To see underneath the Mask

behind the mask

"Oh," Emily sighed looking down at her notebook.
"Em?" Johanna asked turning to face her friend next to her. 
"Sorry, I just, I felt a sudden pain in my chest," Emily said shaking her head. 
"It happened again didn't it?" Johanna asked looking around the room. Emily had a always had a sixth sense when she knew if someone near her was hurting in a intense way. "Oh no," Johanna said, her eyes falling onto the door.
"What is it?" Emily asked following her eye line. Emily and Johanna watched as a student was knocked to the ground and dragged away from the door. "Follow me," Emily said standing up. "We just need some air," Emily said to the teacher sitting at the front of the class. 

Emily and Johanna slowly exited the room and followed a man who was dragging a limp student. They stop at a corner, where they see a group of men standing around a few students. "Don't follow me," Emily said before walking quickly to the group and standing between the students kneeling down and the group of men. 

"Look at this silly girl, thinking she can stop us," a bellowing voice said. Emily followed the voice to a man holding a gun. 
"What are you doing here?" Another man called out. 
"This is none of your business," another said in a harsh voice.
"How dare you step in between us," another said. Emily looked from man to man but settled on one tall mans back, who had not said anything. 

"How dare you address our guest first," A voice that seemed to come from the mans back that was turned, though the voice didn't sound normal. The voice sounded as though he was talking through a megaphone. Emily's eyes stayed on the man. "Who are you?" he asked. Emily didn't answer and after a long winded moment he slowly turned around. 

"And who is this?" The leader asks, his voice as though he is speaking through a megaphone. Another man walks over to Emily and punches her in the stomach, causing Emily to fall to her knees. He forces her hands behind her back and pulls her to her feet. He wraps a rope around Emily's hands and knots it twice. He grabs her hair and pulls her head back, and leads her up to the leader. She is forced to her knees, and her head is pulled right back. The leader hovers over her and asks, "What is your name?" Emily looks into his eyes but is in too much  pain to answer. A tear escapes her eye and rolls down her cheek. The man wipes the tear from Emily's cheek and signals for the man to release her head. The other men leave the room and the masked man circles Emily. "Everyone has a name, even someone who was born in a prison, with no mother or father." Emily stars at the wall confused.

"How can you be born in a prison but have no mother? who gave birth?" The man slowly moves back in front of Emily and crouches down to her level.

"I never said it was my story, girl." The man stands up and pulls out a chair, and signals for Emily to sit down. Emily just looked at the chair and then back at the man. He walked over to her, understanding that she felt unsafe. "Trust me when I say," He unknotted Emily's hands, "You are more safe here with me, then not with me. I can protect you against anything, if you just tell me your name." he helps Emily to her feet and leads her over to the chair.

"What's in a name?" Emily asks looking out the window behind the man.

"Well I can just keep calling you girl if you would like." The man looked her up and down before grabbing her chin and pulling her head so she was facing him. Emily felt so alone and afraid, blinking back tears that were threatening to escape down her face. She felt her jaw clench together and her face turn red. he let her head go and leaned back in his chair. Just as Emily was about to open her mouth and tell the man her name, a loud crash filled the room, and shards of glass wounded Emily's face. Three men came charging through the door, with guns. Emily stood up and started to walk backwards when she saw her brother, Christopher was one of the men holding a gun. The man stood up and spoke, "Christopher Brace, my enemy. The man who killed his family." Christopher stepped forward to stand in front on the man. 

"Bane, the man with no heart. So we meet again." Christopher moves across to Emily. "My little sister. The loving beloved sister. Have you thought any more about my proposition?" Christopher looks down at Emily and holds out a hand.

"Christopher," Emily said sourly. "What gives you the idea I would ever join you? You're a cold blooded killer who enjoys others pain!" Emily starts to raise her voice as she moves backwards. "You killed our parents and made me watch! You made them beg for their life! You are the worst person I have ever met!" Tears threaten to leak out of Emily's eyes again. "Chris, I'm the easy one! If I'm like this, don't even bother with Johanna, she wants you dead, and she wouldn't hesitate!" Emily lets the tears rush out as she hits the wall. Bane flinches and slowly moves towards Emily. 

"Em, They were my parents too, and seeing as I am the eldest, I must decide what is best for my family!" Christopher places his hands against the wall, above Emily's head and looks down at her, belittling her.

"How dare you!" Emily yells through clenched teeth. "You are not God! You don't get to decide who lives and who dies!" Christopher bangs his hands against the wall and Bane grabs his shoulder, causing Christopher to flinch. Bane pulls Christopher back, hitting his head on the closest table. One of his men grab Emily's hair and punch at her left eye. He yanked her back to standing and pushed her into a table, biting her lip and falling to the ground. He shot at her right shoulder. Pain shot through her face and shoulder. Bane help the mans head and shoulders and broke his neck. The other man punched at Emily's face. Bane grabbed his shoulders and pushed him into the wall, leaving a splatter of blood on the wall. Emily curls into a ball and closes her eyes.