DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Punisher, and I make no money from this fan fiction.

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The Tall Man in the Long Black Coat

by Rhonnel Ferry

Team Leader Betsy was incredibly pissed. She had a slice of pizza in one hand, a glass of Coke in the other, and a fake smile on her face. She had been fake smiling for hours, and her cheeks were starting to hurt.

She was at a company party celebrating the promotion of her coworker, Lina.

And Betsy wanted her dead!

#

It was only one year ago when Lina, the young, slender, and pretty girl with the cute tush, got hired. She was assigned to Betsy's team. The moment they were introduced, Betsy had made the decision to make Lina's working life a living hell.

Betsy, too was attractive. But she was overweight. Over the years, she had made repeated half-hearted attempts to diet. Each effort had ended in failure. And for that, the world must pay. And by "the world", she meant pretty, little, slender girls like Lina!

And so Betsy enforced the company rules a little more harshly on Lina. She gave her a heavier workload. She discredited her to the manager and coworkers alike. She publicly berated her performance! Betsy was sure that in a matter of months, Lina would resign.

But Lina hadn't. Though there were times when she would weep in her solitude, encouraged by family and friends, Lina soldiered on! Her team leader demanded perfection, and so she gave her perfection! She met her deadlines, she followed the rules, her performance was pristine! And the manager took notice.

Betsy's plan had backfired, and Lina was promoted above her.

#

"Congratulations!" Betsy said, fake smiling.

Lina turned around from her other coworkers, and smiled back at her former team leader.

"Thank you, ma'am," she responded.

"Oh, no need to call me ma'am, now. In fact, I suppose I should start calling you that. Just Betsy is fine."

"Very well. Betsy it is, then."

"You know I was only hard on you because I recognized your potential. How about you let me make it up to you properly? Coffee later? My treat."

While Lina was hesitant, (She had, of course, grown to resent Betsy.) she agreed, since she was not one to hold a grudge.

#

Coffee turned into liquor. And soon it became very late, and both ladies had become very tipsy.

"Wow, this is like a totally different side of you!" Lina slurred her words, as they wobbled along the subway platform. "You're pretty fun when you've had a few drinks in you!"

"I actually enjoyed your company as well," Betsy admitted truthfully. "We should have done this a long time ago!"

"Then let's make up for lost time! Let's start sneaking booze into the office!"

"God. You want to give the manager an excuse to strangle us?"

"Mr. Chen? Oh, he's a pussycat."

"What?"

"Yea, he's real sweet. Hey, don't tell anyone, but he asked me out."

The smile disappeared from Betsy's face.

"He did, did he." It wasn't a question. "That's highly inappropriate."

"Oh, I don't think so. My mom and dad met at work. And they've been happily married for many years."

Betsy said nothing. She just stared forward, without really seeing.

"So what do you think?" Lina asked. "Should I give him a chance?"

And without a word, Betsy shoved her down the subway tracks.

#

"Oh my God! What have I done!" Betsy gasped, then called out to Lina. "Lina?! Lina?! Honey, are you OK?!"

But Lina didn't respond. She just lay there unmoving. Betsy couldn't tell if she was dead or unconscious.

"Help!" Betsy yelled. "Help! Somebody, help us! My friend fell on the tracks!"

But it was late. And there was no one else around. Then she heard the sound of the approaching train.

"Lina!" she frantically yelled at the girl again. "Lina, get up!"

She considered going down the tracks herself to retrieve the girl, but she remembered that people could get electrocuted doing that.

So she did nothing.

#

Betsy dreaded going to the funeral. She dreaded looking into the tear stained eyes of Lina's parents. But she did so, anyway. Partly out of guilt. Partly out of fear of suspicion.

That was the first time she saw the tall man in the long black coat.

It was during the eulogy, right before the interment, while she was fake crying. She saw him under the shade of a tree. He was staring directly at her!

She looked away, and tried to focus on the ceremony. But she could feel his eyes on her. It was discomforting. No, it was more than that. It was frightening!

#

On the days that followed, she would see him. Seated in a dark corner of a bus she was riding in, drinking coffee in the same eatery she frequented, even waiting in the same line to the latest 50 Shades movie!

The last straw was when she was at work. She was giving a speech to the latest batch of trainees. A small group of young men and women. Fortunately, none of them were pretty, little, slender girls.

As she paced the small stage in front of them, she caught sight of the tall man in the long black coat through the venetian blinds.

"Who is that?" she asked out loud to no one in particular.

The trainees looked at each other in confusion.

"Ma'am?" one of them, a young girl, dared to ask.

"There." Betsy pointed, as if in a trance, at the window. "Across the street. Who is that?"

"Who do you mean, ma'am?"

Betsy grabbed the trainee's arm, and roughly pulled her out of her seat!

"There!" Betsy repeated, angrily pointing at the window. "He's right there! Can't you see him?!"

The other trainees shifted nervously in their chairs.

"Uhm...uh..which one, ma'am?" the young girl stuttered, as she tried to free her hurting arm from the team leader's vice like grip!

"What do you mean which one?!" Betsy yelled at her. "Are you blind or are you stupid?! HE'S RIGHT THERE!"

#

Naturally, Betsy got called into the manager's office.

"So,..." Mr. Chen began from behind his desk, "You scared away the trainees."

"They were weak!" Betsy attested, anxiously looking out the office window for any sign of the tall man in the long black coat.

"You made several of them cry. One threatened to sue."

"They weren't fit for this company, sir!"

"That's not your decision to make, is it?!"

Betsy politely lowered her head.

"I think maybe you took Lina's death really hard," he gently told her. "We all did. She was very well liked in this company."

"Especially by you," Betsy murmured bitterly.

"I'm sorry?"

"Nothing, sir."

"Look, we all miss her. But you were there. You saw it happen."

"Did more than that."

"I'm sorry?"

"Nothing, sir."

"My point is, you just had a very traumatic experience. Maybe you should take a few days off. Get some rest. Go on a vacation. Spend time with friends and family."

"I think that would be best, sir."

"I'm glad you agree."

He stood up, lightly touched her shoulder, and led her out of his office.

#

Betsy didn't get some rest. She didn't go home. She had no desire to go on a vacation with non-existent friends, or family that she had long forgotten.

She went straight to the police station!

"Alright," Officer Lundgren began, a small notebook in one hand, a pen in the other. "This stalker of yours. What does he look like?"

"I already told you," Betsy answered impatiently. "He's a tall man in a long black coat!"

The officer gave her a weary look.

"I mean is he Caucasian, or Asian, Hispanic...?"

"I-I don't know. I'm not sure."

The officer narrowed his eyes at her.

"You don't know if he's black or white?"

"Well,...it's like...he's always under a shadow..."

"A shadow? You mean he's like wearin' a hoodie? To cast a shadow over his face?"

"No! He's wearing a long black-!"

"A long black coat! Yea, you told me!"

"So why are you asking me again?!"

Officer Lundgren sighed angrily. He looked back down at his notes. Then he suddenly smiled.

"Wait a minute," he said. "Did he have like a skull symbol of some kind on his shirt?"

"A skull symbol? I don't know. I only always see him from afar. I suppose he may have-"

"It's The Punisher!"

"Who?"

"The Punisher! You don't know The Punisher?! How long you been livin' in this city, lady?!"

Betsy looked obviously befuddled, so the officer continued.

"We've had reports of several Punisher sightings, I'll tell you. He's like this myth or some urban legend! This guy was some kind of badass soldier, right? Served in Vietnam or Desert Storm or something. Whatever. He comes home, right? Has a nice little picnic with his family. They get caught in a crossfire between two rival gangs! The stories differ a little here. Some say his family dies, he survives, and he becomes this vigilante. But others say he died in that picnic, too! And that it's his ghost people are seein' walkin' around."

Betsy could feel her hair stand on end. It was like listening to a really scary campfire story.

"There's this sicko pervert we was after a few months ago. Liked to prey on teenage boys," the policeman told her. "When we found the sick bastard, he had two long, deep knife wounds! One on the arm, another across the face. His throat had been ripped off! And he had been shot. Right...through...the eye."

Betsy put her hand to her mouth and shuddered in her seat.

"Aw, but that don't make sense," Officer Lundgren concluded. "The Punisher only goes after criminals." He looked at her suspiciously. "You haven't committed any kind of crime, have you?"

The color drained from Betsy's face.

"W-What kind of a police department is this?!" she shouted defensively. "I came here for help, and I get fairy tales and accusations!"

She hurriedly gathered her shoulder bag, and rushed out the building.

#

Outside, she saw two officers chatting near a coffee shop. They turned their heads towards her. She quickly shielded her face with a hand, and briskly walked in the opposite direction.

"They know!" she told herself. "It's that officer at the precinct! He told them, and now they're all following me!"

She saw another policeman walking the street. When she turned and ran, she heard him call after her!

"Miss? Miss, wait!"

She ignored him, and just kept running! She ran into narrow alleyways, through dark tunnels, up and down several stairs just to avoid them!

When she was finally alone, she leaned her back against a wall to catch her breath.

"Now, this is a very effective way to lose weight," Betsy grumbled to herself. "Break the law, run from the cops. Should have done this years ago!"

Then she saw him from the corner of her eye. And she knew who it was before she even turned her head: the tall man in the long black coat, watching her from a distance.

ENDING ONE

"It was an accident. I was drunk," Betsy explained to the man, her eyes teary. "I tried to help her. I cried for help, but there was no one around."

The man started walking towards her.

"Oh God! Don't hurt me. Please don't hurt me," Betsy pleaded, as she backed away, her eyes wide with fear!

The man continued walking.

"She had it coming!" Betsy screamed in frustration. "That hussy slept her way to the top! I'm sure of it!"

She lost her footing, and fell down.

At first, she was quietly shocked. Then she shrieked from the pain in her badly twisted ankle. The next thing she felt was the vibration from the subway tracks beneath her.

"How did I get here?!" she asked herself. She hadn't even realized that she had run into the subway system.

She couldn't move her ankle, and she desperately tried to drag herself off the rails!

"Help me!" she wailed. "Somebody, please help me!"

But it was late. And there was no one else around. No one else, but him. She looked up. The tall man in the long black coat was standing at the platform, staring down at her.

And the last thing Team Leader Betsy saw before her life ended, was the symbol on the man's shirt. A large, white skull.

END

ENDING TWO

"It was an accident. I was drunk," Betsy explained to the man, her eyes teary. "I tried to help her. I cried for help, but there was no one around."

The man started walking towards her.

"Oh God! Don't hurt me. Please don't hurt me," Betsy pleaded, as she backed away, her eyes wide with fear!

The man continued walking.

"She had it coming!" Betsy screamed in frustration. "That hussy slept her way to the top! I'm sure of it!"

She lost her footing, and fell down.

At first, she was quietly shocked. Then she shrieked from the pain in her badly twisted ankle. The next thing she felt was the vibration from the subway tracks beneath her.

"Betsy?! Betsy?! Honey, are you OK?!" she heard someone calling.

IT WAS LINA!

"How,...?" Betsy mumbled groggily.

"Help!" Lina yelled. "Help! Somebody, help us! My friend fell on the tracks!"

Then Betsy had an epiphany. She was being given a chance to undo the evil she had done. She was to trade her life for the one she had taken.

"Betsy!" Lina frantically yelled at her again. "Betsy, get up!"

Betsy heard her. But she didn't move. She just closed her eyes, and accepted her punishment.

END

ENDING THREE

"It was an accident. I was drunk," Betsy explained to the man, her eyes teary. "I tried to help her. I cried for help, but there was no one around."

The man started walking towards her.

"Oh God! Don't hurt me. Please don't hurt me," Betsy pleaded, as she backed away, her eyes wide with fear!

The man continued walking.

"She had it coming!" Betsy screamed in frustration. "That hussy slept her way to the top! I'm sure of it!"

She lost her footing, and fell down.

At first, she was quietly shocked. Then she shrieked from the pain in her badly twisted ankle. The next thing she felt was the vibration from the subway tracks beneath her.

"Betsy?! Betsy?! Honey, are you OK?!" she heard someone calling.

IT WAS LINA!

"How,...?" Betsy mumbled groggily.

"Help!" Lina yelled. "Help! Somebody, help us! My friend fell on the tracks!"

Just then, a man bravely leaped onto the tracks! A tall man...in a long black coat!

"No no no!" Betsy squawked at him fearfully. "Stay away from me! Stay away from me!"

The man ignored her words. He easily hoisted her up, and threw her back to the safety of the platform! Then he jumped after her, only narrowly avoiding the speeding subway train!

"Thank you!" Lina told him. "Thank you thank you thank you!" Then she rushed to her former boss's side. "Betsy, oh my God! Are you OK?!"

"I- I think so. My ankle..." Betsy responded, then suddenly gripped Lina tightly by her shoulders. "Where is he?!"

"Th-the man that saved you? I don't know. He was just here a second ago."

Lina looked around, but the man was nowhere to be found.

"Who was he?!" Betsy demanded wildly.

"I don't know. A commuter? Oh!"

"What?! What is it?!"

"He had a symbol on his shirt. A big skull, I think."

And Team Leader Betsy just quietly stared forward, without really seeing.

END

ENDING FOUR

Kidding. That was it. Thanks for reading!