Hard Justice
My kind of hero is nonexistent, like Superman, Luke Cage, or Wonder Woman. I'd even take Spider-Man. But no, they didn't come and save people. Neither did the police or firemen in the real world. They had an easier time thinning out the hot spots and not quashing the real problems.
What do I do? Use my anger for something... constructive. Call me a cliche Robin, but I don't want to leave my safety up to a bunch of pricks.
There's more than me out there but no one works like I can. I make my living this way as a vigilante for hire, taking out scumbags people can't give to police. So every job gave me satisfaction: I stomp bad guys, I get paid, then I go home happy. Though my name was infamous, it gave me a buzz to hear everyone talking about it.
BREAKING NEWS: SILHOUETTE SOLIDER TAKES CRIME TO AN ALL TIME LOW.
While the high is one to live for, it's a ball buster when I hear cops taking the piss out of how I was "making things messier for the justice system". If they'd have done their jobs, they could have kept my skills strictly for high pay. Just about anyone who has money to burn and a peeve for fucktards avoiding hard time gives me a call.
Should I stop? Maybe, considering I had enough damage to peg me at 50 and not 28. Will I stop? No. We need order. And that's me.
I give off a bravado fit for an army of thick skulled fighters. But I was less than six feet and had one eye. And oh how that makes the vigilantism funnier when Mafia men get tread on by a "helpless" handicap.
Sure, life was a gas, hanging by the seat of my pants and one good eye between it.
==============================
I mentioned competition for work. By that, I thought of one other person. Night Treader.
While I thought I had the skills of a warrior, I admired and hated that he was about ten times better. He had a lot more time on his hands for one thing, I had case studies and he was off sloshing it with a thousand dollar whiskey. From my bullshit meter, Night Treader was a rich kid playing hero.
And tonight, I was surprised we ran into each other. Probably because he was in the way of my mark. When Treader noticed me, his attention left the mark, who bolted. Running after, he stopped me then threw what looked like a baton, nailing the guy and having him kiss the alleyway.
"Fuck off Treader. He's mine."
"Take him. I just needed information and got what I needed."
"What did he tell you?"
"Where I could find a kidnap victim. Her family is worried and asked me to find her."
"Thought rich people knew everyone."
"If you bothered looking out of the illusionist beer goggles, you'd know I was just like you."
"Whiskey for a thousand a glass hardly qualifies as being like me."
"I took a sip and put the rest in a pocket flask. I clean their toilets, not their bank accounts."
"Night Treader? A janitor? That's a new one."
"Gives decent health insurance. Better than nothing."
Rolling my eyes, I had a bit of heart to what he was saying. This job was a hazard and health insurance was important for the big wounds we couldn't fix ourselves. As I contemplated, he'd walked past me and I didn't want him to go without some more questions.
"Night Treader!"
"Yes?" He said as he turned on his heel at me.
"You free tonight?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Rosario's rooftop for coffee?"
His head tilted slightly, confused at why I'd invite him for coffee. But he shook his head, and cracked a smile. "Don't be late."
Walking off again, I turned my attention to the sleepy perp, who was still on his ass from Treader's baton throw. Picking him and the baton up, I finished the objective. Once I did, my phone started ringing and I saw X. Him...
"What do you want?"
"You're late again."
"I gotta change X. Keep your helmet on."
"Time is a hot commodity for me Sillo. My schedule is already choked with how little I sleep."
"Alright alright alright. I'll put the pedal down."
Exiting the call, a butterfly feeling crept into my gut while rushing to change. I even opted for fresh shorts, which I never did even for my doctor. I'd met him outside before, but I always got so nervous. Chalk it up to him being a sometimes boyfriend I still like. But as a coworker, he was about facts.
Finally getting there, I saw broad shoulders and an old letterman jacket looking out at the skyline. Approaching him, I felt him glace from a bit away. Standing beside him made my knees shake, and looking in his eyes made it worse. I hate this damn feeling...