Avengers Justice: Avengers Assemble Pt.1

Times spent wishing is time wasted, that saying never rang truer sitting in a courtroom listening to a total stranger's futile attempt to dissect and analyze my actions. The jury was disinterested, my state appointed lawyer even more so. I've been through this before, get into trouble, get whatever 18 year old that barely passed the bar and get sent to a place where I get 3 square meals a day. This time was different, this time I did the right thing and I'm not getting sent to some juvenile correction facility I'm 19 now headed to big boy prison. All for breaking the jaw of a corrupt NY city police officer, my mind and body were both in excellent condition I could easily break these cuffs take the bailiffs gun and try my best to get out alive. But that wasn't me anymore, ever; I never had it in me to kill anyone let alone someone just doing their job of protecting people. I wish I had gone a different route, but time spent wishing is time wasted. The lawyers rambled, a lot of talk about nothing because according to them I'm a career criminal raising the bar for myself every time I commit a crime. That isn't it at all, I'd been set up to take a fall, the way I remember it is this.

To be totally honest Brooklyn is sad living unless you're well off financially…….I wasn't. This led me down a very bad road, come to think of it for most of my life it's been on corrections facility after another. Authorities put me in there mainly for stealing, food, money, stuff I needed to live. A few unattended cash registers here and some milk and bread, hardly anything that would make me a hardened criminal, all my killer instinct came from some after hour activities. Since I can't remember when I couldn't stand muggers, usually they're just people stealing money to buy some more junk that they can shoot up in there dilapidated apartments. Took it upon myself to stop whatever street crime I could, purse snatchers, muggers, etc. Mostly it was a difficult task, but it made me harder, faster, smarter and stronger. I knew the route I was taking would eventually lead me to prison, ok back to that. At the time I was living in a rundown apartment in morning wood free of rent, I saved a girl one day turned whose father owned a building so he said I could live there rent free for as long as I want. The place was cold, damp, dingy, and bleak but it was mine. I lived there for about 3 month ever since my group home became an intolerable place to live. They wouldn't cooperate and help me find out who had left me at the hospital all those years back, fed up with their attitude I just left. Anyway, I was studying an old GED book I found one night when I heard a commotion come from the alleyway. With a deep sigh I put on a black hooded sweatshirt and a tattered jean vest, laced up some old red converse I had found the day before and headed to the alley.

"Good luck Ule" my landlord said as I stomped down the stairs

I nod in acknowledgement, lord knows I didn't like my name, Ulysses, but I liked that landlord called me Ule for short. Opening the front gate to make my way calmly out back I heard sirens, I climbed into a dumpster to avoid being seen. Like I figured it was a woman being mugged, thankfully a local police man was on the scene to arrest the scum. The officers partner responded and took the mugger to jail, probably only for the night but at least he was off the streets. Then the next thing I saw shattered my views on law and order. The person in charge of protecting people was now trying to have his way with the bruised and distraught woman. She resisted but he had the upper hand, all I remember him saying was "thank me properly you bitch". Tears were streaming down her face, then down mine. My teeth gnashed as I choked back a sob for the poor woman, I could see that the officer was undoing his pants and that's when I sprang into action. I purposely fell out the dumpster so that I looked like nothing more than a homeless man, but I knew I was so much more.

"Hey, what's going on"? I yelled groggily

"Go back to sleep you homeless piece of shit"! The lecherous cop roared for all to hear, guess he didn't fear local authority since he was the local authority. The tone of his voice, the look in his eyes, he was far beyond reason. As I continued my approach he furiously tossed the woman into a bunch of trash cans knocking her unconscious.

"Good, now maybe she won't put up so much of a fuss"

He pulled out his nightstick and took a couple of failed swings at me, not once did I attempt to hit the bumbling letch. He was getting tired so I left him to hyperventilate a bit; I was hoping to end this confrontation without violence for fear of reprisal. Slowly I walked to the unconscious woman's side leaving the cop out of breath a few feet away.

"You Fuck! You think huff you're hot puff shit"!

My eye glinted as he reached for his .357, quickly I rolled and grabbed a metal trash can lid and hurled it with extreme accuracy towards his face, Nailed the poor bastard right in the face, that did the trick, made the fat fuck stumble away holding his mouth. I gathered my nerves and hoisted the woman over my shoulder to bring her back to my apartment to rest. I instructed my landlord to look after her and explain what happened when she came to, he understood what I did and agreed to do so. I knew he could be trusted, a man of the Islamic faith he showed a purity I've never seen in many people. As I made my way outside to patrol I was greeted with a tackle by three of NY's finest. I could've resisted but they were just doing their job, arresting a man who assaulted one of their fellow police officers. I didn't even try to contest the accusations, I just accepted my fate.

Which brings us to where I am now, headed to prison. That woman vanished so she couldn't testify on my behalf, probably why the truth seemed something only those involved would ever know. Didn't expect her to testify anyway, I heard only about 15 of rape victims ever report it let alone testify against their rapist.

Oh they're going to announce the verdict, goody this should be a treat.

"In the case of Lieutenant Polk v. Ulysses Stamford how do you find the defendant"?

"We find the defendant guilty your honor"

Damn now they're going to know my name is Ulysses. Sentenced to 30 years for my crime, looking back on it I don't think I would change a thing, I helped that woman and that's all that mattered.

The day after I was put in a small van and was told that we were headed towards some prison I didn't catch the name. Wasn't thinking of that now, all I could think of was how my city was going to hell. Without me all they have are those corrupt officers to protect them, I knew not all were corrupted but it just dwelled in my head.

"Move boy"!

I was still in the dark as to where exactly I was sent, all I knew that the ride was much too short. The guards blindfolded me which I found completely unnecessary. It then dawned upon me, these guys must be the cop's buddies, I'm probably in some warehouse where I'm going to be beaten and killed by that revenge fueled bastard. Fine I accept my fate, the guards sat me down and proceeded to remove the handcuffs and blindfold. The light made it hard for my eyes to adjust; all I could make up was a silhouette of a man sitting behind a desk.

"You know why you're here"? A gruff commanding voice, definitely not that cop.

"Sir, because I committed a crime and must now pay restitution "

"Glad you understand the concept of justice"

As I grew more aware of my surroundings it looked nothing like a prison, the man was also coming into focus. He was very statuesque, brown hair with graying sideburns, an eye patch and full combat body suit. A sight to behold, honestly I had no idea who he was.

"How rude of me let me introduce myself, I'm Colonel Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D"