MPJS Chap 8: Dove L' amour Fragrance Two(James E Boston IV) As I laid in my bed and stared at the ceiling, all I saw was a void. I was essentially floating through the depths of space without the slightest twinkle of a star to guide me. The farther that I floated, the more that I realized that change isn’t imminent. Like a prisoner locked away in a dark prison cell, I felt trapped with the feeling of a void presence clouding my stomach. All I have is the band aid of memories to cover the wounds of my past.

Once I was a princess with the finest tiara. I had a castle with the tallest towers. I had a garden that was the most prosperous and beautiful in the land. Most importantly, I had the finest prince that every woman envied. I had the world in the palm of my hand.

Now I’m floating in an endless void. I have nothing to look forward to. I have nothing to cure the emotional trauma that I was diagnosed with. There is no one by my side floating in the depths of space with me. I depend on my memories to keep me from insanity, like a powerful drug. Some might tell me to go to rehab because such a strong drug addiction isn’t healthy. They say it isn’t healthy to dwell on the past. They tell me to look at the future. Unfortunately, such advice doesn’t help when your future doesn’t exist.

I looked at my cellphone to check my text messages. There wasn’t a single text from my boyfriend. I scrolled through my texts and the conversation was essentially me talking to a wall. I had over twenty unanswered messages. How could a boyfriend that I invested so much energy into abandon the ship of life that we navigated together?

All the time that we spent together. All the nights we talked to each other. All the kisses that we shared. All the love that we shared physically and emotionally. All of his potent cologne that followed me began to fade.

I was so blinded by all the kisses and thrills that I accidentally ended the life of a close friend and associate. I sacrificed the life of a friend and put her in the grave for a relationship that ended up in a grave, anyway. I gave everything that I had for the gold of my relationship. Now such gold is out of the palm of my hands and is nowhere to be found.

I begged him to give me the sparkling lavish gold that once put the brightest smile on my face. I sent text messages repeatedly. I hoped to see at least the flash of a sparkle of the gold that I once held on to so dearly. Unfortunately, nothing changed. My text received no closure. The void proved itself to be endless.

The jawbreaker made my bed of depression and tucked me in. All I heard were bedtime stories of what our relationship used to be. A relationship that I’ll never be able to taste the fruits of joy again. I heard the sound of the door creak open.

“You alright, Dysnomia?” asked Tootsie.

“Yeah, I’m alright,” I said.

“Your attitude sure don’t sound alright,” said Tootsie.

“Fine, I feel terrible. I thought relationships were supposed to make you happy. You and Milli seemed so happy when talking about your love lives. I read about true love and happy relationships in comics and fairytales and nothing even close to depression was expressed. It seems like everything I knew was a lie.” I said as I covered my eyes.

“Dysnomia, I have a question?” asked Tootsie.

“What?” I asked.

“Do you think you fell in love or lust?” asked Tootsie.

“Love, duh,” I said.

“Honey, are you putting in all the work? Is he doing anything?” she asked.

“What do you mean? He saved me in the club from a serious weirdo.” I said.

“Here’s a little test. Even relationships that are rooted in true love aren’t perfect. All couples fight. Why won’t you apologize to him? If you think you did something wrong, apologize. If he really loves you, he’ll forgive you.” said Tootsie.

“Good idea, Toots. I’ll buy him flowers and give him the warmest apology that’ll make his heart melt.” I said.

“Glad to help, but don’t kill ya self if it doesn’t work,” said Tootsie, as I swiftly skated past her.

During my quest to get the magic potion to heal my broken heart, I thought about the moment that I’ll jump into his arms again. I thought about the taste of his perfect lips. I thought about the scent of his mysterious cologne that follows me like a ghost in the night. All of these thoughts made my heartbeat like an Olympian that’s about to win the championship.

The sound of my beating heart was a sign of life. A sign that the jawbreaker will show love to me in the most intimate way again. All I desired was for my vision to become a reality. I finally discovered the potion for my heart. I purchased the finest bouquet that had the sweetest fragrance that contrasted with my bitter taste.

I was captivated by the scent. I became its little doll. The aroma took control of me. I couldn’t help but feel as sweet as the scent. No longer was I floating in the depths of darkness. I felt the energy of the brightest stars. I felt the joyfulness of a newborn baby. I felt like I was resurrected from the dead.

Like magic, the smell of my potion of love became more potent as I walked up the hill. I knew that my love was waiting for me to return. Without me, he can only fake a smile. Living without your other half is a task that can drive a soul to the grave. I knew I had no choice but to apologize.

My beating heart was beating at the pace of an orchestra playing a rapid piece. The orchestra was struck with silence. The piece ended with a grand pause. There was no movement. There weren’t any sounds aside from the rustling of the leaves. Even the sounds of crickets ceased.

As the Jawbreaker locked lips with another woman, he truly became the Heartbreaker. He donated our kiss to a random woman off the street. He didn’t respond to my text because he was too busy having a good time with a woman that doesn’t look half as good as me.

I felt my cheeks burn like a forest fire. A forest fire that the most advanced fire department can’t control. I picked up the nearest stick and smashed it into several pieces. Even though I had the heart of a hero, I had the mind of a villain.

The things that I wanted to do to the woman that stole my kiss were inhumane. The pain that I wanted to cause her was so sadistic that if anyone could read my thoughts, they’d run for their lives. For the first time, I walked in the shoes of a villain. I attempted to look past it, but the flashing images of the kiss that I lost blinded me.

The following day, Tootsie opened the door. She gasped as I laid on the floor with a pile of broken wood scattered across the floor. It looked like a tornado ripped through the apartment. Books were all over the floor, sheets of paper were ripped, and my bed was a mess.

“I assume things didn’t go well,” said Tootsie.

“What are you here for?” I asked.

“Well, I was supposed to drop off some mail to you from Husky yesterday, but you ditched me before I could give it to you,” said Tootsie as she gave me an envelope.

“I can’t believe the Heartbreaker ditched me for some ugly-looking girl! I want both of them dead!” I said, as my eyes became soaked with tears like a sponge.

“He ditched you for some dumb ditsy broad. Just give Husky the word and he’ll take care of it.” said Tootsie.

For a few seconds, I smiled at the thought of their graves until images of my dear friend Aluma flooded my mind. All she wanted was the best for me and my blind rage put her in the grave. I allowed the love of my good-looking boyfriend to overshadow the love of a true friend. Never again shall I fall victim to my emotions. The last thing that I need is another regret.

“I don’t want him dead, but he needs to suffer.” I said.

“So, whatcha sayin,” said Tootsie before blowing a puff of cigarette smoke.

“I have to finish what I started. I have to finish the first fight that we had. There is no other option but taking the matter in my own hands and avenging Aluma. Not only did he hurt me, but he scammed Aluma. He’s a real super villain. He thinks he got away with harming two heroes, but he’ll discover that he thought too soon.” I said.

“Honey, are you sure you could beat this guy? He hands the sizes of boulders. He could squash you with one punch.” said Tootsie.

“Super Snake went against the odds and won.” I said.

“Honey, Super Snake isn’t real,” said Tootsie.

“Many people told me that superheroes aren’t real. No hero could last in this town. All heroes quickly become zeros. Then poof. I appear out of nowhere and beat the teeth out of every villain that comes my way. No one can say what’s real and what’s not.” I said as a smirk crept up on my face.

As I roamed the streets, I couldn’t escape the burning flames of rage that consumed my soul. My tunnel vision led me to a dead end. I slammed into a large man before falling to the ground.

“Oh no! The weirdo!” I said, scooting back.

“Don’t worry. I’m not here to hurt you.” said the man.

“Wait a minute. How are you talking to me with a broken jaw? You can’t even open your bloated mouth.” I said.

“I have a voice speaking device that says whatever I type on my cell phone. Anyway, the Jawbreaker is lying to you.” He said.

“Yeah, and why should I believe you?” I asked.

“The question is, why should you believe him? The guy is a womanizer and a master manipulator. He can smooth talk anyone into doing his bidding. He played you, Aluma, and many others. He even played me.” He said.

“How?” I asked.

“He was using you because he needed your flight ability. He needed you to help him steal some money.” He said.

“Money for his dead gang members, right?” I asked.

“Well, maybe partial. He did seem pretty depressed when his whole gang got killed, even though when I talked to him, he just seemed to be happy that he survived. To be honest, I wish that scumbag died with them.” He said.

“So, he doesn’t love me,” I said in a melancholy tone.

“Love. No. He did seem to lust over you, though. He was talking to me and his other boys about how he banged an exotic pink chick with wings. You were just another one of his conquests.” He said as my eyes teared up.

“I hope you don’t take what I did to you in the club personally. It was all an act. The Jawbreaker told me to harass you so that he could save you. The whole thing was pre-planned. He wanted to gain your trust. Breaking my jaw wasn’t part of the plan, though. That jerk surprised me with that one. He told me he broke my jaw because he wanted the set up to seem more real. He could’ve at least warned me or something. He didn’t even offer to pay my medical bills.” He said.

“I’m gonna knock his teeth out!” I said.

“How? I’m a lot bigger and stronger than you. If I can’t beat him, what makes you think you can? He’s a professional boxer. He’ll kill you with ease.” He said.

“Unfortunately, you’re right,” I said as I looked at the ground.

“You can get some people to help you, though. A team of people could probably beat him. Are you gang affiliated? If not, maybe you could form a team with his ex-girlfriends?” He said.

“Good idea. Do you know who his ex-girlfriends are?” I asked.

“Of course, the Jawbreaker was my main man. Every chick that he ran through and tossed to the corner, he bragged to me about it. I was the first one he told. I have all the names and contact information of his ex-girlfriends.” He said.

“I’ll jot everything down on my phone. Tell me all the names and contact info. Tell me everything you know.” I said.

For the remainder of the week, I couldn’t get my mind off of the Jawbreaker. Nothing changed. He continued to dominate my mind, but a new aroma drifted through the air. The whiff of toxic gas was one that made me cough until my eyes teared up.

The Jawbreaker ran through so many girlfriends that my options were as plentiful as picking an apple from the largest apple tree. I started at the top of the list and worked my way down. Unfortunately, the answers that I got filled my aura with disappointment. The few that returned my calls wanted to move on with their lives.

I wish I was able to move on with my life, but I didn’t see any life ahead of me. Only the ripest fruit of revenge could make me rise from the grave. That was the only antidote to bring me back to life. My hunger for the antidote drove me to continue calling.

Eventually, I changed my strategy. As I spoke to the women with broken souls, I pumped their mind with horrid memories of the atrocities he committed. I told them about how he mentally and emotionally abused me before they shared their pain with me. I struggled to listen as they grieved over the joyful lives that he snatched from them. Many of them gave up family relationships, careers, and other important elements in their lives for him. I asked as many questions as possible to make them think about the details and make their burning rage hotter.

I filled their minds with terrible memories, like I was filling a balloon with helium. I continued to pump until the balloon popped. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough helium to get to that point. A brilliant idea finally got the balloon to burst. I offered the bitter souls three thousand dollars each to assist me in my vendetta.

As we sat at the table, I looked into the eyes of three women with eyes of raging bulls, ready to kill the first person in sight. I gave them a smirk as I zipped open my bookbag. I took out three stacks of cash wrapped in rubber bands and tossed it to each of them.

“That’s fifteen hundred. After we taste the sweet fruit of revenge, y’all will get the next fifteen hundred.” I said.

“What’s the plan, girl?” asked Susan.

“I couldn’t wait for that question. I recently rented a car. I’ll be the driver. Susan. You will be beside me. Martha and Nicole will be in the backseat. I’ll slowly approach him from behind. I know that individually he’ll slaughter us like cattle in a butcher shop. If we all come together and charge at him like bulls, the butcher will run for his life. We can do this. Because we are the Vendetta Queens. Our little gang will be short-lived because after we complete our mission, it’ll be over. But you’ll live with satisfaction for the rest of your life. It’ll be a memory that only a vendetta queen will have the privilege of enjoying.” I said.

They clapped and cheered for me like I was the most eloquent politician to speak on national television. I could tell that my words were the antidote that they needed for their loss of hope in this cold world. The world might be as cold as a glacier, but I guarantee that we’ll turn up the heat.

“I loved your speech, but I just wanna get to the action.” said Susan before we heard the door open.

“Susan, I didn’t think that you’d actually go through with this. Don’t go after your old boyfriend. Let bygones be bygones.” said a man that stepped into the room.

“Eldric, I have to do this. This man abused me and ruined my relationship with my family. He scarred me for life. I can’t let him get away with that.” said Susan.

“But baby, we’re going to get married in a couple of weeks. We moved into a new house. We are planning on raising a family. Look forward to the future. Don’t let your thoughts of the past keep you from the blessings in front of your face.” said Eldric.

“But I need closure. I’ll have all that gold and treasure, but I’ll know deep down that the man that destroyed my life got away with it.” said Susan.

“You got your revenge by marrying someone better than him and living a happy life. While you’re married to a wonderful husband and living a life of luxury, he’ll end up dead or in prison. You already won.” said Eldric.

“Wow, what type of husband are you? You let some man physically and emotionally scar your girlfriend and did nothing about it. It’s easy for you to say that because you weren’t abused. Look at the pain in her eyes. A stranger could see that she’s hurt. She needs you right now. Can’t you see that?” I said.

Eldric looked into her eyes as I saw the depression behind the windows of her soul. Her eyes gave the answer away. As her eyes reddened and become wet with tears, Eldric’s eyes followed.

“I need you, baby. I really need you.” said Susan.

“I’ll always be by your side and support you. Through sickness and through health until death do us part.” said Eldric as he hugged her with a love strong enough to make me feel depressed about the love that I believed that I once shared.

I had a smirk through the mist of depression that clouded around me. I knew we would be avenged. I knew that the cloud would soon surround an unfortunate soul. An unfortunate soul that believes that the world is in the palm of his hand. He believes he can break every girl’s heart, but he doesn’t know that every girl could stab his heart if they desire.

As I sat in the car, the other vendetta queens sat in their assigned seats. Once we heard the sound of the engine starting, Eldric opened the door. I smirked as I watched him through the rear-view mirror.

“I’ll be right by your side, babe. I won’t let this jerk haunt you any longer. Scoot over.” said Eldric.

“You’re the boyfriend that I wish I had. Remember, we are a strong gang. We are the Vendetta Queens. Remember, we’ll never leave each other behind. No vendetta queen shall leave another vendetta queen behind. We’ll either all win or all lose. I can guarantee that we’ll all win.” I said.

“Yes, Queen Dysnomia,” shouted all the women.

They made room for Eldric in the back before we headed to the battlefield. I parked on the nearest street in front of the mountain of love. I knew at any moment he was going to come down after kissing the poor lips of his next victim. Little did he know he would soon become the victim of a former lover. He would truly wear the scuffed shoes he made his victims walk in. After twenty minutes, I wasn’t disappointed in my judgment.

“There’s the Heartbreaker.” I said.

I turned off the headlights. I slowly approached him from behind as my black car blended into the darkness like a bat in the night. I saw the vendetta queens shiver from the thoughts of the cold world. They were ready to turn up the heat. I could see it in their eyes.

“Let’s go!” I shouted.

We opened the door and darted towards our target like a poison dart speeding through the air. As the dart traveled silently through the air, he was clueless. I smiled as the dart struck him. I struck his back with my bat, causing him to stumble forward.

“Dysnomia, you think you can beat me? Take off your stupid superhero costume. Get that masquerade mask off your face. You know you can’t beat me. I almost killed you, remember?” said Jawbreaker.

“It’s not just me. It’s the Vendetta Queen’s,” I said before Nicole jumped out of the bush like a snake ready to bite a mouse.

Nicole swung her knife, and the Jawbreaker screamed as blood dripped down his arm. It was merely a graze, and the blood painted a false picture on how deep his cut was, but it proved that the Jawbreaker could be touched. He wasn’t the undefeatable champion that he claimed to be. He bleeds just like the rest of the world.

“I’ll kill you!” shouted the Jawbreaker.

Nicole attempted to draw more blood from him, but her actions resulted in utter disappointment. The Jawbreaker caught her wrist. Nicole screamed like a victim being killed in a horror movie as he stepped on her feet with full force. He swiftly let go of her wrist before flooring her with a swift sucker punch.

Martha pounded his back while Susan threw uppercut punches at his chin. He closed his eyes as he felt the sting like he was being stung by bees on opposite sides. He punched the glasses off of Martha before reversing his arm and elbowing Susan in the cheek.

“No! Leave my girlfriend alone! Never do that again, you brutal savage!” shouted Eldric as he charged towards the Jawbreaker.

The Jawbreaker laughed as he caught Eldric’s wrists, breaking the punch to his head that would’ve surely given the Jawbreaker a headache. I saw the rage in Eldric’s eyes burn hotter as he struggled to break free of the Jawbreaker’s grasp.

“Let me go!” shouted Eldric.

“This is the team that you put together, Dysnomia? I’m disappointed in you.” said the Jawbreaker before I struck the back of his head with my bat.

A second after my surprise attack, Eldric floored him with a punch. He lied on the ground and grunted in pain, unwilling to accept his defeat. Eldric began punching him as he lied on the ground like he was a punching bag.

“How do you like it? Now you know how other people feel when you beat them.” said Edric as he continued to strike him.

“You’re not showing me anything with those weak punches!” shouted the Jawbreaker.

He swiftly kicked Eldric in the stomach, causing him to lose his breath like he was suffering from a heart attack. I saw a tooth fly out of Eldric’s mouth as he fell to the ground after a strike to the Jaw from the most ruthless fists in the world.

Eldric glimpsed at Susan and noticed that she had gained enough energy to stand up. I smiled as she overcame the pain that held her down like heavy weights and slowly stood up. As soon as she stood tall and proud, like the tallest skyscraper, the Jawbreaker became a bulldozer. He ran towards her and shoved her with full force. Susan flew through the air so far that I believed she had a pair of wings herself. She crash landed on the ground like a plane accident.

“Let’s go, Susan. We have to admit defeat.” I said as I grabbed her hand and helped her up.

We turned into professional sprinters as she charged at us like the fiercest lion hunting prey. As I ran, my mind went blank. At that point, I didn’t care about anything other than survival. His fist were the weapons that could potentially end my life. Avoiding those weapons of mass destruction was all the motivation that I needed to run beyond my breaking point. I failed to give in to my loss of energy because adrenaline rushed through me like caffeine. Nothing was able to stop me until he cornered us between two buildings.

“I got you two right where I want you.” said Jawbreaker as he looked at us with a sadistic grin.

We both screamed as the lion rushed towards us. I fluttered my wings and flew to the top of the three-story building. Susan banged her fist against the wall as she looked into my eyes. Her eyes spelled out the words help me. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I witnessed the fall of a great soldier.

The Jawbreaker pounded the back of her head, causing her face to smash against the brick wall. The Jawbreaker swiftly pounded the back of her head non-stop like he was firing rounds from a machine gun. She felt the powerful blow of his strikes from the back of her head while simultaneously feeling her face smash into the jagged bricks of the wall.

I closed my eyes because the scene was far too brutal for me to watch. The scene didn’t end until well over a minute. It was the sound of Eldric’s voice that cut the scene.

“No! Susan!” he shouted as tears rushed down his eyes.

His eyes stuck to my eyes like a dart that hit a target in the dark. I attempted to cover my eyes with my hands, but I was too late. He already saw the failure in my eyes. I noticed a teardrop form in his eyes. All I had the power to do was tell Eldric good night before the Jawbreaker knocked his lights out. I fluttered my wings and attempted to fly away from the battlefield.

Once again, I was floating through the darkness. The war that I fought against the darkness was a failure. The darkness smothered the tiny amount of light that I had. The darkness consumed me, and I had no chance of escaping its cage.

The following morning, I stood on the beach with black shades as I watched the waves rise up and down. Such waves truly had the same pattern as my life. I went through many ups and downs, but I didn’t see myself going up anytime soon.

Why couldn’t you just love me like I loved you, Jawbreaker? Our lives could’ve been like a princess and a prince in those fairytale stories. Why did you have to destroy my life? Was it because I wasn’t good enough for you? I should’ve been a better girlfriend. Maybe I wasn’t cool enough.

“If it isn’t my partner in crime,” said a voice that I desperately needed to hear as I smelled cigarette smoke.

“Hey, Toots,” I said.

“How did the plan go?” she asked.

“Our relationship is over. I hated his guts. I formed my own little gang with the sole purpose of taking him down, and we were crushed. The Vendetta Queens failed miserably.” I said.

“What?! Ice Killers are allowed to start their own gang or form splinter gangs? You could get smoked like my cigarette for that!” said Tootsie.

“It’s okay, because he slaughtered my whole gang. It was a temporary gang. Even if we won, I would’ve ended the gang anyway because its sole purpose was complete.” I said.

“Why didn’t you just ask Husky to take care of it? The Ice Killer gang got your back one hundred percent. No one can touch us. We’re the most powerful gang in the nation.” said Tootsie.

“I don’t want the Jawbreaker dead. I just want him to suffer like I did. He brought so much pain to me and many others. I have to accept that I can’t win every battle. Sometimes one has to admit defeat and move on with their life.” I said as I fluttered my wings and flew into the warm rays of the sun.

A few hours later, I was dressed in black and standing in the midst of a sobbing crowd. We mourned over the death of a close friend and true hero. One that dedicated her life to fighting crime. One that gave her life to fight the demons in the city. One that gave her life to get me to fight the demon within myself. Aluma will forever be my hero. I’ll always cherish her in my heart, and I’ll make sure that no one forgets her legacy.

When the sunset my emotions were struck with another blow as I attended the funeral of my poor Susan. I truly believed that I had the antidote to bring her back to life. Instead, it put her in the grave. Her face was battered and brutally scarred, yet she wasn’t in as much pain as I was in. During the funeral, all I thought about was the last time I looked into her sweet eyes. The look of horror in her eyes was one that was etched into my brain.

At the end of the funeral, I turned around to walk back to my apartment. I felt a warm hand gently touch my shoulder. I turned around to see the depressed face of a fellow associate.

“How could you do this?! I was about to marry Susan. We could’ve had a beautiful life together. This wasn’t about stopping the Jawbreaker from hurting others. This was about you getting your petty revenge. My fiancé died because of your petty feud. She was over him. She was going to move on with her life. He didn’t even enter her mind until you brought him up. You didn’t let her move forward and now she’s gone. She needed your help, and you left her behind. You ditched her. I thought you were a superhero. This is your fault. You killed my Susan.” said Eldric.

“I’m sorry,” I said, as tears streamed down my cheeks.

“Sorry isn’t enough. I’ll accept your apology when you bring her back.” said Eldric.

I fluttered my wings and flew behind a crowd of birds. No matter where I flew, I couldn’t escape the darkness. It became deeper than floating in the darkness. I now felt the darkness floating inside me. I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that I couldn’t stop.

As I laid in my bed, my mind splashed me with a wave of questions. I couldn’t answer a single one. I attempted to fight him, but I ended up just like another one of his victims. He played me, broke me, and tossed me to the side like a doll.

The darkness consumed my insides. I was in a state of depression that was deep enough to put in the grave. I never wanted to hurt anyone. All I wanted was to be loved. All I wanted was the touch of the perfect guy. All I wanted was to feel the perfect lips push against mine. Is that too much to ask for?

At that moment, I realized I wasn’t a superhero. I was no different from a corpse. My funeral should’ve taken place alongside Aluma’s and Susan’s. I didn’t go outside or speak to a single soul. I even ignored my dear Bryce. I was essentially in a casket.

After a few days, I finally mustered up enough energy to stroll to the beach. As I laid on the beach and watched the sunset, I noticed a flock of birds flying together. If only I had someone to care about me, like that group of birds. The only company that I have is the depression that I’m wallowing in.

“What happened to your superhero stuff, honey? You gotta get back on track.” said Tootsie.

“I’m no hero. I’m a failure. I’m a loser that got played and lost everything.” I said.

“Don’t say that, Dysnomia. You’ve helped me so much that I can’t even describe it in words. You look like a hero to me.” said Tootsie.

“It’s okay, hun. Just cry it out.” said Tootsie as she hugged me while I sobbed.

“I know that you’d do anything to help me, so I helped you. I told Husky that the Jawbreaker hurt you. I told him to send a threat to the Jawbreaker.” said Tootsie.

“What?! I don’t want the Jawbreaker to get killed. Don’t kill him. I just want him to suffer. I’m tired of all the death.” I said.

“Don’t worry. I got him to bend the rules. Husky doesn’t have to send his little goons to kill him because, technically, it isn’t a hit. It’s a mere warning. Why won’t you talk to the boss man ya self?” said Tootsie as she blew cigarette smoke into the fresh air.

The next thing I knew, I was standing in front of Husky’s desk as his fierce eyes followed me like a camera. He gave a small yet powerful grin. A grin that would make the toughest gangster worry. A grin that had powerful energy hidden behind it. A grin that was equivalent to looking at a nuclear weapon of mass destruction.

“Tootsie told me your story. No one plays an Ice Killer like that. I sent the Jawbreaker a letter with my signature on it. I let him know he has to meet you in this area in the woods. He has to let you beat him. He can’t hit back. If he hits you back, then he’ll be assassinated and butchered to pieces by the Ice Killer gang. The sheet of the time and destination is right here on my desk. Take the paper and get your revenge, Dysnomia.” said Husky as he handed me a sheet of paper.

“I don’t need a lecture. I know exactly what to do.” I said as satisfying thoughts drew a smirk on my face.

I peaked at the Jawbreaker as I hid from behind the trees. The look in his eyes told me a long story. Most would see nothing but pure rage burning in his eyes. I saw something that most people couldn’t. I saw fear in his eyes. Fear of the very energy that he put out into the universe. Fear that the very sword that he used to strike people’s hearts would come back to strike him.

“We could’ve gained the world together. Why did you have to betray me?” I said.

“You think you beat me because you have your gang to back you up? You think you’re big and bad? You’re a coward. You can’t fight by yourself. You’ll never be big and bad. You’ll always be my little side chick that I kicked around. You killed a girl over me, remember? Girls like me so much that they’re literally killing each other over me. I bragged about it to my friends and everything. You aren’t a superhero. You’re nothing but my little toy to play with then discard.” said Jawbreaker.

As I darted towards him, I screamed louder than an audience of a famous rock star's concert. I struck his face with my bat, causing him to collapse like a building that was struck by a wrecking ball. I continued to beat him with the bat like I was playing a game of baseball. The thought of all the hearts that he broke fueled me to strike harder. I knew I had to do it for Susan and Aluma. Two slain soldiers I shall always honor and respect.

“You know I can’t hit back. If I do, then the Ice Killers will kill me. You’re a coward!” said the Jawbreaker.

“You’re a manipulative coward. Setting up plans to trick me into liking you. You’re sick.” I said as I continued beating him with the bat.

He couldn’t see anything because I beat him until he was unconscious. Even if he was conscious, I beat him so badly that his eyes were swollen shut. He wouldn’t be able to see an eighteen-wheeler truck if it were right in front of him. After bringing my dream to life and feeling a rush of joy that I longed to bathe myself in, I called the knights. He was immediately arrested. The knights awarded me twelve thousand dollars. I smiled proudly as Husky handed me three hundred dollars.

“How are you feeling, Dysnomia?” asked Tootsie as I looked out of the window of Husky’s house.

“I learned a lot in the past few days. After thinking about my experience and reading a few romance stories based on true stories, I came to a realization. I was never in love with the Jawbreaker. It was nothing but lust. True love doesn’t happen instantly, like in the fairytales that I read. That is something that I now accept. It is something that develops over time. I can’t rush it. I’ll find the man of my dreams one day, but right now I’ll just take it slow. The only love that I need right now is the love of my true friends. The love of you and the Ice Killer gang is enough for me.” I said.

“I’m glad we helped you. You haven’t done your superhero stuff in a while. Does this mean that you’re getting back to it?” asked Tootsie.

“Of course. I live for this. In fact, I have an arch nemesis that I promise to take down. Quasar Flame gang, here I come.” I said as I smirked and looked at the city through the window.

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