The Descent

Chapter 23: Grenade

I went out again tonight. I didn't even tell 'dad' where I was going. Dave could do it for me, I knew he would, if he wanted to hide what's been going on between us. I went back to the white apartment again, back to my headquarters, back… home. Dave could not tell me much about my home. He knew as much as I do. I had to learn about it on my own, to try to remember, because memories were all that I had left, all that remains of Daddy. I'd been remembering things about myself, but I could still feel a huge, gaping hole in my head. The memories of myself were all I had left, and I didn't have a whole lot of it – I wasn't even myself anymore, 'dad' and Dave made sure of that. I didn't even really like the same colour anymore. I was stuck with blue, and purple, pink became second… sometimes, I was always confused. Whenever I put on the Hit-Girl uniform, I realised that it was just as uncomfortable because of the colour. I kept wishing it was blue instead.

When I was in my headquarters again, I went straight into the room with a lot of guns, the… armory? Putting down the same numbers as before, the numbers I remembered without a reason. Doctor Paul made sure that I wasn't myself anymore. I was still shivering at the sight of so many guns, no matter how much I know I shouldn't. When I had Dave all tied up on a chair, completely under my mercy, I forced him to tell me stories of myself, how I fought and how I won. The guns were my friends back then. I could defeat dozens of bad people with them. Now…

An odd desk was in a corner. It was a drawing desk with papers on it. There were papers pasted on the wall above the desk. Pictures, faces of bad-looking men. Strings linked them to each other, held up by pins. Daddy was an artist on the side, I remembered, the little snippet of Daddy came back to me. He had a passion for justice, and he mixed it with his passion for drawing and painting. Coming closer to his artworks, I saw that the colours had faded slightly, and the painted papers were all dusty. I saw a bald man with two 'C' shaped scars on his forehead. D'Amico. Frank D'Amico. D'Amico refers to a person.

Below him were dozens of other faces. Some were crossed out on the right hand corner with a pencil, more than half of them, but not all of them. Looking around the desk, I saw a bin of pencils, pen and other stationeries. I took the sharpest pencil and drew a cross next to Frank D'Amico. For a moment, I wondered at myself, at what I was doing. It took me some time to realise it, to realise that I was even thinking about it. Frank D'Amico is dead. It hit me slow, but eventually it did. I remembered Dave's story. I remembered my dreams. I was surprised when I remembered that it was Dave who killed him, and Dave wasn't lying this time. It was in my dreams, and I know it not because he told me so.

He killed my Daddy. I remembered. Frank D'Amico killed my Daddy. I sat down behind the desk, where my Daddy used to sit. I could remember who killed my Daddy, but I couldn't remember how. I couldn't remember why, and I couldn't remember when, and my memories were supposed to be all that was left of him. "Why did you even forgive him in the first place, girlie?" A voice came from behind me. I knew who it was before I even saw her. "Are you forgetting something? Dave LIED to you, Mindy, and it wasn't just one fucking time."

"He did it to protect me." I said it with my face pressed against the desk, making eye contact with a pencil sketch of the man who killed my Daddy. I could feel her icy hands on my shoulders. They were colder than usual. She felt so strong, even when I knew I was getting stronger myself, exercising in secret, knowing more things, and not just more ways to kill a man, "He loves me."

"Does he now?" Demoness' face was close to mine, I could feel winter on my cheeks. Her skin brushed mine, her voice closer. She hugged me from behind. I felt violated, but I couldn't do anything as he body was held closer to mine, "Remember all that hard work he threw into the bin?" It was still as clear as a clean blade, Dave pouring my hot chocolate down the sink, pushing everything I cooked with a fork into the bin underneath the sink. My voice was a stray bullet, and it gasped, it winced. Something watery crawled on my cheek. "You should've killed him when I told you to." I could feel her nails digging into me, digging into my sides, "You disobeyed me."

"He was just right there, all tied up!" Her nails dug deep into my sides. They were burning me, burning like hot pokers. I couldn't do anything. She felt too strong. I clenched my fists. The nails went in harder, deeper, "He doesn't love you, Mindy! I do!" She took her time, licking me like an ice cream. I shivered at her nails, and now I shivered at her tongue. "I'm your guardian angel, remember?" She leaned her head on me. She felt heavy, a burden I couldn't take, and she was threatening to overwhelm me. But at least her nails came off my sides, "You were doing fine at first, girlie dear. It was really entertaining to watch you play with him, although if it was up to me, I would've…" I could feel her tugging at my skirt, "played with him more." I could feel her fingers underneath my skirt. "Too bad you stopped right there. It was really creative, though, you using yourself. Couldn't have done it better myself!"

She was going too far. I could feel her fingers too far into my skirt. I pushed her away, and her fingers almost took my underwear with her, but it came only a little off, so I pushed it back up. She was strong, but I remembered that I was Mindy Macready, Hit-Girl. Demoness cackled. I balled up my fists, "It's only a matter of time now, Mindy dear." And even after Demoness was done, she was smiling, smiling wide, as if anticipating a huge birthday cake and a heap of presents reaching the ceiling, filled with all kinds of explosive, or sharp, surprises.

"Time for what?" I tried to control her with my voice, but she didn't even blink her eyes. Demoness straightened her black dress, checked her nails, which had my blood on them, but she didn't seem to care as she didn't wipe them away. Instead, she was sucking on her fingers, drinking my blood.

"You'll see." She didn't exactly answer my question.

I lifted my head in confusion. The last thing I remembered was me standing up, shouting at Demoness, but my head was on the desk all along, and my hands… They were on my sides. I removed them from my sides, and my sides felt like there were hot pokers burning into my skin. I saw my own hands, and there was blood on my fingernails.

I washed my hands, and went back to work doing what I came here to do. I couldn't let anyone or anything stop me from being myself once again. I remembered Safehouse F, and its layout was a little similar to headquarters. The headquarters was a little bigger, but there could only be so many rooms in an apartment. I found Hit-Girl's… my locker in a separate room with cabinets built into the walls. The key took me longer to find. I spent an hour searching for it, in the locker room and outside. I was searching every little cracks and crevices. I remembered things, how to turn a house upside down looking for things, how Daddy worked.

I worked my way towards his bedroom, searching everything along the way. When I switched on the lights there, I couldn't help but to be awed by it. It was nothing grand, nothing rich. Daddy's room was simple, completely functional. He had a double-bed, a wardrobe, a desk, some end tables, and another locker. A bathroom down the way. I was awed by it simply because it was Daddy's room. I remembered. I remembered once when I got scared in a thunderstorm, I ran into his room and jumped into bed with him. I was little back then, because I remember everything was bigger. I was six then.

"Silly child." He comforted me with a smile on his face when I told him that a sniper was shooting at us. As it turns out, it was just the thunder. I was more afraid of snipers than thunderstorms back then. "I chose this apartment because there's no vantage point for snipers to shoot us from. You'll wake up the next day, baby doll." I was six, and I took everything as a game. I smiled at words that adults either took for granted or took very seriously. I was a little afraid sometimes, but the ghosts would vanish at the mere sight of Daddy.

Walking over to his bed, the bed I'd slept in so many times, I remembered, I reached under the bed, found a loose floorboard. Patting around for a finger hole, I found it and lifted the thing up with a grunt. I hesitated to reach into the darkness inside. There was still the Mandy in me I couldn't shake off. I was still the girl who loves blue as much as purple and pink, who was still afraid of little things, who loves shopping, who shakes at the sight of guns and knives.

I plunged my hand in as Mindy Macready, and found something inside to grab. A handle. I tried pulling it out. My hand was stuck. Gasp. I pulled at my hand harder. I used the weight of my body. For a minute, I panicked, but I flew back just as quick, and hit my head on the wooden floor below. White. But I was conscious, painfully so. I felt the back of my head, but there was no blood. Looking at what I pulled out, I saw that it was Daddy being Daddy. He hid a pistol… a Beretta 92SF (I remembered, and even now it still scares me), under the floor. Before I knew what I was doing with my hand, I pressed the release button on the gun and the magazine slid out. Full mag. Putting it aside to stop myself from shaking because of it, I reached into the darkness again, and sure enough, a bunch of keys were inside.

When I opened my locker, I found the same Hit-Girl uniform greeting me, but there were more weapons inside. What looks like two sticks with curved blades on them, with a strap holding them together. They looked like they could be attached together. Two balisong knives, or butterfly knives. A submachinegun… I remembered its name… MP5K. I remembered calling it Mean Police Kitty. Pistols. There were two small purple pistols, the same as the ones in Safehouse F. I finally knew what to call them. They were Sig-Sauer P230s, and Daddy bought them with customised purple grips for me. Then there was a third, bigger pistol. H&K… I forgot… USP Compact, yes. It was all black, and there was a long tube attached to the front and something near its snout. A flashlight. There were those egg-shaped grenades inside, and grenades that weren't egg-shaped. Frag grenades – M67 Hand Grenades. Those that weren't shaped like eggs were smoke and stun grenades. My head hurts at all the numbers, but I could hear Daddy praising me for getting them right.

There were too many weapons in my locker, and I was beginning to tremble, so I closed my locker and went to my room, not the one that 'dad' made for me, but the one in the white apartment, the one my real Daddy made for me. When I opened the door, it was dark. The curtain was drawn. I switched on the light, and I was overwhelmed by pink everywhere. It stung my eyes at first, the colour. I was more used to blue now. I could never decide between blue, purple and pink.

My old room was dusty, even the bed, but it didn't bother me. I jumped into it, creating a tidal wave of dust clouds. Lying down on the pillow, however, I felt something hard underneath, and when I checked what was underneath it, there was another gun, a… Steyr… TMP under the pillow, and another combat knife. I was always ready in the past, and now, I couldn't bear to touch my old friends.

The Next Day…

I didn't cook this time. I didn't want to be disappointed by Dave again. When he threw my breakfast away without even touching them, it actually hurts, even more than getting punched in the guts. We ended up eating cereals instead. "Morning, Dave." I tried talking to him, but he wouldn't even return my greetings when I came down to eat with the rest of the family.

"Morning, sweet pea." 'Dad' wished me instead. I couldn't do it anymore, being Dave's dad's girl. I knew who my real Daddy was. I simply flashed him a smile instead, and it didn't feel like the kind I used to give him. Dave's dad became simply another liar. He was never Daddy.

"Dave, I saw the trailer for Winnie the Pooh on TV…" I tried again. Couldn't help but to fix my eyes on him, hoping that he would respond to me. I didn't care even if it was a no, or even if he scolded me, as long as he talked to me, "Do you still want to watch it?"

My eyes met his as he lifted his head from his bowl of cereals to look at me. They looked dead. I couldn't see the same kind of eyes he used to have anymore. It made me feel worse. He didn't answer, but instead returned his eyes to his bowl of cereals, took another bite. "I'll take you to the cinema if you want, Mandy." 'Dad' tried again. My new name ate at me the moment I heard it again. I am Mindy Macready, damn it! SWEAR.

"On second thought, it looks boring." I said casually as I followed Dave's example, didn't exactly replied to 'dad' at all. Inside, I wasn't sure if Winnie the Pooh was fun or not. I couldn't even decide myself. On one hand I really wanted to watch it with Dave, but on the other I told myself that it was something only babies would watch.

It was even worse at lunchtime. Dave wouldn't even let me sit with him on the same table, with Marty and Todd anymore. "Could you just scamper off? We're talking private stuff here! Go to the little girls' section will you?" I finally got my wish, but everyone in the cafeteria laughed at me. I didn't even have Pete to sit with anymore. He was angry with me, too. 'You've been using me!' He said. He had more friends now, including the ones from the community centre. I had to sit alone in a corner table, getting pelted at with paper balls, peas and food. My hands shook as I thought about hurting people. I had to stop, but I could feel my blood boil. Had it not been sadness cooling me at the same time, I would have done something about the ball throwers and pea shooters.

Couldn't concentrate in class. Too many things had happened, and school became the least of my concerns. Mrs Davies droned on in class, and her words just bounced off of me. I kept thinking about Dave. Surprisingly, it helped pass the time, feeling angry, and upset, and alone. When the bell rung for the last time, I left as fast as I could. Without Dave, without my family, the way it used to be, there was only one thing left for me. Taking the school bus back home, another change since Dave stopped loving me, I endured paper balls again, but I ignored them. I kept reminding myself that I was Mindy, and paper balls were nothing compared to bullets.

Back home, I wanted to leave immediately for Safehouse F on my little blue bicycle. It didn't feel good anymore, being back at home. I wanted to leave immediately, but I couldn't. I would have to wait until the usual time I go to Pete's house, supposedly. I stayed in my room, but I couldn't do that forever. I had to go down for a drink of water in the kitchen, which was when I bumped into 'dad'. "Why are you home so early?" I couldn't call him 'Daddy' anymore. I didn't feel like it. It was a weird feeling. He lied to me, and it made my blood boil, yet I felt a little drawn to him, even if seeing him makes me mad.

"Oh hey there pal!" 'Dad' greeted me in his usual way. At the very least, I like it when he does that. I couldn't think of anything else to like about him, I just couldn't, at least at the moment, "Things were smooth in the office, so I decided to skip back here and why not spend more time with my favourite little girl?" He put his arm around my shoulders. They felt wrong somehow, not the right size, not the right shape, not the right texture. It wasn't Daddy's arm around me.

"I have to go now." It came out of my mouth almost without my control. I wanted to just leave for Safehouse F immediately. I shook his arm off and I didn't even know how I did it.

"Mandy? Where're you going?" 'Dad' sounded worried. I wasn't exactly being very stealthy. He called me Mandy again, and I didn't like it. I kept walking. I didn't know how to tell him everything in my mind, "Mandy?" The name's Mindy Macready, you fossil! I could feel 'dad' grabbing me by the arm before I crossed the kitchen. "Mandy, what's the matter with you? It's nothing to do with that dream of yours, is it?" He made me remember – that dream in which Demoness forced a kiss on me. Her tongue going into my mouth! I yanked my arm out of 'dad's grip, could feel myself losing balance and hitting the dining table, but I regained it leaning against the table.

"You're not my Daddy!" It felt good when I let it out. I could feel the muscles in my face getting their exercise, the freedom in it. Their lies took away my freedom, and I was just taking back what was mine. I tore at the necklace 'dad' gave me and took it off, threw it on the floor. "You never were! Stop lying to me!" It was all a blur. I turned and made for the front door, "Stop bothering me!" For a second, I thought I saw Demoness peeking in from a window, but I didn't have time to care. She was right about 'dad' though, he tried to make me forget about Daddy, wanted to take his place, wanted me for himself!

Somewhere across the living room, Dave somehow managed to get in front of me and blocked my way out. He seemed angry, but I didn't have time to think when he made a move on me, tried to catch me. We made a round around the sofa, but I was faster, and I thought I saw him knock the coffee table with his knee. When he was down, I made for the front door, got on my bicycle and left. I had to change my plans. Dave knew that I know about Safehouse F, so I decided to go to my headquarters instead.

Meanwhile…

I'd hit my knee so hard against the coffee table that it was bleeding and swelling up. Unlike like half of my body, my knees weren't immune to pain. I could barely walk, barely get up but I tried anyway. I saw Mindy flying out the door, but I was scrambling in the living room even as she got on her bike. I lost her soon after. I took my own bicycle and made a beeline for Safehouse F – it made sense that she would go there. Where else would she go? Mindy had no other friends except Sal. I overheard Pete pretty much shunning her, which pretty much means that the rest of her friends with Pete was gone. I made sure Marty and Todd won't be speaking to her ever, not that she knew where they lived.

When I left dad in the kitchen, I saw him taking a seat. He looked like he'd just lost mom the previous day, AKA it's bad, extremely bad, as that was the worse he'd sunken, and it looked like he was sinking further in. I didn't want to leave him like that, but I knew there was nothing I could do to help him. I was just an 18-year-old, whoever's heard of an 18-year-old comforting someone on his 50th birthday?

As I pedalled hard towards Safehouse F, I couldn't even see Mindy around any corner ahead of me. She must have been going fast, training in secret like Batman or something. When I got to the apartment F was at, I was sprinting to the door fast that the elevator felt like it was slowing me down. Opening the door, the lock feeling like it was slowing me down by minutes and hours, I swung the door open and went right in, guns pointed at me or otherwise. But it was dark, empty and silent. Switching on the lights, I searched the place, but after like 30 minutes to an hour, there was still no Mindy anywhere. She'd gone elsewhere.

At first, I thought about going out as Kick-Ass immediately, but I knew I couldn't leave dad alone for too long. Already, I was beginning to worry that I might have made a mistake leaving him behind on a wild goose chase. I'd changed; I guess I cared a little more. I guess I wanted to do a little more.

When I got back home, I found dad waiting for me on the sofa. "Could you explain to me what on earth's going on?" He greeted me with the ultimate question. He'd trusted me to care for Mindy when he was out, and I guess he was starting to get disappointed. I sat down on a single-seater flanking him, "I heard you guys arguing on Saturday, you know."

"You knew about that?" Thinking back, I remembered him staying in the kitchen. I didn't think that he would hear us in my room, but then again, I wasn't even thinking at that time. It took me a while to recollect everything that happened – the torture, Mindy hurting herself, me hurting Mindy. In fact, I was a computer running on Windows 95. My brain was lagging behind everything I did. I was shutting down, I didn't really feel like caring, or thinking anymore.

"Yeah, it's a little hard to miss when you were shouting at the top of your lungs, and Mandy wasn't walking like a princess either, Dave." Dad was firm this time. I knew that something was up when he became this way, "I just wanted to let you guys settle it, but this one's big, isn't it, Dave?"

I found myself backed into a corner. I had to lie to him, or tell him nothing about Mindy remembering times. I had to start thinking again, about everything, about what to do with Mindy, and it seemed like I had no more choice but to let it happen. I'd been free for the past month or so, with Dad allowing me to go out as Kick-Ass even when things got a little dangerous. It felt like that was coming to an end too, and it was a something I hadn't felt for a long time.

Later…

The sun was soon about to sleep. I had been wandering around in headquarters for far too long, thinking. Dave was no longer the brother I knew, he was always trying to hurt me! He was never my brother! Yet he was. Putting down a few plastic bottles and tin cans I had been eating or drinking out of, I started pacing. I remembered doing this with Daddy before when I was much younger, and I enjoyed the game much more than I could imagine enjoying those handheld games every kid had. After 20 paces, I turned around, and the hard part begins. I drew my P230, and immediately I started seeing things inside, people screaming, begging, crying, blood, organs coming out. I remembered the intestines spewing out of the Big Man I shot in the guts four times. My right hand shook, so I held it with both hands. The standard way – no fun, but it was the only way. Both my hands shook as I heard and saw things.

BAM! Peabuddy, as I called my P230, screamed, but none of the cans I placed on the wrecked car fell. The gunshot did not echo in the junkyard. It was the perfect place to practice as the heaps of trash absorbs the sound. None of the cans fell. I was disappointed at myself. I returned Peabuddy into his holster, and rested for a bit, stretching my fingers, before pulling him out and firing again, this time twice at a bottle and a can. I saw the head of the bottle disappear as it fell. I could feel a grin coming on before I wanted to smile. But it was short-lived. I remembered meeting Dave back when I was with Daddy, and it was the strangest way for friends to meet. I remembered looking at him and seeing a friend, a fellow superhero (Is that what I am?) when I saw him on TV. I remembered meeting him while raiding a drug den, killing everyone and saving him. I wanted him with me now, cheering me as I tried to shoot the cans. It felt more and more unlikely the longer time passed.

My hands felt tired, felt asleep after shaking so much. My mind felt numb when I kept hearing and seeing things in my head the moment I touched the Peabuddy. I tried shooting three shots after another rest. A can died. I couldn't even smile when it did. Taking another 20 paces back, I turned around again. The cans and bottles looked smaller. Pulling out Peabuddy again, I fired the remaining bullets but the gun clicked after two shots. Nothing fell. Only another bottle did after I reloaded the pistol and fired half the magazine. Frustrating.

My hand shook nervously like a druggie case as I returned Peabuddy back into his holster. Sitting down on a tire, I could almost feel a headache coming on. Each time I tried to do what Hit-Girl does, it gets worse. I didn't want to do it, but I pulled out the packet of cigarettes I took from Mohawk. I remembered how I took more lives. I knew I shouldn't blame myself, but I still do anyway. They made a move on you, girlie, you had no choice. Pulling a cigarette out, I wanted to throw it away, but I couldn't do it. You should enjoy your kills, missy. My left hand fished out a lighter, and soon I could smell the smoke, nice and smelly at the same time. Your spoils. My mouth was salivating, my tongue coming towards the stick. Daddy would kill me, but he was dead, killed by Frank D'Amico. What have I done to myself? I took a puff, and enjoyed it, no matter how much I didn't want to. I was – am Mindy. I was and am Mandy, but I was becoming something else. I could feel the change as I shivered; I could feel the thrill and calm the cigarette was giving me flowing through my entire body.

I didn't go anywhere after training with Peabuddy. I didn't feel like it. So I wandered around headquarters again, worked out a little before going home – I wanted to stay in headquarters, to forget that I used to be Mandy in the Lizewski family to begin with to begin with? The lies run so deep, dear Mindy! But I couldn't do it. I wanted Dave back, and upon opening my locker to put my things back, an idea came to me when I saw everything in the locker. It was a tough choice to make. I stayed in headquarters longer than I wanted to at first. The sun had gone down long ago. The next time I looked at my Spongebob watch, it was nearly 10.

When I got back home, the house was dark. There was no one. Odd, why would they be out right now? It was only when I stepped in that I saw a shape on the couch. I thought it was Demoness. I wanted to ignore her but then the lamp by the couch came on. I couldn't see at first. When I opened my eyes again I saw that it was Dave. "Where've you been?" He asked. He looked sad. His eyes were red. He was home early, and he didn't look or smell like he'd been out.

"I… Dave…" I thought about lying, but then I realised that there was no point to it. He already knew everything, well, most things. I didn't want to lie anymore. Lies hurt me, and I didn't want it to hurt others, "I was out training… shooting at cans." He stood up all of a sudden. I jumped. He came closer. I didn't know what to do, whether to run or talk or hit him or… And he hugged me.

"I'm so sorry, Mindy." He said as I felt his arms around me, his body pressing into mine. I hugged him back. It felt warm, it felt good. I could sink into him all day. I almost cried, wanted to.

"I should be the one who's sorry." I felt the words coming out of my mouth. I saw Demoness leaning on a wall behind Dave. She was no longer in her black dress. She was in some kind of a black-silver uniform that reminded me of my own Hit-Girl uniform.

"I'm sorry… But I have to do this." Dave said, and for the second I had, I wondered at what he meant, and I didn't have to wonder anymore when he took me by the arm and started dragging me towards the kitchen. My arm was hurting, and my whole body was already sore.

"DAVE! What're you doing!?" I couldn't wriggle out of his hands. He was too strong, and I tired myself out at headquarters. He dragged me to the kitchen, I pulled with the weight of my body that I fell to the floor, but he was still dragging me. Demoness leaned at where she was, not moving, smiling at me in her uniform, boots and gloves, "Dave!" He managed to pull me to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, he pulled out a syringe, "DAVE!"

It was only at the last minute that I managed to pull myself free, and I had to kick him hard in the knee – the same one that was swollen and bleeding. He fell down, and I tried to crawl away, but he caught up quickly. Dave had gone insane. "I'm so sorry, Mindy." He cried as he was on top of me. I couldn't move. I could feel him straddling over me, holding me down with his elbows, removing the cap over the syringe's needle. "Dad went out – I don't even know where – because of you."

I remembered my own surprise. Sticking a hand into my pocket, I pulled it out, and I didn't wait to pull the pin out. Dave froze, as if he had seen a frag grenade for the first time. His eyes and mouth were wide open, jaws hanging. He was gasping like it was his last. "Throw it! Throw it out!"

"Let me go! Now!" Just when things were getting good, Dave had to screw it up. SWEAR. It made my blood boil, and it wasn't just me struggling. I could feel the weight over me lifted as he crawled away on his butt. I sat up, looking at him crawling away like a pathetic worm. I held the grenade out, nearer to him. It made me feel good.

"Throw it out!" He cried, barely able to pronounce 'throw', as he crawled further away, his back hitting a counter. I got up and walked closer to him. He was covering his face, as if he was getting beaten up.

"It's just the safety pin, stupid!" It felt good, calling him stupid. I turned the grenade sideways, showed him the anatomy of the grenade, "Should I push the lever, Davey darling?" I couldn't hide the happiness I felt when I won. It was like winning in a game. I smiled, but I managed not to laugh.

"Mindy! No! Please! God!" He stuttered as he peeked over an arm. The look of his face reminded me of boys younger than me when they got in trouble at school.

"Now, how about if we sleep in your room tonight? Just like in the old days?" I couldn't wipe the smile away from my face. I could finally get what I want now. I could finally have my Dave back. I had trouble deciding whether to bring the grenade home or not, but the difficulty no longer bothered me. I finally had Dave back now. Dave did not answer immediately though. I didn't like that. I thrust the grenade at him and… "BOOM!" My shaking arm helped with the effect. He jumped and shook. But most importantly, he nodded. I couldn't resist laughing a bit.