Guardian Angel // past para
It's a wonder anyone could do a lick of thinking here in this ambiance. The mingling conversations, from the bikers playing pool while their girlfriends obediently hung on their arms to the old-timers grumbling about faction politics, cascaded down the bar counter where Enzo sat in his stool alone while nursing the third glass of gin. Rudy's Tavern became a popular hangout for anyone who owned a motorcycle, namely Vincent cronies working directly under Drake himself, and while he spent time with the guys casually, some days were reserved for himself only.
His gaze traveled over heads, bouncing from one doorway to the other, noting where the exits were in case fights broke out, which is an average weekday at any bar you enter in Newford. Part of his job involved anticipating someone's next moves, remaining always on guard, and use a gun when necessary. He could usually spot the look in a man's eyes that screamed doing something stupid from miles away, and maybe that made him a pretty good shot. Enzo knew his skill paled in comparison to the Devereaux's, something he resented not for the insult of his abilities but the fact they were children, but he hit the bullseye nine times out of ten better than some compatriots.
Quietly searching the room landed his eyes on two faces he knew for a fact should not have been there partly due to age. Now, Rudy was an old friend of his, but the bar owner possessed this tendency to allow anyone entrance despite the legality. A skeevy dive bar was no place for children, but as long as they weren't ordering alcohol, he turned a blind eye and left the door wide open for partying teenagers looking for a good time. One such couple was seventeen year old Jason Morris and the just turned sixteen year old girlfriend he dragged along, Pandora. He personally met Pan several months ago when Jason, the younger brother of an acquaintance Enzo didn't really speak with, invited her into the fold by bringing the girl to another well-visited biker spot he and the guys were hanging around at. Sarcastic and a potty mouth to boot, he thought she was too young being involved with the biker chick lifestyle. At least his girlfriend Amelia didn't disagree, but she did urge him to tone down the protectiveness and let the girl make her own choices.
It was a little over a month since he last laid eyes on Pandora and even from the distance across the bar, Enzo noticed a change in the young woman Pan probably thought she was hiding well from those who weren't looking hard. She remained close at Jason's side, tossing wavy blonde locks over her shoulder and barking laughs that sounded very forced toward her boyfriend's crude jokes while his arm slithered around her waist. She clung to him like a lifeline and it turned Enzo's stomach sour. He knew guys like Jason, punk asses stringing girls along and thinking themselves the ultimate shit. Arrogance, arrogance got men killed in their faction.
Enz watched their interaction closely, curiously, observing the unheard conversation between the pair unfold, but he didn't require hearing what was being said to know what was going on. Jason pulled Pan in for a kiss, a kiss she attempted to reject and gently nudge him away by making light of the action, a jovial play-off he could see only pissing Jason off. The teenager's body language changed before his very eyes even as Pandora turned away from him and began speaking to another male, intentionally flirting in an attempt at making her boyfriend jealous. Jason's hand wrapped around Pan's arm, yanking her to properly face him and setting the older man's jaw tight while he still watched. They were getting into an argument now, Pandora ripping her arms from his iron grip and pushing Jason backwards. Some struggling, a toxic lovers' quarrel with nasty words thrown about, and Pan spat in his face. All Enzo could hear was Sid's voice in his head to mind his own fucking business.
Then the sound of a harsh slap carrying through the air flipped that switch real fucking quick.
Enzo abruptly rose from his seat in a mass of fury, knocking the stool backwards, and made a direct beeline across the room until he reached the couple. "You fucking piece of shit." The recognition barely registered on Pandora's face before he sent a closed fist in Jason's direction, hitting him square in the nose. The sickening sound of bones snapping should have given him satisfaction, but he wasn't about to grant Jason rarely any time to retaliate. Enzo grabbed a hold of the boy's collar, ignoring Pan's continuous pleas and the fact he was making a scene for onlookers as he roughly shoved Jason into the plaster wall, using strength to slightly lift him from the ground. "Enjoy beating on women, huh? Does it make you feel like less of a pussy?" Enzo spat in his face. Jason struggled, a tongue sweeping along his lower lip and smearing the blood pouring from his nostrils. "Get your fucking hands off me, old man."
"Enzo! Enzo, just let him go and drop it." Pandora's words distracted him for a moment, his head briefly snapping in her direction, "Pandora, stay out of this." Jason's own gaze flickered from the blonde to the older man smugly, "You should listen to her, Enzo boy, I can smack a bitch whenever I please and no one can stop me." Enzo peeled his gaze from Panny and settled it on the young boy angrily. He could have pulled out his gun, incite the panic, and own it, but where's the dramatics of that? Barrel to the head doesn't necessarily hurt unless the trigger is pulled, but what could hurt? The dart board to the right of Jason's head caught his attention, sending a hand reaching for the three darts stuck to the surface.
Bunching them together, Enzo forced them to Jason's neck, pressing the sharp ends against the flesh exactly where he knew the boy's jugular vein would be. "If you fucking touch her again, you lay one more goddamn hand on her, or I see any more bruises," He applied pressure on the darts, watching the teenager squirm uncomfortably, "I'll rip that woman-beating head from your shoulders and send it to your little friends gift wrapped in a fucking box. Do you understand me?" The expression on Jason's features warped from conceited to cold. He provided no response, leaving Enzo to pull him forward and slam him against the wall, forcing a groan from the young male's lips. "Do you fucking understand?" Jason nodded in confirmation, though it wasn't completely genuine, still Enzo dropped the darts and released the hold on his jacket, "Now, get the fuck out of my face. Go."
"You ain't hearing the end of this, old man." Jason pulled at the hem of his rumpled jacket, pushing a hand through his dirty blond tresses as he stumbled past Pandora, creating as much distance between himself and Enzo. He half-expected Pan to follow suit and leave with him, but when she didn't budge, the teen barked a sardonic laugh and pushed through the cluster of people before exiting the bar. Enz finally breathed a sigh and turned around, coming face-to-face with a hard to read Pandora, arms hugging her frame closely. It wasn't easy knowing if she was angry, upset, or shaken, the detail he did notice right away that he hadn't before was the miniscule stream of blood emanating from her split lip. "Come on, kid. I'll take you home." They just needed to make one short stop first.
_________
Pandora sat stoically on the cover of the toilet as she watched Enzo rummage around in a closet, willing her hands to stop shaking. He glanced at her briefly around the closet's door to check in before he found what they needed: the first aid kit. Stocked with the necessary medical supplies courtesy of his younger sister's workplace, he set the box in the sink and flipped the lid open. "Don't worry, I've patched myself up plenty of times. Only hurts for a second." He mumbled, grabbing the disinfectant wipe and the small needle.
"You don't have to baby me, Enzo. I had stiches before." Pandora's grumbling statement caused a small smile tugging at the edge of Enzo's lips. For a sixteen year old who acted as if she was as tough as nails, nothing could take away the whiny grousing of a teenager. "I'm not babying you, just forewarning." He ripped open the package containing the alcohol wipe and approached Pandora, gently placing a hand under her chin and dabbing the cloth to her split lower lip. He felt her wince for a moment and then relax a little. Once the area was cleaned, he discarded the wipe and worked on looping the thread through the needle's loop, returning to the girl when it was done. "This might sting, honey." Pandora braced herself before Enzo gingerly pierced the needle's point through the flesh of her lip, her fists clenching tensely.
The pair said nothing as Enzo stitched, him concentrating solely on the proper method Isidora taught him and her replaying the evening's events over and over. They hadn't mentioned Jason on the walk home, neither spoke very little even then, and it was probably for the better. Enzo lost his temper, needing the cooldown period, and Pan didn't mind recuperating herself. She wanted some explanation, a reason, even the courage chewing his ass out for causing a riff between her and Jason. But that was a problem for a different day. Maybe he wouldn't make her pay for it.
"So," Enzo broke the silence as he pulled the last of the thread and used a pair of scissors to snip the excess. He took the time cleaning up the supplies, packing away what could and will be reused for the future. He placed the first aid back in the closet and moved across the tiled floor, taking a seat on the edge of the bathtub, "You need to be honest with me, Pan. When did it start?"
She knew exactly what he meant and he knew that she knew as well. When did the smacking around begin? When was the first time he put his hands all over you? Those were the questions she dreaded the whole journey here. "Um," Pandora hesitated, a hand reaching up and tenderly touching the newly sealed lip. The fact she would possibly carry a pretty badass scar from the wound did cross her mind. "A few months ago. At first, he would just...say things. Nasty insults, nothing I'm not used to." The blonde shrugged and dropped her hand, glancing downwards, "Then the hitting started. Look, it's no big deal, I can handle it."
"Panny," Enzo folded his arms and pinched the bridge of his nose with frustrating exhaustion, resisting the urge in tracking Jason down and completely beating the shit out of his ass, which is what he should have done back at the bar. "I know you want to believe you're this tough kid, but you're not invincible. Look what happened earlier. You think he's going to stop at a slap or punch?" He leaned forward, locking their gazes in seriousness, "One becomes a whole beatdown and a trip to the hospital. I've seen that shit happen before and it isn't pretty. It doesn't end well, sweetheart."
"Oh, just fuck off with that, Enzo. You're not my dad." Pandora shot back the reply in irritation. He knew the defensive stance when he witnessed it in himself, that merely came with the consequences of living where they did. Newford held no qualms swallowing up anyone who wasn't strong enough to survive and it didn't carry kindness for battered women.
"Why are you still with him?" A question Enzo could not deny he has been waiting to ask since the first time he saw Pandora and Jason together, knowing trouble followed where that boy went. Jason had his usual string of girlfriends, all temporary flavors, but it seemed he possessed a fascination of sorts for this relationship. Pan was the longest he's ever committed. A fucking love story for the ages.
"Because I love him, okay?" Her response came through with hesitation and uncertainty of the truth. How could she be in love with a guy who hurt her on the daily? He gave her everything she desired, attention, sex, sweet words, a family who wouldn't judge her for the sins she partakes. So...does it matter if he left her black and blue from time to time? Wounds healed, the thought of a man laying a finger on her did repulse Pandora, but she had no one if she left him.
"Are you sure about that, Pan?" Enzo raised his eyebrows skeptically. Love, that is what it always came down to, or at least the illusion of love. Jason reeked of the type to wrap anyone around his finger and manipulate until they gave him whatever furthered his gain. Women were his ultimate target, dangling them on a fine rope and reeling each in until they fell head over heels. Entirely dependent. "I think you're scared." The panic in her blue gaze was as clear as day. Pandora could refute the claim if she tried, reiterating the lie she will continue telling herself before the denial wore off. He cannot make her see sense when she wasn't willing. That's one choice he shouldn't take away. "You're scared I'm right."
"He wouldn't do that." Pandora shoved the faux confidence to the surface and sucked in a deep breath. Had she known Jason at all, truly? It hasn't been a year yet and here she was, semi-defending his honor when he just slapped her across the face not even an hour ago. "He wouldn't..." The hushed whisper barely fled from her mouth, it's difficult to know if Enzo even understood it. Yet, he did not have to ask for a repeat to understand the emotions that lay behind the words. Behind the slipping confident persona Panny proclaimed she held proudly. "He..." She trailed off.
There it was, the fear in her eyes, a sight to nearly shatter his heart. Maybe he could do something about it. "Stay here." Enzo rose from the bathtub and left the bathroom, traveling down the hall until he reached his bedroom. He approached the dresser standing along the wall opposite the bed and yanked one of the drawers open. Digging around, Enzo moved items of clothing and pried the little board forming the secret compartment at the bottom to reveal exactly what he was searching for. His fingers wrapped around the handgun before closing the drawer and returning to the bathroom where Pan awaited.
Enzo approached the girl with caution, quickly inspecting the safety on switch and pressing his lips firmly together, "I don't really condone pushing a weapon into a kid's hands, but I think the situation calls for it. Need you to listen carefully, alright, Panny?" He fixed her with a searching stare and held up the object, "This gun isn't a toy. It's the difference between life and death." Enzo reached down and slowly wrapped Pandora's hands around the gun, holding the position so she comprehended the significance, "If it ever came down between your life and Jason's, you choose yours every time. You protect yourself first and you pull that trigger no matter what happens. Sometimes...we don't have the choice." Releasing his firm grip, he took a few steps back and locked eyes with her, "He isn't going to stop unless you stand up for yourself and tell him you ain't fucking around."
Pandora's palms pressed into the cool metal of the handgun, feeling every curve and outline as she listened to the words. Her gaze tore from Enzo and rested on what was in her hands, trailing a finger along the space where the serial number had been meticulously scratched from the surface. A silent promise that if she ever used the gun for whatever scenario, making it disappear would require all ease. The police couldn't trace it, nothing would happen except a crime she wasn't caught for. The future weighed heavily on Pandora's shoulder, an unknown she was prepared for. "Enzo, why would you do this for me?" She looked from the weapon to the man, confusion lacing her expression.
Enzo pondered the question, saddened that she couldn't understand the obvious answer, before dropping down to one knee so they were at the same eye level. "I can't stand seeing another teenager end up in a body bag. Their whole lives wasted, cut short. It's a shitty place." His head dropped briefly and then lifted, "And because we're family. Same town, same faction, same social circles. We take care of each other." If any members in Newford were threatening one of their own, Enzo felt his responsibility eliminating what was poisoning the tree that is their faction. "You're a good kid, Pan. I hate seeing you wrapped up with someone like Jason."
Pandora lifted herself to her feet the same time Enzo followed suit, gun still clutched between her hands as if it were the last lifeline. "You don't have to fuss over me, Enz." As soon as she returned home, this gun was being tucked underneath her pillow for safe-keeping. No matter how uncomfortably unpleasant that would be sleeping on. "I can take care of myself." Enzo, for one, already ensured that so it should provide mindful ease.
"That doesn't mean I won't be too far." He would always be around like some gruff guardian angel who was occasionally grumpy and loses all sense when his protection instincts kick into high gear. Children were his weak spot, women were a weak spot, any combination of those residing in their faction could make a softie like him kneel at their feet in worship. Enzo saw himself in Pandora so much, that he knew she could handle a gun responsibly and endure facing down danger without the fear if she really grew confident enough. She may even realize the strength it takes parting ways with an abusive ex like Jason was always from within her. Enzo knew there is possibility he could land in hot water if someone discovered he gave a sixteen year old girl a handgun, but the gratification he was doing something good outweighs the risks. Pan needed a way out and he came through.
"I promise, Pandora."