VIGILANT MIND

Our hero leaps gracefully from rooftop to rooftop. His black cape billowing behind him as he glides effortlessly through the air. His muscled body rippling underneath his tight black suit. His bold symbol emblazed across his chest. He pauses at the ledge of a skyscraper as he looks down over the city. His city. A few scattered residents, the ones crazy enough to be out at night, shuffle along the streets below. The light long drained from their eyes leaving only the blank stares of hopelessness. They would have torn themselves apart long ago had I never picked up the mantle. He thinks to himself. I can’t stop now. He takes a deep breath of the cool night air before diving into the black abyss.

He lands silently on the rooftop of an adjacent warehouse and pulls out a pair of mini binoculars from his belt. To the average person this is just another structure that was abandoned when city officials left this place to be swallowed by the darkness. The unfinished paint job speak of dreams left to die. The various layers of graffiti tell tales of bloody gang wars that filled the void. But these aren’t your average eyes. His keen vision takes in every minute detail of the dilapidated structure. This is the place. He shoots his grappling gun into the warehouse and leaps.

He lands silently in between the two buildings. These alleys have always been the city’s dumping grounds. Festering veins where all of the filth comes to find comfort. Several trash cans line the walls, their contents strewn haphazardly along the ground. A cat hisses in frustration at its peace being disturbed. After a quick look left and right he pulls out a tool from his belt and picks the lock. He takes one last look around before he slinks into the dark foreboding entrance way.

It’s quiet. Almost too quiet. He steps over the scattered newspaper and other piles of litter that blanket the dusty floor. A large rat squeaks as it scurries out of his way. The smell of urine and despair fills the air. His highly tuned senses catch the faint whisper of footsteps in the distance. He melts into the darkness as a goon walks by him doing his rounds, ignorant to the lethal weapon just feet from him. The silence is his greatest weapon. The shadows are his closest friends. A quick chop and the mild threat is quickly and quietly knocked out and dragged into one of the dark rooms.

The darkness envelopes our hero as he searches deeper into the dark interior. No detail goes unnoticed. A swift kick to the face dispatches another unfortunate goon. Several of the rooms are checked. Some filled with craziest citizens of the city. Their broken minds playing out whatever fantasy this world has driven them to embrace. I’ll have to get them out when I’m done here. His attention is broken by voices around the corner. He pulls a mirror from his belt and uses it to peek. Two tall, beefy men stand guard in front of an indiscrete door. Hmph. The Bash Brothers. All muscle no brains. The kind of fragile mind that Dr. Pain draws to him.

The two large men share hearty laughs as they pass a phone between themselves. The larger of the two mimics the fight motions from a previous beatdown. His over dramatizing causing even more laughter from the duo. Their hysterics is interrupted by a slight knocking on the wall. After a slight jostle the smaller man is sent to check out the noise. The larger man chuckles as he continues the video.

A muffling sound comes from around the corner causing the large man to pause the video. A flashlight clinks on the ground and rolls across the floor stopping at his feet. He drops the phone and rushes around the corner only to be greeted by his unconscious friend sprawled face down on the floor. His hands and feet bound together by his own shirt. Before the man can process the situation our hero pounces from the ceiling landing on the man’s back. He wraps his arms around the man’s thick neck and holds on tightly as he is swung around like a rag doll.

The large man crushes him into the wall causing him to release his grip. Our hero just barely dodges a forceful punch that puts a hole in the wall behind him. He dances around massive haymakers from the oversized goon as he counters with pinpoint punches. Each precise hit keying on specific pressure points. He runs along the wall and spin kicks the large man in the side of his head. His limp body hits the ground with a thud. Must hurry.

The door creaks ever so slightly as he slips into the dimly lit room. His eyes narrow into slits as he scans his surroundings. There he is. In the back of the room is his target. His face buried in whatever nefarious plan he is cooking up. His back to our hero as he jots down notes. Our hero stealth rolls and ninja flips his way across the room.

“Your reign of terror ends tonight Dr. Pain!” our hero barks as he spins the chair around. A mannequin! It’s a trap! His eyes shift left to right as he crouches slightly. Henchmen pour out of the shadows and encircle the room. Their hard stares and mean mugs speak loudly about their intentions. He gets into his fighting stance. His muscles coiled and ready.

Dr. Pain steps forward. His cold steely glare locked onto our hero. “Give me the mask and this can all be over.”

“I’m taking you in,” our hero growls at his arch nemesis. His entire body tense and ready.

Dr. pain shakes his head. “The hard way then,” he turns to his men. “Get him!”

The first one rushes in and is quickly dispatched. Two more charge at him. Punches and Kicks send them flying. More henchmen rush in. Our hero blocks attacks while unleashing devasting combos of his own. All of his skills and training are on full display.

He takes out a few more of the men. A few of their hits are getting through as the numbers begin to overwhelm him. The goons grab him and start piling on him. He is being beaten down in a hail of fists and feet. He uses every ounce of his strength and bucks the mass of people off of him.

A well placed right hook cracks Dr. Pain square on the jaw sending him reeling.

ZAP! Our hero crumbles in a heap as 50,000 volts is sent through his body. A baton cracks against his skull. He is violently yanked to his feet and grasped on both sides. A hard punch to the gut takes all the air out of his lungs.

“That was always your problem Robert,” Dr. Pain snarls “You don’t know how to accept reality.” He pulls out a large syringe filled with God knows what and stabs it into the hero’s neck.

Our hero swings his arms frantically around breaking their grip on him. His whole body now in survival mode. He spirals around wildly trying to lock on to a target. He grasps and swings at the empty air. Desperation seared into his eyes.

Everything around him slowly warps and swirls. Colors blend and bleed together as shapes become distorted. He tries to keep his focus as the room spins around him. The faces all becoming deformed caricatures of themselves.

“It will all be over soon,” Dr. Pain yells. “This is for your own good.”

You can’t let them win. Focus on your voice. Remember your parents.

Our hero drops to his knees as the vile concoction courses deeper through him. His head shakes as his body spasms. He hits the floor as he nods in and out of consciousness.

Must keep fighting.

With every blink reality around him shifts. Villainous hooligans begin to morph into wounded orderlies. Another slow blink. The room flashes from dirty and rundown to a bright hospital room. His black tactical suit transforms into the dull green uniform of a mental patient.

Our heroes’ consciousness fades to black as he takes one last look at the doctor. His rivals’ sick twisted smile melting away into the face of the panicked doctor who runs the facility.

“Get him back to his room,” Dr. Payne orders as he rubs his jaw tenderly “how the hell did he get out this time?” He spits out blood as he scrounges up his face. “And get that stupid mask off of his face.” He grumbles as he storms off. “Nurse! Nurse! Get me some damn aspirin.”

The orderlies grunt and curse as they pick themselves up. The injured tend to their wounds as the unconscious ones are woken up. They pull the homemade mask off the unconscious man. The towel is untied from around his neck. He is placed back into his restraints and carried out of the room.

END