Identity

Chapter One

I slipped out the window with a silent grace that years of sneaking out can only create. I slid down the black roof, flicking my eyescreen to night vision mode. I reached for the dark vines that crawled up the side of my father's house.

I glanced across the field to her house. Emery was her name. I've been sneaking over to her house for years, where she and her family care for me and love me like my father never would. Or will.

I dropped the rest of the way down then made a mad dash for Emery's house. I couldn't get away from my father fast enough.

I took my copy of their key(a gift for my birthday years ago) and jammed it into the lock, twisting it madly. When the door opened, I sighed with relief. I turned around and gave my father's house a last glance for the night before I had to return in the ungodly hours of the morning.

Unlike my father's dark and gloomy gothic style house, Emery's house was bright, warm, and colorful.

Mrs. Quine, Emery's mother, and basically my mother, was sitting on the soft, blue sofa reading a magazine. Upon noticing me, she put her magazine down and promptly got up to get the first aid kit.

They've tried calling child services. But having the world's deadliest villain as a father doesn't breeze over well with the government. Or anyone.

Except for Emery.

She knows that I'm nothing like my father, the Bullet.

Of course, she's never met him. And I'd like to keep it that way.

She was waiting in the kitchen for me, helping her mother grab healing strips. They were running low. Again.

"Belenne, you okay?" Emery asked me. She always asked me this before anything else.

I always said I was fine, but I wasn't.

I thanked Mrs. Quine for the healing strips and went down to the basement where Emery's room was.

The stairs were old wood and they creaked when you stepped on them, but once you got to the basement the floor was carpet and tile. There was a second kitchen where Emery stored food for me if they were ever gone and I needed somewhere to stay. And for when we have movie marathons.

Down the hall was Emery's room, where she was leading me now, her warm, caramel hand intertwined in mine.

Emery and I had been dating for a while now. I loved her so much, it was hard to keep a secret from everyone I knew. Everyone I knew being my father.

Everyone is scared of the Bullet and his Blade.

Emery kissed my scraped cheek, making my skin tingle. She then put a healing strip down, ensuring that all of my injuries would be gone before daybreak.

I gazed into her brown eyes. Dark chocolate with golden flecks.

"You're so beautiful," I told her.

She giggled, her laugh sweeter than the sound of wind chimes or tinkling bells. She unzipped my black windbreaker, exposing my pale arms. Kisses and healing strips were put all along my arms and face.

I pulled off my shirt, exposing the array of purple bruises across my stomach and back.

"I hate that we always meet like this," I said.

She agreed. She wished that we could just be like normal couples, going to the movies and bowling and kissing in gazebos.

"Bellie," she sang, placing the last healing strip on my shoulder. "You can't keep doing this. You'll break eventually."

I looked down at my feet dangling off Emery's fluffy, blue bed. I looked at our hands, clasped together in a silent promise.

"I have to, Em. I'm the only one keeping him from killing everyone."

It was true. His plans to destroy the world were foiled once he had a daughter.

"You shouldn't have to suffer this abuse."

We had this argument frequently. I didn't like having it.

I ran my free hand through my short, black hair. "Look, I don't want to talk about this again. I just want to be with you," I sighed.

I felt out of place in Emery's house. All of my clothes were black, to signify that I'm a villain. But I'm not, I was just born into the role. Emery's house was mostly white with pastel blues and yellows.

I felt like this big stain in their lives.

I kicked off my boots, tossing them to the side as I shimmied out of my tight black pants.

Emery kept a box of clothes I could borrow while I was here. I dug put some blue track shorts and a soft white t-shirt. I tugged them on, then flopped right onto the bed.

I closed my eyes, clearing my mind of everything that had happened during the day. It was just me and Emery now. No toxic fathers to ruin our limited time together.

I felt her sit on the bed, heard her brushing out the knots from her curly, brown hair.

I opened my eyes and got up, making my way to the bathroom. I took out my eyescreen, brushed my teeth, washed my face. I picked at one of the healing strips on my cheek. The scrape underneath was almost gone. I pressed hard onto the strip to keep it from falling off, then walked back to Emery's room.

I was so tired. I didn't feel like talking. I just curled up next to Emery and went to sleep.

She's so warm.