The Descent

Chapter 14: Thy Will Be Done

26 June 2011, Sunday

Dave kept his promise. He said that he would read me a story during bedtime and he did. Last night, he sat beside me. He had this old book with him. He said that it was from the attic, and he loved it as a child. The book he read to me was 'Little Red Riding Hood'. It was a great story. When the Big Bad Wolf tried to take Little Red Riding Hood, a woodsman came and saved her. But why can't Little Red Riding Hood save herself?

I still had trouble sleeping after that. Dave stayed with me, sitting next to me. We weren't talking, but I like it when it was just the two of us in a cosy room, even if we were quiet. But Dave fell asleep on the chair, and I still couldn't sleep.

It took me an hour or two after Dave to sleep, because I was still thinking about what happened in the basement. Demoness wanted to hurt me, but the black knight saved me. But what was she trying to say? She asked if I am sure if Mandy was my name, and when I thought about it, it felt as if... My name didn't seem familiar. It didn't have the 'Déjà vu' feeling that Mrs Davies talked about. But what could my name be? Besides Mandy Lizewski? I don't trust the Demoness.

But at least when I woke up, I don't remember nightmares and I did not bleed. We went to church today, just like every other Sundays. It was after the service that I saw her again. Demoness. We were outside the church, because we were leaving. Demoness had a brown cloak wrapped around her, and boots for her feet. I knew it was her, because I saw the red eyes and white hair.

But she was looking at Sal Bertolinni. She didn't seem to care about me. Was that a good thing? When I turned to look at Sal confusingly and then back to Demoness again, she was gone.

27 June 2011, Monday

I'm still having trouble sleeping. Last night, my poor Dave had to sleep in the chair again. I feel really bad about it. Yet I can't help but to think about everything, about Demoness, about the black knight, about the odd feeling in my name, about everything Dave said. It felt as if things weren't real anymore.

I could still remember the black knight, and the way his mouth moved. I had been trying to read his lips. I think I could make out a few words. I think they were: Don't, and Dave. I said Dave's name so many times that it wasn't difficult when I think about it.

Yet I still can't understand anything – it's so frustrating! But when I think about it, it felt like the black knight was protecting me from Demoness, so I think he was asking me not to listen to Demoness, or go near her. But what was he trying to tell me about Dave?

Was it about the things he said? About how they didn't feel real anymore? He seemed to be hiding something from me, and he was gone for so long these days. I wanted to find out everything. I want Dave back.

It was after school when I decided to find out more. As Dave got on his bike, he waved and told me to enjoy my time at Pete's house. I was on my own bicycle, which was blue. Then Dave cycled off – when I asked him where he was helping people, he said that he was volunteering in the Good Samaritan Hotline. I didn't know what it was, but I didn't know if that was where he was going.

I lied. I lied to both Daddy and Dave. I wasn't going to Pete's house. I was going to follow Dave. I would feel sad whenever I lied, but it felt like something I had to do. Things did not feel right. I want Dave back.

I took off after him when he wasn't looking. I was a little far from him, but I could still see him. Dave really knows how to ride a bicycle, so I had to pedal really hard to follow him. But he was too fast. He was further away after a while, after he made a turn, and in the next turn, he disappeared!

I had to go to Pete's place in the end. But at least he's made two more friends, Josephine and Mark, from a community centre, and when I came over, they were there. We played Monopoly together.

When I got back home, it was dinner time. After dinner, I went up to my room to do my homework. Then it happened…

…

I was writing new words down, such as Uzi, manipulation and dreg. I couldn't even understand most of them, and I couldn't even find most of them on the dictionary either. Mrs Davies won't even tell me what they were. She would just tell me to find some other words. When I had to do my math homework, I couldn't concentrate anymore. I wish I could find out everything. I felt very upset.

"Aw… Feeling down now, are you?" It was then that Demoness came to my room. I didn't even see her enter. She was like a ghost. I didn't hear the door open. My window was, so she might have come through there. She was lying on my bed. She was no longer naked – she had a towel around her body. The black knight saved me from her, and I think he didn't want me to go near her, so I didn't. I stayed at my desk. I tried to ignore her, "The silent treatment? You're becoming tougher, aren't you?"

I could hear her coming closer. She got off the bed and walked towards me. I could hear her feet pattering on the floor. I couldn't help but to cringe. I didn't want her close to me, but she was stronger than me. I felt her hands on my shoulder, and her face pressing next to mine. It reminded me of Dave. He did that before. She was doing the same thing Dave did to me, but I didn't like it. It made me angry. "Go away!" I shouted as I pushed my chair back and turned around, shaking her off. I was surprised when Demoness let go.

"Good. It's good to be angry. It's better than being a scared little girl!" She grinned and laughed as I was standing there. I could feel my hands going tight. I could feel my fists. But I didn't know what to do. I wanted to run, but she was standing between me and the door, "All this for little old Dave Lizewski. You know, I can help you."

"But why do you want to help?" I asked Demoness. It was hard, but I tried not to be afraid.

"We both want the same thing. You want Dave, so do I." She said. I didn't trust her. I couldn't trust her. She wouldn't let go of me in the basement.

"Why do you want Dave?" I was confused. I didn't know that Demoness knew Dave. Demoness laughed when she heard my question. I could hear her so clearly. She was close to me, but not close enough to touch me.

"Silly girl. You do know that I'm your guardian angel, do you?" Demoness said. What she said made sense – how else could she get in the house that way? And then get out so quickly? But she didn't look like a guardian angel in the basement, "That's why I'm heavenly white! I want Dave so that you could… have him."

"Listen, I know I scared you in the basement." Demoness continued. She sounded convincing. She was explaining everything away, "but I was cold, wet and I was in pain. It hurts to be born again." Born again? Like being a Christian? Was the Demoness trying to trick me? I knew she wasn't trying to hurt me, because she was stronger than me. I knew she won't harm Dave or Daddy, because she could have done that anytime.

"Okay…" I finally said. Demoness smiled when I agreed, but I didn't like her kind of smile. It didn't seem like the same kind as Dave's and Daddy's or even Pete's when they smiled, "You can help…"

"Here, sit down right next to me." Demoness was in my bed again, and she was inviting me to her. She was patting the spot she wanted me to sit. I didn't want to at first, but I sat right next to her in the end. I was afraid, but at the same time I wanted her to help me. I felt her arm around my shoulders and her head leaning on mine. She felt light, but strong. "You're following Dave to where he's going, right?" How did you know about my plan? Were you watching me?

"Yes…" I said, but I was more worried about the way Demoness was touching me. She was so close to me that I could feel her breathing.

"But you're too slow." Demoness said. I remembered when I lost Dave. I felt sad then, "Well, it's easy, really." She started putting her fingers on my thigh. I was shocked, but I felt her arm around my shoulder, and I didn't want to move in case she gets angry or upset. With her finger, she seemed to be drawing a map for me to follow.

"This is Dave. He took a few turns." I could feel her finger sliding around my thigh, like the way Dave was cycling. It felt wrong and… Mrs Davies would call it 'perverted'. She didn't feel like a guardian angel, yet… she was helping me, "So why don't you scurry across the neighbourhood before he leaves…" She walked her fingers across my thigh. I felt like crying, but I didn't want to lose to her, "and wait here for him to pass, then follow him again?"

"Oh, and by the way, do you have a hairclip?" The Demoness asked, but at least her fingers were no longer on my thigh.

"Yes…" I took the Hello Kitty hairclip Daddy bought me out of my hair. My hair fell back over my ear. Why would I need a hairclip?

"Pull it apart." The Demoness told me. I didn't listen to her this time. I didn't want to break my Hello Kitty hairclip. My Daddy bought it for me. Demoness' arm was still around my shoulder. I felt trapped.

"No." I looked away from her. I didn't want to do it, but at the same time I was frightened of her. I wasn't looking at her eyes, but I could imagine them staring at me, "Daddy bought it."

"You'll need it to find Dave. Pull it apart." She told me again. I was expecting her to shout at me, or hurt me, but she was very calm. For some reason, it sent a shiver down my spine. Instead, I felt Demoness' entire hand on my thigh. I hate it when she does things like that! I remembered dreaming of her now. I remember her kissing me. I felt like throwing up, "You know, I can be here all night… I'm a very, very patient guardian angel…" Her hand was cold, burning into my thigh. I could feel her stroking it. I felt sick. I wanted so much to cry, to call Daddy, but Demoness was there. I pulled my hairclip apart. Hello Kitty's face fell off.

"Good girl." Demoness removed her hand from my thigh. I still couldn't breathe. This was when I realised that I was aching – I was so tense when she was around. "Now, I can't remember where Dave's going, but wherever he is going, there's going to be a locked door. You know how to pick a lock, right?" I shook my head. I didn't even know what she meant by picking locks. I didn't even want to look at her. She was… perverted. "Don't worry, you'll know."

"Well, I gotta run, sweetie." The Demoness was finally leaving. But I still didn't want to breathe too hard. I felt her planting a kiss on my cheek before standing up. I didn't even want to look at her. "You'll thank me when you have him." She disappeared before I was brave enough to look at her again. I couldn't help but to cry in bed after that. It was difficult for me to sleep later. I could still feel her hand on my thigh even when Dave was reading me a story, even when it was 2 o'clock, and Dave had fallen asleep beside me.

…

28 June 2011, Tuesday

Dr Paul came to visit me again. He asked a lot of questions. I had to lie to him a few times. I didn't know if I should tell him about Demoness – he asked if I've been seeing anyone who was a 'bad influence' – but I feel that I shouldn't. Demoness was helping me to find out the truth about everything, about why I can't remember anything except for what Dave and Dad were telling me, about my name. Then there were the nightmares and dreams I had. I couldn't tell Dr Paul about everything. He gave me a lollipop before he left.

Dave said yesterday that he'd take me to the movies today. But just now, he said he couldn't. He said he needed to help in the 'Good Samaritan Hotline' place again. When I asked about that place, he said that it was where depressed people would call in for help. I want to be a good sister to him, to understand what he needs to do. But at the same time, I can't help but to… suspect him after everything Demoness told me.

I planned to follow him tomorrow, but I did it today instead.

…

Dave told me what time he was leaving. I lied again that I was going to Pete's place. I left the house a little earlier than Dave. I followed Demoness' plan. I went the same way I followed Dave over the last time and it took me some time to get there. When I did I didn't know where to hide when I got there. I saw the alleys alongside the road, but they were smelly! I did it anyway. I hid in the alley and pinched my nose, but I could still almost smell it through my mouth.

I was there for ten minutes. The smell was HORRIBLE, and I couldn't help but to feel that I wasn't alone, as if Demoness was looking at me in the alley. I could hear all kinds of movement and sounds in the alley. I thought I could hear rats. Then Dave went by. I was happy to get out of the alley, so I got on my bicycle quickly and cycled out of the alley to follow Dave.

I pedalled harder and faster. I was sweating through my dress. I didn't want to lose him again. I needed to find out the truth, about what everything Dave had been telling me. Inside, I was praying to God that everything he said was the truth, that I was just being a silly little girl, so life could just go back to normal…

There was a moment when he turned around a corner, and I thought I would lose him because I was getting so tired, but when I turned a corner, he'd finally stopped at this huge, old building. I had to stop suddenly, and I fell off my bicycle. It hurts so much, but I ran behind a corner to hide. Before this, I didn't think that I could hide so fast. It was like Hide and Seek, but a lot scarier. What would Dave think when he saw that I was following him? What would Daddy do if he found out that I was lying to him and going out like this?

When I was hiding in a corner, I saw that I was bleeding from my knee. I wanted to give up, but I knew I couldn't. Dave was so important to me – even if he was lying to me, I knew that I would forgive him. I just needed to know the truth, to get him back. What if Dave was in trouble? What if, like me, he was forced to come to the old building by bullies? Dave said that the city was a dangerous place. And what if he was lying to me? He'd broken his promise before, and it hurts inside, more than my knee. How much would it hurt this time if he was lying to me?

I waited for him to get into the building before I followed him. I no longer knew what I was doing – it was all new to me, yet… it felt familiar in a way. When I got into the building, I saw him enter an elevator, and it was then that I lost him. I went up to the elevator doors, unsure of what to do. Which was when my phone rang, and I saw that I had a message – only Pete, Dave and Dad ever messages me, but this time, it wasn't them.

'Look up, girlie.' The message said. I knew who it was even when the phone number was new. I looked up, and I saw a number above the elevator. It was the floor the elevator was on. It was the floor Dave was going to, and it stopped on the top floor. I took the other elevator, and when I was inside, another message was sent to me. 'Stop on the floor below him, go up the stairs and don't let him see you.'

I did as Demoness told me. I was tired, but I didn't want Dave to see me. When I could see the floor Dave was on, I saw him going into an apartment. I wanted to go into the apartment, but I remembered that the door would have been locked.

Then I remembered something else. Fumbling around in my pocket, I took out the Hello Kitty hairclip I pulled apart because of Demoness. 'You know how to pick a lock, right?' Demoness asked yesterday. After I was done crying yesterday night, I had time to check the dictionary what 'picking a lock' meant. It was to open a lock using anything else other than a key. But I had no idea how to do that! I didn't even know what it meant yesterday!

At first, I wanted to just give it a try, but Demoness sent another message, 'Wait for him to leave first before you try anything, girlie. Wait for the elevator bell.' And so I waited, and waited, and waited…

Meanwhile…

It was finally special operations day – the day I had been waiting for. The Colonel'd called up all founding members to meet on the field. If only he didn't do it at the last minute – but I'm sure he had his reasons, and I'm sure it had something to do with me telling him about mafia plants and double-agents. The timing was horrible, though, as I promised Mindy that I would take her to the cinema to watch Cars 2. I could only be thankful that she'd never watched the original.

I went through the usual routines. All of them were unavoidable. I sat down on Mindy's desk, looked at their badass family photo. Big Daddy in his dark modern armour while Mindy in her purple outfit as Hit-Girl. She had her twin pistols – no chance of that anymore, now that Dr Paul had made sure she was even more girly than a normal girl, too afraid of even a subconscious thought of violence to even hold it without shaking. Still, I couldn't hold anything against him, no matter how much I wanted to sometimes. I opened Big Daddy and Hit-Girl's lockers, took out Hit-Girl's stuff, wondering at the what-ifs. I'd long given up on locking them after I was done. It wasn't as if Big Daddy or Hit-Girl would ever come back and give me a good talking down to, no matter how much I dreamed or fantasied that it would happen.

It was only after then that I went into the storeroom to get changed into my Kick-Ass gear, all the while wondering if I should even continue down this line after looking at Big Daddy and Hit-Girl's costumes again, costumes that hadn't been worn for a year. It was the same every time. A habit of self-destruction that I couldn't help, along the lines of smoking and drinking and opium smoking. In the end, I would still be in my Kick-Ass costume, going out there as Kick-Ass.

After taking a good look through the pinhole at the front door, I switched off the lights and took my leave, making sure that I lock the door behind me.

…

At first, I was beginning to disbelieve Demoness' advice. If Dave was in the Good Samaritan Hotline place, I knew that he would be in there for hours. So if Dave was not lying, I would have to wait for hours at the stairs. Looking at my Spongebob watch again, I saw that 20 minutes had passed.

I was no longer as tired, but I could still hear my heart beating. I was afraid of finding out the truth – if Dave was lying, I knew the pain would hurt so much, and if Dave was telling the truth… I wouldn't forgive myself for all the lies I had told to follow Dave, for succumbing to Demoness, for even doubting Dave, who had taken care of me all along, even when I was hard to take care of.

I thought about walking away, to just go home. But I knew I couldn't, because I needed to know the truth. So I sat there, and cried. I didn't want to – I knew the words even the girls in my class would use to call me: crybaby, crybaby. But I was so scared of what comes next. It was either Dave would betray me, or I would betray Dave.

Then my phone kept ringing. Looking at it, I saw messages popping up one after the next, fast. 'STOP CRYING GIRLIE', 'DON'T BE A LITTLE GIRL', 'OR HE WILL FIND YOU', 'SHUT IT FOR YOUR DADDY', I could see as the messages kept popping up one after the next. I had to silence the phone to stop the noise – the noise was hurting my ears. It was then that the apartment door opened, and I clapped a hand over my mouth. I was still sniffling and crying, and I was trying to stop. I went a flight of steps lower to hide better. I waited for the elevator bell.

When Dave came my way, his steps were heavier, slower. The elevator bell came after that. Going back up the stairs again, I came to the same door Dave was at. While I was still sniffling, I had to 'pick a lock'. Fumbling around with my ruined Hello Kitty hairclip, I inserted it into the keyhole and pulled it out – maybe it works like a key? I tried the knob after that. It didn't work. I twisted it around, trying to get it right, putting it into whatever shape that came into mind. I tried it again, inserting it like a key, but the knob was still stuck.

Fishing – the word came into my mind. I didn't know how to take it, but I tried moving the hairclip around in the keyhole. There were things inside. Things to push. Play the piano, child – more words coming into my head. I started pushing them. I forgot that I was ever crying. I tried the knob again, but it wouldn't budge. Feel them and push them, baby doll, you can do it – the words continued saying. Time flew as I kept trying. I was mesmerized by it.

I pushed the cylinders inside for another round before pulling my Hello Kitty hairclip out. I was sweating but I wiped them away. I tried the knob again. This time, the door opened. Good job. That's my little miss sunshine.

Justice Forever Headquarters…

User: Colonel Stars and Stripes

Justice Forever Members Manifest – Founding Member Combat (Updated as of 28/6/2011)

Remembering Tommy

The first two to join Justice Forever. They do not fight to begin with, but they certainly have the courage to do what is right, and that is good enough. They are also great team players, first as a duo then as a member of Justice Forever. They will watch their team's back, but whether they could or not is the question.

They have no prior combat training nor experience. What we get from them is what I put in them, and for now they have about a few weeks of training behind them. The fight in the subway, at least, have proven that they could deal with street-level gangsters, but only with the element of surprise and only when their backs are turned and their attention elsewhere at the beginning.

Equipment-wise, they are modest. Their weapons are not the best, but they do have the element of surprise with them. The woman has a brick in her bag while the man has plenty of golf clubs to go around. They don't seem to mind breaking their expensive and fragile weapons, but we will need to look out for them when they break during combat.

They need more training, and more experience in easy situations first. They could use better equipment. Their value is in non-combat duties and decision making, which will be covered in their profile.

Insectman

Fourth member of the team. He is in the superhero world for 3 months and counting, but his performance, so far, is encouraging. He knows how to handle his batons. I suspect that he might have been in a community watch before he became Insectman. He knows a few ways to use his fists and feet, based on the demonstrations he gave, but he is limited without equipment. He is not built for the rough and tumble of dirty street fighting. He couldn't handle more than a few hits, if our sparring sessions are anything to go by. He is a little fast and nimble, so that could work to his advantage. NOTE: He is still not as well trained as, say, a rookie cop or mafia muscle. Train him in his strength: Fast and nimble.

His equipment loadout started out modest. A pair of police batons, a pair of handcuffs and some zip ties. However, he has since upgraded his police batons to double as shock batons in the headquarters' workshop. I've seen how it works in the subway fight, and those things pack a punch.

My only concern is his costume. While it is fine that his costume has minimal protection in the form of knee and elbow guards, he goes around without a mask, and that might blow his cover in any confrontation. Organised mobs could pick him off in a tick (pun unintended). I will need to convince him to wear a mask soon, when I get closer to him.

While he is relatively experienced, having been in one more fight other than the subway, more training and experience couldn't hurt. I believe he is ready for the tougher stuff, but with a mask on first. His tech skills could be useful too, if I could find a way to use it in battle.

Nightbitch

Fifth member of the team. She is another young superhero, having been at it seriously for about 4 months, but she is fiercely motivated, unfortunately thanks in part to her sister's murder. She can be trusted to not abandon the cause, to not run in the face of the enemy.

Morever, she has the toughness to match. Her figure, beauty and wardrobe makes for a good ruse to hide her combat prowess, which, oddly enough, has its roots in ballet. Despite wearing high heels, it didn't seem to affect her running and balance in any way. The extra height should help. That said, she could keep on her feet pretty well, and she is pretty fast and nimble. I've seen her kick a dummy in headquarters, and her kicks are an equivalent of any martial artists I've seen. She could easily reach the head, and the force of her kick sent the dummy across the room pretty well. Coupled with her high heels, I wouldn't want to be at the business end of her feet.

Her weapon is a pool cue, painted black on both ends. Although she has no formal training in any weapons, she handles it pretty well, owing to her time in ballet, which spans more than a decade. With balance and control on her side, she knows how to bring its full power down on a target. A limitation to this is the weapon itself, which, in the end, is a simple pool cue. It is not designed as a weapon, and is too light and easy to break, so it is not terribly effective. The other limitation to her attacks are her arms – as a ballet dancer and teacher, her legs are her priority. I have seen her punch before, and it could barely faze anyone. Her effectiveness with the pool cue is only possible with technique.

That said, her 'equipment' loadout is arguably the weakest in Justice Forever. Modesty aside, her upper half is almost unprotected by even simple cloth. Her cape and hair could easily be grabbed, and I still think she is better off with proper footwear. It is possible that her injuries in her first fight could be attributed to her lack of proper clothing and protection.

She needs proper equipment if she is going to go toe to toe with crime in the long run, otherwise, she has great potential, and is a great asset in combat. Some upper body exercises and training in actual combat will go a long way in making her a model superheroine.

Battleguy

Sixth superhero to join the team. He is a very new superhero, having joined the cause shortly after Justice Forever is formed. He has nothing but the subway incident to his name. Both in training and in a real fight, he is more of a defensive player, and it could be something to do with his personality – more on his personality on his profile.

He could punch fine in training, but he couldn't kick very high or very hard. He is not the most courageous man I have met, but at the least, he has been taking care of his cardio well enough. That said, he is largely dependent on equipment. He handles a large shield, and behind his shield he wears a hard utility vest with a stab vest underneath. Even his leggings and sleeves are reinforced. His gloves and boots are leather.

He will be hard to dispatch with bats and knives. However, guns will be a problem to him just like it is for the rest of us. His shield is not bulletproof. The colour scheme of his uniform serves as good camouflage. He will be hard to find in the dark, in an urban setting. He didn't look like a particularly stealthy individual, however, so that throws that option into question for now.

His only weapon is his shield. It is hard and the edges could do some damage. His shield is huge, so if he plays his card right, he could easily be on the offensive and defensive at the same time. However, he was frequently exposing himself in the subway incident, so some training in this respect will benefit him greatly.

He needs training, a lot of it, as he is only starting out, and he is entering the cause with no relevant skills whatsoever. His only saving grace is his equipment and defensive posture, and even then, he will need to learn how to moderate that with some aggressiveness. A real weapon will not hurt either.

Doctor Gravity

The seventh member to join Justice Forever. He is relatively new, having been in this for a month, reaching two. A thing to note about him is his enthusiasm for the cause. However, his excitement over everything superhero could also be a problem, as he can go overboard and become brash and headstrong. A pattern I noticed both in meetings and out on patrol is that he tends to act first before thinking later. During patrols, there are a few cases of him misinterpreting innocent acts. Had we not intervened, he would have been accused of harassment and destroy what relationship we have established with the police. He will need a few lessons in that kind of stuff, and in leadership, but for now, he is unprepared to make important decisions, both in and out of combat.

He professed no previous training in the martial arts or any kind of combat skills, lethal or otherwise. However, his experience fighting street thugs with Kick-Ass should be useful, but at the same time it allowed him to become even more over-enthusiastic. However, what he lacks in actual skill in confrontations are made up for by his equipment loadout.

His suit is made of leather, which should turn aside some knives, and he is armed with what he called the 'zero-g device'. Unfortunately, it is nothing magical, but it is still a good ruse and source of intimidation, though it doesn't work all the time. It is a baseball bat, and from personal experience, baseball bats are good weapons, especially in our cause – they are not too deadly, but hurts a lot. Moreover, with the decorations he put on the bat, it looks like it could hurt even more than a normal bat.

He will need a lot of training, and possibly a few more pieces of equipment, but as he is now, he will make it just fine.

Kick-Ass

The eighth member to join Justice Forever, and the last founding member. He was introduced by Doctor Gravity to join Justice Forever, but in reality, when I first thought of becoming a superhero to get out of crime and help those who I used to terrorize, I've had my eye on Kick-Ass. The reason I did not approach him myself was due to his sudden inactivity after stopping Demoness at the D'Amico Tower. He is God's answer to my prayers, as he is easily one of the most experienced and skilled superhero of them all. My original plan was to form a team with Kick-Ass, and then use him to get in contact with Hit-Girl – the Lord frowns upon child soldiers and prostitution, but I was just hoping to convince her to train and teach the superheroes in my team. However, as it is, Kick-Ass alone is good enough. In such humble beginnings, it is important to count your blessings.

However, it is important to keep things in a realistic even for a legend of his stature, especially for this report. Kick-Ass, like many other superheroes, has no formal training, and he does his own exercises and cardio. Most of his training came from his experience, and he has plenty to offer in that department, such that a full report of his experiences is in a separate file from this and his profile.

His equipment, which he says is accumulated as he continues being a superhero, is top-notch. Over his wetsuit, he wears a helmet, a vest and a utility belt. This will provide him with ample protection. He is the only member in Justice Forever who stands a chance against bullets, but even then, when I inspected his vest and helmet, I found that they offer enough protection only for pistols. Rifles will tear him apart, just like the rest of us. Predictably, he will do well against the common rats on the streets with their pipes, knives and knuckle dusters.

For weapons, he has his signature twin batons, and a pair of tasers. Very neat and professional, and he will know how to use them, considering that he used them against even Demoness herself, and won. It doesn't stop there either. For arresting criminals, he's got 2 handcuffs and a bundle of zip ties.

However, he does have problems that might affect him in combat. He seems to have suffered in his time as Kick-Ass. It is too obvious to ignore. He has some difficulty in trusting people, even members of Justice Forever. He is paranoid, but from my experience as a mob enforcer, it is understandable. It will still get the better of him if it goes unchecked. Other than paranoia, I can tell that he is in a lot of pain, and that he is beginning to doubt his role as a superhero. When I get closer to him, I will try to help him deal with his emotional turmoil, both as a leader and as a friend, and as God's hand. It will be both practical in the long run and the right thing to do.

A bit of training will help him, but counselling is what he really, really needs.

Safehouse F…

There was no one inside. The apartment Dave entered was dark. I had to switch on the lights. There were no phones inside. From the front door, I could only see a single computer on a desk, nothing else. I knew what it meant, but I didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to, no.

I tried very hard to think of something else, but I felt like I was losing. I came to the computer and the desk. There was a chair. Déjà vu. I sat down. My legs felt weak. It almost felt as if my heart would jump out of my chest. I didn't want to believe it, I didn't want to, didn't want to. I didn't want to believe it, but Dave had lied to me about everything. I needed something to look at, so I looked at my phone, to see everything Demoness had sent me, but when I checked the message inbox, there were no messages at all. I didn't have the energy left to wonder why.

How long did I spend sitting down on the chair? I didn't know. Time seemed to fly when I cry, and soon I was staring into space, wondering where Dave actually went, then I would cry again. I knew that the pain was coming, but it did it made no difference. Dave lied, and it hurts worse than a broken promise. It wasn't just any lie, it was a big one. Day after day, he had been going elsewhere but the Good Samaritan Hotline place – day after day, I had nightmares without him, or trouble sleeping. I need him so much. Even when he broke the promise he made me, I knew at least that he was out in the city, helping people, but now, I didn't even have that anymore.

Meanwhile…

"JUSTICE FOREVER!" I screamed into the night, for all the city to hear, for all the crooks below to tremble by. I screamed for justice, for the people, for the crooks, but also for myself, to let it all out: the pain, the joy, the frustrations, the rewards, Mindy, Big Daddy, the Colonel, everyone. It wasn't a superhero team name for the mafia to fear yet, but it was something to me – it was all I had after Mindy and Dad. It was all Kick-Ass had.

"I'm glad you got that out of your system." Marty quipped after I was done as he was casually sipping his coffee, sitting on an air-conditioning unit. He'd been waiting for Colonel Stars and Stripes' signal on the phone to get down. When his phone rang, I thought that was it – we're going down, but as it turns out… "Oh, Todd texted me. Again. What a loser." We'd been neglecting Todd since we both found out that we were both in Justice Forever. Marty's words did not hold water with me – I knew exactly what being alone meant, all too well, and in the worse way possible, that was, being alone even with friends and family around you. There was no known cure for that.

"Dude, how bad-ass is Colonel Stars and Stripes?" I changed the subject a hundred degrees as I returned to my seat next to him on the AC unit, adjusting my helmet and vest. Marty was the old me, and I didn't like how I used to look in the mirror. "I still can't believe he's an ex-mob enforcer. How do you go from that to being a superhero?"

"He's a born again Christian." Marty replied. Of course he is, I thought. Colonel Stars and Stripes was Sal Bertolinni all along. We'd been attending the same church for a week or two without knowing that we were both superheroes in the same building. But of course, the fewer people knew, the better.

I remembered Colonel Stars and Stripes' testimony about how Demoness was the catalyst to his conversion to Christianity, and how he knew about Hit-Girl's raid on the D'Amico Tower. As it turns out, both the Demoness and Hit-Girl was also in the same building as he was, every Sunday, and he never knew. Odd circumstances indeed. A secret family reunion.

"Man, let's hope we can handle tonight." Marty confessed his fears and insecurity. It was understandable – I would have thought the same way had I been in his position. In the subway fight with the Bloods and the Crips, he could barely even fight and contribute, and those gangsters were the small fishes in the grand organised crime's scheme of things. And now, here we were, about to perform a 'special operation', and we all knew that it had nothing to do with the soup kitchen or other forms of community service.

"We'll be fine." I said, and I meant it – whatever it was, it could never be worse than losing someone you care about, after you'd beaten her to within an inch of her life, after sending her in for a total brainwipe… Marty's phone rang again, and this time, it was Colonel Stars and Stripes, although his message was redundant as we heard the engine of a van switching off, fumes evacuating – but that was the Colonel, making sure that the wheel was turning as it should.

Safehouse F…

I woke up with a start. I must have cried so much that I was falling to sleep. I was so tired of crying my eyes out that I did the one other thing that I could do – I looked around, and saw the black knight on the wall. It was a photograph, and the black knight was with someone else, someone with purple hair and tights. My head hurts, but I stood up and came up to it. Everything in the apartment was déjà vu. My head was beginning to pound. With the photograph, it meant that the black knight was real, and the girl beside him…

'BD' and 'HG' were written on their belts. I could not tell what they mean, but I played around with the letters in my mouth. I found myself touching the photo. It felt like it would help somehow. I traced the letters with my finger, playing with them. "Bad… Devil… Big… Devil… Black…" But it didn't seem to fit the black knight, as he saved me from Demoness, "Black… Daddy… Big Daddy?" For some reason, the name seemed to fit the black knight. He reminded me of Big Teddy, who was also black in colour. Big Daddy had a yellow belt, while Big Teddy had a yellow ribbon.

"Hurt… Giver..?", 'HG' came next. My head was pounding like a drum. Something felt very wrong with the room. Why was the black knight in the photo? "Hot... Girl? Hell… Girl. No." Then it came to me, out of nowhere, like the many words I was giving Mrs Davies, "Hit-Girl. You must be Hit-Girl." I said to the painting, to the girl in purple in the painting. I had no one else to talk to, not even Dave. My head was pounding, and now so was my heart. I felt weak. I saw flashes, flashes of purple, flashes of red, red everywhere, blood getting spilled, like how blood spilled from my nose. My head was pounding. I had to sit down, but before I did, I saw someone in brown jacket and blue jeans walking out of the room I was in, into another room with no doors.

I followed him. He looked like God – he'd been away for so long! I followed him, and ended up in the kitchen, but God had disappeared. The kitchen in the apartment was strange. There were benches in the middle, and what looked like giant school lockers away from the counters, fridge and stove. 'BD' and 'HG' were written on them. I tried opening them, and I found that they weren't locked. I opened 'BD' first, and I was shocked! At first, it looked like he was inside, but as it turns out, it was his clothes! For the first time, I knew that the black knight, or Big Daddy, was real. Somehow, he was there to protect me from Demoness.

I opened 'HG' next, and sure enough, her clothes were there. Did Dave know them? Did Dave ask Big Daddy to protect me? Questions were going through my head, too many – I felt like fainting. Pain everywhere. Why did he lie to me? He didn't tell me about Big Daddy and Hit-Girl. Why? Were they bad people?

Hit-Girl's hair was in the locker. It turns out to be a wig, and when I took it out, there was a lot of dust that I sneezed a few times. I returned the wig back to its position, which was when I noticed the shelves. There were knives, but not just knives on the shelves. I saw… things that looked like eggs, and... A pair of… I took one of the… Pistol (I remembered the word with my hurting head) by the handle, but it frightened me so. I couldn't help but to shake, my hands shaking, feeling weak, and drop the pistol. I picked it up again, and I saw purple – I saw red, a lot of red. I saw knives entering people, I saw knives entering them, their stomach exploding, things exploding into red. I felt like fainting, I didn't want to faint.

I threw the pistol back to where it was. Closed the lockers. Ran. I barely remembered to switch off the lights and lock the door. I ran, and ran. I felt like throwing up, but I took my bicycle and went off. I rode it back home, felt my head hurting, my fingers pulsing in pain, my hands shaking, blood pouring from my nose.