"Nana, go and bring more of these"
"Ugh... Really mom... you know I hate vegetables" I growled staring at my old nemesis "Especially broccoli"
I hated broccoli so damn much, that plant could just stay away from my tongue. FOREVER!
"Oh stop complaining" my mother, Nora snapped "Go and bring more"
"AGH!... Fine" I groaned, picking the basket up and headed for the vegetable section in the supermarket.
It's been a week since I came back home and visited Mother and aside from the little fun we had during the bath, nothing else happened, even Morgana didn't call me again.
'I guess she's busy making babies'
Anyway, I still have about two weeks before my medical vacation is over and I must report back to the academy and the clinic. So I'm spending some nice quality time with my mother, shopping.
"UGH!... I hate you" I glare at the green monstrosity. "Why do you even exist?"
No one could answer my question, so I picked up a few broccoli, put them in the basket, and headed back to where my mother was waiting. And as I was about to reach my destination—
"!!!" My entire body shook, every inch, every vein, every cell trembling and shivering. Swiftly I checked my surroundings and managed to identify the source.
"What the fu-..HMM!"
Fortunately, I managed to suppress my shout, but the same couldn't be said about the rage that was boiling inside me. There to the left of me was a middle-aged man wearing the supermarket's uniform, refueling the shelves with Coke cans. I know this man, his face, name, past, and skills. How could I not know him, he was one of the men who raped me during my eighteenth birthday along with the bastard who called himself my father.
His name was Sharpy, a B-rank hunter and a former party member of my father, his main skill is called "Sharp Hands" an uncommon skill that allows him to apply 'Sharpness' to anything he touches—be it a weapon, a coin, a stick or even his goddamn fingernails. I remembered those fingers—too well. The cold metallic scrape of them, the smell of his breath, the way he chuckled when I screamed.
And now he was right here. Casual. Whistling. Stocking a shelf like the only thing he ever penetrated was a stack of soda cans.
'This motherfucker'
My fingers clenched the basket so tight the wicker snapped under pressure. My vision blurred red. He didn't see me. Not yet. Or maybe he did but didn't recognize me. That smug, pockmarked face hadn't changed a bit. The faint scar down his jaw? Still there. The way he scratched his ass with the same hand he used to hold his stupid poker cards? Yep.
I wanted nothing but to charge at him like a bull, skin him alive, and rape him like he did to me before I devour him alive, but my body didn't move. I simply watched him whistling an old song 'Sound of Silence' as he continued working and doing nothing, that man was nothing more than a coward, a pathetic scum of a human.
'Calm down Nana, don't do something stupid here' I reminded myself trying to suppress my rage. Then I moved between the shelves where none could see me and slid down my panties a little. Slowly I reached between my thighs and stroked my wet clitoris.
"Hmm~" I was forced to suppress a moan, as a small thumb-sized pink spider crawled out from my pussy and scuttled onto my trembling hand. Its tiny legs prickled against my skin, a familiar sensation that sent a shiver up my spine—not from fear, but from excitement and love.
This was one of the tiny spiders I gave birth to a few days ago, its combat strength is almost non-existent, but this tiny pink spider had one hell of a paralyzing venom. I knew exactly what it was capable of, and I had every intention of using it.
Sharpy continued his mundane task, oblivious to the storm brewing just a few feet away. I could see the smug satisfaction on his face, the same expression he wore that night. The night that changed everything. The night that turned me into a monster.
"Easy, girl," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the hum of the supermarket's fluorescent lights. The spider's glossy pink body pulsed faintly as if it could feel the fury coursing through me. It knew what I wanted. It always did.
I moved silently, my eyes locked onto Sharpy. He was still whistling that goddamn song, completely unaware of the danger lurking behind him. I could feel the spider's excitement, its tiny legs twitching with anticipation. I gave it the mental command, and it scurried down my arm and jumped into Sharpy's shirt before hiding under his green apron.
Now that we had gotten that part out of the way, the waiting game began. The real fun game where I slowly hunt and trap my prey in my web.
"There you are" Mom suddenly approached me from behind, I nearly got a heart attack when she surprised me "I was looking for you, you got the broccoli?"
'Who cares about broccoli!!' I cursed in my mind, forcing a calm, neutral expression and nodding to my mother who picked a few carrots and added them to the basket.
We paid the cashier and left the store. Mother offered to buy me an ice cream but I declined and told her I was tired and wanted to go home.
I never told her about what happened on my birthday. How could I?! I know my mother, if I told her she would try to claim justice by herself, and against my father who was an S-rank hunter even with his terrible character and broken party. The consequences would be her death. And no one would care to do anything about it.
So I closed my damn mouth and heart about that incident and endured in silence. But today an opportunity to pay back for those shitty people showed itself in front of me, giving me a great gift. And I really, desperately need it.
As we walked home, my mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. The spider was in place, transferring to me through our link and constant updates about his location. And now the hunt began. I had to be patient and wait for the right moment. Sharpy wouldn't get off that easily. He deserved to suffer, to feel the same fear and helplessness I felt that night.
Once home, I helped my mother clean the house and do the cooking. She was overjoyed because of the tasty food her beloved daughter made. Well, she likes to eat broccoli claiming it is healthy, but I know the sad fact that broccoli was her only food after my father realized that I wasn't born with her 'Nullification' magic.
That's why I hate broccoli not just because of the taste, but what it represents. The suffering of a woman whom I love more than this damn world.
"Good girl you finished your plate" my mother commented with a smile looking at my plate. "I'm so proud of you"
Of course, I ate the damn broccoli. Why? No idea, maybe I wanted to share her suffering? Yet I couldn't deny a small smile seeing her being proud of me like the usual times, back when I was a little girl. Back when the only person in the world was my mother and I.
We chatted and laughed and sat around the dining room for hours like we were the happiest people on earth. I was happy. Truly and honestly. And somehow, in some strange, fucked up way, satisfied over the fact that tonight I would see the horror in Sharpy's eyes before I shove a big spider egg right down his ass.
"Nana" my mother Nora suddenly spoke in a calm tone, for a few seconds she simply kept staring warmly at my amber eyes, her hand resting on top of mine, giving a gentle squeeze before saying the next words.
"You are my whole life. I love you" She leaned her head closer until our forehead touched in a tender affectionate gesture, and then her lips met mine in a loving soft kiss.
"Whatever you choose... I will always be there for you, sweetheart"
"Mom," I whispered, my voice choked with emotion and I found myself leaning for another soft kiss. "I love you too. More than words can express."
We stayed like that for a while, lost in our own thoughts, the world outside fading away. But as the night deepened, my mind drifted back to Sharpy. The spider was still in place, revealing the location of his house.
Eventually, my mother excused herself, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I retreated to my room, closing the door behind me. I sat on the edge of my bed, my heart pounding in my chest. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, before activating my transformation, switching to my adult form.
Lady Raven.
"Let the hunt begin"