Capítulo 36: Chapter Thirty-Six
The pair stumbled and braced themselves against the wall as the two men closed the side doors. Sam grabbed Maria's hand and helped her to her feet. "We need to run," she said in a hushed voice.
"What?"
"Don't argue. Just run!" She pushed Maria down the alleyway and attempted to flee, but Sam was jerked back, releasing a choked sound as she was thrown back by the collar of her coat. Before Sam could recover, the scarred faced man grabbed her shoulders and kneed her in the gut, forcing her to collapse, holding her stomach as she wheezed.
"Sam!" The second man grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked it back, putting her off balance, before slamming her face-first against the brick wall, pinning her there. Tears were forced out of her eyes as her skull throbbed with pain. Her arm was pressed against her back as the man held her there, immobilising her. She attempted to struggle but watched, petrified, as Sam received a beating.
The man continued to punch her in the stomach, forcing her to stand upright repeatedly so receive more stomach blows.
Maria heard someone screaming, at first thinking it was Sam, but quickly realised it was her. She was pleading for them to stop. Maria gritted her teeth and kicked blindly behind her. She aimed for her attacker's knee or crotch, whatever she could strike. Her foot connected something which caused the man to curse and release her hair. Her legs felt weak as she collapsed to the ground. Her panic made hearing difficult, and the entire sequence seemed slow, making her feel even more worthless.
Sam fell against the wall and hit the ground, curling herself to protect her head and stomach as the man continued to kick her. Maria's arms were pulled behind her, preventing her from getting to Sam mere meters away from her. The man was bracing himself against the wall to continued thrusting his foot into Sam's side.
She laid limp against the wall, her arms sprawled beside her and her head pressed heavily against the ground. She was too weak to protect herself.
"Sam…" Maria's words were barely a whimper as the man picked her up.
Sam struggled to breathe, her upper body repeatedly jerking as if she was trying not to vomit. Maria's eyes burned as she cried, squealing for them to stop. "She's had enough! Stop it!"
Her own whimpers were all that lingered in the alleyway, her deep breathing bouncing off the walls as both men seemed to freeze. "She?" The man holding Maria's arms seemed concerned about this.
The scar-face man was holding Sam by the scruff of her coat. Sam's hat had fallen off her head, allowing her dark blonde locks to frame her untouched face. It was screwed in a look of pain, her cheeks streaked with tears as she struggled to breathe. The man's eyes widening as he saw the feminine qualities of the child he had pinned against the wall, dropping her against the wall. She crumbled like a puppet with its strings cut.
The man released Maria, allowing her to blunder towards Sam, too frightened to touch her if she caused more damage. "Sam, are you okay? Please be okay."
Sam groaned, her hands in weak fists as she rolled over and pressed her head against the ground. Her breathing was sharp and hissed through her teeth. Maria felt herself hyperventilating but frowned when she noticed Sam was coated in a green glow. She looked down at her chest and saw her pendant glowing.
The two men were conversing behind her. The one who made Maria watch seemed apprehensive about being involved in assaulting a girl. The scar-faced man seemed more apathetic about it. "Boss wants us to send a message. So, let's send a message." He cracked his knuckles and turned back to the girls, "Seems a bit unfair for only one of you to take the message." He ripped Maria away from Sam, who barely managed to voice a protest as she held her stomach.
Maria yelped as she kicked and punched at the man, but her flailing failed to be effective. He pushed her against the wall by her neck and brought his other hand back to hit her. Maria latched onto his arm, digging her nails into his wrist. She tried to cause damage.
The man suddenly yelled in pain, retching his hand away from her grasp and clasped his hand; the veins around his hand and up his arms glowed a lime green. He yelled out in pain and surprise as he tried to rub the colour away. It started to fade after a few frightful moments.
Maria continued to pant as she looked down at her hands, unaware of how she conjured up that assault.
"What is this?" the scarred man demanded as the colour seemed to seep into the rest of his blood, no longer providing a glow in the alleyway. Both men looked at Maria, a newfound fear in one, a new brand of anger in the other. The one she had accidentally assaulted re-gripped her and threw her to the ground. She felt a burning pain in the elbow she landed on. "She's a witch!"
She felt a burning pain erupt from her stomach as she was kicked. Her back hit the alleyway wall and crumpled back to the ground. The burning sensation made breathing difficult; she felt her body start curling to protect itself but failed as she was struck a second time. In desperation, her hands gripped his shoe, dragging her towards the man. He attempted to shake her off, being successful and raised his foot to stomp on her, but suddenly hit the floor with a loud thud.
Maria managed to open her eyes, watching as, in one smooth motion, the second man was floored. A figure kicked them in the back of the knee, elbowed them in the centre of the back and punched the back of their neck several times when the man fell to the ground. In moments, he was unconscious.
The figure stood over the man he had just attacked; his heavy breathing was the only noise cutting through the silence. He was a shadow as he stalked away from the man, ignoring the injured girls, approaching the now frightened Scar-Face.
He attempted to push himself away from the figure but was unsuccessful. In a quick moment, he was on his feet and pushed against the wall, just as Scar-Face had done to both Maria and Sam.
Maria's felt dizzy from the pain and found it hard to sit up, but past the burning pain in her stomach and the tingling in her hands, she could hear the voice of their saviour.
Raphael… she thought.
"Now look," he said as he smoothed out Scar-Face's shirt, "I'm not a violent man." He gestured for the man he had pushed against the wall to step away, pressing a hand against his back as he guided him towards his still stunned friend on the ground. "I am meticulous, methodical, manipulative, but never violent." He patted the man on the back like an old friend.
Maria managed to sit up, forced to use the wall to stay upright. She watched as Raphael's hand suddenly wrapped around the man's neck and forced him into a kneel as he held him in a loose chokehold. "However, I'll gladly make an exception for you."
On instinct, Scar-Face latched onto Raphael's forearm, which only prompted him to tighten his grip. "You see, sometimes even the smallest of people can take down giants," Raphael informed as he forced Scar-Face lower to the ground, arching his back so that all lower movement was awkward, "And there's nothing you can do. So, there's no point in beating yourself up over it." Scar-Face made a choked sound.
"Can you feel it?" Raphael whispered as Scar-Face continued to splutter, "The pain running through your nerves? How difficult it is to breathe?" The man flailed but submitted when Raphael jerked his head. "By now, you should feel warm in the face, perhaps hear ringing in your ears, or even your own heartbeat growing louder and louder." Maria could hear the man's heavy breathing through gritted teeth and saw his face was red from getting lightly choked, his hands still clawing at the young thief's arms.
"You will start to feel weak in your legs fairly quickly," the way he spoke was logical and cold. It made Maria short of breath as she felt a ping of worry for the man who had assaulted them. He struggled in Raphael's grip, but he continued, "When I tighten my grip, your arms will suddenly feel heavy, and you'll be unable to stop me from potentially killing you." Scar-Face started to panic, attempting to kick his legs out from his kneeled position, but was arched too far back to do anything. Raphael mocked him with a calming voice, "Ah, ah, ah!" His grip tightened, and the man released a long wheeze.
Raphael's voice got low. It sent a chill down Maria's spine and gave her a sense of dread. "Tell me, how does it feel to know that once those dark specs take over your vision, you won't ever wake up again?" This made Scar-Face tear up, attempting to speak but failing as he spluttered his words. "That you'll die in my hands, feeling cold, and vulnerable, and alone." His explanation was frightening; his outline made Maria sweat. "To just be aware how close you are to death?"
The man started crying, his head still jerked at an awkward angle with Raphael standing over him. He grunted as he saw something Maria couldn't; his feet shuffled away from the man's front. "You pissed yourself."
Raphael's arms tightened around the man's throat, his face turning purple in the dim light as he attempted to claw and kick at Raphael's body and face. But in seconds, his legs stopped flailing, his arms' attack grew weaker, and he became limp in Raphael's arm.
Raphael dropped the dead weight on the ground and stood over him, lingering for a moment before he leant over him and pressed his hands against his neck.
The action hadn't frightened Maria as much as the face Raphael made; expressionless. He showed no sign of regret, or fright, or horror. He appeared calm.
"He's still alive," he eventually assured.
Somehow that brought her minimal comfort as she held her side. Raphael went to her aid, but she quickly brushed him off. "Sam needs help," she croaked. Sam still laid on her side, she mumbled indistinctly as her arms wrapped around herself.
Raphael's calm face didn't waver as he rose and approached Sam. His voice was soothing, "This may hurt, but you need to lay on your side," he instructed as he put a hand behind Sam's head and gently guided her into a safe position. He pushed aside her coat and ran his hands along her ribcage; tender areas were met with sharp gasps of pain. "Good news, you've miraculously avoided broken ribs," he tossed her coat back over her torso, "Bad new, breathing is going to feel next to impossible until further notice." He gave her a wink and stood up, brushing off his knees and jacket.
"Why did those men attack us?" Maria asked. She leant heavily on the wall, managing to breathe when she stood straight.
"You probably mentioned my name," Raphael informed. "I expected better from you, Sam. This whole damsel in distress thing is a bit beneath you, don't you think? I thought you were smarter than that."
Sam only offered a muffled grunt as she attempted to stand.
Raphael didn't offer a hand. He folded his arms and watched. "Raphael, don't be rude to her. She's only here because of me…" Maria stood on her own, the pain had faded, but she was still short of breath.
Raphael scoffed, "So it's your fault she's here then?"
"I didn't know some guys were going to hurt us," Maria informed. "I just want to talk to you, but you weren't home."
He laughed. "Maybe there was a reason for that," he said. The man he had knocked out first started groaning, slowly gaining consciousness. Raphael squatted by him, his presence causing the man to sober up quickly. "I know your grunts of Benji," he said, "And you've attacked these young ladies as some sort of leverage for me to pay him back. I'm aware I owe him money, but these girls are nothing more than an obsessive entourage." He pinched the man's cheek, "So you tell Benji that I don't have anyone for you to rough up as leverage anymore, so get that through your thick skull. He'll get his money when he gets his money, and if I find out he has sent out any reinforcements to haste my payment, then I'll just disappear. Only this time, I assure you, I won't ever resurface again." He held a hand out to the man, who reluctantly accepted it, and pulled him to his feet. He brushed off the whole interaction as nothing more than a business transaction. "Think you can handle that message?"
The man hastily nodded, and Raphael stepping away from him. The man fled down the alleyway rather than back inside the tavern. "Eh bien, personne n'est parfait." Raphael took off his hat to ruffle his hair. It was a very tired motion.
Sam had managed to sit up, her arm holding her stomach as Maria helped her stand. Raphael turned to the doors and pushed them open. Maria was in shock as he went to walk back in. "Raphael!" her voice halted him. He looked back at the pair. "Your friend is hurt."
He waved a dismissive hand. "That's what you get for snooping. Sam knew the risk and knows more than anyone. I'm not feeling bad for someone else's stupidity."
"Then will you at least hear me out?" Maria asked, "I came here for a reason. She's hurt because of me."
"Wouldn't be the first time." He spoke under his breath, but Maria heard it; something in her chest throbbed and sent a wave of faintness through her. "Fine. What do you want?" He folded his arms.
Sam was holding Maria's hand. Her weight heavily relied on her to stay upright. "I wanted to come talk to you because," Sam managed to straighten her back, but she was pale, "Anita is getting adopted."
If Raphael was shocked by this, he didn't show it. His demeanour remained rigid, and he stayed silent as if waiting for her to continue. When she didn't, he spoke, "Okay. That's good." In such few words, Raphael sounded hurt and angry, but above all, sad. Without moving, Maria saw the flicker of a vulnerable boy, immediately replaced by salty words. "Anything else? Or is that it?"
Maria stared at him, dumbfounded. "'Is that it?'" she repeated, "'Is that it?!'"
Sam shifted her weight off Maria to the wall and grunted at the impact. Maria gritted her teeth, "Is anything you told me true?"
Raphael found the question strange. "Pardon?"
"How can you have claimed to care about Anita, to say you would protect her, that you loved her, that you would do anything for her, and not give a damn about something that'll take her out of Paris?" Maria snapped.
Raphael's demeanour didn't change. "What do you mean?"
"They don't live in Paris, Raphael," Maria informed, "She's going to be a sister to four other kids, a little sister. She spoke with them today. They're leaving Paris in the next day or so. She wanted to see you."
Raphael scoffed, seeing through her lie no matter how skilfully she hid it. "Look, I'm happy for Anita. I wish her happiness and a life of love, but if she's gotten adopted already, she doesn't need me, and I know she wouldn't want to see me."
Maria gritted her teeth. "Don't turn your back on her, Raphael," she pleaded, "She's a scared little girl who's just getting handed off to another family. Regardless of whether she wants to see you or not, you need to see her out at least. You owe her that."
"I don't owe her anything," Raphael said, "I saved her from street life, put a roof over her head, gave her food, and gave her a form of education. You can call it caring, or you can call it loneliness."
His statement lingered in the darkening alleyway, somehow stealing Maria's ability to speak as he added, "I was left behind. I have no mother, I don't know where my Father has gone, or why he left for that matter, and I was subjected to a year of Catholic mistreatment while authorities discovered that my Father wasn't dead." Raphael's eyes didn't betray his breaking voice as he marched closer to Maria. "I wanted someone, and I latched onto an anxious little girl who was so desperate for attention, for some sort of affection, that she trusted a stranger to take care of her. To take her out of her old life and fulfil the selfish social needs of an emotionally broken man."
Maria was speechless, he continued. "I don't keep people around unless they're useful to me." His statement was matter-of-fact. "Anita is of no use to me anymore, my Father is no use to me anymore, and, possibly most of all, you are of no use to me anymore, Maria Stephany."
Between them, the pendant and the ring pulsed furiously, but both were too consumed in their words to notice.
"This isn't you…" Maria breathed as she stepped away from him, "What's… What's happened to you, Raphael?"
He offered only a tilt of the head. She continued, standing her ground and stepping back to him, "You can hate me all you want and blame me for everything. I wouldn't blame you for blaming me. If I had never come to Paris, then none of this would have happened. Anita would still be with you, Sam wouldn't have been hurt, you would have finished your art thievery and avenged your Father's reputation. I will take responsibility for that if that will make you feel better!" Maria's voice was shrill. "But lying to yourself about how you cared for Anita, claiming she was nothing more than someone to be used, is ridiculous!" She shoved Raphael, a motion that shocked him as he stumbled back. "You're not the Raphael who I saw make pancakes for breakfast two days ago." Raphael rubbed his chin, mud smudging the back of his hand, "The one who playfully teased her. The one who denied her getting a cat. The one who cried when Anita was hurt!"
A new rage reflected in his eyes as he stood up, but Maria continued. "What's happened to you, Raphael? Why have you given up?"
When he approached, Maria expected to be struck, perhaps a similar encounter to only a few nights ago, but as he loomed over her, ready to say something, Sam pushed off the wall and jabbed him in the right side. Raphael yelled out, clutching his side as he was forced to lean over. A wheeze gurgled from him as Sam swayed where she stood, holding her head and dismissing the worried Maria as she grabbed his shoulders and threw him to the ground.
He yelled out again, his body curling around his injury.
"Sam! What are you doing?" Maria asked.
Sam ignored her, weakly forcing Raphael to lay flat and sat on his back. She didn't weigh a lot, so Raphael managed to lift her when he tried to get up. She shifted her weight and kicked his arms out from beneath him with her legs, quickly pressing her forearm into the back of his head to keep him down. She scratched for his arm, managing to grab it and twist it behind his back.
Maria wasn't sure what to do. She watched Sam attempt to twist the ring off his finger, like the Unknown Royals had attempted earlier, but to similar success.
Maria squealed as she saw Sam fit Raphael's fingers into her mouth and bit down on it. Raphael yelled in pain and understandable fright as he flailed, trying to detach Sam's teeth from his finger. Shocked, Maria grabbed Sam's shoulders and attempted to pull her off him to stop her from biting off his finger. With a surprisingly powerful kick, Maria was forced over and crashed into the ground.
Sam continued to suck on Raphael's finger, her whole head trembling from the awkward act. Her head wrenched away, taking her whole body in that direction as she lost balance on Raphael's back.
Maria muffled her scream as she expected to see blood coming off his finger and hear him curse, but she saw all his fingers were still intact. The ring, however, was gone.
Raphael hadn't noticed this and pushed himself up again, shouldering off Sam and quickly grabbing her by the chest of her shirt. "What the hell, Sam?!" he yelled, pushing her away from him. As weak as she was, she lost her footing and slammed into the ground. She released a small sob.
Raphael winced as he held his hand, where the ring once was glowed a bright red from where Sam's teeth had dug in.
Maria ran to Sam's aid. "Sam, are you alright?"
Sam had group breathing, her bulging eyes teary as she held herself. She hung her head and sobbed louder this time.
Raphael's breath whistled through his teeth as he alternated between holding his hand and his side. His teary eyes glaring at the girls, "Stay away from me! Both of you!" Face still red, he stomped back to the tavern doors and kicked them open, not offering a sideways glance as he disappeared behind the doors.
Maria stared at the doorway, almost waiting for Raphael to return and help Sam, but the longer she waited, the less she believed he would come back until she was convinced he wouldn't. She turned her attention back to Sam.
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