T Comics Presents #1

Scarlet Nemesis

“The Other Door”

The apartment door swung open and a young woman ran inside and shut it as fast as she could. Her hands shook as she fidgeted with the many locks on the door. After she placed the last lock on the door, she fell to her knees, huffing and puffing for breath. As her breathing began to slow down, a loud pounding hit repeatedly at the door.

“I know you’re in there, little princess! Come on out here! You know what you owe me!” a voice yelled from outside.

The young woman with tears in her eyes backed away slowly from the door. She crawled slowly away on her hands and feet backwards keeping her eyes on the door. Her mind flashed with images of the man breaking in with each pounding of his fists.

“You want to play like that, huh? I’ll be back, Scarlet.”

She listened as his heavy footsteps walked away from the door. Then she slowly got up from the floor with her heart still pounding within her. Tears flowed down her face as she made her way to the bathroom.

In the small almost closet size bathroom, Scarlet wiped her eyes with tissue and sat thinking over her lot.

“What am I going to do?” she asked herself out loud. Her rent in one of the foulest yet cheapest apartments in the city is two months behind. The landlord, a foul large man named Ralph, was willing to help her, but his idea of help was disgusting to her. Her job at the diner was like a tightrope to work. The manager, Dave, overworked her and wouldn’t hire more to help with the crowds. Today, the work got the best of her and she dropped a whole tray of plates. Dave publicly demeaned her, then fired her on the spot after her shift was up. Even though the pay was crappy, it nearly all went to her rent. Then before she got to her apartment building, a few gang members started crowding her and one took her purse. Now she was unable to give what money she had to keep her apartment. Ralph had already stated that she would be evicted today without something going towards the rent owed.

Despair and tears followed her into her bedroom. There she stayed flat upon her belly for minutes feeling helpless and hopeless.

“Scarlet,” a voice whispered.

Scarlet raised her head, bewildered by the voice. Then she thought for a moment that it must have been a noise from one of the other tenants.

“Scarlet,” the voice whispered louder this time, “hear me.”

Scarlet raised up from the bed and realized that the second closet that was in her room. A closet she avoided since starting her life over here. The familiar voice was from her past, a past that was now calling to her.

She sniffled and rubbed her nose before saying, “Leave me alone. I didn’t call you.”

“You did. Your fear called me. Your tears called me. Your need for me called me. Open this door.”

Scarlet rose up and started a slow walk to the closet door. “I renounced you. You don’t have a place in my life anymore.”

“Two years I left you alone. Two years I waited for you. Two years before your heart started making the slow crawl back to me.”

“No,” Scarlet said as she faced the closet door. “You’re trying to use me again.”

“You’re trying to use me again. In your pain you remember the strength and confidence I gave you. The purpose and power I gave you. Do you remember?”

Scarlet paused before answering a sobering, “Yes.”

“You did not let me go when you renounced me. You did not give me away. You kept me. You kept me here in the dark. You want me now. You need me now. Set me free. Join with me again. Let me take away your doubts, fears, and weakness. Open the door.”

Before she realized it, Scarlet found her hand reaching out to the doorknob. It surprised her and she withdrew. “No, no, no, no! I can’t do this again! All of the blood you made me spill! You made me a monster!”

“They had it coming and you know it. The dregs, the guilty, the evil ones who deserve justice upon them. We brought justice.”

A loud knocking at the apartment door, took her attention away from the closet. Ralph was back.

“Do it now,” the voice in the closet calmly demanded. “I can sense the guilt of this man from here. He will hurt you if he enters. Open the door.”

With teary eyes, Scarlet quickly opened the closet door. Then she rummaged through bags and boxes until she reached the bottom. There a long wooden case sat. She unlatched the case and before her was a long silver sword with a crimson jewel between the hilt and the blade. The blade gave off an odd, comforting warmth as Scarlet started grab the hilt.

The heavy sound of knocking at the door was now replaced with even heavier thuds. Ralph was now using his whole body against the door.

Scarlet at first hesitated before grabbing the sword hilt. She noticed that the gem glowed and the sword began flowing energy into her. As he closed her eyes, she felt the despair, the sadness, and the fear melt away from her. Unseen energy caused a wind to blow from nowhere within the bedroom and slammed the door to it shut.

Ralph managed to knock the door off of its hinges and made his way inside. “I’m tired of you, Scarlet. You’re gonna pay for this door and more when I get my hands on you.”

Hearing noise of movement coming from the bedroom, the surly man went up to the door. He tried the doorknob, but before he could enter a force kicked him through the door and across the apartment. Puzzled he looked up to see a woman in a skintight red body suit with metal walk up to him.

“Who-who are you?” Ralph said, frightened at the anger in the woman’s eyes. In her hand he noticed the long sword.

“You don’t recognize me, Ralph? I’m Scarlet.” she said with an almost husky sounding voice. “Scarlet Nemesis.” Then she lifted her sword to his neck, “The Sword of Nemesis shall enforce the justice that you deserved.”