Darien
Chapter 6- Introductions
 

        My real story begins when I'm eighteen.  It was a typical night for me.  Except this time I didn't wait until the rehearsal was over until I went to the kitchen.  Normally I wait so that nobody walks in on me.  However, on this particular night, I ended up not getting my food, despite my earliness.  I was in the kitchen when I heard a girl scream.  I realized that there was barely anyone left in the theatre and that nobody was rehearsing anymore.  I quickly got to the top of my platform over looking the stage.  When I arrived I saw a girl who was about to be killed by man who was obviously furious.  I felt rage rip through my veins.  I absolutely hated violence, especially when the attacker had such an unfair advantage.  This was one emotion I never managed to suppress.  I jumped on him.  He turned just in time for me to hit him.  He lost control of the bowl and it fell and shattered offstage as it flew out of his hands into the audience. Unfortunately, he collapsed and landed on the girl.  She was knocked out with a small cry, but he was still awake.
        Mind you, this man was not the first person I would have injured.  When I was seventeen, I caught a man following me through the vents.  I pretended not to notice him until I got to my door where I grabbed a knife I had stolen a while back for just such a purpose and waited.  I wouldn't have really stabbed him if he didn't pull a gun on me.  That was the first person I had intentionally hurt. I could not have people just barging into my home.  There was no way that guy would have kept my secret.  I killed him and brought him upstairs after the theatre closed.  I left his body on the auditorium isle.  He was found the next morning, but since they did not know where I lived, or if I lived, they could not identify the fingerprints and could not find a murder weapon.  It was not something I was proud of doing, but it was necessary to keep him from informing anyone about me.
        I quickly turned the attacker's face up and began punching him repeatedly.  He took out a knife from his pocket and stabbed me in the shoulder.  I got the knife away from him then I picked him up and threw him off stage.  I did not know if he was dead.  But anyone who beats anyone else for no good cause deserves to die.  I did not know why I felt so passionately about batterers and abusers.  I held my shoulder.  I had never felt so much pain.  I saw the deep red blood on my fingers as I removed my hand.  Anyhow, I turned to the girl.  She was very beautiful, but she gave me the strangest feeling of déjà vu. Well, I knew I couldn't just leave her there in case Blood Happy over there woke up.  I groaned in annoyance.  Maybe there was another way to insure her safety?  Besides, I didn't even know her.  She had probably provoked that man and gotten him angry, anyway.  I battled with my judgment for several minutes, just staring at her.  I clutched my shoulder.  I would clean it out later.  Finally, I decided I had better bring her with me.  I took her around back and down into my home.
        She was the first guest I had ever had.  Mind you I was not happy about this arrangement at all.  If she woke up and recognized me as 'Tuxedo Mask', I had no way of insuring that she didn't reveal my secret.  Other than to kill her, that was.  I could not believe I was housing one of these violent creatures.  She was definitely rich.  Which of course meant that I was dealing with a spoiled snob.  I growled to myself.  If she woke up and found me here, not doing anything for her, she will probably report me to others.  It was for this reason that I tended her and tried to get her to wake up.   I laid her down on my bed and got her a cold rag and placed it on her forehead.  I covered her with a blanket, as her shoulders were bare.  I took off my jacket to tend to my shoulder in the bathroom.  I unbuttoned my shirt and ran a rag under the water, which by now was running clear, although not warm.  I pressed the rag against my shoulder the best I could, considering the man had stabbed me from the back.  It hurt to strain that far.  I replaced my shirt, even though it had a bloodstain on it and I went back into my room.  I picked up a book and read on the couch until I drifted off.
        She stirred eight hours later.  (I had also confiscated a clock a while back from the dance room.  They had two anyway.)  At first, she was very groggy.  Then things seemed to set in with her.  She turned her face slowly to the side and looked at me and was about to scream but I got to her first and closed her mouth by putting my hand over it.  "Don't scream.  If I didn't hurt you while you were asleep, why would I now?"  I took my hand away and backed away from the bed to the table.  She stared at me a moment.  Then it all came out at once "Who are you?  What is this place?  Why am I here?  Where am I?  Did you kidnap me?  What happened to Micah?  Please tell me Micah's not here!  Did he send you to keep me here for him?"
        "Shut up." was my only reply.  I could not believe the number of words this girl was spilling forth in such a short time.  "When the Center closes you may leave.  I do not want to take the risk of anyone finding out where this place is.  I'm not going to hurt you.  I saved you, Damn it.  Show some gratitude."  I was not going to baby this little rich spoiled brat as her parents and everyone else probably did.
        "You saved me?  From Micah??"  Oh thank you!!!" she ran at me and threw her arms around my neck.  AHH!  My shoulder!!!  I pulled her off and ordered her to contain herself.  Soon she recognized me as Tuxedo Mask from the description given of me by one of her actress friends.  She seemed quite surprised, as if she had never seen a poor person before in her life.  Or it could have been the surprise that I was alive and not a ghost.  I explained to her that she must keep it down.  She complied with being fairly quiet but I had little luck in getting her to stop talking to me.
        "So, this is where you live?"
        "Yes it is."
        "Is it not too cold during the winter?"
        "Yes."
        "What do you do for fun?"
        "Read."
        "Is that all?"
        "Yes."
        "Why did you save me?"
        "You would have died."
        "Do you know who I am?"
        "No."
        "Do you wish to know?"
        "No."
        "Would you tell me your name?"
        "I don't know my name."
        "You don't know your name?"
        "No."
        "Why not?"
        "I don't remember what it is."
        "Why?"
        I was growing impatient.  "Look.  I do not wish to divulge the intimacies of my personal life with a complete stranger.  For all I know, you'll run right out of here at closing and the next day you'll come in and have told everyone that I live here.  Then they will kill me, at worst; but I will be out of a home, at least."
        The girl looked at me a moment.  She was obviously caught off guard by my brash words.  Then she got a calm expression and sighed.  She became very practical.  "You saved my life.  What reason would I have to betray you?
From what I can tell, you are harmless as long as you are not provoked.  After all, you could have just let me die, or you could have killed me in my sleep.  I think that I would have had to attack you before you would hurt me, and I sense that you are like that with everyone."
        She senses.  Great.  I've rescued the daughter of an Ares-damned gypsy.  For some reason I felt like I could believe her when she said that she wouldn't betray me.  It was strange.  She looked familiar.  Perhaps I had seen her in a play?
        "What is your name?" I asked.  I decided to see if I knew her.  She had the most beautiful blue eyes and the most gorgeous blonde hair.  And her body... exquisite.  What I did not expect was the shock she was about to give me.
        "I am Princess Serena, of the Moon Kingdom.  I really am grateful for your rescuing me and all.  I wish there was something I could do to..." she said more but I had heard enough.  Now the PRINCESS knew where I was.  Royalty, the people who I despised most above all other humans.  I felt a burning sensation as I felt rage at myself enter me.  I should not have helped her.  Now I was surely going to be kicked out of here.  I no longer trusted her to keep my secret.  I knew that I was doomed now unless I could GAIN her silence.  If not, I would have to kill her; a task that could prove to be dangerous and one that I was not looking forward to.
        "Your Majesty."  I started humbly.  "I only ask you not to tell anyone where I live or that I am here.  Please.  I implore you to speak of me to no one.  Do not tell anyone that we have met or what happened last night.  I fear if you did..."
        "I promise.  Nobody will ever know that I was here."  I turned away from her.  I had been right in front of her, on my knees, begging her with my one good eye.  I thought I might have just won her over, but I was not entirely convinced and I would certainly not count on this royal brat to keep promises.
        When I turned, she gasped.

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