May 2014 – the Present

"I figured I'd find you hiding out here Lizewski."

My back goes up the moment I hear the voice, but I don't turn around right away. I take my time to put the comic I had been perusing back on the shelf before I turn and look him in the eye. I think this may be the first time that Trevor has deigned to enter Atomic Comics, a place I'm sure he identifies solely with losers, Mindy notwithstanding, and I sure as hell hope this is the last.

"I'm hardly hiding Trevor, you know I can be found here pretty easily...which is, I imagine, why you have bothered setting foot in here."

He glances around, a look of distaste on his face. "I don't know what Mindy sees in this place," he turns to look me over. "Then again, I don't know what she sees in you either."

I rub my eyes and heave a sigh. "I'm well aware of what you think of me Trevor. If that's all you came here for then please get lost."

"I came here to verify that the impossible has happened: you've finally come to your senses and are going to let Mindy get away from your crappy influence. I can only hope it also means you are going to give up on this stupid obsession of yours."

"I…what?!"

"First she hooks up with you and your loser friends and has to be a social leper for her first few years at school when she could have easily been one of the most popular girls there, and then she has to live with the stigma of you hanging off her like a goddam love-sick leech."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" I growl.

He steps back at the look in my eyes. "Shit Lizewski, thankfully Mindy is apparently the only person who doesn't know you're fucking obsessed with her. I mean, could you be any more creepy? It's not like you haven't been the worst thing to happen in her life from the start, but do you have to compound it with your pervy fixation?"

"Mindy and I never…"

"Yeah I know, thank god, but it sure wasn't for any lack of desire on your part!"

I narrow my eyes and clench my fists until my knuckles go white, but I don't say anything in response.

"It looks like you managed to do the impossible though: you finally managed to get her to realize what a waste of time you are. I don't know what you actually said to her Lizewski, but whatever it was you sure put a bee in her bonnet."

"If Mindy's not telling you something then *I'm* not going to be the one to enlighten you Trevor. Sounds like she shares too much with you as it is anyway."

He gives me a lop-sided grin. "Yeah, your 'big secret'. I bet that really had to piss you off didn't it? I always knew there was something besides your obsession to why you two were so tight, but I have to admit that the truth blew me away. Is that the thing that lets you believe you're not a loser? The fact that you run around in tights at nighttime and beat up on crack heads?"

I look around the store, but there aren't that many customers in here given that it's the middle of a weekday. I still decide to lower my voice and move in close to Trevor…not merely to keep our conversation private. From where I'm towering over him I narrow my eyes further.

"You better keep your voice down and make sure you keep that to yourself you little fucker. I have no idea how Mindy lost her mind enough to tell you anything about that, but since she did you ought to know that you have both of our lives in your hands."

His bravado of a few moments ago seems to be evaporating and he actually looks a little nervous. The spiteful part of me is happy at that. He swallows before he says, "I know you think I'm an asshole, but do you really think I'd do anything to hurt Mindy?"

"I have no idea what you're capable of Trevor, but you're the one who came in here to rub it in my face so I'm letting you know where you stand. That knowledge is a privilege, not a right. It goes without saying that if any harm comes to Mindy by way of what you know I will hunt you down and kill you myself, and if I think that someone has gotten wind of *me* and hurt the people I care about through your idiocy or malice even Mindy won't be able to stop me from taking out payment in full."

The fear in his eyes is sharper, but I have to give him credit for how well he holds it in. He squares his jaw and attempts to make himself seem taller. "Is…is that a threat Lizewski?"

I wait a few beats before I respond with a small smile. "Yes actually. It is."

July 2011 – the Past

It took six months of intensive training before Mindy decided Dave was ready for a real test.

He'd been breaking his back and burning the candle at both ends in an attempt to keep up with both his training and his schoolwork, but in the end one of them had to suffer…it ended up being school. Mindy also only gave him one night every two weeks for Katie and initially his girlfriend had done little more than bitch about "his little Nazi taskmaster", but in the end Mindy had been proven right. Dave had taken to starting to wear loose flannel shirts to school to help avoid drawing attention to his hardening physique and this, along with some occasionally voiced day-dreams about how well she thought he'd fill out his green suit, had definitely led to Dave's two nights a month with Katie becoming progressively more and more adventurous. Better yet, he could now hold his own in a sparring match with Mindy for more than ten minutes before he got tagged.

Finally, on a sultry night in July, Dave's 'graduation' day came…unbeknownst to him.

He walked into the safe house expecting a routine training session only to stop when he noticed that Mindy was wearing her Hit-Girl uniform.

"Alright buttercup, suit up!"

"What?"

"You heard me, get your gear on. We've got an appointment."

Dave couldn't help but grin…until he saw Mindy's knowing smirk in return.

"Um, what's the assignment?"

"Final exam," she replied as she calmly attached a scope and silencer to a high-powered rifle.

"Care to fill me in?"

"All in due time grasshopper," she replied, allowing her grin to widen. "Now get your gear on and be ready in 15 minutes or you fail. Capisce?"

He nodded and hustled to the bathroom to change into his suit which he was starting to find a bit of a tight fit. He walked out of the bathroom stretching his arms before he pulled on his mask.

"Hmm, we're going to need to get you a new uniform if you keep filling out big guy. We don't want any of your movement restricted. Are you okay to go out tonight?"

He swung his arms and stretched again. "No problem. I'm not hampered, just need to stretch it out a bit."

Mindy nodded. "Okay then, let's go."

She didn't wait for his reply, simply turned, picked up her rifle and headed out the door.

When they finally reached their destination Dave had worked out his kinks and felt much more comfortable in his suit. He crouched down beside her on the fire escape and looked across at the apartment building to which she was currently giving her full attention.

"So…" he began, but she cut him off with a raised hand. He waited again until she finally turned towards him.

"Alright, that," she said pointing to the building across the way, "is our target. This should be easy for you…just like old times," she added with a grin.

Dave looked from her to the building and back again. "Okay…so what are we doing?"

"*You* are going to infiltrate that crack den and take out any opposition you find. You will also case the place for ill-gotten gains and bring them back here. Remember that we don't want anyone following us, so you better make sure that you deal with anyone you find in there."

"Why do you keep saying 'you'? Aren't 'we' going in there?"

Hit-Girl rolled her eyes. "This is *your* test numb-nuts, I'll be here to provide back-up." With that she hefted her rifle and smiled.

Dave's eyes bulged. "You want me to go into a crack den by myself?!"

Hit Girl sighed, letting her head fall to one side. "Fuck, are you kidding me Lizewski? You have it easy…you should have seen what daddy had *me* do for my final test."

Dave looked incredulous. "It was worse than this?!"

She shook her head at him disdainfully. "Let's just say it involved a warehouse, a small army of mafia enforcers, and a switchblade. This is a fucking cake-walk."

Dave just stared at her for a minute, seemingly unable to process what she had just said. "So…you're just going to be sitting out here? Aren't you going to…I dunno…come in and supervise at least?"

"I can supervise just fine from here Ass, there's not much I won't see in this scope so don't forget that you don't want anything getting between you and the window if you can help it until you've dealt with all the threats and…"

"…always keep my back to a wall. I know." Mindy grimaced at his response. Dave sat back on his haunches for a minute then took in a deep breath. "Shit. This is for real, isn't it?"

Mindy looked him in the eyes and nodded. "It's the only way Kick-Ass. This is the sink-or-swim moment. Are you up for this?"

For a moment she was in doubt as to what he would do…frankly so was Dave. Then he nodded and looked her back in the eyes squarely. "I'm up for it. You've got my back."

"Good. Your target is the second window on the left. The one with the red curtains. It's a pretty small crew. I've never seen more than three guys in there during any of my surveillance runs…but be on guard, you can never assume there isn't something unexpected waiting for you. " With that she stretched herself out on the fire escape and positioned the rifle until she had a clear view. "You're up."

Dave nodded, took two more deep breaths and proceeded to climb down from the fire escape to make his way towards his target.

May 2014 – the Present

Despite her silence I know she's there, but I continue looking out over the city from the rooftop as though I don't.

"I know that you know I'm here Kick-Ass."

I turn around and manage not to flinch at the steely look she's giving me from behind her mask. "So…you're talking to me now Hit-Girl?"

"Seems to be the case at the moment doesn't it?"

She hops down from her perch and crosses her arms in front of her chest. "So it's true. You really are going out on regular patrols without me."

"You thought I was lying to you?"

"I hoped you were."

"I'm a big boy. I can take care of myself."

"I know. You're a big tough guy aren't you? Is that why you threatened Trevor today?"

"Went running to mama did he? Can't say I'm surprised."

"Did you?"

"I educated him on certain realities that I felt he ought to be aware of."

"By threatening him."

"By threatening him," I agree.

"Why do you hate him so much? He's not such a bad guy you know."

"He's a douchebag and even if he's not the worst one there is you deserve better."

"You don't even know him!"

"I know him well enough Mindy…and I know you."

"Do you?!" she says heatedly as she stalks over to me. She starts tapping my chest with her finger with each statement she makes. "Do you know me so well that you get to decide who I can and can't date? That when you don't like it you get to just fuck off and break up our partnership…our friendship?! I can tell you that I wasn't too fucking fond of Katie, but I never held it over your head like some kind of fucking defect!"

I swat her finger away and scoff at that. "Of course you fucking did! I never heard the end of it about her from you!"

"Yeah I rode you because I knew you could do better, but I never abandoned you…I never left you in the goddam lurch for no fucking reason!"

"Of course there's a goddam reason," I say before I can stop myself.

She looks up at me plaintively. "Then tell me! Fuck, you owe me that at least don't you?"

I close my eyes and take in a deep breath. "It's different okay? It was just different when I was seeing Katie. Things have changed and we're not the same people we were then."

She grips me by the arms and looks into my eyes. "What's changed? Why is it different?"

I try not to open my eyes and look into hers, but I can't help it. When I do I find myself lost in their green depths as they look sorrowfully up at me. Before I know what I'm doing I cup her cheek with one of my hands and lean forward. She seems taken aback and almost flinches, but she remains stock-still looking at me, confusion and the hint of something else ghosting across her features.

"Because of this," I whisper before I slowly lean down to kiss her lips.

I feel her body go tense immediately and I wait for the slap, the push, the angry words, but as she raises her arms she hesitates for a moment before grasping the back of my head and leaning into the kiss. The tension disappears from her body and it's almost as if she melts into me. For a strange, endless moment the world has gone inside-out and there's no one but us. Her hands continue to grasp the back of my head and I move mine to gently cradle her waist. The kiss deepens with each second that passes and I am starting to lose myself when it suddenly ends and she steps back.

I open my eyes to see that hers are still closed as she slowly raises her fingers to her lips. When her eyes open she is looking down. She glances quickly up at me and starts to shake her head. Her eyes widen and I can see a shimmer like moisture there.

"Shit! Goddamit! Fuck! Shit! No….no, no, no, no!"

"Mindy I…"

She puts her hand up between us and turns her head. "No! Fuck Dave what the hell…?! Why did you…?! I can't…I can't fucking do this!"

She turns and runs and all I can do is watch her go. It's the second time in less than a week that I've driven her away near tears. Once because she thought I hated her and now because she knows I love her. I drop to the ground and put my head in my hands. I have now officially well and truly fucked everything up.

July 2011 – the Past

After scanning the room to ascertain that it was actually empty Dave tested the already partially open window. Luckily it appeared to be one of the few ones in old apartments like these that didn't stick when you pushed it up and he managed to get it fully open, and half of his body into the room silently, before someone sauntered in from an adjacent hallway.

Dave froze and the man almost didn't notice him as he continued walking to the other side of the room, but then he suddenly stopped and stood still for a second before turning to look incredulously at the person in the green wet suit sitting in the window. Dave simply smiled nervously and waved feebly while the other man continued to stare.

"What the fuck…?" the man finally managed as he reached for something in his waistband.

Luckily Dave recovered a split second before his adversary and managed to get fully into the room and launch himself at him. Dave gripped the man's arm before it could reach whatever he had in his waistband and put his full weight behind him as he pushed the man to the ground.

Holding the man's arm down behind his back he started slamming his head into the floor with his other hand. He could hear a some noises coming from the other room, but kept up his assault until the man finally blacked out.

"What the fuck Ace, can't you take a piss without making a fucking racket you goddam klutz?!" was yelled out from around the corner, but luckily no one had as of yet come to investigate the noise. Dave turned the man onto his stomach and pulled the gun from his waistband. He proceeded to remove the clip and the bullet from the chamber before throwing the gun aside.

"Bad idea Kick-Ass," came Hit-Girl's voice over his ear piece."You just threw away a weapon with no connection to you that you could have used to get the drop on anyone else in there."

"I'm not killing anyone if I can help it. I don't need the temptation," he whispered.

"Fuck Kick-Ass, are you serious?! This isn't a test you know…I mean it is, but it's a life-or-death one douchebag!"

"I can do it, now shut up and let me concentrate!"

"Pussy," he heard her mutter before the comm went silent again.

He scanned the room. There wasn't much to see: a ratty old couch, a small coffee table with some junk food, liquor bottles and drug paraphernalia on it, a fridge and a shitty T.V. It looked a lot like Rasul's place as a matter of fact and Dave shook his head as he figured that's exactly what Mindy had in mind.

"Nice choice of venue Hit-Girl, just like old times, huh?"

"Like it?" came her voice and he could hear the smile in it. "I thought you'd like it. This time don't puss out, ok?"

He shook his head. "Stop calling me a…"

"Who the fuck are you talking to Ace…? Shit!"

Dave spun around to see one of Ace's friends standing in the doorway he had stupidly put his back towards. He cursed as he noticed that his enemy was able to reach for a gun much more quickly than his incapacitated friend had been and he was even able to get out a quick shout of "It's one of those goddam superheroes!" before Dave was able to pull out his batons and use one to knock the gun from his adversary's hand while he used the other to smash him across the face.

His opponent was dazed by the blow and Dave pressed the attack, deciding to show Mindy what he could do he swung around and knocked the man down with a roundhouse kick. The man staggered back and fell into the coffee table, knocking some liquor bottles to the floor where they smashed. He picked the man up by his shirt and proceeded to punch him in the face until his head lolled to the side.

"Two down one to…" he began then was choked off as someone grabbed him by the neck and wrenched him off of the floor.

Dave flailed around wildly for a minute before he got control of himself and swung around with an elbow, smashing his adversary in the ribs. Once. Twice. Three times he hit his opponent, but still the man retained his grip, though it was starting to loosen.

He aimed a backwards kick at the man's knee and he finally went down. As the man's grip came away from Dave's throat he took in a shuddering breath and lunged forward, away from the thug. But not quickly enough. The man recovered and grabbed Kick-Ass's leg before he could crawl away, hauling him back towards him and bearing down on him with all his weight.

Dave twisted around and threw up his arms in time to grab him by the face and stop the man from crushing him, but only managed to slow his attack. The man sneered at him and put his fingers around Dave's throat again, bearing down against Dave's arms. For a moment they were at a stand-still and then the man started slowly pushing down further and squeezing, an evil smile creasing his twisted features from between Dave's fingers.

"Any…time…Hit…Girl…" muttered Dave as he tried to push the man's face up higher for a clear shot from the window.

There was silence on the comm.

"Hit….Girl….? I…"

Dave was losing oxygen and started to panic.

He closed his eyes and took a second to gather his wits. Pushing with his last ounce of strength against his foe to gain some time and breathing room he noticed a broken bottle lying on the floor next to him. Dave said a quick prayer and let go with one hand, letting it dart out for the bottle and slashing up at his enemy before he blacked out.

There was a gurgling scream and suddenly the pressure was off of Dave's body and throat and he rolled over, feverishly taking in gulps of air. He crawled to his knees only to see the man he had been fighting clawing at his throat, reaching out with one of his hands towards Dave before he fell to his knees and smashed forward into the floor.

Dave looked on, dazed, as blood started pooling under his erstwhile foe.

He lurched forward, grabbing at his stomach. "I think I'm going to be sick…"

Mindy gave Dave a slow clap as he clambered up onto the fire escape and dropped the bag filled with drug money at her feet.

"Nicely done Kick-Ass. You passed."

Dave just glared at her.

"'You passed?!'" he finally said.

"With flying colours," Hit-Girl agreed with a grin.

"What the fuck Hit-Girl?! You must have had at least half a dozen clean shots you could have taken in there when that guy had me on the floor! Were you waiting for him to fucking strangle me before you did something?! I You weren't even answering the comm. I nearly lost my shit! I thought you were my back-up!"

Hit-Girl crossed her arms. "I am. And you did just fine. You didn't need me to intervene. The fact that you're standing here proves it."

"Just fine?! Holy fuck! I had to slice his throat open with a goddam whisky bottle!"

"I know. I was impressed. Look Kick-Ass, this wasn't just a test of whether you had the balls to go in there and fight those guys or not, it was a test of whether you could do what it takes when it counts. Could you make the hard call?"

"You wanted to see if I could kill him?! Jesus, that's just fucking sadistic! Are you psychotic?! What if I hadn't been able to do it? Would you have just watched me bleed out on the fucking floor?!"

"No," replied Mindy and the tone of her voice and look in her eyes stopped his retort. "If he got anywhere near killing you his brains would have been painted on the wall."

Dave believed her.

"You can *always* trust me to have your back whatever it takes, to always make the hard call. Now I know I can trust you too."

"Shit," said Dave as he turned and plopped down on the fire escape. He rested his arms on the railing in front of him and leaned his head against them.

"It's the hardest lesson to learn Kick-Ass, but it's the most important one. This is life or death. Every night. This isn't a game, or a fantasy, or a comic book. We're out here to do the things no one else can, or will, do. And we're here looking out for each other until the bitter end."

She sat down next to him and they both gazed silently towards the window with red curtains as they fluttered in the wind.