Hot & Cold

One

Exhaling slowly, I place the mask over my face. I clenched my eyes shut.

You have to do this, they deserve it. When your parents died, they covered it up. Your parents never got justice. They ruined your life, Mallory.

I opened my eyes and wiped the dampness away from my high cheekbones. I looked up into the mirror of the bathroom I was currently in.

The black skin tight mask opened only to my eyes and had a white X at the mouth. The rest of the suit covered all of my body, long sleeved with gloves, and even had built in shoes on the bottom. Except for the writing on my chest, my suit was black.

I smiled slightly at the writing on my chest, reminded of what my back said as well. In white on the front, Revenge was written. On the back, also in white, read I will not stay quiet.

Slinging my backpack over my shoulder, I walked out of the bathroom. My roommate wasn't home, which was a good thing. I'd hate for him to see what I was.

I opened the window and threw out one leg after another. It must be funny, watching some chick in a latex suit with the word Revenge written across her chest take a peaceful walk down the fire escape from a third story apartment window. I strolled down the sidewalk, quickening my pace when the City Hall building came in view.

I approached the door of the building, pulling out my Glock as I reached for the door handle with my other hand. As soon as I reached the desk, I pulled out a sheet of paper and slammed it down to get the secretary's attention.

"Alderman Frank Willis? He isn't taking visitors right now." The secretary said, eyeing my gun. "Alright Frank, it was nice talking to you." A man laughed as he walked out of a door down the hallway. I snapped my head to my right to look at him and then slowly turned back to the secretary, who looked scared out of her mind.

I didn't flinch as the deafening sound of the shot rang throughout the building. I just turned quickly and aimed toward the man walking out of the office. "Not today." I heard the familiar robotic voice of my nemesis.

I dropped my arm and nodded my head so the civilian knew he could go. I turned to my enemy and once again raised my arm to aim.

"Come on, do we have to do this? For once can't we just sit down and have a nice chat? Maybe get a coffee?" He said. I shot the ceiling above him. "Somebody's not very chatty." He remarked. "Well okay then." He said before running at me and knocking the gun out of my hand.

I punched him in the face and kneed him in the rib. He slammed me on the floor and took out his blade, trying to stab me. I knocked the blade from him, cutting myself in the process.

I stood up, running toward the secretary's chair, where there was a scarf. I grabbed it and jumped off of the desk, landing on my opponent. I tied his hands together before tying his feet together with the same scarf.

He struggled harshly and I realized I couldn't finish the job like I wanted to, so instead I just ran. I ran to the Arena where I did fighting, as I had a change of clothes in the locker room. I snuck in through the back and changed, shoving my suit into my bag.

I walked home, this time taking the elevator up to my apartment. I unlocked the door, hoping that my roommate wasn't home, but then again he always was. I opened the door silently and stepped inside.

"Hey Mal, you're home, can you help me with this?" I sighed as I realized he was. "Yeah, sure thing Dylan." I shouted back. I walked into his bedroom to see he was pretty beaten up. "Jesus Dil, what happened?!?" I rushed to the edge of his bed where he was sitting and held his face in my hand gingerly.

"Some dude jumped me on my daily run earlier. You should've seen the other guy." He sighed. I looked at the cut below his black eye. "I can handle the rest but I need you to help me stitch up my shoulder. Can't reach it." I sighed and climbed behind him on his bed.

It was silent as I stitched him up. As I finished the last stitch and tied it, I said, "You know I know how to fight, right? I can teach you how to do some serious damage." He sighed.

" I can defend myself Mallory. Besides, you don't look like you had a good day at the arena either." I rolled my eyes. "I fought three dudes at one time, you know how I like challenges." I hated lying to him, but it was for my own good.

He turned around and grasped my face. "I don't know why you do it, you don't deserve to be hurt like that." He whispered. I glanced down at his lips.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." I breathed. He leaned in, and I closed my eyes as he brushed his lips against mine. I deepened the kiss and ran my hands through his hair. After about a minute, he broke the kiss and cursed under his breath.

"Mal, I'm sorry. I-" he started but I cut him off. "It's fine." I swallowed the lump in my throat and walked out of his room.

I've been hurt by guys too much, but somehow I can't stop myself from falling for Dylan. I couldn't endanger him like that, though. And that's why I'll never be able to act on my feelings.