The night was dark with clouds of storm brewing hatred towards my city.
Standing on top of the water tank I looked around me. Shrouded in deceit, lies, corruption, and sin, my city bled every night as I stood watching over it. Some called me their Guardian, while the rest, a thug. An enigma for the few and nuisance of the others. But something all of them shared against me was fear. Fear of who I was and the fear of what I could do.
The clouds crackled above me breaking the shackles of darkness with its cold white light only for the gloom to return with vengeance.
I wouldn't have heard it, the sound of lightning so loud and clear. But I did.
The sound of a gun going off followed by a scream.
Then silence.
I moved.
Taking a few steps back, I ran towards the edge and the jumped. Straight down the thirty storied building with the pavement inching closer in a heartbeat. But before it hit, I spread my cape, the air cushioning me against the fall as I glided across the night sky towards the scream. Lights flickered through the rooms of the buildings as I glided across the streets, the earth coming closer and closer. I knew I could not fly like them. Nor did I possess any powers to aid me in my battles. I was just a man standing against the vileness of the society, but for how long. How long did I have before some criminal put a bullet through my skull? How long till my body gave up, tired of the bruises and shattered bones? How long?
I didn't know.
Maybe it could be today. Or tomorrow. Or maybe the day after.
But dying didn't matter to me anymore. It never did since I kid. Eight years old and newly orphaned in a world where people cared nothing other than themselves. Where money meant status and power and the license to oppress the weak.
But I was not one of them.
I cared for the people whom no one cared. Cared for a city who no one loved. And reminded myself every day why I did what I did. Fractured bones, bruised muscles, and the pain. Oh, so much pain. But I never stopped. Never did, never will.
And so here was I, gliding across the buildings, hoping against hope that I was not late.
They were in the alley. A woman struggling as two men tried to coerce her on onto her back. A body of a man lay few feet from them, still as stone.
Was I late? Did it happen again? Another family swallowed up by the abyss of darkness.
I glided down the roof across the alley, my feet breaking the fall and rolling over to ease the descent. On my feet in an instant, I rushed to the edge. Looking down, the scene became clear to me. The alley was dark and dingy with the light of the street lamps barely touching the shadows. Two men, dressed in baggy clothes were over the woman. One holding her hands while the other struggled with her clothes. A cloth gagged to her mouth to silence her screams. Suddenly a boy ran towards them, fists swinging in blind fury. He tried kicking the man holding the woman's hands but was pushed off with ease. But the boy rose again and tried climbing the man's back, punching and biting as he moved. But this time the thug was not as subtle as before. With a kick to his chest, the boy flew across the alley and crashed into the trash cans, hard.
I had seen enough.
I jumped.
Landing behind the thug who kicked the boy, I circled my arms around his neck choking him. Not enough to kill him but enough to lose his grip on the woman. Then with a flip, I send him flying against the brick wall, just as he had done to the boy.
The other one recognized me, scared and frightened, he released the woman's legs and tried to run.
But I didn't let him. I tackled him on the pavement before he left the darkness of the alley. Then I was on him in an instant swinging my fist, breaking his nose and busting his face. Then I swing again. And again. And again. And kept going until he was half dead, unconscious by the pain. Blood flowed down my gloved hand and some had splattered against my vest and the mask I wore.
The sound of running footsteps made me turn.
The other one was trying to run, holding his neck as he struggled to breathe. I was off his friend in an instant and with a couple of steps was over his body swinging my fist, striking his ribs, his face, his belly as he coughed up blood. He tried shoving me off him, but I took hold of his arm and with one twist removed it from his shoulder. The scream that followed was music to my ears.
I wanted him to feel what the boy felt when he kicked him and suffer the helpless the woman faced. And I wanted him to feel pain. Pain in the bloodiest sort of way. Pain that would cripple him for life. And I gave it to him. First the shoulder, then his knees and then the remaining ribs. When I was done, he had already passed out like his friend, pain too much to bear.
The woman and the child came to mind and I turned to look for them. But they were nowhere. Then I heard the sobs. Silent lonely sobs.
The woman and child were sitting next to the man's body, crying and urging him to wake up. But he didn't.
Lightning crackled again, brightening up the skies with its light bearing me to witness my failure. Another family destroyed, swallowed up by the city into its eternal darkness with me as a mute spectator. I had failed again. Just like I had so many years ago.
My intercom buzzed loudly but only for me to heed. I tapped the side of my mask just beside the right ear, accepting the call.
"The police are coming your way, sir," the voice instructed me, measured and soft. "You should move."
"Okay." I cut off the intercom with another tap and stared at the family, broken by the curse of this city. Cold rain began falling from the night sky dimming the sound of their sobs against the incessant patter.
