't care if she is an ungrateful witch." Stephanie reached to slap him again but Tad was faster. There was a crack as his fist landed on the man's jaw. But he didn't stop there. He began a barrage of kicks and blows, cursing under his breath. At first Stephanie just looked on, a sick sense of satisfaction leaking into her heart.
She felt a small hand grasp her own and pull. She looked down bewildered.
"Please!" The girl begged hysterically. "Please, stop him. I know daddy's bad but I don't want him to die. He's all I have. Please!" She tugged again and Stephanie started as if she'd been asleep. She looked again and realized that's exactly what would happen. If she did not stop Tad he would kill this man. Just like he'd killed the guy in the alley.
Stephanie's heart broke in that moment. She'd hoped that guy would die, just like she'd hoped her father would die. And when he did she'd berated her own mother for missing him. Now, she hated this man for what he was doing to his daughter's childhood, for his lack of shame. But, someone did love him, despite what the girl had said, and Stephanie could not begrudge her that love. She gave the little hand a quick squeeze and strode purposefully forward. Firmly grasping Tad's arm before he could swing again she spoke his name. He whirled batting her hand away, and instantly turned back. This time she caught his knuckles in mid-swing and didn't let go.
"I won't let you." She said calmly. He wrenched his fist free and it swung toward her head. She dodged easily.
"Why would you stop me?" He asked bitterly and advanced on her now. She backed away but did not cower. "Don't you see this is the only way? You told me yourself your father was better off dead." Stephanie stopped abruptly, facing him with resolution.
"It's not right, Tad." She did not raise her voice. This time there was no fear or anger for him to manipulate. He lashed out in frustration. Stephanie found herself on the floor and tasted blood.
"I thought you understood!" he shouted down at her. "Damn it! You were so perfect. I actually wanted you to come with me. I wouldn't have been alone anymore." He was screaming now and the last few words cracked. His anger tripled, fed by the emotion he refused to feel. He kicked her in the same ribs he'd been so careful to avoid. She croaked in pain, and grasped her side. He stood there heaving as she slowly stood. She almost doubled over again but only winced. Stephanie took a step toward him and took his hand gently. He watched her, speechless. She looked up with pain dancing in her eyes.
"I'll...I'll still go with you." She whispered, smiling. "But only if we leave right now." A war played out on Tad's face, but he did not let go of her hand. Just when Stephanie began to hope she heard a small voice from across the room.
"Daddy?" whispered the little girl. "Daddy!?" Stephanie thought she understood and her heart fell. Dropping his hand, she stepped around Tad expecting to see a dead man. Instead she saw an open drawer and a gun pointed at Tad's chest.
All thought fled Stephanie's mind as she watched the man's lips move and his finger pull the trigger.
"Bastard." He cursed.
Time slowed to a grind as she placidly stepped in front of Tad. The heat exploded in her shoulder and she heard all three of them cry out. This amused her. "What else did you expect?" She thought what she could not say.
Stephanie felt herself slide to the floor in Tad's arms. She let her head loll back for the second time that night, and smiled. His face was spattered with her blood and held the most anguished expression she'd ever seen. She reached up and touched it. He let out something between a laugh and a sob. Then her fingers slid down his chin as her arm could no longer support its own weight.
