It was late and the streets would have been drenched in darkness, if it weren't for the moon and sparingly placed, streetlights being their saving grace. I was walking home from work; as usual, because I woefully tend to find myself there, way more often than I actually spend time within my own flat these days. My apartment has literally become this place where I simply eat, sleep, shower and poop and even then, two of those options on the list, I usually wind up doing to a far greater extent while at work. The walk was a good thirty minutes, tops and by the time I finally returned home from yet another grueling stint, at Weinstein, Schalb and Berkowitz, the law firm where I am a legal secretary and no, Berkowitz isn't the Son of Sam. First off he's long dead. Second, if it were, I would have pleaded for him to shoot me in the head with his .44 Caliber, long, long ago. Then I would be enjoying the sweet comfort of death, opposed to working with assholes that seem to think being a legal secretary means doing absolutely everything for them. And I mean everything! It is so bad, I'm surprised I'm not asked to join them in the men's bathroom, so I can wipe their asses after they poop too. Anyway, I was utterly starved and felt like the walking dead, I was so wiped out from the long day that I endured. .



Trying to decide which I needed more, sleep or food? I started shuffling around in my bag for my keys and after what felt like ten wretchedly long minutes, I began cursing like a sailor because the mission to locate them was comparable to locating the mothman, big foot and ol' Nessie, all at once. A prime time for disaster considering I was altogether distracted, essentially crawling into the interior of my purse. Two guys in ski masks approached from behind me. Startled, I let out a gasp as I got grabbed by one from behind, simultaneously as the other yanked away my handbag. After a few seconds of frustration from digging around, he dumped the contents of my purse onto the ground and started rummaging through them. That's when I noticed a form drop down from a rooftop.



Like a ninja. A woman in a mask dropped off a roof and landed noiselessly on the ground. With long, flowing raven hair and eyes that appeared to glow. She moved once again, like a ninja, stealthy, agile and expeditious. Swiftly pouncing, she took down the guy that was busy looting through my belongings that were now scattered all over the ground, in front of him. A single, speedy roundhouse kick, to the back of the head was all it took and he hit the concrete, with a grunt. This was the precise instant the man that was holding me, noticed the woman in the mask. No time before then. I know this cause that's when he let me go and if you're wondering why I wasn't struggling to break free and merely waited to be released. Allow me to correct that false perception. I was squirming around in a frenzy and trying to break free with every ounce of my might, the entire time but I'm precisely five feet tall and eighty-five pounds. I have a hard enough time fighting a strong gust of wind off, while walking down the street on a particularly breezy day. Successfully forcing my way to freedom from a giant, 6'4", 350lbs man, that is securely holding me tight in a firm grip similar to that of an anaconda's jaw? That's just not happening.


Boy but my mystery woman could sure do some damage cause she took them both down quick! One of them even pulled out a gun and she simply threw a sai at his arm and made him drop it. Unfortunately, not before he fired off a round and the bullet pierced through her right shoulder, which struck me as something awfully painful but didn't seem to faze her all too much, cause she was still able to throw the sai at the guy and go forth with beating the shit out of him. While that gunshot didn't stop her it definitely got a reaction out of me, I released a shriek akin to an insistent tea kettle and nearly toppled backwards. It was my first time being this close to this kind of intense violence and having it all play out before me, terrified me to pieces. Oddly enough, I did not flee, instead I remained stuck there, frozen in place while also viewing this woman destroyed these guys. In truth that part was super empowering to behold and also something I could have never done myself. I virtually would have had to put my brain inside her body, in order to even attempt such a feat and then I'd still wind up miserably failing somehow because it would still be me.The only major alteration would be that I had a better looking body. Rather than looking like a small Cambodian boy, suffering from malnutrition.


After utterly obliterating my assailants and rendering them with the ability to do nothing beyond laying on the pavement and moaning, the woman turned and momentarily considered me. Meanwhile, I stood there and blinked, like I suddenly forgot how to speak or do anything at all, besides use my eyelids in an up and down fashion. Although in my defense, it all did wind up coming back to me, when she abruptly turned and started to leave. That's when I said in my loudest tone ever, falling somewhere between a small mouse in discomfort and a furious chipmunk, that lost his last nut and wanted to yell to the world about his misfortune.


"Wait. Stop. Don't go."


Much to my surprise, she stopped and spun around to face me and even more shocking, I managed to keep speaking.


"You're hurt and from what I can tell based on your appearance and arrival, you might not want to go to the hospital. I apologize if that's discriminating or rude to assume but this is my first time encountering someone like you. That was totally awesome by the way. How you did that. Kicked their asses. You're like some kind of superhero. Anyway, to show my gratitude, I have a pair of pliers to remove the bullet and I know how to sew, I'm reasonably good at it too. I don't know how sanitary a normal needle and sewing threat would be or how securely the stitching is going to hold but I would try to do my best."


"Oh and I have a first aid kit as well. So that means I have gauze and antiseptic ointment. I think there might also be rubbing alcohol and peroxide in my place but I'd have to check on that cause I'm not all too positive, now that I'm saying this out loud. But if you come with me, back to my apartment I'd like to repay you by helping you get fixed up because despite never being shot, I can imagine it's not too fun walking around with a bullet in you. That is if you're cool with that. If you let me, I'd really like to help you. I totally swear I'm not like an ax murderer, cannibal killer or rapist. Come to think of it, I don't think I ever held an ax or even own one and I'm an asexual, vegan... so that cuts the other two things out..You can absolutely leave afterwards, I am only interested in paying you back, by doing an act of kindness of my own. Okay. Heh. I'll stop talking now."


The woman said nothing, all she did was nod and watch as I gathered up my things. Then we entered my apartment and I helped her, exactly as promised. I was amazed by how calm and cool I was about the whole process too. Like I didn't faint or have a dizzy spell and went through the acts, almost as if I knew what I was doing. Removing a bullet with pliers and stitching a wound closed. I've never done that before! Yet, as I was witnessing myself perform the tasks, moving through all of the actions, I would have thought I was a pro. Through it all she didn't make a sound and when I finished the job, she simply left but later on in the night, I happened to look out my window and noticed that she was perched on the roof across the street. Almost like she made it up in her mind that she was my protector now. In addition to that she would return to that very spot. Showing up, right when I got home from work and consistently gone by morning. It was nice and at the same time, strange.


It took me a week to finally gain the courage to confront her. Waited for someone that lived in the building to leave for work and lied that I left my keys inside. I'm not at all threatening in my appearance, so this wasn't a difficult plan to execute. Then I climbed the stairs and accessed the roof. Easy Peasy. Be that as it may, when I stepped out onto the roof, the woman regarded me with immediate unease. Approaching cautiously, I spoke in a tranquil manner.


"Hey, I noticed you keep reappearing on this rooftop, have you been watching me?"


Briefly the woman glanced around uncomfortably, then nodded.


"Are you observing me or trying to look out for me?"


Her brows furrowed and she starred downward for a second, before patting her mouth.


"You can't speak, can you?"


Her head shook. No.


"Hang on a second."


I brought out my cell, took it to the text to speech function and handed it to her.


"Type. It'll talk for you."


She momentarily examined my phone and touched the screen.


-- "K."


Immediately dropping it, she picked it back up, her fingers rapidly moving on the screen.


-- "Apologies."


"It's cool. What have you been doing up here, every night, for the past week?"


-- "Watching out for you."


"Why?"


-- "Someone should. This world is dangerous and you're small and all alone."


It was a touching statement, being the sentimental type it was hard to avoid crying but somehow, I held it back.


"Don't you have other things to do, aren't there people out there that are worried about you."


-- "No."


"No? Nothing and no one?"


-- "No."


"Well what do you do during the day then, I noticed you're always gone by morning?"


-- "Sleep, train, consume, cleanse, discharge waste on occasion and observe others that need protecting."


"Ahah! I knew it! You are a badass, superhero. Well if you're going to be my protector, I should do something for you. Are you hungry? I made black bean burgers and sweet potato fries. There's enough for two, if you're interested?"


-- "Okay."


Along with an affirmative nod, she handed back my phone.


"Wait. One more question. What do I call you? My name is Molly Swanson and you are?"


-- "True Forever."


----


-- "Jackson Brothers, Deontay and Isaiah. I have gone to great lengths to monitor your activities. Understand this was not done by watching a single piece of video evidence, I sincerely took it upon myself to seek you out and examine your behavior. Do not fret, never will I grant your private, personal information to the public nor do I mean you any future harm, I merely wanted to better understand my future opponents. I also took part in an identical scrutiny of my partner, Lo Mo as well and while my actions might seem strange to you all. This is the old ways of the warrior. It is done to determine what exists around you and how one anticipates what lies ahead regarding the forthcoming fray, in order to establish a well formulated strategy. Developed over time and carefully prepared. From my observations, I have derived the conclusion that my partner is a supreme specimen and I am fairly fortunate to be paired with such talent. While you, Jackson Brothers appear to be fully formidable in the terms of combat and as such I deem you worthy adversaries. I anticipate that this will be a well fought battle and look forward to our time spent within the ring. Know this though, I will do all that it is within my power to obtain victory for myself and my teammate. Should you best us, it won't be a simple task, despite my previous performances, I will give every ounce of my very soul to this fight. This I vow to you all. Till Warfare, gentlemen. May the best team win."