The Descent

Chapter 10: The Kiss

13 June 2011, Monday

Deer Diary,

School started again today. I'm scared of coming back, because the weekends were fun. I'm scared that I will bleed in class, and then everyone will hate me and say that I am disgusting.

Writing class was hard. Mrs Morrison said that I am making a lot of spelling mistakes, but she didn't scold me. I was afraid she might. Instead, she was okay, I guess, like Mrs Davies. Doug and Carl became jealous of me though. They were always getting the worse scolding from the teachers.

But that was not the worst thing that happened today. When I was in the yard, two large boys asked for my lunch money. I didnt want to give them my lunch money because I would go hungry, but they pushed me.

I had sudden thoughts about fighting, but I remembered my nightmare, and I cant stop shaking, so I gave them my lunch money. Why must people do things like this? They are EVIL. I've never met people more evil than that before.

I was lucky that the adults were nice to me. When I told the kitchen people about it, they gave me my lunch. They said that I was a sweet girl. I didn't tell Dave though. I didn't want to worry him. He looks tired, and he's always frouning, and worried.

After school, I went to Pete's house. I had to ask Dad first though, but he agreed as long as I dont read comic books, play violent computer games or watch violent movies. Pete and I ended up playing Snakes and Ladders, and Chess. I kept beating him in Chess, and he said that I was like Professor X, but I don't know who Professor X was.

When I came back home for dinner, I wanted to talk to Dave, but I couldn't find him anywhere. Dad said he went out with friends. I wish I could be with him more, maybe be with his friends…

…

I was actually excited today, being Kick-Ass, that I decided to leave early to go on patrol. I would be meeting my first potential teammate, Doctor Gravity with his Zero-G Device. In the hours before that, I was greeting people when they were cheering me on. I was pumped. Today felt like a jackpot – I even came across a purse snatcher, taking away the possession of someone's grandma. I took off after him, nearly ran out of breath, so I fired my tasers. Both of them. At him. Needless to say, he couldn't move for quite a while, and the rest was routine – zip tie him, wait for the shower of glory and then leave shortly before the police came.

I tried my best not to think about Mindy. I plunged into my Kick-Ass double identity. After all, that's what being a superhero's about right? Putting aside your secret identity to get out there and kick criminal ass? Still, the ghost of Mindy's past was always not far away, just at the horizon. I had to work hard to keep it out.

Later…

Down the street, the red-and-white uniform of Doctor Gravity was unmistakable. He stood out from the crowd – that was partly what our costume was for. It took an almost neon red and blue for the citizens of Metropolis to notice him in the sky, anyway. Normally, I would think of the coolest way to make an entrance, but we were on the street, there were people all around and I wasn't in the mood by the time Doctor Gravity came along.

"Doctor Gravity?" I greeted him formally – it was the least I could do. Surprisingly, he didn't notice me until I was closer.

"Kick-Ass. A pleasure!" He took my hand, did a secret greeting of some sort with me. My hand followed his almost unconsciously. It wasn't much of a secret handshake, "Did I ever say that you inspired me?"

"Yeah, on TV." I'd seen him before. He wasn't unknown. The media had already gotten to him, not to mention the internet. He was first on Google.

"You look cooler in the flesh. Last time I saw you on TV, the footage wasn't good." He praised. All I did was just to just nod and say yes, yeah, sure. After defeating Mindy in her insanity (barely, we were both unconscious by the end of it), I didn't bother with the media anymore, and once I stopped going out as Kick-Ass, the media stopped bothering me. We started walking, and he started warming up rather quickly, a little too much like a fanboy, "Check this out." He thrust out his space-age stick to show it to me in full view.

"This is the Zero-G Device I invented. Can levitate any object up to a ton." Doctor Gravity claimed, and I listened intently, although admittedly his invention looked far less impressive than how it was on his Facebook page.

"For real?" Still, somewhere deep inside me, I wanted to believe. He looked at me, wearing a somewhat devious smile.

"Hell no, man! This is a baseball bat wrapped in tinfoil!" He admitted, and we laughed together. In the end, this Doctor Gravity fellow was a fascinating guy, although I was starting to doubt his capabilities in a fight. Sure, he wasn't Hit-Girl, but I had to start somewhere, "But it fooled you!" I wasn't so sure if it would fool everyone. I couldn't imagine him holding off a gang with fear of his device alone.

While we were patrolling, he stopped by a street vendor, ordered a diet mountain dew. He offered to buy me a can, but I declined. I didn't feel like including projectile vomiting as one of my moves. I was starting to really doubt his fighting ability, and starting to miss Hit-Girl's.

"I'm not even a physics professor, just a copywriter for an ad agency." He threw even more cats out of the bag. It was positively raining with cats. As it turns out, Doctor Gravity wasn't very far from being a cosplayer, or a roleplayer. I was almost eyeing him impatiently, worryingly, but in his revelry he didn't notice. The only thing going for him was that he was original (marginally) and he was for real (at least I think so). "But that's why I love this stuff! You can be anyone you want!" He said, showing off his 'Zero-G Device' like a giant claymore from Braveheart or something. Well, at least the design was pretty cool. I didn't even notice it was tinfoil he used.

We patrolled together, into the night. I was hoping for more action, but I was hoping even more for Doctor Gravity to digest his diet Mountain Dew, or at least fart the gas out. After hearing everything he said, I was beginning to distrust his ability to watch my back. "Done many team-ups before?" He finally asked. I was worried that he wouldn't stop talking about himself, about the making of Doctor Gravity.

"Kind of. Yeah. No, not… Really." How many times had I done team-ups before? Once, with Hit-Girl, and it felt like she was just desperate for a partner, willing to go for anyone after Big Daddy died – there weren't many superheroes on the list back then. And if I remember correctly, she actually considered shooting me with a submachinegun to avenge her father. I was taken aback then, but not surprised. The guilt was there, it'd sunk in pretty fast. Then there was the whole thing with Demoness. While she disappeared as Hit-Girl, I did a team-up with the Grandmaster and his late apprentice, Michael. "I was getting kind of nervous, being on my own." Not to mention dragged down by my own sins.

"Yeah, me too. I've never even been in a fight." He spilled, just when I thought he couldn't be more inexperienced. He reminded me of myself, when I got stabbed trying to stop two muggers, the same guys who'd been plaguing me and my friends, from stealing a car. I stopped myself for a moment along that train of thought – in the end, I could relate to Doctor Gravity. I was a dirty old virus, and he's a younger me.

"Well, hopefully you won't have to." I tried to cushion his apparent shame, make it easier to take. I was there before, and look where it got me, and when being naïve was taken too far, you end up causing harm…

"Hey, I've been talking to a guy talking about forming a team if you're interested." He finally said something that caught my attention big-time. The motherlode. The way to restart my career as Kick-Ass, to get off where I left off. The next logical step – forming my own Justice League, with its own Batman, Superman, Wonderwoman, Green Lantern… "I don't know how serious he is, but his picture is pretty hardcore."

"Are you kidding me? That's why I contacted you!" I couldn't contain my excitement anymore. My gear felt weightless then. Membership into my own Justice League, hopefully even becoming a founding member – my credentials for helping to put an end to Frank D'Amico and Demoness should mean something… Yeah, and killing lots of innocent people too. I stopped smiling, shut my teeth back behind my lips again, "I didn't want to freak you out by bringing it up too soon, you know."

"I'll show you his profile after I hit the men's room." The good news was, the Mountain Dew's out. Bad news? It was obvious the almighty atom wasn't exactly drilled and combat ready. Exasperating. I leaned by the toilet door, registering the faint smell of waste from within. I moved away from it. If it was Hit-Girl, things would have been smoother, and I wouldn't be the one doing all the worrying.

"Yo, Kick-Ass!" Someone shouted from across the street, walking towards me. A man in a black shirt, accompanied by a huge guy in a singlet, taking a video of me. They were either victims or fans, "Man, am I glad to see you."

"Is there anything I can do to help, sir?" The words popped out of my mouth with well-rehearsed bravado. I didn't even need to think. The suspicions came much later. As in never. The last time I checked, superheroes don't get lynched.

"Yeah, I was hoping you could help me get a million views on Youtube." He said, fast and aggressively. I could see mischief in his eyes, a smile that says it all. Something extended in his hand, a telescopic baton of sorts. Silver enough for me to taste steel in my mouth. With no time at all, he was onto me. I reached for my own batons, but he was faster. He went for it with a swing from below upwards, but I leaned out of the way, finally pulled out my own batons as I kicked the man with the telescopic baton back. They'd caught me at the wrong time. Just like most other times, I was grieving, and they'd pissed me off.

"I've handled worse than the two of you!" I shouted. I didn't care how stupid I sounded, or how loud I was, whether I was attracting attention or not. As far as I was concerned, they were dead meat because they caught me with Mindy on my mind.

He took another swing at me, but I cross-blocked it, gave him another kick where it hurts the most in the male anatomy. Just as he was trying not to vomit, I brought my batons down on his shoulders, as hard as possible. Rage. Or heroic justice. Depending on your interpretations. His wrestler-type friend was still filming with his cellphone, but as soon as Telescopic Baton Guy hits the floor, he got the hint and lunged at me. His fist travelled faster than I thought, but that's where my helmet came in. Next thing I knew, he was clutching his fist with his other hand, screaming bloody murder. I was secretly hoping he broke it.

Telescopic Baton Guy was no longer armed. He put up his fists, but he was getting scared. I swung a baton at his direction, but he swerved out of the way. Which was when I found out that his buddy didn't break his fist on my helmet, as he brought the telescopic baton down on me. A blow, twice. I fell to my knees from the force, but my vest protected me quite well. That, and of course, my fucked up nerve endings and titanium plates. I could barely feel anything. Spinning around, I brought my batons on Singlet Guy, getting him in a knee and stomach.

But in the end, I was still one man and they were two. I could soon feel a foot on my back, the force bringing me down again, not that I was standing, but it ended there. Doctor Gravity to the rescue. He came in just in time from his adventure in the men's room, swung his 'Zero-G Device' sideways at Telescopic Baton Guy. I could hear bones crunching as he fell backwards. No screams or wails yet, "Run, Kick-Ass, run!" Doctor Gravity beckoned me.

"I don't run!" I gave him my intentions. I was still pissed off at my assailants. It became a 2 vs 2 situation, and Doctor Gravity was kicking ass admirably, for someone who'd never been in a fight before, who was a mere copywriter, an inch from a cosplayer and roleplayer. He was soon aiming blows at Singlet Guy, whose skull was crunching. The Zero-G Device did the trick. Another swing to his ribs and legs, and Singlet Guy, for all his size, was out of the game. Telescopic Baton Guy took two blows to the face from my batons and a few in the ribs and stomach, and he was following Singlet Guy to retreat, blood snaking down their mouth and nose, "Hey, what!? Not interested in a fair fight, huh!?" I hollered at the assholes as they ran with their tails tucked between their legs. Doctor Gravity, in the meantime, was pumped. With me as a witness, he'd won his first fight, and he didn't end the day in hospital like I did.

But it was far from over. 3 more guys came down the road, and our opponents were talking to them. They knew each other, and they were all looking at us, "That is not a fair fight!"

"Yes, it is!" Returning my batons to the slots on the back of my vest, I got ready to pull my twin tasers like a cowboy in a Clint Eastwood movie. I could already envision the fight. I could shock out two of them, maybe three, then rough it out with the remaining two. They'd caught me while I was thinking about my grand finale with the Demoness (Complex), and five thugs weren't shit in that frame of mind. I knew that I would get hurt, if I wasn't already, but in a twisted way, I needed it to wake me up. Taking a brief peek at Doctor Gravity, I saw him backing away, held on to me by a thin thread woven by kinship shared by costumes, reinforced by naiveté and stubbornness. A crowd was gathering, taking videos or watching the impending fight like WWE.

They came running towards us, Hyborian raiders-like. Strength in numbers was likely on their mind. When they came within range, I drew my tasers and fired, the probes shooting out, sharp and out for nerves. Two men were caught on the sides. They froze like puppets strung up by their masters, started cursing high and low, trembling violently, dancing to the rock and roll in their veins. But it wasn't a magic solution. I was open for the rest to dump their fists on.

"Look out, Kick-Ass!" Doctor Gravity, after presumably getting back his courage after watching two of them fall, came forward, swinging his Zero-G Device wildly, clipping one in the head near me. Didn't stop the other two though, and one of them had a knife – the other was Telescopic Baton Guy, out for vengeance. I pulled off the spent cartridges on my tasers, but they were already landing hits on me. I blocked the knife with my arm, and predictably, my wetsuit wasn't stab resistant. My vest was, and the plate inside absorbed the blow from Telescopic Baton Guy's weapon well enough. For the first time in the day, however, I felt a little winded.

My answer to their question? I pressed my tasers on their chest and fired them up. Drive-stun mode, like branding cattle without the scarring bit. They backed away, and as they did, I threw my tasers to the side, pulled my batons out. My left arm bleeding barely registered. The crowd's cheering. Doctor Gravity was actually doing quite well with his single opponent, his 'device' giving him a marked advantage, surprisingly enough. His thug had no weapons. But when he was done, the other two I tasered were getting up.

I started swinging wildly at Knifeman, never mind Telescopic Baton Guy. Somehow, one of my baton caught him in the knife hand – I heard something snap. I might have broken his wrist. A blow landed on my head, and I felt it through my head despite my double-layered protection. Soon, I could feel a hot rod through my back again, I thought I was bleeding in there. I swept the guy's legs with my green batons, but he merely stumbled – I hadn't been doing enough arm group exercises.

Doctor Gravity, on the other hand, was also in trouble, as Singlet Guy and Longhair had backed him away from me, isolating us. He was swinging his bat wildly (as usual), as if staving off dire wolves in a forest with a torch. Seeing my fellow superhero in need, I spent a split-second knocking Telescopic Baton down, bringing my batons down on his back as he was trying to regain his balance. He stopped moving after he dropped flat. Knifeman, on the other hand, was backing away, clutching his broken wrist. I didn't bother with him – he could chicken out for all I care.

Rushing to Doctor Gravity, shoving a baton in the face of another gang member, I caught the two cornering Doctor Gravity, gave them a piece of my mind over the top, real hard ones. They weren't expecting it, and so they fell. While they were on the ground, we made sure it remains that way, and the zip ties came in place soon after, not that they could move much to begin with.

By the time I turned around, Knifeman was already gone. The guy who I shoved a baton in the face was still on all fours, so I did the same with him – and Telescopic Baton Guy, who was still out cold like a drunkard outside a pub. All zip tied. Our names were in the air as we lined the felons up. Like in any typical movie, the police came after the action was over. We were nearly arrested, but with so much evidence for us in the form of videos and witnesses, we were let go. No questions asked. Even the police officers responding were on our side. Singlet Guy's own cellphone video for Youtube alone told enough of a tale to make our case self-defence. Instead of getting a million hits in Youtube for himself, Telescopic Baton Guy made sure we did.

"That was crazy, Kick-Ass, you know that right?" Doctor Gravity said, but I wasn't sure if I should read it straight, but he looked like an athlete who'd just set a new record, "Team meeting's on Friday. I'll email you the address. It's an honor kicking ass with you, man!"

…

14 June 2011, Tuesday

Deer Dear Diary

It was really tough at school today. Mrs Davies is getting me to memorise a lot of words! She said it's for my own good. She is also giving me extra homework. She wanted me to try to remember as many words as possible, or find more from dikcionaries. What did I do wrong? I can't imagine that I'm that good before the bus accident.

Dave was quiet at lunchtime today. Even Marty and Todd didn't know what happened to him. I'm worried about him. I wish he'd just talk to me. He's been out a lot at night. When I touched his arm, he shouted at me. It made me upset but he said he was sorry, so it wasn't that bad.

I was extoted again by the two big boys today. The lunchroom people told me that I should report it. Pete told me I should bring my own lunch. I haven't talked to Dave about it yet.

When we came back home today, daddy gave me a present. It was a bicycle and its light blue in colour. I like it. It was small enough for me, unlike Dave's bicycle. It had training wheels on –people are going to laugh at me!

Dave decided to teach me how to cycle. He said that I used to know how to cycle, that 'big daddy must have taught me before'. But I kept falling down! I'm lucky Dave gave me his old helmet and guards.

Anyway, I finally told Dave about the bullies in school. He didn't go out at night today. He got mad, and he said that 'he'll deal with it'. Also, he told me not to go down to the basement. He said it's dirty and dangerous.

Dad said that I could try it, so I've started praying before going to bed. I saw God's face again, and this time, I even saw what he was wearing. He was wearing a brown jacket and shirt. When I asked Dad about it, he said that it was puzzling, because God usually wears white.

My head hurts. The homework Mrs Davies gave me was tough. It's hard to remember all those words. I'm going to bed, so goodnight Diary!

…

15 June, 2011, Wendsday Wednesday

Dear Diary,

Mrs Davies saw my homework. She seemed worried about me. When she asked me where I took my words from, I told her that I just remembered them. I don't even know what some of them mean!

Like kalashnikov (maybe a name?), stryker (an animal?), holster (not sure), greaves (being sad?), condition red (an illness?), tec-9 (NO IDEA) and bouncer (I heard that it's a very big man. Pete said so but I cant help but to feel its something else). They must have come from before my accident.

I didn't do very well in social studies. When Mr Cole was talking about the law and things like that, I told him that they're not perfect, and bad people could escape easily, especially when the bad people and good people were friends. He scolded me! Maybe I'm wrong. I apologised after the class was over.

Dave said he'd stop the bullies and he did! I met the meanies at the place they want me to be at, and then Dave walked up to them and warned them. I wish he didn't have to fight them though, poor Dave! He got punched in the mouth, and he started punching back. I wanted to help, but I can't stop shivering! I guess Dave's right. I'm just a girl and I'm 11 years old. How could I help?

We had to see the principle though, but she was kind to us. She believed Dave and me, and said that the bullies would get into so much trouble. Dave was taking a video of the bullies taking my money! I'm lucky to have such a smart, brave brother. I love him so much! I just wish he'd talk to me more, like in last week. He went out at night again after he took me out to jog.

I'm having a headache again, I don't know why. Goodnight, diary!

…

16 June, 2011, Thursday

Dear Diary,

I kept having nightmares. Yesterday, I dreamt of an angel stopping many bad guys who wanted to hurt me. He was wearing green, and he had these two large guns on his back. Weird right? And he shot them down, because they wanted to shoot me. One of them had a… Giant gun, a big, black man in a suit. Like a bouncer. It wasn't a nightmare, but it was loud and scary too, even when I was saved.

It was even worse today!

…

"You hate him, yes?" It was dark a girl spoke to me in the dark she sounded a lot like me. I was in purple tights, cape and boots again and I had guns in my hand I spun around and shoot behind me but there was nothing I hit nothing.

"No…" Who do I hate? What are we talking about? I couldn't control myself but I agree with myself I don't hate anyone not even the bullies it's bad to hate.

"Yes, you do." The girl who sounded like me spoke again I was afraid so very afraid I turned back front and fired again the guns I had on me were loud! Who is she? Who do I hate? A door opened and shut in front of me when I was fixing my guns they stopped firing I feel naked and scared.

I shot the door and kicked it open there was light underneath the door she must be inside but I didn't want to fire the gun or kick things I wanted to run oh so much to just run away from this. There were even more guns inside and some of them were very huge it was scary but I don't see anyone inside even when the door was opened and closed my guns were still up I can't control it. I did the same thing to another door but the same room appears I'm so confused and I'm so scared. "What the fuck?" I used the f-word I didn't even know it existed until now why did I use the f-word it is bad and wrong.

"Dave's no different from the bad guys…" The voice said again from behind me so I turned around and saw no one but fired anyway maybe she's behind the door I got scared what does Dave have anything to do with this I love him so, so much Dave is not a bad guy.

"Where are you!" I shouted and I sounded angry but I feel sad at the accusation Dave is not a bad man he's my brother he took care of me made sure the bullies didn't take my lunch money I looked everywhere even outside the window and shot at another door but there was nothing nothing at all I'm scared.

"Here." The girl said again she was sitting behind a table, her legs were on the table how rude I thought I checked there before. I could barely turn when she shot me in the chest it was loud and it hurts IT HURTS so much the pain, but why didn't die I thought I should die.

I wasn't supposed to get hit daddy I'm so sorry I failed you you taught me so much and I wasn't using everything I learnt. Mommy and daddy died for nothing I fell against the door I was shooting at I was leaning against it I can't move anymore can't get up the girl's coming for me.

She was white all over and had red, red eyes she was scary looking. She wears black and silver, her boots were high 'go away' I wanted to say but my mouth wouldn't move. "Didn't expect me there, did you?" She said as she sashayed towards me like a runway model oh God why didn't the vest protect me? I have a vest?

I reached for my gun again but the white girl stepped on my hand and pushed it away I think she broke my fingers it hurts so much Dave where are you I need you please it hurts. "No so fast, Hit-Girl…"

"Look's like it's my turn again…" She said after she crouched down to look at me close in the eye her eyes were red, oh so red and they were very scary I don't want to look but I kept looking, and looking.

She grabbed the sides of my head and put her lips against mine kissing me young girls aren't supposed to kiss each other that way NO not even Dave and Dad why no NO please I can't stop her too weak it was disgusting she was even sucking the blood from my mouth stop please stop stop stop stop STOP!

"Stop! STOP!" I shrieked myself awake. I could feel snot coming down my face again, out of my nostrils but I knew it wasn't snot. There were already tears down my cheek even before I started crying.

My door flew open and Dave was almost flying in. He was even holding this big, huge flashlight. Mag-lite – I remembered using that word. He looked like he was about to beat me with it, so I cried even more. He switched on the light and I panicked. I didn't want him to see the blood. I covered my nose and mouth, but I was too slow.

"Mandy!" He shouted after me, and before I knew it, he was sitting on my bed. I didn't know he could be this fast. Next, he had his hands on my wrists, but I didn't want him to see the blood, "Let me see, Mandy." I kept shaking my head. I didn't want him to see but he kept pulling at me. I couldn't keep up, "Mandy, let go." He ordered me sternly. He was frightening me, and I knew he had already seen the blood, so I let go. Dad was also awake, standing by the door. They both saw it.

Later…

"What's your nightmare about, Mandy?" Dave asked. It wasn't even morning yet. I saw the clock in my bedroom when Dave was cleaning me up, and it said '0613'. We were already having breakfast when it was dark blue outside. I heard Dave's question, but I was afraid to answer. My cheeks felt red and hot. All I remember was… "Mandy, please, I'm worried about you, you know." Dave knew how to get me to open up. I can't help but to keep looking at my bowl of cereal – it was a lot less harder to look at than their eyes.

"I remembered… Kissing." I gave in in the end. How could I not? Dave wasn't around as often anymore, but when he was, he did care. He was here with me right now. My cheeks turned redder, I could feel it.

"Who, Mandy? Was it a boy you saw at school?" Daddy asked. Dave said he would worry about things like that all the time, "Was it Pete?"

"No!" I squeaked immediately. Disgusting! He was only a friend – now I knew what Dave meant, "I don't remember." I lied. Again. Am I a bad girl? I didn't want them to know that I dreamt about a scary girl my age kissing me. "I can't remember anything else." I was a liar. I remembered what the girls chanted when they didn't believe I lost my memory. Liar liar pants on fire! Liar liar pants on fire! But I remembered – I was fighting. I was in pain and I had guns. I couldn't help but shiver at the thought. I don't know if Dave noticed me shivering. But he was looking at me.