Reina McClaine-Hawthorne

 It was a large rare pink diamond, and I wanted it. I know...stealing is wrong, stealing is horrible. Stealing is also incredibly fun. They thought they could throw off the track of this thing, keep it out of the hands of thieves, but how easily it is found with the right connections. And somehow they thought it was safer in Hell's Kitchen.

I manage to vault myself up on the top of the building across the alley from my target, I have this special staff I like, it's thin, and really good for catapulting from one place to another. It also collapses and is good in a pinch if I happen to get in a fight.

I steady myself on the edge of the roof, and I smooth my hands down the sides of this silky body-stocking I'm trying. It makes for less sound than the typical leather clad criminals.

I lean against the staff I have, resting for a moment as I eye up the building, ready to zip across the alley, I jump slightly when the piercing sound of the alarms blare into the quiet night.

"Damn et.."

Daredevil™

Alarms actually aren't all that common in Hell's Kitchen.

Generally speaking most people around this area can't afford that kind of security measure, and most thieves in Hell's Kitchen are skilled enough to bypass common home security systems and anti-theft alarms, in Hell's Kitchen, if you could afford to have a car you could afford to have good theft insurance.

But this alarm came from up high, Daredevil™ knew it as soon as it's piercing cry hit his eardrums from a few blocks away.

He almost welcomed the idea of going after a thief, the crime in this part of town...well, they tended towards the more dark and grizzly.

He used the tip of his club to flick off a broken tooth from the toe of his red boot and then wiped the blood off on the shirt of the man it'd belonged to, then went on his way. He was always pretty rough on rapists. That one would find chasing innocent single mothers down alleyways a little bit more difficult now, his shattered kneecap might never heal right.

He was on his way then, crawling on a drain pipe and then leaping off it to pull himself onto the precipice of the building opposite.

Reina McClaine-Hawthorne

This was my caper. Mine. I was a little angry at the fact that someone might try to go after what was mine...to steal anyway. I'm usually the one that gets there ahead of those who aren't apt enough to circumvent alarms.

I hear the shattering of glass and glance down, my eyes focusing on someone crawling out of the third story window, jeans and a sleeveless flannel. He probably had heard some conversation about it and got a great idea.

I pull a small device off of my belt, it's slim cable on a small winch, the end of the cable has a releasable clamp. I attach it to the top of the fire escape and simply leap off the building. It slows my decent until I'm eye level with the thief.

"Wull, 'ello there."

The man inevitably yelps and tries to make his way down the fire escape by swinging down the rails. I roll my eyes slightly and shake my head...as I continue down to the ground at a little faster pace.

Daredevil™

 A few moments later...

Waiting down near the end of the fire escape, slightly obscured by the shadows stands Daredevil™, blank crimson eyes staring at the would be diamond thief as he rhythmically slaps his billyclub against his opposite palm.

"Let's have a little talk about the Eighth Commandment..."

Reina McClaine-Hawthorne  

Well, I hear him. I don't see him yet, but I do hear him. A slight grin comes to my features as I press a button on the winch and the cable detaches, it springs back down toward me as I fall the remaining ten feet to land lightly behind the would-be thief.

The man landed a little more roughly than I did, tumbling to land at Daredevil™'s feet before he stood and looked up. He was trapped between a rock and a hard place. And he looked ready to bolt.

I slide the staff I held to become shorter, more the length of the club Daredevil™ held, and I slip it into it's place on the back of my belt., approaching the two.

The thief turns to his left, taking his first steps to run. I move to throw my staff turned club aiming to hit the backs of the thief's knees, still I'm hidden in the alley, still grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Daredevil™

 He breaks down the billyclub into it's two halves and then tosses one end towards the thief's hand, aimed so that the cord will wrap around the wrist of the hand that holds the diamond. With the alarm going he can hear it's echo as an intensely dense object clenched in the palm of his hand.

"I don't need any help." He tells the woman, though he doesn't turn his head to address her.

Reina McClaine-Hawthorne

 "Nei' do I either.."

I slip from the alley, I've heard of this Daredevil™. A blind super-hero. Well the concept is just odd to me.

The combination of the two, the cords binding his hands, and the club hitting him behind his knees, the thief falls forward onto his knees, gritting his teeth at the pain sent up through his legs.

I make my way to the thief, it's hard to say whether my goal is to catch him, or take what's in his hands. I easily bend to pick up my club, slipping it behind me, before I turn, my hand slips into a pouch at my hip and I pull out a few small round objects, glass marbles, and I fling them onto the pavement.

It'll hinder both of them. The thief trying to get to his feet, and the hero trying to catch him.

Daredevil™

The clatter of marbles is clear to him.

But instead of trying to go over them to get to the thief, he just pulls on the line and uses the marbles as bearings to drag him over.

Reina McClaine-Hawthorne

The thief who was attempting to get to his feet is pulled back down and now being drug. The marbles actually help that.

I curse softly under my breath in a language that doesn't sound English. I pull up fabric from the neck of the body stocking, it covers up to my nose, leaving just my eyes showing. No need in anyone recognizing me after this.

What I do next isn't actually the most graceful thing, I dive on top of the thief he's dragging, making Daredevil™ drag both of us as I try to wrestle the jewel from his hands.

Daredevil™

 He takes a few shuffling steps forward, pushing marbles away with his toes and instead of going for the diamond himself he attempts to use the cord to tie them up together.

Reina McClaine-Hawthorne

My eyes move up to the man, before I grumble, I take one hand off of the man, the other just keeping me in place. My free hand moves to the back of my belt, and I pull a slim blade from its place.

I press the blade to the cord holding both of us, in an attempt to spring us free. Instead of trying to put the blade away, I drop it, and I attempt to grab the end of the cord, the one that comes from the hero trying to get us both now it seems, to give it a rough tug.

Daredevil™

He stumbles forward a bit, onto his knees but then stands again quickly and shakes his head, kicking the blade out of the way.

"It won't be worth the trouble...I can get rough." he says in a low gravelly voice, crimson eyes gleaming dangerously.

Reina McClaine-Hawthorne

Now, I'm trying to veil my accent. All that can be seen are my eyes, the brilliant emerald color shining in the light.

I slip my fingers between the man's closed fists, and I pry them apart, while my elbow of my left arm drives into the middle of his face, effectively knocking him out.

I pull the gem from his loosened grip and I keep my gaze level on the hero in red.

"You don't wanna do that. I can be rough right back."

I smirk some as I start to get up off the man, using his body like a buffer between me and those marbles still scattered around.. I try to place that diamond into a pouch on my hip.

"Ya might like it.."

Daredevil™

He smiles.

Then using the remaining part of his billyclub he swings at the back of her hand, trying to whack the diamond out of it. His advantage? If it's sent clattering along in the darkness he'll still be able to find it from the sound.

Reina McClaine-Hawthorne  

Grip is firm. I'm used to handling small items all day long. Scalpels, syringes, and so on. I narrow my eyes on him as I move back off the man, away from him and the hero, the movement is graceful, a flip off the body, to land on my feet, hopefully.

"You're tryin' to separate a girl from her best friend. Ain't gonna happen...Devil."

Though...I never had any intention of keeping the gem. This is all for sport. My hobby. This guy is interfering.

Daredevil™

He picks up the other half of his billyclub, reeling in the cut line into each side and then clicking it back into a single rod, then he follows along, kicking marbles out of the way. Unconcerned about the other thief, the Police will be coming soon and even then the guy knows that the devil has his number.

"You can't escape...I can find you...anywhere. Start running, go ahead. See if you can lose me."

Reina McClaine-Hawthorne  

Well, that sounds like fun, actually. I grin to myself, tilting my head some.

"But I'm supposed to be the cat.."

I chuckle some, turning to the right slowly, taking a few steps in that direction. Others might find this amusing.

"Saints and devils.." I murmur lightly to myself, walking, simply...I'm not like most with hard soled shoes, these are soft, meaning to make difficult dexterous movements easier. Also makes a thief quieter.. No high heeled stilettos for me.

I then start in a sprint, straight down the middle of what seemed to be a very empty street. If he wants to chase, I don't see why I can't give him a good race.

Daredevil™

And he follows, but at a distance...he wants her to think she's lost him, but the more she runs the clearer her footsteps are, the harder she breaths, and the louder her heart beats. And eventually she'll stop to rest...or try to get to her car.

Reina McClaine-Hawthorne

No car. No get away vehicle. No real route out of here. In fact...I'm not trying to get away.

I dart down an alley, not really trying to lose him, my pace isn't all that fast. I know there will be police back there. I know there will be an arrest made.

And just as the sirens start to get quieter, they start to get louder again. I'm leading him right back to where I started. Right back up to that roof.

As I get closer, I pull that staff back out, I catapult myself up from shorter buildings, up to that taller one. It's a game I'm playing.

One where I want to win, the people get their diamond back, and I get my fun.

Daredevil™

 Daredevil™ has a keen sense of direction, so when she starts heading back to the scene of the crime he just...watch - or rather listens for her, trying to figure out exactly what she is doing.

Reina McClaine-Hawthorne

I do pause. I don't hear his footsteps behind me so closely any longer. I pause, glancing back behind me, my breath a little...heavy and fast. I wonder if he realizes. I wonder if he knows I'm just going to give it back.

Two buildings from where the cops are, crouching low on top of a building beside an air conditioning unit. The thief is talking. Saying where we went. What happened. Who happened.

I pull the jewel from the pouch, and I glance down to the street below me. An officer is standing, talking to another.

I'm about to drop the diamond right on top of them.

They'll be the heroes of their unit. 'Finding' the rare gem.

Daredevil™

 And of course after dropping the gem, when she turns around she'll find him standing there...

Reina McClaine-Hawthorne  

 There's a bit of a commotion down on the street level. Shouts of 'I found it! It's here!' and so on. I start pushing the staff together, until it's about a foot in length, and I slide it away.

I don't really...jump, but I smile some.

"Have a nice jog?"

My breath is caught...or nearly so.

Daredevil™

 "Fine."

He crosses his arms over his chest.

"What's your story, you come all the way from Scotland to steal and then give back diamonds? What's the ulterior motive, what are you actually doing?"

He pays close attention to her heartbeat, Daredevil™ always knows when someone is lying to him. Unless, of course they're a complete sociopath, have an artificial heart, or are otherwise able to obscure their heart rhythm.

Reina McClaine-Hawthorne

I chuckle softly. Well, I tried to lose the accent for the night, but it is difficult when you live with it all your life, especially a life so long a mine.

"Et's a 'obby.." Not a lie, of course, it is a hobby. I do this to keep my mind sharp, to keep my body strong, and to spend a little time blowing off steam. I have enough money. I don't need any of this.

"Would ye rather I keep et?"

Daredevil™

 "Mn. Breaking and entering is still a crime."

He steps a bit closer to her, to make her acutely aware that she's between him and the edge of the building.

"Leave it alone, or someone may get hurt. Even if you don't get shot someone innocent could get caught in the crossfire, not to mention all the crime bosses around her that hold a grudge, and I don't have time to protect you from them."

Reina McClaine-Hawthorne

I'm aware of where I am. I slip my fingers to my belt, the little winch there, the clip, and I tilt my head, I take a step toward him, dangerously invading his space, and I lift my chin some, a silky smile coming onto my lips.

"I'm well aware...I've also been shot before. Et's nothin' I won' 'eal from.."

Closer still, until she threatens to make full body contact with him, her free hand sliding to her hip to rest there.

"Who said I need ye're protectin''? Who says..ye don' need mine?"

That free hand comes up off my hips, to touch lightly the skin of his face that is exposed, leaving the warmest loveliest sensation behind, and the longer I keep contact, the more surface any surface injuries he may have will heal.

"Hmn?"

Daredevil™

He turns his face away from her touch.

"I mean it, never do that again...this is the Kitchen, a lot of people shoot first and ask questions later here, too much risk for you to just...play around."

After saying that he touches his own cheek, where her fingers were. It was a blissful sensation, especially when your sense of touch is so much greater then normal. But even so, he won't allow it.

"Stay away, people are here because they have to be, not because they think it's exciting."

Reina McClaine-Hawthorne

 "Ye 'ave no idea."

My tone, my eyes, they both take a dip for the serious. I haven't ever harmed anyone that didn't deserve it while I was 'playing'. The last time I was in the Kitchen it was to help give out flu vaccinations.

"I've put more people together than ye've saved." I have my hands up to my elbows in guts almost every day.

"Ye'll 'ave ta forgive me if I'm not inclined ta take yer advice."

I step to position myself beside him, rather than between him and the ledge. My touch holds that residual trace, that line to me, that tether. It weakens the will. Makes people pliable to my wants.

It's also why I don't use it only when it is necessary. For him, however, I do it to soften him, maybe.

"I'd show ye the scars...if they stuck around."

Daredevil™

"The Kitchen is mine."

He turns and walks away from her.

"Don't make trouble in it."

Reina McClaine-Hawthorne

"Ye liked et...most people do."

My touch, but I'm being vague. I take a couple of steps to my right, and I clip that cord onto the piping of an air conditioning unit, before I simply leap off the building. A moment later the sound of the clip disengaging sounds, and the cord slinks back to me.

I came to do what I wanted. Now...my fun is done.

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