It was a long day. Work was busy and it was a very strenuous day that never felt like it was going to end; now the topper on the cake is rain as I walk home. The rainfall has made the streets darker than usual. The light seemed dimmer, the shadows deeper, more ominous, like one wrong move and they could swallow you whole, I should have taken the bus.
I hurry along tucked into my jacket. I catch the sound of footsteps behind me. I think nothing of it; I live in a big city after all. Weird, I wonder why I even noticed at all. I keep up my brisk pace but hear the footsteps getting closer and closer. My nerves on edge I push on, 'I'm just being paranoid. No one would care about me.' I think to myse—"AHHHH!" I'm yanked from my feet, a strong tug. I'm pulled and thrown to the ground, the wind knocked from my lungs. My jacket pulled from my shoulders.
Sitting exposed on the sidewalk the rain soaks through my sweater. The shady figure grabs me and pulls me towards the secluded black shadows of the alley. I kick, claw, and scream for help, my voice muted under the heavy rain. I struggle to try to get away. Bystanders just turn away, pretending to not notice. 'This fucking city!'
Hidden away from sight in the alley my attackers' hands start to rip at my clothes, my jacket pulled completely away. His hands dig in my pockets looking for loot. I scream into the rain only to have it continue to dampen my efforts, I close my eyes and hold still now hoping they will find what they are looking for and leave me be. I'm helpless to fight against an attacker of his size, I'm helpless to run. Suddenly the hands are no longer searching my person. I hear scuffling followed by a loud thump of a body hitting the ground. I cautiously open my eyes to see my attacker tied up lying bloodied on the ground. "What the?" I look around in disbelief. 'What the fuck just happened?'
Stunned I don't move for a short time. I just sit trying to catch my breath. Out of the shadows a hand reaches towards me, a voice softly asks, "Are you ok? Don't be scared we're here to help."
I hesitate a moment before I reach my hand and place it into his. The instant my hand touches his I was taken aback, my heart skips a beat, for a moment that it feels cold and wet, I know it's raining, but still, I have a sense of safety of comfort. He helps me to my feet. My eyes having time to adjust to the darkness I see a figure in front of me. He's and the voice of a man but his body is built different. 'Weird.'
Through the rain I only see a figure in the shadows, "Thank you for saving me from that guy. If you didn't come along I would have been in serious trouble. I guess this makes you my guardian, something." I say, still trying to catch my breath.
"We couldn't just sit by and watch someone hurt an innocent." The voice from the shadow says.
"We, there's more than just you?" In all the commotion I couldn't tell.
"My brothers and I, I'm Dago." He says.
"My names Aimee, thanks again."
"Please, allow my brothers and me to escort you home, we make sure you get home safe." I hear whispers of protest and arguments from the shadows but can't make out what they're saying.
"Knights in shining armor aren't you? Thanks but I don't know if that's a good idea since I'm talking to a group strangers in an obscure alley that I have no idea who you are or how many of you there are." I am still unsure of these guys at this point, but they did rescue me so they can't be all bad.
"Technically you're talking to just one of us and nothing personal we're not that into being seen by people, they don't usually react to well to seeing us, also for the record there's four of us." Dago says.
I shrug my shoulders; "Fair enough" I walk forward and lift my hand. I reach out to touch the torso of my savior.
Gently he grabs my hand. "Don't be afraid" he says, "we're not here to hurt you, we're here to help. Before I let you proceed I should warn you--"
Before he could say anything further I hear a voice from behind him say, "Dago, we need to go, this is dangerous, you remember what Master Takeo said, don't let anyone see us."
"I know what he said Logan but this feels different. She's different." Dago says, "But Instructor Isa always says sometimes taking risks is worth it in the end." Dago says
"Instructor Isa is also out of her mind most of the time." Another voice responds.
"Please Dago" I ask, "Let me see the face of the man who saved me."
I hear a snort from the shadows "Man is kind of a loose term there." Another voice says.
"Shut up Regan!" Dago says, "Ok Aimee, but I can't go out onto the street. I'll show you but I need to take you somewhere we will be out of view."
"Oh, that's not concerning at all to a woman who was just attacked by a stranger, and rescued by another stranger, and now taking off with that stranger to an unknown location." I joke.
"Trust me Aimee." he says in a quiet and confident voice and offers me his hand. I nod and surrender to him. He pulls me towards him and scoops me up in his arms. He's strong, his muscles solid, his body feels hard, smooth but not like a normal torso. "Hang on and don't be scared." Again I nod. With ease he jumps, I hold tight around his neck. He leaps and jumps with ease like I'm nothing more than a doll to him. We reach the rooftop, still hidden by the shadows he gently lets me down. "Are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be." I say quietly.
"Promise you won't run away, you don't need to be scared."
"I couldn't run very far if I wanted." I joke.
I prepare myself as his figure moves into the light. My eyes grow wide with disbelief and excitement as his form becomes clear, followed by a little confusion.
Dago is wearing a purple hoodie with the sleeves cut off, obscuring eyes is a coordinating purple wrap, covering his nose and mouth his disguise is complete with a facemask that is in the shape of a fierce looking turtle's scowl. Over his hoodie and jeans, perfectly fit Kevlar armor resembling that of tortoise shells.
'That's why it felt off.' I thought to myself, "You look human. I don't get it, why did we have to come up to the roof? I was thinking you were a mutant or something"
Dago pauses, looks at the others, and then removes his masks. 'Holy shit its Dagoberto Andrade! Are you kidding me right now?' I scream in my head.
"Oh my god, you're a fucking Dagoberto Andrade! But how, is this possible, this is so cool!" I say with absolute excitement, I jump up and down not believing how cool this is. How did this even happen?
"Keep it down. We really don't want people to find out." Dago ducks back into the shadows.
"I'm sorry, it's just I am so excited nothing this weird or cool has ever happened to me before."
The other three step forward, all four are now standing before me in the light all dressed similar. I am unable to see their faces, due to being obscured by their masks, but I can't help but notice their eyes when I was jumping. Feeling self-conscious, I stop jumping and try to regain composure.
"That's usually the reaction we get, hence why we stay away from people in the street." The one in black responds by removing his mask, "You probably know me, Logan Carvallo just Logan please. You've already met Dago." He gestures to the one wearing red, "That's Regan París and this is the youngest Jaron Navarro in grey."
"Hey, just call me Regan, ok, no need to make a big deal."
"Dudes I'm only younger by like 30 minutes dude, I'm still 19 like the rest of you." Jaron says in a frustrated tone, he then turns to me, "And Aimee you can call me JJ." He says with a smirk and thumbs up.
"Technically 38 minutes, to be exact." Dago says.
