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.
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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...
"Sorry for being late. Again." I said sarcastically.
"I'm only pulling your leg. I'm too early for when we meet up. I have nothing to do." He teased back.
"Thought you'd get rid of the jacket after we stopped seeing each other."
He handed me a coffee, which was really hot chocolate. "I hate that we ended. Never hated you."
I flinched away, stomach twisting as he said that. We both felt responsible for our relationship going to hell, him more so. He loved me more than he could explain and I felt the same. At the same time, we hurt each other with how selfish we grew to be. The time we spent never felt like enough and we'd fight over it, effecting our vigilante work and his actual job. The love still loomed, but we were scared to try again and lose.
Both of us quietly stood there, early Spring briskness making us shiver while sipping hot chocolate. I must've shivered too much to make him put his jacket over me, leaving him standing there in his thermal. I could barely glance or say anything before he told me it was fine and he felt warm anyway. Blushing from nervous energy and awkwardness, I turned to face him, finally letting him see what I had on.
He looked and his shock was slight but that meant he was taken back. I wore the choker he had made for me.
More than anything, I wanted to tackle him down and kiss him but was stuck in place. My lip quivered, and my eyes started to sting. Eventually, I dropped my hot chocolate and started to bawl. I put up a front that I was a hardass, tough vigilante that could handle anything the bad guys threw at me.
Truth is... I'm an over average gay man that was heartbroken and missed his ex...
As he hugged me to his chest, I held onto him, crying harder into his chest. I missed him... How happy we used to be before... And having someone to come home to. I daydreamed about being a superhero because I didn't like being so human. Feeling the need for someone and not being able to be close to them. With the feelings falling out of me, all he did was hold me, his jacket acting as a weighted blanket to let me know I wasn't alone.
Trying to find words, he started.
"Sera... I wish I knew what I said that made you think I hated you. Whatever it was, I'm sorry. But it wasn't your fault. Life just... made us drift apart. It wasn't you as much as it was me. Just because we're not together... doesn't mean I stopped loving you. You'll always be the fiance I wanted.. And not just a boyfriend." he paused a moment, lifted my head, tapping the choker around my neck. "This around your neck tells me... that you love me as much as the day we met..."
Feeling myself shake, I finally spoke up. "Of course I love you Yurik... You make me feel safe. More than I can make myself feel it. I... miss your companionship. And damn it, I miss your ownership... I'm a man, but I still need you to be stronger for me. Just... I can't be the better one I thought I could by myself. So take me home... I want to go home..."
Resting his forehead to mine, he muttered, "Okay... Home it is."
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We got down by an old elevator Yurik had rigged. Our old place wasn't far from Rosario's. We kept up payments but... found it hard to stay there without the other. Whenever we'd hook up, we used the place and for a moment, we felt like our relationship hadn't ended. Walking in as the lights came on toyed with my heart because of the memories. But when I felt Yurik's arms around me, his face nestled in the curve of my neck, I felt everything spin inside my body.
The tighter his arms felt, the more I started to groan.
"You're sure you want to try again?" He asked.
"I'm sure... I can't deny I don't love you. I can't pretend to hate you either." I answered honestly.