Chapter 5: Who is Mysterion and Dark Avenger?

"Dark Avenger? Are you awake?" I heard a voice call through the haze. Where was I? I didn't remember anything from after seeing my arm's gash after I saved the town. Did I fall asleep, or worse, faint? The voice slowly pulled me out of the thick fog that clouded everything. I mumbled something that I didn't even understand.

"Oh good, you're awake. I can't believe how amazing you were!" I saw Kyle standing next to my week looking at me hopefully.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Well you kind of fainted and then they took you to hospital to fix up your arm." Great, I fainted.

Blood soaked bandages were wrapped around my arm where the bullet was. Those would need a change soon. I remembered that I was still the Dark Avenger and wondered why Kyle was here. My hood no longer covered my mouth but at least it was still around my head, concealing my hair.

"I never realised you were a girl. We all assumed you were a dude," Kyle said, twiddling his thumbs.

"Yeah, well I'm a girl," I said groggily. Luckily, I didn't sound anything like my normal self. My identity was slowly being discovered and I had to prevent that as much as possible.

"Why did you come to see me?" I tried not to make that sound accusatory but the Dar Avenger didn't know Kyle personally.

"Well, everybody did. I'm the first one that you've seen though." I was greatly surprised by this.

"Where is Mysterion? Was he ok?"

"Yeah, he was fine. I have no idea where he is though, sorry."

A nurse came into the room, interrupting us. "You're time is up Mr Broflovski. The Dark Avenger has another visitor waiting," she said, checking her clipboard.

"Oh right. Ummm, well I'll see you later then." I noticed that Kyle had been tripping over himself the whole visit, how unusual. When I was Cassie Macadie he was cool and in control but as soon as I was as awesome as the Dark Avenger he couldn't help but be nervous around me. I found this quite amusing and would definitely play upon this advantage later.

My next visitors were Butters, Clyde and Token. Butter's said that there were so many visitors they had to come in groups now. Seriously, why were there so many people here? My wound wasn't even that bad, just a bullet to my arm. I'll probably be out of here by the end of the day. Butters was too scared to approach me and Token avoided eye contact. Clyde however came right up to me and sat on the edge of my bed. "Hey babe, how you doing?" he said in a seductive voice. I almost laughed out loud at what he was trying to do. In normal life he almost completely ignored me except for a few times. Only because that one time in 4th grade the girls voted him as cutest boy in the class, he thinks he's better than everybody else. I can't say for when he was in 4th grade but at the moment he's not that cute.

"Well I'm doing fine considering I got shot in the arm," I whisper back, fluttering my eyelashes.

"So glad you're not a boy right now." Clyde put his arm around me. That was it; I couldn't keep a straight face anymore. I burst out laughing and Clyde's face turned deep red. I tried to recover myself by saying, "Sorry babebut I have a boyfriend." I lied but whatever; I didn't need this even if it was totally funny. Clyde removed his arm awkwardly.

"Who's you're boyfriend?" Butters pipes up.

"Well I can't say his name because he only knows me by my secret identity. But I can tell you that he's sweet, funny, kind, cute any everything I would ever want in a guy." I had no idea who I was thinking off actually. Maybe Kenny? I don't know. I guess I was just listing the things on my personal checklist for perfect guys.

As soon as Clyde, Token and Butters left I was I started to giggle again at Clyde. I was still shaking when Cartman came in. As soon as I saw him, the silly grin was wiped off my face. I resisted calling him all the dirty names I could think off. I might give away who I am. I mean, some of my insults are pretty original and I have no idea who else in their right mind would invent such things to be honest.

"Hello Dark Avenger. I see you're getting better. Hmm that's good I guess. I have a proposition for you, a business proposition." Cartman pulled out papers filled with information out of a briefcase.

"Seriously, what the hell do you want, kid? I've seen you around. You're a trouble maker," I asked tiredly.

"How about you sign you're services over to me. You need a manager; every star needs someone to help them. I'll book you gigs, get you more famous than what you already are for the small price of…" he started.

"No. Absolutely not. I'm not in it for the money or the fame."

"But…"

"Drop it, kid."

"Don't call me kid! I'm 17 years old you asshole. You stupid bitch will regret this!"

"Fuck off!" Cartman left hastily and I relaxed back into the pillows. I wondered if I could get away with pretending to be asleep. I closed my eyes and simply listened to what other visitors had to say. There was a lot of 'thanks' and 'we can never repay you'. I didn't want to hear anymore. I didn't want to get showered with praise all the time and talk about nothing else. I couldn't wait to get back to being Cassie. I would have to make sure that I covered my bullet wound well. No short sleeve shirts for me for a while. Not like I would really need them anyway, it was freezing up here in the mountains. I wouldn't have 'woken up' all day if it wasn't for a special person coming in.
"Hey," I heard a familiar voice. I lay there silently trying to figure out who's it belonged to and whether I should be bothered to stop pretending I was asleep.

"Well I guess I can say this because you're asleep. You were really great today and I didn't really want to say it when you were awake because then you might think I was sappy." Oh my gosh, this was not happening. That voice belonged to Kenny!

"Kyle told me you thought Ali and I were going out. There's nothing between us and there never will be. I hope you know that deep inside." Kenny sounded like he wanted to say more but didn't. I rolled over in my bed grinning. Kenny's mouth formed and O shape and his face went entirely red. "No… I mean… I didn't mean to… I was just… uhhhh," he stuttered.

I laughed briefly before saying, "It's ok Kenny." He looked down at the floor, totally embarrassed.

"Where'd you get the new clothes from?" I noted how he wasn't wearing his Mysterion outfit or his normal orange pants with orange hoodie.

"The salvation army has been giving out heaps of clothes to everyone. I snuck some so they wouldn't know who I was by the clothes they gave me." He was wearing blue jeans and a black hoodie which he had untightened as he walked in. He knew I didn't like his hoodie muffling his voice that much so whenever we were alone he always undid it. Kenny handed me a handful of clothes as well. I was touched that he had thought about me.

"I wonder when school's going to start again. I mean, we have exam's coming up. It's our final year," I said casually.

"Yeah. It would be a tragedy not to go to Uni," Kenny rolled his eyes. He wouldn't be doing any of that.

"You don't have to die, Kenny." I looked down.

"You know I do. I have no choice."

"You do. Please, stay here. For your sister, your parents or whoever you love. Do it for them," I pleaded.

"Cassie, you know I can't."

I sighed, "alright then. Are you any closer to getting the knife?"

"Unfortunately, no."

"When is the date set?"

"Soon. I don't know when exactly though. Look, I better be going. I have to work at my shift, otherwise we'll be eating pop tarts for dinner again," Kenny laughed. I smiled and he left. I was tired and went to sleep for real after his visit.

Kyle was waiting outside for Kenny. He was going to drive Kenny to work. Poor Kenny didn't even own a car.

"You don't have to die, Kenny." Kyle heard the Dark Avenger's voice coming from the room. Immediately Kyle pressed his ear against the door of the room. Kyle thought he must have heard that wrong, Kenny couldn't die. Kenny was one of Kyle's best friends.

"You know I do. I have no choice." Kenny replied. How did Kenny know the Dark Avenger? They seemed close enough for Kenny to tell her that he was going to die but not his best friends. Jealously steamed up in Kyle, Kyle had known Kenny since primary school and he was sure that the Dark Avenger was not Stan or Cartman which were the only other people Kenny had known for as long as Kyle.

"You do. Please, stay here. For your sister, your parents or whoever you love. Do it for them," the Dark Avenger pleaded. Kyle thought that maybe they were going out! Maybe the Dark Avenger was implying to do it for her! Kyle remembered when Clyde had come out, he was red with embarrassment. Clyde said that the Dark Avenger had blown him off saying she already had a boyfriend. How could Kenny not tell Kyle?

"Cassie, you know I can't." Kyle put his hand over his mouth to keep from voicing his surprise. Holy shit. The Dark Avenger is Cassie! Of course! Kyle had thought that her voice sounded familiar. Kyle couldn't tell them though, then they would know he were eavesdropping. Kyle desperately wanted to tell somebody but decided against it. If he told then others could find out and Cassie's secret identity would be no more. Kyle couldn't believe that Cassie possessed real and intense powers.

Kyle moved away from the door just in time to see it open with Kenny appearing from it.

"Hey Kenny, are you ready to go?" Kyle said a little bit too carelessly.

Kenny sighed and said, "Yeah ok," with a muffled voice. His hood was tightened up again.

"What's wrong, Kenny?" Kyle asked concerned.

"Nothing. Let's just go," Kenny said.