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There’s blood trickling down her face. She looks at the crimson stain with combined wonder and horror.
“—So the mighty Darna does bleed” Her nemesis utters from a distance
Darna wipes the blood with the back of her hand. She looks at Valentina with undeterred courage and slowly rises up from her knees.
“Hindi pa tayo tapos” Darna quips as she sets her fists up against her. It can’t end this way, it won’t end this way, Darna thought
“Regina” Darna sofltly implores “Alam kong nanjan ka pa”
Valentina’s cold eyes look back without change. Her snakes hissing towards her direction. They have faced each other countless times. Every battle fought with elevating stakes until it became a full blown war.
Know thy enemy, Narda’s mother quotes Sun Tzu. She would be proud of both of them. Like two waring generals remembering every detail of their every encounter, every strategy, every word spoken. A chess game, both capturing and defeating pieces, advancing on each other’s turf, learning more about each other’s strengths but most importantly each other’s weaknesses. — or so they thought.
“Regina!” Darna shouts, cautiously blocking the serpents charging at her every direction. “Gumising ka!”
If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. It was too late when they both realised who they really were. Because as their personified supers battle to the horrors of the night, their human forms surrender to the needs and delight of their hearts. Narda has utilised every excuse in the book to explain her bruises and injuries to her girlfriend in the same way Regina has done to explain her sudden disappearances at night. They both came back from a brutal battle one night only to discover that they both bear the marks they supposedly left with their enemies.
If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle. Darna slams back to the ground. The vipers hiss in victory with their queen. It’s a miracle she still managed to lift her eyelids. They have been in this war for so long, her mind screening memories to remind her to survive. She commands her already weak body to move. She lifts her hands back to a fighting stance.
“Hindi pa…” Just one more. Darna convinces herself. Maybe this last act of hers would finally wake Regina back to her senses. Back to her
She has done it before. Back when Regina had different iterations of her snake persona. She first discovered it with the help of her ally, the scientist.
“Iba’t-ibang uri ang mga ahas na nasa kanyang katauhan” Lolo Rolando explains to Darna “Bawat isa ay may kakaibang lakas, kapangyarihan, at kakayahan”
“Gaano po sila kadami?” Darna inquires studying the scientist’s papers on snake phenotypes and some pictures of Valentina wearing multiple snake skins. Like a true queen snake, she sheds each skin only to show another set complete with new abilities.
“Hindi ko pa masabi. Sa ngayon mayroon tayong pitong napagaralan. Ilan sa kanila ay nakaharap mo na”
Darna recalls her battles with the snake queen. Looking at her first snake transformation compelled her in petrifying fear. She had nightmares after that encounter only to be surprisingly consoled by her then boss, Regina.
“Kapag naiisip mo yung babaeng ahas, just think of me instead” Regina assures her.
Narda has never thought of anyone else since.
The second snake iteration comes with hues of red and black. Her snakes are still with her but is somehow veiled under powers of illusion and charm—a snake charmer but instead of snakes, she controls the minds of people through her seductive voice and the power to show the face of their heart’s desire. That was how quickly she wiped gang lords and murderers off the streets of Nueva Esperanza. In her illusion, they must have seen their wife or lover’s face. A temporary bliss before being pierced to their deaths.
Darna knew about her abilities when they finally faced each other. When the snake charmer appeared with the face of Regina Vanguardia, she knew she could not deny her heart’s desire.
“Darna, buti na lang andito ka na. Tumakas yung babaeng ahas dun. Natuklaw niya ko. Help me please!” the illusion speaks limping towards the superhero’s arms. Darna tricks the trickster and sends her nemesis behind bars.
“Bakit di mo na lang ako pinatay?” The creature smiles, unfazed by the chains coiled around her body
“Hindi ako pumapatay” Darna confirms. Her ‘no killing’ principle seemed far-fetched with all the super villains capable and willing to kill her around Nueva Esperanza. But she knew that some of them were unintended casualties. Death on her hands would never be justified, she vowed.
“So what? Hahayaan mo na lang akong mabulok dito habambuhay?”
“Oo”
“What if I feel lonely, dadalawin mo ba ko kapag namiss kita?” the charmer still tries
It’s disturbing how eerily similar this mimic was to the real Regina. She could have fooled Darna too. Except she knows the assertive attorney would never throw herself at her like this. It was just part of Narda’s wishful thinking. A part of her she is unwilling to address at the moment.
“Babalikan kita kapag nanggulo ka pa dito”
“Is that a promise?” She continues to tease
Darna leaves the cell unsure of herself than when she came in. The next day Brian reports that the creature escaped leaving shreds of snake skin and the chains previously holding the prisoner.
The third version Darna meets has a hot temper. Her yellow and black skin glows with every strike and blow leaving everything around them to dust. It was rage personified. Whatever anger the queen snake has against her is heightened multiple times in a terrifying display of strength. Darna lands to the ground successfully blocking a boulder about to hit her brother.
“Ate alam ko na kahinaan niya!” Ding concludes
“Ano?”
“Tignan mo, yung asa puso niya” Ding points at golden crystal placed at the creature’s chest hovering from above “Umiilaw yun bago siya umaatake. Baka dun nanggagaling yung lakas niya”
Darna considers her brother’s observation. It’s a long shot, but it could work
“Sige. Susubukan kong basagin” Darna zooms in the air hoping to land a punch in the creature’s chest. The battle continues with the earth shaking at every attack and parry between the supers. Darna manages an opening and punches through her enemy’s snake arms hitting the shining crystal at its core. The creature shrieks in pain as she abruptly descends to the ground. Darna follows in a while observing the now shivering nemesis. She looks at Darna with her eyes finally filled with something else instead of rage, fear. She covers the crystal defensively as if pleading not to be taken away from her.
Darna softens with the realisation. This version does not have the ability to speak. The crystal which they initially thought was the source of her strength seemed to be her life source. The creature hisses directing at the crystal having hairline fractures around it, its light slowly dimming with every glow. Darna literally broke her heart.
“Anong… —Anong pwede kong gawin?” Darna clutches the crystal in place hoping to keep it intact
“Ate, anong ginagawa mo?” Ding rushes to the scene
“Mamamatay siya” Darna tries holding her like a dying prey
Just then the police troops led by Pineda finally arrives at the scene guns pointed at the supers “Taas ang kamay!”
“Tama na hindi na niya kayang lumaban. Sumuko na siya” Darna explains
“Babalikan ka lang niyan kapag hindi mo siya tinuluyan” Pineda counters, his gun still pointed at them
The presence of the police agitates the yellow snake. Darna can sense her enemies rage coming back to her. She warns them to back back off, hissing despite being unable to steady herself.
A bullet bangs in the air hitting the scales on her shoulder. The sound of pain echoes. This encourages the mob to begin shooting at will.
“Ano ba!” Darna now putting herself in front of the monster to shield her from the rain of bullets coming their way “Hindi na nga siya lalaban sabi eh”
An explosion erupts in the midst of the chaos. The violence finally ends with the smoke dissipating leaving Darna alone in a crater with sheds of yellow and black snake skin and a fragment of the shattered crystal.
“Patay na kaya talaga siya ate?” Ding inquires offering a glass of water to her sister resting in her bed.
The explosion did not seem to hurt Darna but caused her brother to worry when she suddenly fainted after changing back to Narda. Lolo Rolando suspects that despite the alien’s power to heal, the damages are taking a toll at Narda’s body. They let her rest just to be safe.
“Hindi ko alam, Ding. Sana hindi” Narda feels remorseful of how it ended. She recalls the way the creature looked at her. The way it feared her. She wonders what could she have done better to save them both. What would she do if it was the other way around. What would she have done differently in her life if she knew Darna were to die in the hands of her match.
“—your brother said naaksidente ka daw??”
Narda turns to see Regina walking towards her bed. She places her hands on her cheeks as if to check her temperature
“Are you okay?”
“Oo. Okay na ko” Narda smiles. “Anong nangyari jan sa balikat mo?”
“Ah, uhm wala tumama sa kotse ko” Regina lines unsure where she got her injury and the numerous cuts and bruises she seem to be getting somewhere these days.
“So. Sinong gumawa into sayo? Susugurin na ba natin”
“Hindi na. Okay naman na ko saka hindi ko namukaan yung bumangga sa kin” Narda grins lying through her teeth
“Ang dami na talagang masasama dito sa mundong to. Hindi talaga ko titiggil hangga’t di sila napupuksa”
Narda meets her caring eyes with a gentleness of her own. She’s her friend. Perhaps her only real friend in this troubled town. There were times when she felt her efforts as Darna seemed futile. Like the hoards of evil would never perish even if with the powerful force the stone. But how can she stop? How can she deny her power when there are normal people like Regina who faces evil head on?
Regina takes her friend’s hand in hers. Her brows furrowing in worry. “Mag-iingat ka sana sa susunod. Pinag-aalala mo ko eh”
Narda settles into the hand holding. Her smile not leaving her face.
“Narda, what’s wrong?” The lawyer asks, amused by her friend’s undeterred gaze
“May gusto sana akong aminin, lapit ka?”
Regina leans closer
Maybe Darna has a lot of troubles and worries but not Narda. Narda is safe. Narda is happy. Narda can have everything her heart desires if only she finds the courage to take it.
“Are you gonna kiss me, or sasali tayo sa staring contest?” Regina jests
The patient rolls her eyes before taking the lawyer’s lips to hers. A first to their many blissful days together.
The fourth snake persona was perhaps the most cunning. Wrapped in silver and black skin, the snake queen challenges Darna in a battle of wits with menacing consequences. The stage is set for Darna’s most dangerous moral dilemma
“Let’s play a game, Darna dear. Marunong ka ba mag tagu-taguan?” She smirks amused
“May dalawang kahon. Isa may lamang dalawa, and isa naman may lamang lima. Alin sa kanila ang maililigtas mo bago sumapit ang sampu?”
“Itigil mo to! Hwag mo silang idamay. Ako ang harapin mo” Darna desperately demands
Her nemesis laughs at the challenge “All’s fair in love and war, dear. Bilisan mong pumili baka wala ka nang abutan”
Darna swoops to the sky, immediately screening the voices from below. She listens to the cacophony of sounds from the police sirens to the wails of a new born baby. She manages to hear a ticking time bomb from a cemetery. Below it are shouts and pleas from a group buried underground. Another voice from the opposite side of the town is a voice she would recognise everywhere. Ding together with her Lola are trapped in a crater about to get dropped from a ship.
She calls on his trusted ally to help her in the search “Brian, alam ko kung nasaan yung mga location. Tumawag ka sa coast guard nakakulong sila sa isang shipment dun”
“Okay sige!”
Darna zooms to the cemetery where the bomb almost reaches to 0:01. She grabs the the explosives in one swoop throwing it above the sky. A sphere of explosion lights the night sky with Darna flying at the distance. She looks below to see the EMT members coming out from the compartment celebrating in joy.
“—Hello, Darna. Okay na nasagip namin sila Ding” Brian confirms in the comms
“Salamat Brian”
And just when Darna thought the night was safe, a huge explosion from a distance catches the superheroes view.
There was another one.
Her heart panics at the thought. A sudden fear realising through her face. She rushes to the scene of the crime only to find her nemesis sitting on debris from the explosion
There was only one person Darna knew could have been in that box.
“Anong, —Asan siya?” Darna’s knuckles turning white with unbelievable rage growing inside her
“Anong ginawa mo sa kanya?” Darna repeats scanning around to see any signs of life everywhere
“Oops. Did I say two? I forgot tatlo pala dapat” Her fangs showing from her devious smile
A swift arm grabs the snake queen by the neck. The sudden attack breaks the snake queen’s defense, completely surprised by the roughness of the hero. The snakes hiss at the hero, biting and scratching the hero weakly
“Sabihin mo sakin..” Darna now tightening her grip on her neck “Asan siya?”
“Asan si Regina!”
The hero’s command echoes like thunder on a sea storm. Like a spell suddenly broken, Valentina’s silver eyes blur into brown. Her skin begins to shed as every viper on her head stupefies back into Regina’s locks of ombré
Regina tearfully looks back at her with confusion before losing consciousness. Darna releases her grip to catch her in her arms. The the weight of the truth suddenly feeling unbearable.
“Hindi pa tayo tapos!”
Darna shouts as she charges one more time. The Snake Queen points at the hero’s direction unfazed. Pits of snake seemingly flying charge at her. This was her latest iteration. The green and golden snake who introduced herself as Valentina. The combination of sly, rage, and power —Darna’s ultimate match it seems
Darna cautiously parrys every bite knowing how hurting her vipers could hurt her girlfriend trapped in the subconscious of her nemesis.
“Hanggang dito lang ba talaga ang kaya mong gawin, babaeng lumilipad?” Valentina urging the hero to take her on at full force.
“Hindi ikaw to. Alam kong naririnig mo pa ko!”
Darna successfully finds her way through the snakes to look at Valentina face to face. “Regina! Lumban ka. Hwag kang magpapatalo kay Valentina”
Her pleas do not affect the stoic queen. This move finally traps Darna as multiple snakes coil around her entire body. A green snake successfully sinks its fangs at the hero's neck. The rush of venom is instantly felt. Darna’s mind rushes back and forth to her memories. Familiar faces of her family, of people she cared about, and events in life that led her to meet the one person she’s risking her life to save.
She feels her life slipping away as her mind travels back to the day she first saw her.
Regina
Her mind was completely occupied with the death of her mother and the constant pressure to become the hero she was trained her to be. She calls for her mother's wisdom when she notices a girl walking towards the cliff. She scampers off reaching the girl and pulling her back to safety.
"Ano ba? Bakit ka ba nakikialam?" the girl interrupts
"Miss hindi ko naman pwedeng hayaan na itapon mo na lang yang buhay mo ng ganun ganun na lang" Narda defends "Ang bata bata mo pa. Marami ka pang pwedeng gawin sa mundo"
The other smiles in confusion "Magpapakamatay? Hindi ako magpapakamatay. Why the hell would you think that?"
Narda realises her mistake "Pasensiya ka na, eh nakita kasi kita, tapos mukha ka pang problemado, tapos ang lapit lapit mo pa sa bangin.." she trails off
"Pumunta lang ako dito to remember. Marami kasi akong magandang memories dito. Gusto ko silang alalahanin lahat. When my life still made sense”
She finds company in her. Her loneliness ebbing away
"Parehas pala tayo eh. Parang ganyan yung nararamdaman ko ngayon. Walang sense"
"Nagbago na lang yung buhay ko ng isang iglap”
“Wow. Parehas pala tayong nasa bangin. Bakit mo ba ko gustong sagipin? Problemado ka din pala"
"Sabi kasi ng nanay ko ang pinakamalaking kasalanan daw ay kapag may kakayahan kang tumbling pero hindi mo naman ginawa"
"Siguro ang taong dapat kong tulungan ngayon ay ang sarili ko"
Regina pulls her lips to a smile. It was unconscious, like her lips weren’t built to smile and yet this stranger somehow compelled her.
"Umalis tayo pareho sa bangin”
Darna wakes up from her dream only to find herself in Regina’s arms.
“You’re alive” Regina barely whispers as she controls the tears that both fear and relief marks her face.
Narda smiles weakly "Bumalik ka"
“I’m sorry” her girlfriend tries as she embraces Narda weakly.
“I’m so sorry”
_________________________________
“Let’s break up” Regina states without looking
“Ha. Regina ano ba” Narda protests forcing herself from the bed to a sitting position still recovering from last night's fight
“What else do you want me to say? Don’t you see how messed up this relationship is? How ironic—hell, how absurd it was for the two of us to be together?
“Hindi mo kasalanan to. Ni hindi mo nga maalala yung mga nangyari eh”
Regina scoffs “So I’m off the hook, ganun? I could beat you to a pulp at night and then plead temporary insanity by day”
The silence settles before Narda reaches her girlfriend’s hand. “Hindi ko alam. Basta alam ko ayoko maghiwalay tayo”
“Halos mapatay na kita nung isang araw” The lawyer’s tone losing its assertion “I can’t control this Narda. At hinding hindi ko mapapatawad ang sarili ko pag nakasakit ako. Lalung lano na kapag ikaw”
“E di gawan natin ng paraan” Narda desperately tries “Si lolo Rolando? Pinag aaralan niya kung bakit nagkakaroon ng extra. Magpatulong tayo, alamin natin kung paano maaalis si Valentina mula sayo”
Regina softens and considers this for a while. She lets their hands entwine almost giving in.
“I don’t know if I can control her. She’s strong. Baka hindi ko kayanin sa huli”
“—kaya mo, kaya natin” Narda assures her “Di ba nga sabi mo, kapag naiisip mo yung babaeng ahas. Think of me”
“What” Regina laughs softly
Narda cups her girlfriend’s cheek “Kapag natatkot ka, tumingin ka sa mga mata ko”
“Mahal kita, Regina”
Regina meets her caring eyes with a gentleness of her own. Her girlfriend. The superhero that vanquishes the evil from this troubled town. Valentina may be powerful. Perhaps the most powerful evil that existed. There will be times when her efforts as Regina would seem futile. Like the hoards of evil would never perish even if with the powerful force the stone. But how can she stop? How can she not choose to fight her inner demons? How can she not choose Narda?
“Hahalikan mo ba ko o sasali ulet tayo sa staring contest?” Narda jests
Regina feels her troubles draining off her
“Lapit ka” she orders
“Let’s find out”