Footwork
Superhero AU
One - Step of a dancer
The wind blows low over the city below, rattling the bars on windows, and stirring up waves of leaves that rise and spin, spin and fall in a never ending dance across the pavement. It moans as it goes, an eerie howl begging for release.
You empathise with it more than you'd expect, and briefly wonder if it would be less painful to take a long walk along the edge, and just… forget to turn the corner.
A light tread behind you interrupts your thoughts, and you spin around, horrified. He can't have got here so quickly, you should have won an extra five minutes by losing him in the back alleys.
But where is this mysterious enemy? No matter where you look, all you can see are the shadows cast by the chimney pots in the moon's relentless glare.
Maybe you can risk it. You turn to run —
— and freeze, a deer caught in the headlights of those piercing eyes.
"Help! Somebody, anybody, help me!" It's your last hope, but a futile one.
"Leaving so soon? I thought we could have a little… fun." He drags the last word out like a miser with their last penny, and you know that whatever he has planned will be the kind of fun that traumatises small children, the kind of fun with hamsters in microwaves and cyanide in the almond cake.
"Why don't we play a little game?" The innocence in his voice makes him all the more terrifying. You'd expect it to come from the child asking for less homework, or the boy giving up his seat on public transport, not the serial killer chasing you across the smog stained backdrop of the city sky.
You take a step backwards, and almost fall off of the roof. It's a long way down, but would it be easier than facing the inhuman monster in front of you?
He strikes so suddenly you don't see it coming. You try to keep standing, to run, but cave under the weight of the blows. The pain is unimaginable, you should have taken the fall when you had the chance. Distantly, you can hear someone screaming, and silently beg for them to stop. It's hard enough to cope as it is without having to block out some wuss who's stubbed their toe.
Belatedly, you realise the screamer is you. Maybe not such a wuss after all.
The pounding stops. His disappointed face stares down at you, seemingly far away.
"I'd hoped we'd have a little more time…"
Was he always this blurry? You try to keep him in focus, but it's all so much effort. Your eyes begin to close.
The last thing you hear are his retreating footsteps, strong but light, like the step of a dancer.
A/n: That came out much darker than planned. Any clues on who the killer is yet?
This story needs a Beta. If you're willing, please let me know!