5.24

As Gladys sat there, telling her story to the group, Hunter noticed that Brickla was beginning to look impatient. She would clench and relax fists and she kept looking out of the tiny window to see what was happening outside.

Hunter gave her a knowing look and she noticed. She gave a slight shake of her head and rolled her eyes.

“Did anybody else want anymore cake or coffee before I continue?” Gladys asked.

“No, thanks,” said everyone in turn.

“Okie dokie, no problem. So there we were, struggling to get by in Crooked Downs, slipping through the cracks of society. No help, no support.”

“No other family or friends?” Jimena asked.

“No, I had moved to Athena City on my own.”

“Oh.”

“So things started to get really bad because the local gang wars had really started to rip Crooked Downs apart. Well of course, because everything was going crazy, a local militia formed within the tenement building we were living in. Said if we couldn’t join them, we were to pay a fee. They said it was a protection fee because what they did was dangerous. But, if we didn’t pay, they wouldn’t protect our homes.”

“What about the police?” Silas asked. “Or even other heroes?”

“Very few of either faction dared to enter Crooked Downs at the time. One of the few I do remember was a feisty fellow that went by the name of Bulldog. He didn’t want money, but he wanted to gloat. If he didn’t think there was some angle to showboat it, he didn’t want a part of it.”

It was Hunter’s turn to clench fists this time. Jimena and Silas looked over their shoulders at him.

“Nothing’s changed about that asshole,” said Hunter.

“Oh, is he still going around, is he?” Gladys asked.

“Unfortunately.”

“He’d be quite old now, I imagine.”

“Not old enough.” Hunter muttered that one under his breath.

“There we were, living in a building in the middle of the gang wars with nobody to protect us. It was tough and it was scary. There were days at a time where Bernita and I wouldn’t leave our room. Oh, give me a moment please.” Gladys stood up and went to her kitchenette.

“I don’t know how I feel about all this,” said Silas.

“I guess we just wait and see what she still has to tell us,” said Gauzelle.

“Are you okay Hunter?” Freja asked.

“Yeah. Bulldog is my great uncle. Horrible person. His ego was too big, even back then.” Gladys shuffled back into the room, this time holding a piece of fruit.

“Where was I? Oh yes. So time went on and Bernita grew up. She was a scared but very angry child. She didn’t understand why nobody ever came to help us. It was when Bernita was probably in her thirties when she tried to help someone that was attacked on the streets. A mugging I think it was.”

“Were you still living there?” Silas asked.

“Oh yes, we couldn’t ever afford to leave. Bernita got a job when she was thirteen and did the best she could to help out, poor thing. She dropped out of school just to try and help us financially. But, when she was tending to this person on the streets, the violence hadn’t finished. Bernita was then mugged as well and there was a scuffle, and she was shot. Killed.” Tears welled up in Gladys’s eyes and she took a few shallow breaths before continuing.

“That must’ve been horrible,” said Freja.

“It was. She was killed by a random act of violence, and I was left all alone. You can imagine my surprise, when three years later, she came knocking at my door, looking the way she does.”

“Then what happened?” Silas asked.

“Well, she explained to me that it was her rage that kept her going. That she was called to this place, and it was here she became what she is now. She brought me here to keep me safe.”

“So, she’s been taking it out on Athena City ever since?” asked Brickla.

“More or less, yes. She let her anger consume her and there was nobody there to help guide her out of it. Sure, I was there, but I was either too busy working or too worried about our safety.”

“And she wants us to kill her?” asked Hunter.

“Yes. She’s described to me the pain she’s in. For her, merely existing gives her an amount of anguish I could never comprehend. She wants to let go, but her rage keeps bringing her back.”

“I’m sorry to hear all that,” said Jimena.

“So am I,” said Freja.

“Why can’t she just let us, end her life?” Silas struggled to get the words out.

“Her rage. It won’t let her. Look, I’m sorry to put all of this on you, but Bernita, my daughter, needs help. Please, put an end to all of this.”

Brickla was the first out of the door, the others followed right behind her. They had no idea where to go, but they started walking away from the cottage.

“I…I don’t know how to feel about all of this,” said Gauzelle. “I just thought she was gonna be some bad guy we could beat up and this would all be over. But to be asked to actually kill someone.”

“And that story, its so horrible what happened to them. This is all Athena City’s fault,” said Freja.

“Stick warned us what could happen if anger controlled us. Hunter, what do you make of it all?” Jimena asked.

“We need to stop her. That’s the bottom of it.” Hunter and Brickla shared a look.

“But what about everything Gladys said?” Freja asked.

“It’s sad, what happened. But Gladys asked us to end Bernita’s life and that’s what we’ll do. Doing that will not only free Bernita of all of this, but it will keep Athena City safe.”

“Only from one thing though,” said Silas.

“Yeah, but one that has affected thousands of people.”

“It feels like it’ll never end,” said Silas, under his breath.