THE MORTAL MYTH
The horizontal view of the floor covered in what is probably my blood tells me things didn’t go so well. The stabbing pain in my abdomen confirms that message.
Not sure how long I was out. Must have been a few hours judging by the amber glow fighting its way through the metal slats on the wall. Dawn is rearing its ugly face. Damn, so much for terrifying creature of the night. I check the source of the pain. I’ve taken a bullet. Must’ve been a slug from the third guy. Sloppy, unforgivable. Mask is still on, which is something. First things first, get up.
No mean feat considering that I’ve been bleeding out for the past few hours. The only upside is that I feel lightheaded from the blood loss which is making dealing with the pain a little easier. A little, but not much. I slowly rise to my feet, trying not to be supported by the column next to me too much, pain stabbing in pretty much every part of my body now. Try to block it out. Focus on the situation, and my next move.
Going to need a pickup, will have to leave the car for today, hidden well enough to not be spotted. But dressing this wound has to take priority. I check the medical pouch in my belt. Nothing.
Smoke bombs, grapple gun, poison darts. Communicator. All gone. My enemies have stripped me bare. But why leave my mask on? Why leave me alive for that matter? This is no coincidence, this was all planned. But why? My boots and gloves have all been stripped of any equipment I had in the hidden compartments around my body. It’s almost like they knew the schematics of my whole suit. Looks like I can’t call home for help. I’m in this by myself.
Fine by me.
I scan my surroundings. Not much in this place any more. Seems like they cleared the place out in a hurry whilst I was down and out. Will have to come back to the crime scene and run a forensic scan for their next destination. Assuming that I survive today. The lone table on the other side of the room catches my eye. I make my way over there. It feels like a lifetime before I reach the table, which I then have to grab onto to stop me from blacking out from the pain. This isn’t good. The table is bare, save for a single white bandage with a safety pin and a small note written in black marker pen.
“Enjoy Mortality”
The bandage is clearly meant for me, as well as the note. This was all a fix. Shooting me in the abdomen which will slowly kill me, but not straight away. Taking all my equipment away. This is a test. I don’t take the bandage. Can’t be sure that it hasn’t been poisoned. Then again if they wanted me dead, I would still be lying on the floor in an even bigger pool of blood. Sloppy. Unforgivable.
I decide to use what they didn’t take away. A piece of my cape will have to do for now. The bullet will still be in my gut which WILL kill me, but at least I can stop the bleeding until I get home. As I tear of a portion of the cape and wrap it around my stomach, I try to piece together the MO behind this stunt. If only to distract me from the pain. These guys don’t seem to have any kind of gimmick, a reason to keep me alive. Unlike the other rogues that seem to be rearing their ugly heads in my City since I began operating. These punks seem to be more old school, in it for the money, not the thrills. This should hold for a while. Time to make my move.
My City looks harsh and unforgiving in the day light and betrays my foreboding aura. Day time brings safety to most here, night is the time to be afraid. Which works to my advantage. This bizarre opposite leaves me like a deer in headlights when headlights are not needed. I’m going to have to do this quietly. I don’t want the people seeing me in broad daylight and realising I am just a man. Not while they still believe that I am just an urban legend to scare the abundant filth that dwell here. Stick to the alleyways. Ironically in this part of town I would stand out just as much in my civilian guise as much as the costume I wear now. Not many sharp suits strolling around in this part of town, even in broad daylight. As I reach the first alleyway I pause to scan for any life. Nothing. As I stumble through, I begin to feel lightheaded. Stopped most of the bleeding with my cape but this is still really bad. This would not be a worthy death. Face down in my own blood an alley in broad daylight, first discovered by the rats, then the homeless. No, if I am to die it will be going down fighting.
I keep moving through supporting myself along the brick wall that lines the alleyway. I’m sure to scan the trash cans for any discarded civilian clothing that may be of use as a disguise. Hell, you just know that the other guy doesn’t have these problems; maybe his hair gets messed up when he breaks the sound barrier. Guy doesn’t know what to do with that much power. I almost start a quiet chuckle, which is quickly disrupted by the blood I cough up all over the floor.
As I press on through the back alleys of my City for what feels like a lifetime yet is probably only a mile or two before I hear my first signs of life. The rattling of the trash cans signals that I am about to make contact with someone. Either that, or a cat. The homeless man barely notices me until I am right next to him, trying to pass by as quickly as possible. He screams at first. I assume that through the drunken daze I must appear slightly more than a man in a costume and something more terrifying. Although by the time I am past him I hear his pathetic slurs. “heyy aren’t chu that scarrry mann? Youss ganna arrest me fer lyiin an’ drinkkknn?” Would normally stop him from drinking and say something smart to make him think about his life. But seeing as though breathing and moving is just about all I am capable of right now – and I’m not doing either of those particularly well – I’ll let him get back to his own nightmares.
I finally see something that will aid me in my journey. The sewer grate is a welcome sight. I’ve used these sewers before. They can get me at least part of the way. With great difficulty I slide off the grate and lower myself down into the darkness. I finally feel at home again. The rats are my only companions down in the dark. Luckily the night vision in my cowl just about works. Must have taken a few hits to the head while I was down though as the scope cuts out every few seconds. I slowly pace my way through the labyrinth trying to maintain my bearings as to the direction I need to be heading. I have to concentrate extra hard to stop from falling into the sewage water. An infection in this wound would only lower my chances of surviving this mess.
After what seems like another lifetime, I reach a dead end. Was hoping to move further underground but it looks like I need to surface. The ladder up to street level is my only option now. After an excruciating climb up the ladder, I slowly open the grate to reveal what I was dreading this whole time. The busy street is already bustling with commuters and the road is already congested with taxis and angry drivers. My City is starting to come alive, and it is ready to swallow me whole. I scan my surroundings looking for another route. Nothing. If I had my grapple gun the rooftops would be the way to go. Only one way through. Damn, this is going to be more painful than the bullet in my stomach. Maybe not.
I pick my moment and struggle out of the hole. At first, it’s not so bad. People in this city are so wrapped up in their own problems to notice the broken man in a costume stumbling across the street – either that or they are just too scared to lift their heads up in this town. The honk of the car horn as it nearly hits me soon changes things. The driver doesn’t even yell. He just sits there staring. Along with what is now half the damn street. I need to make myself scarce and fast. I don’t want these people seeing me like this. To be honest I don’t want these people seeing me at all. Their faces tell a million stories. Some are scared, some looks of shock, others smiling. As I make my way the adjoining alleyway, I start to hear the click of camera phones. As if this day wasn’t bad enough, my death is going to be put straight onto the internet. This would certainly not be a worthy, spectacular death.
I reach the alley after what seems like a lifetime and I hear a voice behind me. “Looks like one hell of a costume party last night brother”. I turn to him and spit blood on the floor yet again. “Time of my life”. I reply.
Luckily no one follows me as I move on into the morning shadows of the alley, even though I can feel them staring behind me. That was painful. The price I pay for being so sloppy. This will not happen again. As I press on and the pain gets worse, I begin to realise that my chances of actually making it home are slim to none. Down the alleyway the look on the two punks faces as they eye me up with a sinister smile suggest that those chances are optimistic at best.
“Troy…Troy…is that…is it?…”
"I believe it is Dev, I believe it is…doesn't look like how they described him though.
“Either way, I think our big break to fame is here”. The knife glistens in the morning sun.
“This isn't a good day to push me”. I tell them.
“Ha-ha, no shit 'Mr Scary'”.
I try my best to look terrifying, something I am usually damned good at. “Out of my way”. This is going to get a lot worse before it gets better. The pain in my side is unbearable. I use it.
The knife wielder, Troy makes his move. I make mine. I only just dodge the thrust of his knife, He manages to tear a portion of my cape off. Definitely going to need a new suit. I think of the enemy that put me in this mess as I snap Troy’s arm. I try not to grin as his bones break with sharp acoustics. His screams are cut short as I smash his face into the brick wall. He slumps down in an unconscious heap, minus a few teeth. A fight was the last thing I needed this morning. Standing is hard enough. I face Dev. Time for the diplomatic approach. I snarl the words and hope for the best.
“Care to join him?”
He thinks about my offer only for a second before he bolts in the other direction and I have a hard time deciding on which one of us just got lucky here. I slowly move on past the unconscious fool on the floor. My vision really starts to blur. I stagger through. Small goals, one alley at a time. Across the street, next alley. I will not die today. The impact of the car knocks me out almost instantly. An unspectacular death indeed.
The blue sky foreshadowed by the top of familiar skyscrapers is the first sight I see as I begin to come around. Funny, usually I am up there looking down. It takes me a minute to realise I am in the back of a car. I try to talk. Words don’t come out. “Don’t worry man, we’ll be at the hospital any second” says a nervous female voice. With great effort I manage a few words. “No... No Hospital”.
“You kidding me? You’re dog meat if you don’t get treatment within 30 minutes, I’ve seen enough gunshot wounds to know that yours is a killer”.
“West” my speech is interrupted as I vomit all over the back seat “The woods”. I owe this girl a lot. She eventually agrees albeit reluctantly. I slip in and out of consciousness during the painfully long journey. And as we get close to home, I tell her to stop. I can barely see now. All is dark despite it being mid-morning. I crawl out of the back door and into the mud. My rescuer runs round and tries to help me. “What the hell are you doing death wish?” ‘Death wish’...probably a more fitting name today than my current one. Either that or ‘Moron’.
I’m losing consciousness again. In a last-ditch attempt at saving my useless sorry life I say out a series of numbers. Praying that I got them right. Only time will tell. Before I black out again, I see her cell phone dialling the number. Smart girl. Will need to repay the favour if I survive. Maybe I need a sidekick. Or maybe not.
It isn’t long before he arrives. Not the first time he has seen me like this. Probably won’t be the last. The last thing I remember is him hauling me into the back of the Rolls and giving me some sarcastic comment. One thing we don’t have in common is our sense of humour. I black out. I just about feel at home again in the darkness
The morning has passed by the time I awake. The first thing I see is the spent bullet placed by my loyal aid into a bloody metal dish and I breathe a sigh of relief along with a little more blood. I use the time wisely to rest up. I have survived the day. Next comes night time. My time.
My enemy wanted to show me that I am nothing but a human being without my weapons and equipment. I intend to show him that is exactly why he should fear me. I purposely leave my belt empty as I suit up and- against strong protests from my faithful servant- head out into my City seven hours later. I reach the warehouse within a painful half hour by motorcycle and run a forensic scan. Difficult without any of my equipment. Just need to concentrate harder. Focus. It isn’t much longer before I reach the festering hole where my Enemy and his security wait. He wants to view me as nothing but a man in a costume? So be it.
It takes a lot longer to reach the roof without my grapple gun and have to be a little more calculating in my attacks without smoke grenades and darts but doesn’t take too long to break the first guards’ arm and sleeper hold the second into unconsciousness. In my opinion he got off lightly. He is on the floor directly below me now. Step down to the window, carefully. No safety line to stop me from falling to an unspectacular death. Show time.
As I step into the light and my shadow is cast up on the wall at which my enemy faces. He turns and shows me a look of pure terror. One which suggests he is staring the devil in the eye. Yes, I am just a man. You have proven that much. But now you fear me all the more. I try my hardest to suppress a smile as I snarl the words.
“Enjoy mortality...”
Not sure how long I was out. Must have been a few hours judging by the amber glow fighting its way through the metal slats on the wall. Dawn is rearing its ugly face. Damn, so much for terrifying creature of the night. I check the source of the pain. I’ve taken a bullet. Must’ve been a slug from the third guy. Sloppy, unforgivable. Mask is still on, which is something. First things first, get up.
No mean feat considering that I’ve been bleeding out for the past few hours. The only upside is that I feel lightheaded from the blood loss which is making dealing with the pain a little easier. A little, but not much. I slowly rise to my feet, trying not to be supported by the column next to me too much, pain stabbing in pretty much every part of my body now. Try to block it out. Focus on the situation, and my next move.
Going to need a pickup, will have to leave the car for today, hidden well enough to not be spotted. But dressing this wound has to take priority. I check the medical pouch in my belt. Nothing.
Smoke bombs, grapple gun, poison darts. Communicator. All gone. My enemies have stripped me bare. But why leave my mask on? Why leave me alive for that matter? This is no coincidence, this was all planned. But why? My boots and gloves have all been stripped of any equipment I had in the hidden compartments around my body. It’s almost like they knew the schematics of my whole suit. Looks like I can’t call home for help. I’m in this by myself.
Fine by me.
I scan my surroundings. Not much in this place any more. Seems like they cleared the place out in a hurry whilst I was down and out. Will have to come back to the crime scene and run a forensic scan for their next destination. Assuming that I survive today. The lone table on the other side of the room catches my eye. I make my way over there. It feels like a lifetime before I reach the table, which I then have to grab onto to stop me from blacking out from the pain. This isn’t good. The table is bare, save for a single white bandage with a safety pin and a small note written in black marker pen.
“Enjoy Mortality”
The bandage is clearly meant for me, as well as the note. This was all a fix. Shooting me in the abdomen which will slowly kill me, but not straight away. Taking all my equipment away. This is a test. I don’t take the bandage. Can’t be sure that it hasn’t been poisoned. Then again if they wanted me dead, I would still be lying on the floor in an even bigger pool of blood. Sloppy. Unforgivable.
I decide to use what they didn’t take away. A piece of my cape will have to do for now. The bullet will still be in my gut which WILL kill me, but at least I can stop the bleeding until I get home. As I tear of a portion of the cape and wrap it around my stomach, I try to piece together the MO behind this stunt. If only to distract me from the pain. These guys don’t seem to have any kind of gimmick, a reason to keep me alive. Unlike the other rogues that seem to be rearing their ugly heads in my City since I began operating. These punks seem to be more old school, in it for the money, not the thrills. This should hold for a while. Time to make my move.
My City looks harsh and unforgiving in the day light and betrays my foreboding aura. Day time brings safety to most here, night is the time to be afraid. Which works to my advantage. This bizarre opposite leaves me like a deer in headlights when headlights are not needed. I’m going to have to do this quietly. I don’t want the people seeing me in broad daylight and realising I am just a man. Not while they still believe that I am just an urban legend to scare the abundant filth that dwell here. Stick to the alleyways. Ironically in this part of town I would stand out just as much in my civilian guise as much as the costume I wear now. Not many sharp suits strolling around in this part of town, even in broad daylight. As I reach the first alleyway I pause to scan for any life. Nothing. As I stumble through, I begin to feel lightheaded. Stopped most of the bleeding with my cape but this is still really bad. This would not be a worthy death. Face down in my own blood an alley in broad daylight, first discovered by the rats, then the homeless. No, if I am to die it will be going down fighting.
I keep moving through supporting myself along the brick wall that lines the alleyway. I’m sure to scan the trash cans for any discarded civilian clothing that may be of use as a disguise. Hell, you just know that the other guy doesn’t have these problems; maybe his hair gets messed up when he breaks the sound barrier. Guy doesn’t know what to do with that much power. I almost start a quiet chuckle, which is quickly disrupted by the blood I cough up all over the floor.
As I press on through the back alleys of my City for what feels like a lifetime yet is probably only a mile or two before I hear my first signs of life. The rattling of the trash cans signals that I am about to make contact with someone. Either that, or a cat. The homeless man barely notices me until I am right next to him, trying to pass by as quickly as possible. He screams at first. I assume that through the drunken daze I must appear slightly more than a man in a costume and something more terrifying. Although by the time I am past him I hear his pathetic slurs. “heyy aren’t chu that scarrry mann? Youss ganna arrest me fer lyiin an’ drinkkknn?” Would normally stop him from drinking and say something smart to make him think about his life. But seeing as though breathing and moving is just about all I am capable of right now – and I’m not doing either of those particularly well – I’ll let him get back to his own nightmares.
I finally see something that will aid me in my journey. The sewer grate is a welcome sight. I’ve used these sewers before. They can get me at least part of the way. With great difficulty I slide off the grate and lower myself down into the darkness. I finally feel at home again. The rats are my only companions down in the dark. Luckily the night vision in my cowl just about works. Must have taken a few hits to the head while I was down though as the scope cuts out every few seconds. I slowly pace my way through the labyrinth trying to maintain my bearings as to the direction I need to be heading. I have to concentrate extra hard to stop from falling into the sewage water. An infection in this wound would only lower my chances of surviving this mess.
After what seems like another lifetime, I reach a dead end. Was hoping to move further underground but it looks like I need to surface. The ladder up to street level is my only option now. After an excruciating climb up the ladder, I slowly open the grate to reveal what I was dreading this whole time. The busy street is already bustling with commuters and the road is already congested with taxis and angry drivers. My City is starting to come alive, and it is ready to swallow me whole. I scan my surroundings looking for another route. Nothing. If I had my grapple gun the rooftops would be the way to go. Only one way through. Damn, this is going to be more painful than the bullet in my stomach. Maybe not.
I pick my moment and struggle out of the hole. At first, it’s not so bad. People in this city are so wrapped up in their own problems to notice the broken man in a costume stumbling across the street – either that or they are just too scared to lift their heads up in this town. The honk of the car horn as it nearly hits me soon changes things. The driver doesn’t even yell. He just sits there staring. Along with what is now half the damn street. I need to make myself scarce and fast. I don’t want these people seeing me like this. To be honest I don’t want these people seeing me at all. Their faces tell a million stories. Some are scared, some looks of shock, others smiling. As I make my way the adjoining alleyway, I start to hear the click of camera phones. As if this day wasn’t bad enough, my death is going to be put straight onto the internet. This would certainly not be a worthy, spectacular death.
I reach the alley after what seems like a lifetime and I hear a voice behind me. “Looks like one hell of a costume party last night brother”. I turn to him and spit blood on the floor yet again. “Time of my life”. I reply.
Luckily no one follows me as I move on into the morning shadows of the alley, even though I can feel them staring behind me. That was painful. The price I pay for being so sloppy. This will not happen again. As I press on and the pain gets worse, I begin to realise that my chances of actually making it home are slim to none. Down the alleyway the look on the two punks faces as they eye me up with a sinister smile suggest that those chances are optimistic at best.
“Troy…Troy…is that…is it?…”
"I believe it is Dev, I believe it is…doesn't look like how they described him though.
“Either way, I think our big break to fame is here”. The knife glistens in the morning sun.
“This isn't a good day to push me”. I tell them.
“Ha-ha, no shit 'Mr Scary'”.
I try my best to look terrifying, something I am usually damned good at. “Out of my way”. This is going to get a lot worse before it gets better. The pain in my side is unbearable. I use it.
The knife wielder, Troy makes his move. I make mine. I only just dodge the thrust of his knife, He manages to tear a portion of my cape off. Definitely going to need a new suit. I think of the enemy that put me in this mess as I snap Troy’s arm. I try not to grin as his bones break with sharp acoustics. His screams are cut short as I smash his face into the brick wall. He slumps down in an unconscious heap, minus a few teeth. A fight was the last thing I needed this morning. Standing is hard enough. I face Dev. Time for the diplomatic approach. I snarl the words and hope for the best.
“Care to join him?”
He thinks about my offer only for a second before he bolts in the other direction and I have a hard time deciding on which one of us just got lucky here. I slowly move on past the unconscious fool on the floor. My vision really starts to blur. I stagger through. Small goals, one alley at a time. Across the street, next alley. I will not die today. The impact of the car knocks me out almost instantly. An unspectacular death indeed.
The blue sky foreshadowed by the top of familiar skyscrapers is the first sight I see as I begin to come around. Funny, usually I am up there looking down. It takes me a minute to realise I am in the back of a car. I try to talk. Words don’t come out. “Don’t worry man, we’ll be at the hospital any second” says a nervous female voice. With great effort I manage a few words. “No... No Hospital”.
“You kidding me? You’re dog meat if you don’t get treatment within 30 minutes, I’ve seen enough gunshot wounds to know that yours is a killer”.
“West” my speech is interrupted as I vomit all over the back seat “The woods”. I owe this girl a lot. She eventually agrees albeit reluctantly. I slip in and out of consciousness during the painfully long journey. And as we get close to home, I tell her to stop. I can barely see now. All is dark despite it being mid-morning. I crawl out of the back door and into the mud. My rescuer runs round and tries to help me. “What the hell are you doing death wish?” ‘Death wish’...probably a more fitting name today than my current one. Either that or ‘Moron’.
I’m losing consciousness again. In a last-ditch attempt at saving my useless sorry life I say out a series of numbers. Praying that I got them right. Only time will tell. Before I black out again, I see her cell phone dialling the number. Smart girl. Will need to repay the favour if I survive. Maybe I need a sidekick. Or maybe not.
It isn’t long before he arrives. Not the first time he has seen me like this. Probably won’t be the last. The last thing I remember is him hauling me into the back of the Rolls and giving me some sarcastic comment. One thing we don’t have in common is our sense of humour. I black out. I just about feel at home again in the darkness
The morning has passed by the time I awake. The first thing I see is the spent bullet placed by my loyal aid into a bloody metal dish and I breathe a sigh of relief along with a little more blood. I use the time wisely to rest up. I have survived the day. Next comes night time. My time.
My enemy wanted to show me that I am nothing but a human being without my weapons and equipment. I intend to show him that is exactly why he should fear me. I purposely leave my belt empty as I suit up and- against strong protests from my faithful servant- head out into my City seven hours later. I reach the warehouse within a painful half hour by motorcycle and run a forensic scan. Difficult without any of my equipment. Just need to concentrate harder. Focus. It isn’t much longer before I reach the festering hole where my Enemy and his security wait. He wants to view me as nothing but a man in a costume? So be it.
It takes a lot longer to reach the roof without my grapple gun and have to be a little more calculating in my attacks without smoke grenades and darts but doesn’t take too long to break the first guards’ arm and sleeper hold the second into unconsciousness. In my opinion he got off lightly. He is on the floor directly below me now. Step down to the window, carefully. No safety line to stop me from falling to an unspectacular death. Show time.
As I step into the light and my shadow is cast up on the wall at which my enemy faces. He turns and shows me a look of pure terror. One which suggests he is staring the devil in the eye. Yes, I am just a man. You have proven that much. But now you fear me all the more. I try my hardest to suppress a smile as I snarl the words.
“Enjoy mortality...”
(Copyright Jonathan Bonner 2012)