MPJS Chap 7: Dove L' amour Fragrance One(James E Boston IV) As I heard the crunch of my shoes stepping on the rough gravel road, I couldn’t help but to think about how rough my journey had been. I thought it would be a breeze. I believed that I’d ride the breeze like a bird exploring the world with its unique eye view. I believed that I’d be a pilot riding smoothly on clouds as white as cotton. I believed that I’d go wherever the wind took me and become one with the wind. My beliefs were sadly a fantasy.

I wish that positivity would make its way into my life. I would welcome it with open arms. Unfortunately, it is nowhere to be found. It is nowhere to be felt. It is a treasure chest buried in a hidden location. I’ve spent so much time trying to find it, with no luck. I saw so many people get their hands on the shining treasure, but somehow I never even got a glimpse. Am I destined to never enjoy the riches that the treasure box has to offer?

Even though I attempt to focus on positivity, my thoughts are often hijacked by negative energy. The negative energy truly surrounds me like the mist of the nighttime breeze. Everywhere that I stepped, the mist surrounded me as if it were my aura. It was an aroma that I couldn’t mask. It was an aroma that no fragrance was strong enough to cover.

As I looked at the sky, I noticed that behind the mist there was a moon. Some people just see the moon as a large rock. I see the moon as the candle of the darkness. The beacon of light. The beacon of hope.

I accomplished so much, but it feels like so little. I am showered with the appreciation of many souls. I have all the material luxuries that a girl can ask for. The energy that I put into the universe went on to bless many souls. Why am I running through the mist of the night? Why am I running from the aroma that drifts like a gray cloud in the sky?

Certain questions simply don’t have an answer. There are questions I’ll never get the answer to. That is something that I have to accept. The aroma of the mist was one that haunted me. I was tormented by the aroma of the mist, especially when I knew that my delightful fragrance wasn’t potent enough to cover it.

I flapped my wings and fluttered around the dark sky above the city like a butterfly searching for the sweetest nectar. There is truly nothing sweeter than putting a villain in a cage to free society from the mist that haunts it. For about thirty to thirty-five minutes, I failed to find the fine nectar that I was searching for. As I was about to sit on a bench and relax, the sound of a scream made me attracted to it like a butterfly that finally fluttered to the sweetest nectar.

The scene wasn’t sweet at all. There were three men in red jackets and black masks standing around a woman whose heart was struck with fear. As I heard the footsteps of the men, I knew they were about to tear her apart like a pack of starving wolves. Little did they know I was starving, too. I was starving to make the criminal’s worst nightmare come true. As one robber pinned her against the wall, it was almost as if she looked into the eyes of medusa because she was frozen like stone. The way that her eyes shook told me that her life was flashing before her eyes.

“You want a challenge. Well, I’ll give you one.” I said.

The sound of thunder ripped through the air like a lion’s roar. Lightning struck, and the light cast a shadow of my head and pigtails on the wall that the poor woman was pinned against. The shadow disappeared at the speed of the lightning flash. Such an image might as well have been the robber’s life flashing before their eyes because it represents the end of their lives in the free world.

“Who is that?!” asked one robber as they turned around to look behind them, only to find nothing.

“Nothing like a game of hide and seek before getting trash off the street.” I said.

“I think I know who it is. It’s that pink girl that is a superhero or whatever. My cuz was telling me about her.” said the robber as they pulled out their switchblades.

“I’ll be the one to put you in the grave. Come out and stop hiding like a coward!” said another robber.

“I’m glad you said that,” I said before skating out of a dark corner and smashing one of the robber’s face with a bat. His head shook like he was standing in the middle of an earthquake as he fell back. The crack in his mask was the crack in the ground resulting from the earthquake.

The other robbers charged at me like two starving wolves. I almost felt bad for them because I knew that a pack of wolves was going to starve that night. Before the tip of the blades touched my skin, I fluttered my wings and lifted in the air.

“Hey, come down here and fight you coward!” said the robber.

“Yeah, but there’s one of me and three of you. I have to level the playing field in some kind of way.” I said.

Like a reverse game of baseball, I threw the bat while I fluttered in the breeze. I smiled because I hit a home run. The bat struck his back as he attempted to escape its path.

I gracefully landed on the ground and skated towards him like I was about to strike a goal in a hockey game. Right before I got the puck in the goal, it was snatched from me. The last robber had a knife pointed at the woman’s neck. Even though I couldn’t see his face, I could tell by the confidence in his stance and voice that a smirk was hidden behind his mask.

“I gotcha now! If you skate half an inch closer to me, I’ll slice her neck like butter!” he shouted.

I had no choice but to stop, even though I was so close to the goal. I attempted to develop a plan, but the sound of knight sirens interrupted my thoughts like a student trying to study at a party.

“Not the knights!” shouted the robber.

He dropped her on the ground before running towards the street. I picked up my bat as I skated towards him. He took the gamble and attempted to outrun my skates. Unfortunately for him, he lost the gamble and paid the price. I struck the back of his head with my bat. He fell on the street and laid there like roadkill.

“You’ve done it again, Dysnomia. I don’t know how you do it, but ya did.” said a knight as the other knight put handcuffs on the robbers.

“It wasn’t hard at all. It was merely a chore of taking out the trash for a hero like me.” I said as I glanced at the woman that I saved running towards the street.

“Nice talking to you, but I have to catch a friend,” I said.

“No problem,” said the knight before I fluttered towards the woman.

“Are you okay?” I asked as I landed in front of her.

“Okay. What do you mean, okay? I feel great that you kicked their tails!” said the woman.

“It was pretty easy. The robbers didn’t stand a chance.” I said, smirking as they threw the wolves in cages.

“True, but they actually weren’t robbers,” said the woman.

“Really? Then what were they?” I asked.

“They were assassins.” She said.

“Really? Why would anyone try to kill you? You look like a respectable citizen. You’re dressed in a suit and tie. Your hair and makeup are neatly done. You seem like a real professional.” I said.

“That’s because I’m an activist. I’m used to receiving death threats, but this is the first time that I was physically attacked.” She said.

“That’s crazy. What are you fighting against?” I asked.

“Scammers and gangs. We are in a new nation. Living in a newly formed nation and government is hard enough because so much has to be done to develop the country. The presence of scammers and gangs just makes things harder. I believe we can create the nation that we dream of if we eliminate the scammers and gangs. As great as the Royal Castle nation is, we have to admit that it is crime ridden. All the knights care about is protecting the rich and government officials and rarely actively seek out gangsters and scammers.” said the woman as she looked in my eyes.

“Wow! It looks like we have the same goal. I’m a superhero. I go around and look for crime to fight.” I said.

“Really?” she said.

“Yup, I put a lot of bad people in cages. You might have heard my name because my name seems to be going around the streets. I’m Dysnomia.” I said.

“Haven’t heard of you, but you are quite an interesting character. You are obviously telling the truth because you saved my life. You fought off the assassins and gave me enough time to call the knights. How about we exchange numbers and you can come to one of my meetings? Together, we can take these gangs and scammers out. My name is Aluma. Aluma Freeman.” she said as she took out a piece of paper and wrote her number on it.

“Good thing I got a new phone,” I said as I grabbed the sheet of paper.

She smiled like I bestowed a blessing upon her as I told her my number.

“Got your number saved on my phone. Look forward to seeing you at my meetings and speeches. We have to get the respectable citizens of this nation together and report these gangsters and scammers to the knights. We have to let people know that it’s not cool to join these gangs. We have to let them know that if you join a gang or become a scammer, you’ll either end up dead or in jail. I hope you enjoy my speech and my husbands.” She said.

“Look forward to it, Mrs. Freeman. See you soon.” I said.

“You too, Dysnomia,” said Mrs. Freeman before she went inside a taxi.

The adrenaline that rushed through me was like a drug that gave me enough energy to take down ruthless assassins. Like all drugs, it had its side effects. I almost drifted to sleep as I smoothly skated on the sidewalk. As much as I wanted to feel the warmth of my sheets, I resisted the temptation and skated past my apartment. I didn’t allow my lack of energy to get the best of me because I made it to the destination that I was looking forward to all day.

“I knew you’d be late. What were you doing? Let me guess. Superhero stuff.” said Tootsie.

“Yeah, I was. Y’all should just be glad I even showed up, to be honest. I am so exhausted. Punching a villain’s teeth in takes a lot of energy.” I said.

“You might be able to beat them, but can you beat me at cards, tough girl,” said Milli as opened a pack of cards while sitting at a table.

“Sounds like a challenge. What card game?” I asked.

“Any of them. I’ll slaughter you at every card game.” said Milli. 

“You can’t say that until you can prove it. You have to earn the right to say that.” I said.

“Let’s go,” said Milli.

“I heard you got a new boyfriend, Milli. He’s an Ice Killer too, isn’t he?” said Tootsie.

“Yeah, all I date is Ice Killers. I don’t date outside my gang.” said Milli.

“How is he?” asked Tootsie as she picked up a stack of cards and blew cigarette smoke that contaminated the air like smoke from a forest fire.

“Well, I didn’t have to kill him yet, so fine I guess,” said Milli before we all laughed.

“Who are you dating, Dysnomia?” asked Tootsie.

She truly threw a punch to my stomach. My cheeks turned dark pink as I suffered from the sting of her question. It felt as if I were standing in the midst of a poisonous gas. I tried to escape the poisonous smell, but I was already trapped in its prison. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak. All I could do was stand there and suffer in silence.

“Are you okay, Dysnomia?” asked Tootsie.

“Yeah, I’m alright. I’m not dating anyone at the moment.” I said.

My only desire at the moment was for the odor of the poisonous gas to fade away from my presence. Unfortunately, that wasn’t a present that the universe gifted me. The air became more contaminated as the thick heavy fog that tortured me became denser. I attempted to run to a door or window to escape, but all I saw were walls. I begged and screamed for my life as my fist pounded against the walls.

Not a soul was able to hear my cries. Not a soul was able to feel the suffering being inflicted upon me. Not a soul could see that my heart was pounding as hard as my fist against the wall. Not a soul could taste the failure that was served to me by the universe on a silver platter. Not a soul could smell the poisonous gas that was burning my throat and making my lungs feel like they’re on fire.

Tootsie and Milli continued to talk about their lovers like they were princesses that found true love in an old fairytale story. I was merely a peasant that wasn’t on a status high enough to touch the riches of love. All I could do was stand there as embarrassment put the makeup of blush on my cheeks. Their conversation didn’t stop. It continued to go on like a road with no end.

Even though I won some card games at the end of our night out, I felt like a loser. Not once was I able to contribute to their conversation. Like gray clouds in the sky, their conversation put a damper on my day. Most people would say that I should cheer up because after our night out, I got a reward from the knights.

It turns out that the three assassins that I took down were a high-profile gang of contract killers. I received ten thousand dollars for each one from the knights. The Ice Killer gang gave me a nice lump of six thousand dollars or two thousand for each one. The money wasn’t enough to fix the hole in my heart. It is merely a bandaid, but eventually all bandaids peel off.

The next night, I tried to focus on looking for villains, but I couldn’t focus on external battles. I was fighting a battle with myself. This was one of the toughest battles that I ever fought. Getting a couple of teeth from a villain isn’t a problem, but how do I defeat the woman in the mirror?

I purchased a couple of CDs full of sad punk rock songs. I called a taxi to take me to a land where I could at least imagine my fantasy. If I can’t be the princess in the finest castle with the finest prince, I can at least pretend. Some people would say that I’m too old to play pretend, but the truth is grown-ups do it every day. I see so many people live fake lives on social media. Some show off luxuries they don’t really own. Some show off their bodies that were heavily altered by image editing effects. Some even show off the pure love of their relationships that are secretly full of toxic venom. Playing pretend has truly become a normal part of adult life.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Everyone copes with this cruel world in different ways. Sometimes one needs to retreat to a fantasy land to escape this harsh reality. I certainly purchased my ticket to fantasy land. If only it was a one-way ticket because reality is too much for me.

As I sat in the taxi, the driver attempted to start a conversation with me, but I drifted off too deep into my ocean of depression. As he spoke to me, I took out my portable CD player and put on my earbuds. I traveled on the waves of the melancholy rhythm of the punk rock songs.

After he dropped me off, I walked to the top of the famous mountain of love. As I walked up the hill, the chilly wind made my pigtails fly behind me. Usually I love to skate, but I wasn’t in the mood. All I desired to do was live in my fantasy. Dreams don’t have to come true. All you have to do is enjoy the moment you’re dreaming.

Once I arrived at the top of the hill, I saw multiple couples kissing each other and enjoying the stars. Some couples were sitting on the ground and others were sitting in their convertible cars, getting the perfect view of the stars. A tear dripped from my eye and touched the ground. To my surprise, I saw a familiar friend.

“Wow! You still have my scrunchie on your ear! I can’t believe you kept it on. You’re such a cute little bunny.” I said as I picked up the bunny that hopped towards me. “I see you’re still wearing that scar, loud and proud.”

I looked at the scar on the bunny and smiled. People might consider it an imperfection, but those imperfections make us special. They become a part of who we are. Some people see it as a hideous blemish, but I truly see it as a mark of beauty. A true beauty mark.

“Nice to see you, Beauty Mark.” I said. “You really made my day. I know you have places to go, food to find, and things to do. I hope I’ll see you soon.”

I placed her on the ground, and she hopped into the rest of her night. I walked down the hill and began walking through the darkness of the woods. Somehow Beauty Mark removed some of the depression from my heart. I never knew a cute little bunny could be a heart surgeon. The gray clouds failed to stop me from getting the precious feeling of a smile.

I felt the sharp blow of a fist that was hard like a rock. As my back struck the ground, my face felt like it was on fire. I almost slipped into a state of unconsciousness, but I shook my head and got out of it.

“Give me the money!” shouted a large muscular man with long black greasy hair. “You look familiar,”

“You do too. Did we meet before? I fought so many villains.” I said.

“I’m the Jawbreaker!” he said.

“Oh! I remember you! Please don’t kill me! I need my jaw to talk! I’m just beginning to live my life! I’m new to this world! Please don’t kill me! I just want to make the world a better place!” I begged.

“I love hearing my victims beg. Before they lose the ability to talk anyway.” said the Jawbreaker as he stepped towards me.

So, I guess this is the end of my story. My story ends on a lonely night with no one around, but a greasy-haired criminal. You really did it, Dysnomia. You really did it.

“Good night, pink girl,” said the jawbreaker.

I screamed as I pulled up my sleeve, exposing my Ice Killer tattoo. His fist stopped in the middle of its flight like I was being protected by some kind of force field. He took a few steps back as his eyes widened like he just seen a ghost walk through a tree.

“You’re an Ice Killer? You’re actually part of the Ice Killer gang?” He asked as his eyes shook with fear.

“Yup, and if you touch me, they’ll kill you,” I said.

I caught the glare of the smile that he flashed. He took off his black leather jacket, exposing his muscular arms that could compete with professional body builders. His long, slick, greasy black hair blew in the breeze.

“Too bad, because my fists are thirsty. I guess I’ll take the jaw of some other sucker.” said Jawbreaker.

Even though the energy that we put out vibrated at completely different frequencies, I couldn’t help developing an attraction to him. If his body was photographed and placed in a magazine, the other fitness models would surely be embarrassed. His long black hair reminded me of the rock stars that I idolize. His confidence and laid-back demeanor were the heat that made my body melt.

I know I’m a hero. The only thing that I should be thinking about is a plan to get this villain locked up in prison. I totally understand that heroes supposed to be righteous. That doesn’t mean that we can’t have naughty thoughts. Mother Fée would kill me if she knew the things that I wanted to do with him that night.

As he walked away, all I wanted to do was chase him down so that we could walk into the moonlight together. The next morning, I walked out of sunlight as I felt its warm rays heat up the back of my neck. Unfortunately, once again I was walking through the sunlight without someone’s hand to hold.

While I was home and at work, I barely spoke to anyone. My mouth was zipped closed like a Ziplock bag. I couldn’t even speak if I wanted to. The thought of the Jawbreaker had me speechless. He was so hot that if I touched him once, I would melt all over him like ice on his body. His body was the definition of perfection. It was almost as if his body was drawn by an artist.

Once the moon shone upon a lake, I felt butterflies in my stomach as I saw a couple of doves sitting in a tree. Their love was truly a potent aroma that I was blessed to smell from afar. Even though I could only get a whiff of such a delightful fragrance from afar, I was glad to at least get a piece of it. It would be nice if I could feel the mist of such perfume on my neck. All I could do was have hope.

I heard leaves shuffling around. At first, I shrugged it off as a squirrel or rabbit, but I was in for quite a pleasant surprise. It was hard to believe that for a split second, my fantasy was no longer fiction. It was swiftly a part of my reality before disappearing like a short dream. I felt my eyes light up like the stars above the mountain of love. My eyes turned into hearts as a seemingly magical moment presented itself before me.

“Hey Dysnomia,” said Jawbreaker as he ran through the woods.

“Hey,” I said as I waved at him as he swiftly passed me like a deer sprinting from a hunter.

I wondered what he was running from as he ran to the right of me. I Glanced at the stars to thank them before looking to the right. Unfortunately, the Jawbreaker was nowhere to be found. I never saw someone pull off a disappearing magic trick as good as him. 

I sighed before I heard a knight siren. Once the siren grew louder, I saw bright lights flash in front of me. Three knights ran towards me as their metal boots left deep, thick footprints on the ground. I looked in the opposite direction as the lights burned my eyes like a grill at a barbeque.

“Did you see a muscular man with black hair pass by?” asked one knight.

“Yeah, I did,” I said as I noticed a dove couple sitting beside each other on a branch with love as bright as the moon’s glow.

I know that honesty is a virtue, but nothing is as valuable as true love. True love’s first kiss is the prize in many fairy tales. It is the gold that everyone goes after. The very crown that sits on top of the queen’s head.

“He went that way,” I said as I pointed to the left.

“Thank you for your help, Dysnomia. I knew that you’d be a great help to the knights, as usual.” He said before they ran to the left like they heard ticks of a time bomb.

“What?! You actually saved me!” said Jawbreaker as he stepped from behind a tree. “You could have pointed me out and got me locked up! Why?”

“I have my reasons,” I said as I looked at the ground before shifting my eyes to meet his eyes. I had a smirk to compliment the smile that my eyes gave off.

“Okay, I see. You like me, don’t you?” said Jawbreaker.

“No, that’s not why,” I said as my cheeks turned dark pink. I attempted to think about something else to elude the capture of embarrassment. Unfortunately, the only weapon that I had was lost. My mind went blank, and I was cornered by embarrassment.

“Just admit it, girl. Listen to your body. Why fight against it? Just give into your desire. You know you want it.” He said.

The sound of his voice was truly the honey in the warm tea that soothes the throat of a patient suffering from a fever. I couldn’t get enough of his voice. I wanted much more than the sound of his voice. I wanted the feeling of his touch. I wanted the scent of his potent cologne to follow me like it’s my new aura. I craved the precious kiss of his lips on my body.

“Why won’t you spend a night with me?” asked Jawbreaker.

“Usually, I wouldn’t do this with a villain, but it would be rude to turn down an offer to hang out. Why not?” I said before following him.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked.

“That is a good question. I wonder where we’re going, too. I guess we’ll find out.” He said.

I knew he was a wolf, and I was a poor cat walking into a death trap, but I was intrigued by the mystery. They say that curiosity killed the cat, but at least the cat perished with her thirst for an answer quenched. Many perish without such privilege. Though the cat is buried and forgotten, her satisfaction lives forever. Satisfaction truly brought her back from the grave.

After several minutes of shuffling through branches, I heard music tearing through the night breeze. Once the trees were finally behind me, I was able to look at the future of my night. I stood in front of a club with dozens of luxury cars and colorful lights emitting through the windows.

“Let’s go,” He said.

“Woah, I love clubs,” I said.

“I know you like clubs, but I know you never seen one like this,” He said as I followed him to the door.

“What up, Jaws.” said the bouncer.

“What up, Ray,” said Jawbreaker.

“Who’s the girl?” asked the bouncer.

“Just decided to take my girl to the club. Know what I’m saying?” He said.

“Y’all enjoy yourselves,” said the bouncer, as he opened the door for us.

As I stepped in, I saw an ocean of people dancing that were more drunk than fish. I struggled to get through the crowd. I fluttered my wings to get a few people to back up.

“Aye, girl. I’ll be right back. Let me get you a drink.” said Jawbreaker as I became lost in the music.

I knew I couldn’t dance to win a million dollars, but sometimes it’s fun to make a fool of yourself. Besides, everyone else was drunk anyway, so I fit right in like a puzzle piece. I threw a few moves as the music hypnotized the crowd.

“Sup, girl. Looking kinda nice. Can you throw that thang back?” said a man in a red hoodie as he stepped closer to me.

“You’re asking me that and you don’t even know my name,” I said.

“Fine. What is your name?” He asked.

“My name is miss beat it,” I said before sticking my tongue out at him.

“So, you wanna play hard to get, huh?” He said.

“You got that right. Except I’m not playing, dusty shoes.” I said.

“Bounce that thang, girl,” He said.

I flinched as he slapped me on my bottom. I panicked as he backed me into a corner. Unfortunately, everyone was too drunk and hypnotized by the music to see the cry for help in my eyes. He pinned me against the wall like a predator.

“Leave her alone!” said Jawbreaker.

“Oh, is this your girl?” asked the man in the hoodie.

“Yeah,” said Jawbreaker.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Now beat it!” He said.

“Leave her alone!” said Jawbreaker.

“She’s mine,” He said as he pushed the Jawbreaker.

A fist struck his jaw at the speed of a lightning strike. The man in the hoodie hit the floor, producing a sound as loud as thunder. Several people ran away, leaving him alone in a puddle of pain and agony. He attempted to get up, but he couldn’t overcome his injury. He fell to the ground again.

“Don’t force yourself on my girl because you can’t get chicks, you creep,” said Jawbreaker.

“Yeah, dusty shoes,” I said.

“I’m sick of clubbing. I do this every night. How about I show you a much more sacred place?” said Jawbreaker.

“Sure. Let’s go.” I said.

I followed him outside. Once again, we ended up shuffling through branches in the woods. I didn’t know where he was taking me, but I was a cat that never changed.

After walking for several minutes, my eagerness for an answer became too much to bear. My eagerness reached its peak. If I could get the slightest peak at the destination of the Jawbreaker, that would cure my eagerness in a heartbeat.

“We made it, girl,” said Jawbreaker as he moved the branches full of leaves out of my way.

I was exposed to the view of the moon that hung above a hill like it was looking down on the world. Its light radiated like the scent of Jawbreaker’s potent cologne. As he walked to the top of the hill, I followed him like the ghost of a poor soul that died of a broken heart. Once we were at the top of the hill, we both stared into the moon’s marvelous light. 

“I just wanted to say thank you for saving me back there,” I said.

“It wasn’t hard. It was like pounding a punching bag.” said Jawbreaker.

“I’m not gonna lie. The way you laid him down kinda turned me on.” I said, giggling. “You’re not a villain. You’re a hero.”

“Really?” He said.

“Yeah, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Heroes get the girl at the end.” I said. “Why did you take me to the mountain of love?”

“You know why, baby.” said Jawbreaker as he stood close to me and looked down into my eyes.

I smirked at him before he slowly lowered his head toward mine. Once our lips connected, I truly felt my lips scorch. The delightful taste of the honey in the scorching hot sweet tea that met my lips was like nothing I experienced before. My eyes widened, as I couldn’t help but moan like a cat. I couldn’t help but to purr at each stroke. If curiosity became the downfall of this cat, I was truly brought back by satisfaction.

How could I feel so much chills when my body is being scorched? Time was no longer an essence. I was in an unexplored wonderland. One where my deepest and darkest fantasies could come true. One where there was nothing but treasure and pleasure. One where I could get the finest view from any angle that I desired. 

Such a land was like an amusement park. I got the pleasure of riding a rollercoaster. The ride was full of twists, turns, and precious angles. The sounds of my cries became louder, like a fine choir performing a crescendo as I reached the climate of the rollercoaster. I never wanted it to end, but I was glad it happened.

The following morning, I awoke in my bed with lingering feelings in my mind, causing me to melt like ice cream on a summer day. I stepped out of my bed as memories of the wonderland came rushing to my head. The ring of the alarm clock was the thunder of the lightning strike that shocked me back into reality.

“Oh no! I have to make it to Aluma’s meeting!” I said.

After throwing on my clothes, I skated to the meeting like I was about to be late for a job interview. When I arrived, I smiled at a fellow crime fighter as she walked on the stage. Aluma’s confidence was unmatched, and she looked into the eyes of various people with a stare of pure justice.

“Hello, I am here to let all of you know that I will not stop until these scammers and gangs are eliminated. If you see any of these scammers and gangsters, make sure you call the knights. I know that the knights only protect rich citizens and their property. That is because we allow it. Don’t hesitate to call the knights on these delinquents. Lock them in a cage where they belong.” said Aluma, before the crowd clapped.

“We have to take down Lord Pulsar and his Quasar Flame gang. They are the second most powerful gang in this nation, and they are terrorizing this area. We must put an end to their reign and call the knights.” She continued.

As Aluma spoke, her words slowly became lost in my memories of my adventure in the previous night. It was like the sound of her voice faded out.

Why would Mother Fée hide something so sacred from us? Why would she hide something so precious? I feel so bad that my poor sisters are missing out.

Once her passionate words came to an end, we left the meeting with hope for the future. As I skated out the door, I heard high heels tapping on the ground. I turned around to spot Aluma walking towards her car.

“I loved your speech, Aluma. You motivated me to continue taking out the garbage.” I said.

“I’m very proud of you, Dysnomia. Everything that I’m talking about, you are actually doing. I have nothing but the highest respect for you.” said Aluma.

“I’m looking forward to taking down the Quasar Flame gang. That’ll be my next target.” I said.

“I’m glad. You should also work on taking down the Jawbreaker, too. Remember when I mentioned him in my speech?” said Aluma.

“What?! Why him? What did he ever do?” I asked.

“He’s a gangster, and he scammed me and my husband out of thousands of dollars,” said Aluma. “He’s actually the one that got me into speaking out against crime.”

“I don’t believe it. I don’t believe you. He saved me in a club when I was about to be violated by a weirdo.” I said. “He has a heart. He didn’t have to waste his time and energy to save me. He barely knew me. That is a heroic deed right there. I’m a superhero for a living. I know a heroic deed when I see one.”

“Why are you lying to me, Dysnomia? This guy is a straight up thug. I’m glad you’re fighting crime and everything, but you also need to get some help.” said Aluma before she walked towards her car.

The following days consisted of work shifts at the local movie theater, shopping, and cleaning up the apartment room. The only thing that stayed consistent in my mind was the thought of the Jawbreaker. I wanted so much more of his alluring cologne. Unfortunately, I could only text him because of our busy schedules. As I read each text, all I could hear was his deep voice playing in my head.

Milli and Tootsie were surprised when I told them that my innocence was a thing in the past. No more glass slippers for me. I am not a little girl. I am a bad woman that is deserving to be in the gang just like them. I’ll never need a map to navigate their conversation again. I can now identify with their experience.

I received a text that made my heart melt like a marshmallow over a campfire. The following night, I stood in an alleyway, waiting to find my true love. I heard a motorcycle driving. The motorcycle swiftly stopped, and my eyes turned into hearts as the Jawbreaker slowly stepped off of it.

“Let’s finish,” said the Jawbreaker before he yanked me towards him.

I closed my eyes as our lips met.

“How could you, Dysnomia?” said a familiar voice behind me.

I turned around to see a familiar face in a suit and tie with high heels. She stared into my eyes with a look of the weeds of rage sprouting from the seed of disappointment.

“You were my hero. I thought you were getting busy fighting crime, but here you are getting busy with the Jawbreaker.” said Aluma.

“I already told you he is not the bad guy that you think he is. Remember when I saved your life from those assassins? He did the same thing to me.” I said.

“Of course, you lie to protect him. You’re his little side chick that will do whatever he tells you to do.” said Aluma. “You lied to me, Dysnomia. You’re lying to this city!”

“I work hard every day and risk my life for the safety of this city. Let me have a little fun. Why won’t you go home and enjoy your husband? You’re probably just jealous because you don’t want your boring husband. You want the Jawbreaker. Your plan won’t work. The Jawbreaker wants me in his arms, not you.” I said as I walked into the Jawbreakers’ arms.

“You can’t jump sides, Dysnomia. You’re either with the heroes or the villains. Unfortunately, you chose the villains. I have no choice but to deal with you like how I deal with all villains.” said Aluma before she stormed off.

“Yeah, walk away back to your boring husband, jealous fool!” I shouted.

“How about we get back to business?” I said, as I looked into his eyes and bit my lip.

The next day, my emotions went on a road trip. I melted at the thought of the Jawbreaker, but the thought of Aluma made me feel as cold as ice. I didn’t want to see her face for a while. I vowed that if I saw her, I wouldn’t even give her a cold stare. I would look the other way and mind my business.

I’ll always respect her heroic work, but she can do that over there. I’ll do my heroic work over here. There’s nothing wrong with us going our separate ways.

Such words made the temperature of my boiling blood decrease. She’s done a lot of good for this city. We all have our insecurities. I’ll just try to forget about her negative actions and avoid her meetings. I’m willing to forgive and forget.

Once the beautiful rays of the sunset beamed above my head, Tootsie interrupted my text conversation with the Jawbreaker. When I looked at her, I could tell she had something important to say, so I couldn’t even get mad at her.

“What’s the problem, Toots?” I asked.

“She’s making a fool out of you,” said Tootsie.

“Who’s making a fool out of me? What are you talking about?” I asked.

“Aluma. The fine woman that you were saying all this and all that about. Ya got me curious, so I checked out one of her little talks. She’s ruining your name. She’s telling everyone that you’re in bed with a villain. She’s basically calling you a liar and a villain.” said Tootsie.

Such words made my blood boil all over again. No longer was it possible for me to forgive and forget. Pulling off such an act would have been impossible at that point. I attempted to walk off my anger by strolling around the city. It almost worked until a poster of Aluma caught my attention.

“I can’t let you get away with this!” I said as I snatched the poster off of the wall and slammed it in the trash can. I skated to Husky’s house.

“What do you want, Dysnomia?” asked Husky.

“For the first time I want to use the muscle of the Ice Killer gang,” I said.

“Against who? And why? You beat everyone you go against.” said Husky.

“This woman is a different kind of threat. She is destroying my reputation and embarrassing me. If she keeps this up, I’ll never be able to work as a hero in this nation again. Her name is Aluma.” I said.

“I know who that is. The crime fighter girl.” said Husky.

“Can you send some Ice Killer goons to beat her up and teach her a lesson?” I asked.

“She’s an easy target. I could’ve silenced her a long time ago if I wanted, but she never spoke against the Ice Killer gang. She usually speaks about the Quasar Flame gang and other local gangs. But if she is a threat to a fellow Ice Killer, I have no choice but to take action. The hit will go down tomorrow at 11:00 PM because she’ll be walking home from a speech. I know this because we’ve been closely monitoring her just in case she mentions our gang.” said Husky.

“Don’t forget, I’m a superhero. Will I get arrested?” I asked.

“Don’t worry, the crime will not be traceable to our gang. Never before has she spoken against the Ice Killer gang. She’ll wish she never had that speech.” said Husky as his words made a sadistic smirk appear on my face.

As I stood behind a tree in the midst of the cool night breeze, I felt my heart beating faster than my ticking watch. As 10:45 PM approached, I couldn’t believe that my first hit was about to go down. Would she end up with a black eye? A missing tooth? Who knows? One thing that I knew is that she’ll never hurt me again. The Ice Killers will guarantee that.

A few minutes later, I saw a woman in a suit and tie step out of the door. As she walked upon the sidewalk, I followed her at about a thirty-foot distance. She failed to notice me because I hid behind my large fedora hat, all black clothes, and a large newspaper that I used to cover my face like a mask.

I almost fainted as I witnessed a black car speeding down the street. The window of the vehicle rolled down. The next thing I knew, a scene of a horror movie took place. I heard high pitch screaming as smoke filled the air. One would think that a celebration was going on. The sound of fireworks ripped through the skies. The smoke of fireworks filled the air. It was a victory over my enemy. Many would ask me a simple question. Why aren’t you happy, Dysnomia? You won.

“No! Aluma!” shouted a man that recently parked his red car. 

He dashed out of his vehicle and headed towards the corpse. Within the next second, the fireworks started again. I covered my ears as tears streamed down my cheeks. All I desired was for the celebration to stop. 

After what felt like a lifetime of fireworks, there was dead silence, for both of their screams were laid to rest. I fluttered my wings and flew away from the scene of the crime like a butterfly that just witnessed her sister get devoured by a predator. I desired to stay and help, but the situation is out of my hands. I can save a lot of people, but unfortunately, I can’t save the world. Some situations are just outside of my control.

I attempted to sleep that night, but the sound of the explosions replayed in my mind. It almost felt as if I was in a movie scene, and someone kept pressing the replay button. The incident was so fresh in my mind that I actually believed that I heard the explosion and saw the smoke repeatedly. As I stared into the darkness as I laid on my bed, sleep didn’t even cross my mind. I knew I would be held captive by the situation that I created forever.

As soon as 8:00 AM rolled around, I slammed my fist on Husky’s door. He snatched the door open and looked at me in shock. We looked into each other’s eyes with different auras.

“What is going on, Dysnomia?” asked Husky.

“Why did you kill Aluma and her husband? I just wanted you to send some goons to give her a beating. Like a black eye. Or take a couple of her teeth.” I said as my eyes teared up.

“We are the Ice Killer gang! We are the strongest and most powerful gang in the nation! We don’t play with people! If we have a problem, we solve it! We have a reputation to keep! If someone has the guts to challenge us, we’ll rip the guts out of them!” said Husky.

“Don’t you think that is a tiny bit cruel?” I asked.

“Dysnomia! If you can’t handle this, then you shouldn’t have joined the gang! Don’t go around feeling bad about it either because an Ice Killer can’t look weak! You’re not in Mother Fée’s perfect little world anymore! You’re in the most ruthless crime ridden land in the nation!” said Husky.

“But I’m supposed to be a superhero,” I said.

“Yeah, and we made you a hero. You’re doing well. Keep up the good work. Just as I’m letting you do your work in peace, let me do mine.” said Husky.

“Husky, she didn’t deserve it. She’s done a lot of good for society. She’s not perfect, but she didn’t deserve a brutal death.” I said.

“You think the drive-by shooting was brutal? Well, that was just the beginning. After that, my goons took the corpses and sliced them up into tiny pieces. They placed each body part in various members of their families’ mailboxes. My goons did it with a smile.” said Husky as he looked deep into my eyes.

Like a dam that was about to overflow with water, my eyes almost released all my tears. I know he saw the redness in my eyes, but he couldn’t say that he saw a tear drop. I fought my emotions like a world-renowned boxer.

“How does it make you feel?” asked Husky.

A teardrop rolled down my cheeks before splashing on the floor. I stood in silence.

“You’re weak!” He shouted.

“I’m not weak. I just have a heart.” I said.

“Hey! Don’t talk to an Ice Killer general like that! Normally you could get shot just for disobeying or disrespecting an Ice Killer general! You’re lucky I’m letting you off the hook because you’ve done so much for the gang! Stop being sad about the situation! You’re not a little girl! You’re a grown woman! Just be happy that you triumphed over your enemy! Now leave! I don’t wanna hear another peep from your smart mouth!” He firmly demanded.

“Yes, General Husky,” I said before I stepped out of his house.

For the rest of the week, I became a hermit crab. I barely went outside. I used some sick days to take off work at the movie theater. I didn’t say a word to Bryce. I didn’t meet up with any members of the gang. I even did something that I didn’t believe was possible. I failed to respond to the Jawbreaker’s seductive text. I simply laid in my gray bed under gray sheets and gray clouds.

After a few days, I finally got enough strength to take a nighttime stroll. I sat on a hill and looked up at the stars. I felt a tear drop touch upon my cheek.

“Are you okay, babe?” said the Jawbreaker, causing me to flinch.

“I’m alright,” I said.

“Seems like you found a good spot to get down to business,” said the Jawbreaker before he kissed my cheek.

“Not in the mood,” I said.

“I know what it feels like to be down. I grieved when my whole gang got killed by the Shooter Boy gang. The only reason that I lived was because I played dead, but I saw the murder of my gang. They were basically my family. It was hard.” said the Jawbreaker.

“That sounds horrible,” I said.

“If I could fight my emotions and overcome them, you can too,” He said.

“I guess you’re right. Thank you for your sweet words, my love.” I said, before kissing his neck.

“Baby, I need your help,” said the Jawbreaker before kissing my cheek.

“I couldn’t afford a funeral for my gang, but I want to give them a proper burial.” He said.

“What do you need?” I asked.

“Can you use your flight ability to help me rob a store? I need the extra money for funeral expenses for my gang. For my family.” asked the Jawbreaker.

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