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.
