Heroes and Villains

27 - Back from Darkness

Michelle

I rush through the corridor and come across a normal looking door. I find it odd that Cain would not have a hidden wall or something, considering how important it is to keep the lair a secret.

Carefully, I open the door and take a peek inside. I don’t want to get caught by surprise. Cain may be my new buddy buddy but I still don’t trust him enough not to get caught in a prank.

I find I am in the basement of the mansion and silently walk out when I am sure there is no one else in there. However, as I close the door behind me, a loud click makes my hair go up.

The freaking door locked behind me! How am I going to get back to the bar now?

Deciding not to worry too much about it now, I sneak out of the basement and try to find my way to Jack’s room, only to get completely lost in the huge mansion.

I have no idea where I am anymore. All I can do is avoid getting seen so I don’t have to answer awkward questions.

In my attempt to remain invisible, I end up bumping against someone when I sneakily turn a corner. To my extreme surprise, it’s Yumi and Daniel.

They both look at me with the same amount of shock and surprise stamped across their faces. What shocks me even more is that they are carrying an unconscious guard.

“This isn’t what it looks like” Daniel immediately says, probably thinking I am one of the workers of the mansion.

“It’s alright, Daniel-san” Yumi says and looks carefully at me. “I was not expecting to see you again, Mia”

By this, she means she also thought I was long gone and is surprised to see me alive and well. I suppose she just doesn’t want to reveal how she knows me in front of Daniel.

“Yeah, well” I start. “Miracles happen, you know?”

“I see…” Yumi says, looking thoughtfully at me. It’s the first time I see her scrutinizing me with her eyes and I feel like I’m missing something here. “Daniel-san, this is my new friend, Michelle”

“Oh, nice to meet you” Daniel says and we fall into an awkward silence.

I look between the two and the guard in their hands, trying to figure out what the hell is going on. One thing is for sure, these two were getting kinky not too long ago. As a long-timer stripper, I can tell.

I raise a knowing eyebrow at Yumi and she blushes a deep red, knowing I have figured it out. I cross my arms and smirk at the two.

“So, what are you doing?” I ask.

Daniel looks at Yumi, his face indicating just how terrified he is for getting caught.

“It’s a long story” She tells me. “I can tell you later”

“Right” I say. “Same time, same place?”

“You know how it is” She says, with a smile. Our secret code to meet confuses Daniel even more. He doesn’t seem to know she can see the future and will see exactly when I come by to meet her.

“What are YOU doing here?” Yumi pointedly asks. “It is not usual to see you roaming the mansion. Especially like that”

She is referring to the fact that I am in my human form and not as Kitty Girl.

“Yeah, my usual clothing is not very conventional right now” I tell her. “One might say there’s a chance I’ll get killed if I wear it”

Daniel looks even more confused at this and looks at Yumi for answers, but she only looks knowingly at me. However, there is something else in her look. I can’t point out what it is.

“I came here to meet Jack” I continue, feeling uncomfortable with her white eyes staring at me.

“Jack? You mean my brother?” Daniel asks.

“That’s the one” I confirm. “Do you know where he is?”

“How do you know my brother?” He asks.

“Why are you carrying an unconscious guard?” I ask in return.

“Touche” He gives in, looking at Yumi again. “You’ll find my brother in his room”

“Great!” I say. “Which way? I got lost”

Daniel frowns as he looks at me. “Next corridor to the right. You will find a hall there, then you turn to the left. It’s the first door to the left”

“Thanks” I say and walk past them, winking at Yumi and making her blush again. She is such a princess. I’m glad she found her prince charming.

I am curious about what they are up to with that guard, but Jack is more important right now. I can ask Yumi what that was all about later.

So, I cross the way Daniel indicated me and come up with the door to Jack’s room. Suddenly, I am not so sure I should be here anymore. My palms are sweaty and my throat feels dry.

I am about to walk away when I hear a thud from inside and knowing something is wrong, I barge inside without even knocking.

Am I glad that I did.

As soon as I enter, I find Jack laying on the floor, a needle still sticking out of his arm, his body convulsing as foam comes out of his mouth.

My heart drops to the ground as I rush to him and pull him to my lap, trying to keep him still through the seizure and keep the foam from blocking his airways.

“No, no, no” I mumble continuously. “What did you do?”

He is overdosing. And if this keeps up, he is not going to make it.

“No, I can’t lose you” I say as I hold him close, tears forming in my eyes.

His eyes start rolling back and I just sit there as he slips through my fingers.

“Jack!” I shout, wishing that calling out his name would stop all this. “Jack!”

His seizure suddenly stops and his body goes limp in my arms. Horror courses through me as I realize he is gone.

“No!” I shout, holding him even closer. “NO, Jack!”

I cry as I hold him and the strangest thing happens.

From my body, a strong light emanates and clouds my vision for a while. When I can see again, Jack is breathing and no longer foaming or convulsing.

His skin color returns and the needle in his arm pops out on its own. I look in shock at all of this but have no time to wonder what just happened when Jack moans and starts waking up.

“J-Jack?” I mumble, my shock still very much present.

“M-Mia?...” He mumbles, still dazed as he sits up. “What happened?”

I whimper at seeing him safe and sound and hug him close, crying in his chest. Then, I start to hit him continuously.

“You stupid, stupid!” I shout as I hit his chest over and over. “I thought I was going to lose you! Bastard! Why do you do this to me?!”

My wails fill the room as I continue crying in his chest, not caring what he thinks. I saw him die in front of my eyes. He was gone and my heart was gone with him. I don’t know what happened for him to come back but I don’t care.

The shock and pain of losing him were too much for me to bear.

It takes him a long time but he finally places his arms around me and surprises me when he talks, his voice filled with emotion.

“I’m so sorry…” He says.

Sniffing, I pull back from his chest and look at him. He looks so guilty, it hurts.

“Don’t do this again, alright?” I plead. “I can’t go through this again”

I am still crying, unable to stop and he pulls me into his arms again, holding me closely.

“I promise” He says and I start wailing like a child again, the image of him foaming on the ground still haunting me.

When I finally calm down, we stay sitting on the floor, his arms still around me. I feel comfortable in his warmth.

“How are you feeling?” I ask him, my voice still trembling from all the crying.

“I feel… Alright” He says, sounds surprised. “I didn’t think I was going to wake up from the dose I took, but now I feel like I didn’t take anything at all”

I hit him again, more strongly this time and he rubs his chest in pain.

“What do you mean you didn’t think you were going to wake up?” I say angrily.

He looks away, the guiltiness coming back. My anger fades away when I see him like this and instead pity takes over.

“Look, I know you loved Kitty Girl, but…” I start, not knowing where to go with this. “You have to find a way to move forward. The world needs you Jack. I need you”

I may be sounding a little too desperate here but I’ll do anything right now to get these suicidal thoughts out of his head.

“It’s not that easy, Mia… I…” He says, looking down at his hands. “I don’t know what I’m doing here anymore. Without her, it’s just… It’s useless”

But I’m right here. Is what I want to say. I am Kitty Girl.

But I can never tell him this, especially not now when it is so dangerous for me out there. I would never forgive myself if something happened to him because of me.

“I’ll give you something to do, then” I tell him and he looks at me. “It’s like I said: I need training. So, train me, and when we’re done, you can do whatever you want”

He shakes his head but I can see his saddened expression start to change.

“Come on” I say. “Cain is already starting to say I am out of shape after laying down for so long”

“You are the person who least needs to get in shape” He says, a slight smile forming on his lips.

“What is that supposed to mean?” I ask him, wanting to playfully kick him again but deciding against it.

“It means you are already in shape” He says, now fully smiling at me.

“Well, shape is what gets me in trouble” I say. “What will poor me do when a guy as strong as Cain tries to impose himself?”

“Alright, alright” He says. “You made your point”

“Does that mean you’ll quit the good stuff?” I ask, hopefully.

“It means I’ll stop while I’m training you” He says. “I can’t promise anything after that”

“Hm… I’m not sure I want to try hard now” I say, making him chuckle and ruffle my messy curly hair.

“You’re such a silly person, Mia” He says, now looking more like the Jack I know and love.

I’ll be the silliest person you know if that brings a smile to your face. I think with a silly smile.

“Let’s go?” I ask him.

“Wait, you want to start now?” He says.

“Yes! Before you change your mind” I say, pulling him by his arm.

He smiles again and doesn’t refuse me when I drag him towards the door.

“Alright, I suppose we can go to the dojo” He says. “It’s been a while anyone used it”

“Great!” I say, sounding cheerful.

In reality, I am still shaken up by what just happened. Jack was gone and I somehow brought him back and cleansed his body from all the drugs.

How did I do that?