Diclaimer: I don't own marvel or anything else.

I saw the devil once

I had just moved into my brand new apartment. A brand new home in a brand new city. As soon as I settled in, I heard the sound of thunder. I went to my window, looked up at the night sky and saw nothing but dark clouds. The sky was as crowded with clouds as the city's subway is during rush hour. As the rain fell, I listened to the sounds of the city and shuddered in fear.

I could hear the police sirens wailing in the night, with the ambulances as their backup. Hustle and bustle filled the night as the city that never sleeps carried on beneath me. Soon there was a dangerous quiet and all of a sudden, like a knife, a scream pierced the air. I wanted to help but I had heard too many stories about this city to get involved. The best I could do was call the police and hope that they would arrive in time. I ran back to my window to see the mugger dragging her into an alleyway and shook in fear about what might happen to her.

As the lightning flashed, I saw images of their shadows on the wall, and the alleyway itself was used as microphone for me to hear their every word. It looked like had a knife and I could hear him yelling at her "Give me your money" You could hear whimpering voice in the alley, begging for him to leave her alone. He grabbed her by the throat, slowly inching his knife toward her neck and all I could do was hope for her safety. And then I saw it.

The lightning flashed its image briefly and the streetlamps gave a dim light, but I could see it. On the rooftops, a being leaping from building to building, swinging from flagpoles and using a small device that it carried. This thing made flips, leaps and twists that would have put an Olympic gymnast to shame. This being moved without caution and in my mind the phrase "Devil may care" made all the sense in the world.

It perched on top of the rooftop watching them and when the mugger reared back to stab the woman; it leapt into the alleyway top of the man. From the lightning's continued flashing I saw images of the devil in action, punching and kicking and clubbing the robber until he was unconscious. The devil slowly handed the woman her purse and took off as the police arrived. In her happiness she called it her guardian angel.

In shock and amazement I watched it all, and soon the police took the mugger away and the streets were empty again. I kept on looking at the other rooftops for a sign of the devil, but I couldn't find one. A red blur soon dropped in front of my window and I jumped back from the fright of it. It was the devil. He dangled from his device right in front of me and stared with blazing red eyes from the mask that covered its face.

He was in a large red suit, and the mask had two small horns at the top of it. He looked as though he could fling me across the room if he wanted to but kept his muscular frame still. I didn't know what to do as he just hung there like it was an everyday, normal thing. I tried not to look at his face and ended up glancing at the symbol on his chest. Before he disappeared in a flash of lightning, he spoke to me and said the words I would never forget and in a voice that still plays in my head. He said:

"Welcome to Hell's Kitchen."

please review... no flames. first story submitted