Troublemaker

Compromises

The trains always get delayed it was nothing uncommon but it was common to get stuck in the tunnel. I fiddled with the small bag of rings and necklaces in my denim skirt pocket waiting to get out the tunnle. The train finally came to Canal street I walked above ground and walked towards the jewelry shop on the corner. I stepped in the store watching everyone buy and sell jewelry. "Z your back again?" A man said behind me. It was Charlie the sales man he smiled at me from behind the counter. Charlie and I grew up together in my second foster home it was us and 5 other kids but me and Charlie were close. He was the one that cleaned me up after I got in the knife fight and the one who begged my foster parents to let me stay after it too. I walked over to him his chestnut colored hair was slicked back in a small ponytail with a red rubber band in it that matched his red tie for his suit. I smiled sweetly making the best eye contact I could with his hazel eyes.
"Hey Charlie. I got some new stuff for you"
"Oh really? You sure know how to treat a guy"
I placed the small bag of jewels on the counter and spread the rings and necklaces on the counter. Charlie picked them up one by one examining them through his jeweler's loop. I watched him caress them in his hand and occasionally watched his beard too.
"I can give you 5,000"
"Charlie. How long have you known me? I know you can do better."
I leaned over the counter put my ass out but I wore a sweater on the wrong day. I looked up at him as he laughed softly looking around at his coworkers to see if they noticed and leaned down inches away from my face.
"Z why do we keep doing this?"
"Because you know what I want. And you know I want 10,000"
"That's a little steep what's in it for me?"
"What do you want?"
I guess you can say me and Charlie have this unspoken romance. Ever since we found each other again a few months back we never broke contact. Charlie doesn't know who I secretly am and I intend on keeping it that way. I don't want him to get in trouble because of me and I can't be with him because of who I am and what I do he's too good for that.
"How about dinner tonight? "
"Can't busy"
"You always are. But I'll give it to you anyways"
"Thanks sweetie"
I hate lying to him.

●●●

Being a woman is hard enough dealing with pregnancy and being paid less than men. But what's harder is being a woman in a skirt walking in a dangerous part of town. Some men stood outside the store watching me walk up the block but I paid them no mind. I headed in the apartment building and waited for the elevator to come down. It finally came I headed in and pushed the 6 floor button. I arrived at the floor and was greeted with the sound of Mr. and Mrs. Graves arguing again. This is why I don't believe in marriage. I knocked on the door of 6B and waited for the door to open. When it did a older Hispanic woman looked up at me smiling "Senora Wilde you're here" she said in excitement
"Si senora Magna"
"Come in come in"
"I can't I'm sorry I just needed to give you this. I have to go see the others"
I handed her a carton of milk from my bag in it contained 500 dollars for her over due rent. Ms. Magna and many other tenets in the apartment buildings across Hell's Kitchen has been experiencing rent raising for a few months now and I couldn't have them on the streets. Especially when they're are people in Hell's Kitchen with condos not giving a fuck about what's happening to them. So what's easier than stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Ms. Magna kissed my cheek "gracias" she said smiling "De nada" I replied

●●●

I gathered a box full of herbs to flowers of different colors to brighten the place up. I started to set up a few aloe plants in Matt 's office he had a few papers scattered on his desk it seemed like he had a few cases he was handling with Foggy. I brushed them to the side and sat a potted bamboo plant on his desk. Tap tap I heard a familiar sound at the door I turned around to see Matt a little bruised up in the face.
"Matt? Damn what happened to you"
"Oh Ziana I didn't know you were here. It's okay I just had a little accident"
I don't understand why it kept taking a while to sink in the fact that he was blind. I guess I didn't see him as a blind person I saw him as a regular person maybe a little more handsome. I grabbed Matt by his arm and sat him in his seat. "Here I got something for that cut" I said walking towards the aloe vera plant on the window sill. I broke off a piece pinching the opening seeing the gooey substance spill out. I walked over to Matt and removed his shades. I rubbed the aloe on the open cut on his face
"is this a plant?"
"Yeah aloe it's a healing plant"
"Oh wow. So what other plants did you put here"
"Bamboo plants they represent money in Japan. I put good amount in the office for you and Foggy"
Matt smiled at me but his eyes were looking past me. I wanted to move my head so our eyes would meet but that's a little weird. "How nice of you wishing us luck through plants" he said making me laugh.

●●●

I was on a roll tonight I hit about 3 jewelry stores in a row. My bag was becoming too heavy to carry so I decided to head for the buildings near the pier to get a good view in before the night was over. I sat on the roof brushing my straightened jet black hair out of my face. I wore my new half face mask from the other night and covered my face from the bridge of my nose up in black paint that was smugged. Jumping from building made me sweat enough to have the paint drip a little. The paint made my blue grey eyes more vibrant. I swung my legs back and fourth letting the air go through hair. "You" a deep voice said behind me making my heart sink. I stood up and slowly turned around its him. He stood there feet away from me in his all black attire with his scarf around his eyes and hair. "You" I growled to him keeping my ground. "Look I do not fight women. So I'm going to warn you once. Either you stop the robberies or get out of my city" he said with a deep voice. I slowly walked up to him as he slowly backed up.
"What makes you think this your city?"
"Because I protect it not steal from it"
"Too bad we could be a great team. But then again I don't work well with others. "
"I know who you are. I assume you know who I am you've been stalking me enough to know at least"
"If you knew I was watching you why didn't you come for me?"
He stood silent making me smile under my mask. I circled him but he didn't move a inch I got closer to him from behind as he looked at me from over his shoulder. "If you want me. Come get me." I whispered in his ear before I threw a quick jab with my brass knuckles in his rib. He fell but kicked my legs from beneath me "don't make me do this" he said standing up "now I really want you to" I said kicking his shin as he fell to his knee. I kicked him across his face making fall to the side. I quickly jumped on him punching his face repeatedly until he grabbed me by throat choking me with both hands. I put both arms in between his breaking his grip allowing me to head butt him. He pushed me off and jumped up. I jumped on his back wrapping my legs around his waist I had him in a headlock and grabbed the top of his mask. By the time I pulled it off he fell back onto me I winced in pain as so did he. He rolled off me and laid on his stomach as he grunted in pain. I pulled myself up and gripped the mask in my hand. "Now I can-" after kicking him on his back the face under the mask made me sick to my stomach. "Matt?" I said in shock I couldn't believe a blind man almost kicked my ass and it was someone I knew. "Ziana?"
"Matt what the fuck- you're the nut in the mask?"
"I can explain"
"What? That you're blind and you can fight? Are you even blind? What are you even doing?"
"You have explaining as well Ziana... or is it Vixen of Hell's Kitchen?"
All the ranting and questioning I was doing I didn't realize I had dropped my accent. Matt knew who I really was. I knew who he really was."You first" I said looking down at him still lying on the floor. "I wasn't lying when I said I protect Hell's Kitchen I try to keep it safe I grew up here"
"What about the whole blind street fighter thing?"
"I had a accident when I was younger made me blind... but not really it's like I can see a world on fire sorta speak"
"W-what are you even saying words"
Being hit with a lot of information at once is so exhausting. But this shit is crazy I can't believe it. "Your turn" he said breathing heavy I sat down next to him putting my knees to my chest.
"Why are you robbing the jewelry stores around town?"
"Look it's not like I keep them. I just sell them to other stores and give most of the money to the tenets around Hell's Kitchen who's rent is backed up"
"What are you some kind of Robin hood? Steal from the rich give to the poor"
"Sorta speak"
We stood silent for a while taking in all the secrets we spilled. Matt sat up looking straight "You know I can't keep you doing that?" He said I didn't want to lie to Matt and say "I'll be a good girl and stop" but I had something else in mind to solve all our problems.
"How about a compromise? "
"Like what? I am a lawyer I can negotiate"
"Ms.Magna, Mr. And Mrs. Vernon and their kids. Pay their's and the others rent and I'll stop stealing"
"Fine. But you have some good moves I could use someone like you"
"Look I'm not a sidekick or a saint okay"
"I didn't mean like that there's something big happening in Hell's Kitchen and I could use someone to... flirt her way pass the bad guys"
"Ha... So you want me to help you to one cover your secret from Karen and Foggy? Two help you fight this "big threat" in Hell's Kitchen? And three flirt my way through so called "bad guys"?"
"You don't have to if-"
"Deal"