MY DARLING DAREDEVIL

Her driving force

*****

Damon found his way home early in the morning. Left to him, he would stay all day but his mother had called, requesting that he come for breakfast. He had refused at first, hating the very thought of the topic of discussion that would be centred on him but he had missed her so dearly and he knew that she had been worried sick over the past few days because of his trial. It would have simply been unfair to allow her to worry that way when he could help matters and so he decided to accept her kind invitation. He also knew that he had to change and freshen up for the day so he headed home first.

While he drove back home, his thoughts travelled to the event that had happened the past few days and it bothered him more when he realised that the strange woman was so skilled, it was almost unnatural and unbelievable like she came out of a movie. Who was she and what was she? Were the questions in his mind but more to that was, why was she protecting him?

It’s no new thing that she had been protecting him for as long as he could remember. Ever since his come back from comatose, he had felt that gaze on him. That peculiar gaze that had him feel frightened and safe all at once. Whoever it was, he never knew and never got to find out because she was so skilled, no one could trace her from where she was always watching him. When he had waited and searched for the one who was watching him and failed, he gave up especially when months passed and no one attacked him. Believing that he was either hallucinating or paranoid, he gave up yet the feeling lingered at the back of his neck till it grew so familiar with him that he no longer found it strange. It became a part of him, a part of his life and he came to live with it just as it did with him.

Then at the court day, and for the first time in years, he felt it so strongly when those strange eyes met him in that room. He knew it was her immediately those eyes felt familiar, and with the gaze of her eyes on him, it all suddenly made sense and he finally found his watch dog but what was more stronger was the familiarity she carried with her, like he knew her before, before everything but the question still lingered, why was she protecting him? and what did she want?

Another spitting headache hit him and this time it came worse than the first two times. He placed his hand on his head and groaned loudly, it felt like his head would split into two halves and his eyes burned with pain. His heart started beating really fast and quickly his hand went to the side pocket where he had kept his aspirins. His nails suddenly flamed up and quickly he yanked his hands away from his pocket and held his hands against each other. His fingertips hurt with a splitting pain like something was pushing itself out of his nails.

“Stop,” his voice came out in a whisper but he was not loud enough.

“Stop,” he growled loudly and the car came to a screeching halt.

********

“It’s a good decision, Aziza” Russel yelled out from the sitting room and waited for a reply. Nothing came, and as usual he continued talking knowing that she was a lady of few words.

“Working for him would change your life forever, it would also keep you closer to him and you for once would have a life,”

“I would not be me anymore,” she growled from the kitchen and he beamed at himself.

“You, isn’t so much fun,”

“You are too dark, too cold, too…”

“Predator like,” she completed proudly and he sighed,

“Yes and that is not a good thing, you are still a young lady and you should give light and have light. You should be bright and full of life and not some…”

“The world doesn’t want light,” she responded darkly and strolled out of the kitchen with her red hair dangling from side to side. Russel let out a heavy sigh. He stared at the young lady. No matter how much he tried to tell her to live and allow light to come in, she had more reason to become death, herself. Such a beautiful lady should be out there, exploring the human world instead of wallowing in the shadows of her past and allowing it to drive her into an even darker path. But no matter what Russel said, no matter how he said it or what he tried to do, she always had a come back with a stronger conviction to become more of what she was.

Russel Gray was a man in his late forties who had become the tiny shadow always standing behind the great Aziza, guardian to the demon prince. Her life was over, and she was left for death by her people, her family, her friends but he had picked her up right at the hidden boundaries that separate humans from supernaturals. He had strolled into the woods on that day and had caught the brutality against a very young lady. Fortunately, she was still holding on when he got to her and ever since then, he had been with her guarding her, coaching her, tackling her darkness but never succeeding to bring her out of it. It was growing, and this was no longer a path she had chosen, he feared that it was the path that called to her. He feared that this was no longer emotions, it was blood and hers was dark, the darkest of them all and if allowed to grow, the entire world would fall to it.

“I am just happy that you would finally become normal and be with normal people and do normal things just like your age mate are doing,” he continued. She gave him a hard look for his continuous talking, but he did not stop and she did not bother to listen more. Picking up her jacket, she quickly put it on and turned to the door in her bid to go far from him.

“You really do not have to be so glum about it,” he added sadly with her actions and she snapped her head to him and her eyes darkened almost immediately. He groaned at her short temper and rested his head on his hand in exhaustion.

“I look glum?” she questioned with that familiar red circle encircling her very dark pupils. She hated that he took things so lightly, like the humans did even when he was not one. She hated that he did not take her course seriously and it was becoming more agitating because it was stretching for so long.

“I am supposed to keep him safe, to keep him alive and I almost failed at that and you think I look glum?” her mind wheeled back to that night.

“He is also supposed to have his powers already so he can realise who he really is but no, I just had to find out that he subdues his abilities through medical means and you tell me that I look glum,” her voice rose, high and audible, almost shaking the very foundation. But her anger was justified and with her anger came the pain of the wait, and the memories of torments.

For the first time since all the years she had been guarding and protecting Damon, she had been late and the regret and weight of what almost happened killed her from the inside. He was her ticket back home and not just home, but to a better life, a life without pain and torture, a life with acceptance and beauty, a life without rejection and torment and she had almost missed it all because she was distracted and her powers had failed her.

That fateful night, she had watched him with bored eyes and waited patiently for him to go home. Not like she would go home as well, because she always went home with him to watch him too. But inside the walls of his paradise, his protection was more secure and his security was ever so tight. They could at least help in spotting out bad guys especially on such a day where she was not just bored but weak as well. When she woke up that morning, she felt like a different person. Her legs had been so weak, her body could not carry her and her inside felt like it was burning with lava. The pain and weakness made her lay back for a bit and Russel had come to her aid. The only man who took her in when she was rejected and left to die. He had quickly made one of his many concoctions and had given it to her, it did not do much but it strengthened her and she had gone to Damon immediately after. But even as she watched him, the weakness, the bored eyes and the pain came back in more folds and they came just at the same time that an attack was being carried out on him.

Aziza was hoping, in fact she believed that after what happened in court, many that wanted him dead would retreat seeing as he had an ally by his side. But once again, they gave her more reasons to believe that humans were stupid and foolish. It did not take long for the sound to come, the light footsteps of men who were out to do bad, then the suspicious movement that followed. Groaning loudly and feeling agitated by their presence, she got up from where she had been sitting. Her head immediately started spinning and her organs turned upside down from the inside. The dizziness that washed all over her made her stagger from place to place and the world itself became a frenzy as it spun before her eyes and she fell down. It was not a new feeling. The dizziness, the weakness, the burning was not a new thing. She just was not expecting that she would be preparing herself for a new power so soon and in such a time that Damon was in danger. It caught her off guard and her only time of weakness was simply in this state.

Lying on the rooftop with all the weakness of the world crashing down on her, she turned her eyes to the Roxwell building with pain in her heart as she watched his killers advance towards him. When she tried moving, her bones felt suddenly heavy and her legs felt numb. The weakness was so severe, she could feel nothing and react to nothing. But her eyes never left the building, she watched them with her sharp eagle eyes as they advanced towards him while her eyes pleaded and her heart begged for his doom to be delayed. She could not lose him after so many years, she could not lose the fight after winning for so many years. She could not lose him at all. He was her ticket back home, he was not just her ticket but one that would lead her to a better life where she could finally exert her revenge and she could not fail.

The assassins were closer to him than any other, they were right there, ready to attack yet her body still felt numb. Scared that they had succeeded, she looked away from the building and shut her eyes tightly to stop herself from seeing or hearing but she saw flashes instead.

Flashes of a little girl running from her predators. Her legs were so tiny, she was so small and her red hair bounced behind her back like she was dancing. Who was she running from? the people she thought were her people, they growled, and roared behind her with animal instinct ready to take the precious life she had after taking that of her parents. She ran with nowhere to run to, she ran without a direction or motive. She just kept running knowing that she had to be far from the beast behind her but how far could her legs carry her when her powers had not shown yet. They were closing in behind her, and once she was spotted, a howl left the mouth of their alpha. He had always hated her, more than the normal hatred and spite she received and they charged at her. A child running away from beasts, what else was there? What was bound to happen? One of them caught up to her too quickly and in his bid to stop her, his claws scraped the skin on her back. It was not a new feeling, their claws, their teeth, their bites, none were new. She had gotten used to being clawed, bitten, choked, chained and beaten, it was nothing anymore. But that little memory of her slightest torture, pulled her out.

Aziza snapped her eyes open and groaned loudly, her back burned with the remembrance of those claws and the pain of it resonated like it only just happened. The reminder of her rejection suddenly filled her with more conviction and determination to succeed in her quest. Forcefully, weakly she pushed her numb self to stand up and, in a snap, she was at the Roxwell building.

“It was not your fault,” Russel sighed heavily at the stubborn child in front of him. The girl child whose life had been carved up in pain and nothing but torment.

“Was it yours then?” she snapped and he lowered his gaze in response.

“Do not worry, it’s not going to happen again, not when he has me and certainly not when my fate depends solely on his survival,” she directed at Russel. Conviction, pain and revenge pushing her and driving her.