Chapter Four ~ The Vigilante
Sarah awoke late the next morning. She had had a bad night. She groaned as she slowly sat up. She looked around the tiny room. She didn't remember letting her sister out. She glanced at the mirror. She really did look like shit. Her face was pale with a large piece of gauze taped to her right cheek. She looked down at her arm and leg. She now had two large bruises. She must have hit the ground harder than she originally thought. She hobbled to the bathroom. The dressing had to be changed and the first aid kit had been left on the vanity. She slowly pulled at the gauze. She gasped when she saw what was underneath. Her cheek was red and inflammated. Something nasty from the sewer must have entered her bloodstream. She sighed. She hated doctors... but she was so tired. She slowly made her way back to her bed. Only for a minute...
Sarah stirred and turned around to look at her alarm clock. Her eyes widened with horror. It was now 6.30pm and getting dark quickly. She quickly brushed her hair, then threw on a pair of jeans, a sweater and headed out of the door. A minute later she reopened it and headed for her bedside table.
"Can't forget these" she said aloud as she crabbed her sunglasses and a can of mace. "Never leave home without it" she chuckled to herself as she kissed the can and picked up her tote bag on the way out.
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Sarah sighed as she walked out of the medical centre. They had been sceptical when she had told them that it had been a mugging. She had picked up a nasty water parasite, her mind was clouded as the fever had started to catch up with her and the name of the infection had ecaped her completely. She needed to get to a chemist...drugstore she corrected herself, and fast. The only one she knew of was on the other side of the park. Shivers ran down her spine as she realised that she had to cross it to get there before closing time. She popped the glasses on to help hide her bruised and battered right cheek bone and headed for the park. The bag strap was on her shoulder and her fingers were gripped around the can tightly. Normally this sort of thing wouldn't bother her, but then again the fever... her head jerked up as she realised that she had walked into someone.
"Well, well, well, what have we got here?" Sarah looked at the guy in terror, realising that it was one of the ones that had tried to jump her yesterday, though with the exception of his black eye. She looked again. SHE hadn't done THAT to him. She slowly started to back off. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife, two others that were sitting on a park bench rose and stood beside him.
"Now i'm going to finish what I started!" He raised his arm, to strike at her.
"I think not!" Sarah replied and pulled her hand out of the bag spraying them. They cried out in pain and fell to the ground clutching their eyes.
"You bitch!" She heard from behind her. She spun around, only to feel her left cheek explode in a ball of pain. She fell flat on her back and cried out in pain as the path's gutter hit the sore spot on her back. She looked up at the guy in front of her. It was Tom, the one who had gotten his nose broken. Sarah scrambled to her feet and ran toward the bushes behind them. Just as she thought she had lost him, she was tackled to the ground. She sceamed in terror as Tom turned her around and went to strike. She raised her right arm and blocked the strike. Her head swam and her vision blurred. She broke out into a sweat as her fever took a strong hold of her. Tom smiled as he crabbed her top and yanked her to her feet, pushing her hard against a trunk of a tree, winding her. Sarah's eyes widened in horror as she saw a masked man jump from a tree branch behind them. Tom noticed that she was looking past him and followed her gaze. Sarah took advantage of the distraction and raised her hand, giving Tom a weak backhand. He turned his sights to her, his face red with anger. He crabbed her roughly and threw her to the ground hard. Sarah quickly gazed at the masked man then back to Tom. The masked man had started to run toward them. Tom formed his hand into a balled fist and raised it to strike. Sarah yelped and closed her eyes shut. She heard a thump and her eyes snapped open. The masked man had tackled Tom to the ground. He pulled a baseball bat from a harness on his back and swung it.
"C'mon hotshot, wunna fight? Then fight me!" Tom smirked as he pulled out a butterfly knife and began to flick the blade.
"Oohh, like i'm scared" the masked figure said.
"You better be!" Tom hissed as two of the now recovered thugs ran up beside him. Sarah remained silent and watched, trying to recover her breath.
Wtih a flick of the wrist, the masked man had swung his bat, planting it into one of the thug's stomach. He doubled over in pain. Tom looked to his friend, then lunged at his attacker. Sarah looked at the masked stranger before her, amazed with what she saw. He was fighting THEM off, he was defending her. At the corner of her eye, Sarah noticed that one of the thugs had escaped her resuer's attention and was coming her way. With the rest of her strength fading fast, she gathered what was left and moved to her feet, before running into the bushes directly behind them. She had to get out of there - and fast. She fell flat onto her stomach as she was once again tackled to the ground from behind. She gasped as her palms were scaped raw from the fall.
Sarah held her breath and waited. She heard a thump and relaxed for a moment before slowly rolling to her side. The thug was nowhere to be seen.
Her vision blurred once again and her body started to tremble. She was getting colder by the second and her teeth chattered. She never realised that the bug would catch her this quickly. She had never been one to get sick and she hated feeling so helpless. She lay back for a moment, her body refusing to move. She tensed as a gloved hand shot suddenly into view.
"You okay?" A concerned voice asked. Sarah looked up. It was him, her masked saviour, offering her a helping hand. She went to crab his hand, but hestitated.
"Ah c'mon, I won't bite!" he then reached toward her and crabbed HER hand, hoisting her to her feet.
"Name's Casey Jones" he said lifting the mask from his face. Sarah looked into his eyes. He wasn't what she expected. Casey actually looked worried for her.
"Sarah Ho, and ... thanks" she said giving him a weak smile. She looked to her watch. "I gotta go... I.." Casey caught her as her legs gave in.
"What the hell?..." Casey asked as he helped her to a nearby park bench " you're burning up!"
"I'll be okay.. those guys..."
"Forget 'em, those weak pieces of shit, they took off.." Sarah tried to get up, Casey forced her down back onto the bench. He looked at her clamy pale face.
"What happened..."
"I caught a nasty bug, I gotta get to the chemist..." Casey interrupted her.
"Chemist?"
"Drug store" she said correcting herself. Casey pulled Sarah to her feet, putting her arm around his neck.
"What are you doing?" Sarah asked curious, but with suspicion.
"Helping you" He looked back at her. There was something about her, that he couldn't put his finger on, she looked familar... then it hit him. Yesterday at the park... he looked into her face. She had been strong and fearless, she had kicked ass... and now she looked like... shit, what the hell had happened?
"Why are you doing this?" Sarah asked as they walked to get back onto the path.
"Because of the shit that's going down, things are bad, besides those guys were attacking you... and the cops aren't doing anything... I couldn't stand by and let it happen.."
"You like it don't you?" He stopped and looked at her. "The fighting, it's a rush isn't it?"
"No, they need to be taught a lesson" Sarah said nothing. Indeed they did, she had to agree, sometimes it was something that had to be done. "You can fight can't you?" She snapped out of her trance.
"Excuse me?" They had stopped at a curb, waiting for the traffic to pass.
"I saw you yesterday..." It was starting to make sense, she had sensed someone watching her, but had been unable to see him, it hadn't been the thugs afterall.
"Are you following me?" She asked and gave him a weak grin.
"I was going after those creeps..." Casey stopped as he noticed that people had started to stare. There was something about her that he had missed. They quickly crossed the street, then Casey stopped and swung Sarah around, to get a good look at her. She evaded him and stepped into the drugstore, just as the clerk was closing up for the night.
When she reemerged, she stuck to the shadows, there was no point in Casey knowing just HOW bad she was.
"Can I at least walk you home?" Sarah shrugged her shoulders.
"Why the hell not" after all, the bug had taken most of her strength, and for some strange reason she trusted Casey, maybe the fact that he had just saved her butt had something to do with it. "Just don't try anything"
"Oh yeah, and whatcha gonna do... " before he could even finish his sentence, Sarah had spun around, crabbed his wrist, and had it twisted at an odd angle, forcing him to his knees. It was quick and effective, most of all, she didn't have to exert herself to get the required result. "Good answer..." Sarah let go and Casey jumped to his feet, rubbing his now sore wrist. He grinned at her.
"You and me sister, we're gonna get along just fine!"
~ Chapter Five ~ Up Soon!
Sarah awoke late the next morning. She had had a bad night. She groaned as she slowly sat up. She looked around the tiny room. She didn't remember letting her sister out. She glanced at the mirror. She really did look like shit. Her face was pale with a large piece of gauze taped to her right cheek. She looked down at her arm and leg. She now had two large bruises. She must have hit the ground harder than she originally thought. She hobbled to the bathroom. The dressing had to be changed and the first aid kit had been left on the vanity. She slowly pulled at the gauze. She gasped when she saw what was underneath. Her cheek was red and inflammated. Something nasty from the sewer must have entered her bloodstream. She sighed. She hated doctors... but she was so tired. She slowly made her way back to her bed. Only for a minute...
Sarah stirred and turned around to look at her alarm clock. Her eyes widened with horror. It was now 6.30pm and getting dark quickly. She quickly brushed her hair, then threw on a pair of jeans, a sweater and headed out of the door. A minute later she reopened it and headed for her bedside table.
"Can't forget these" she said aloud as she crabbed her sunglasses and a can of mace. "Never leave home without it" she chuckled to herself as she kissed the can and picked up her tote bag on the way out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sarah sighed as she walked out of the medical centre. They had been sceptical when she had told them that it had been a mugging. She had picked up a nasty water parasite, her mind was clouded as the fever had started to catch up with her and the name of the infection had ecaped her completely. She needed to get to a chemist...drugstore she corrected herself, and fast. The only one she knew of was on the other side of the park. Shivers ran down her spine as she realised that she had to cross it to get there before closing time. She popped the glasses on to help hide her bruised and battered right cheek bone and headed for the park. The bag strap was on her shoulder and her fingers were gripped around the can tightly. Normally this sort of thing wouldn't bother her, but then again the fever... her head jerked up as she realised that she had walked into someone.
"Well, well, well, what have we got here?" Sarah looked at the guy in terror, realising that it was one of the ones that had tried to jump her yesterday, though with the exception of his black eye. She looked again. SHE hadn't done THAT to him. She slowly started to back off. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife, two others that were sitting on a park bench rose and stood beside him.
"Now i'm going to finish what I started!" He raised his arm, to strike at her.
"I think not!" Sarah replied and pulled her hand out of the bag spraying them. They cried out in pain and fell to the ground clutching their eyes.
"You bitch!" She heard from behind her. She spun around, only to feel her left cheek explode in a ball of pain. She fell flat on her back and cried out in pain as the path's gutter hit the sore spot on her back. She looked up at the guy in front of her. It was Tom, the one who had gotten his nose broken. Sarah scrambled to her feet and ran toward the bushes behind them. Just as she thought she had lost him, she was tackled to the ground. She sceamed in terror as Tom turned her around and went to strike. She raised her right arm and blocked the strike. Her head swam and her vision blurred. She broke out into a sweat as her fever took a strong hold of her. Tom smiled as he crabbed her top and yanked her to her feet, pushing her hard against a trunk of a tree, winding her. Sarah's eyes widened in horror as she saw a masked man jump from a tree branch behind them. Tom noticed that she was looking past him and followed her gaze. Sarah took advantage of the distraction and raised her hand, giving Tom a weak backhand. He turned his sights to her, his face red with anger. He crabbed her roughly and threw her to the ground hard. Sarah quickly gazed at the masked man then back to Tom. The masked man had started to run toward them. Tom formed his hand into a balled fist and raised it to strike. Sarah yelped and closed her eyes shut. She heard a thump and her eyes snapped open. The masked man had tackled Tom to the ground. He pulled a baseball bat from a harness on his back and swung it.
"C'mon hotshot, wunna fight? Then fight me!" Tom smirked as he pulled out a butterfly knife and began to flick the blade.
"Oohh, like i'm scared" the masked figure said.
"You better be!" Tom hissed as two of the now recovered thugs ran up beside him. Sarah remained silent and watched, trying to recover her breath.
Wtih a flick of the wrist, the masked man had swung his bat, planting it into one of the thug's stomach. He doubled over in pain. Tom looked to his friend, then lunged at his attacker. Sarah looked at the masked stranger before her, amazed with what she saw. He was fighting THEM off, he was defending her. At the corner of her eye, Sarah noticed that one of the thugs had escaped her resuer's attention and was coming her way. With the rest of her strength fading fast, she gathered what was left and moved to her feet, before running into the bushes directly behind them. She had to get out of there - and fast. She fell flat onto her stomach as she was once again tackled to the ground from behind. She gasped as her palms were scaped raw from the fall.
Sarah held her breath and waited. She heard a thump and relaxed for a moment before slowly rolling to her side. The thug was nowhere to be seen.
Her vision blurred once again and her body started to tremble. She was getting colder by the second and her teeth chattered. She never realised that the bug would catch her this quickly. She had never been one to get sick and she hated feeling so helpless. She lay back for a moment, her body refusing to move. She tensed as a gloved hand shot suddenly into view.
"You okay?" A concerned voice asked. Sarah looked up. It was him, her masked saviour, offering her a helping hand. She went to crab his hand, but hestitated.
"Ah c'mon, I won't bite!" he then reached toward her and crabbed HER hand, hoisting her to her feet.
"Name's Casey Jones" he said lifting the mask from his face. Sarah looked into his eyes. He wasn't what she expected. Casey actually looked worried for her.
"Sarah Ho, and ... thanks" she said giving him a weak smile. She looked to her watch. "I gotta go... I.." Casey caught her as her legs gave in.
"What the hell?..." Casey asked as he helped her to a nearby park bench " you're burning up!"
"I'll be okay.. those guys..."
"Forget 'em, those weak pieces of shit, they took off.." Sarah tried to get up, Casey forced her down back onto the bench. He looked at her clamy pale face.
"What happened..."
"I caught a nasty bug, I gotta get to the chemist..." Casey interrupted her.
"Chemist?"
"Drug store" she said correcting herself. Casey pulled Sarah to her feet, putting her arm around his neck.
"What are you doing?" Sarah asked curious, but with suspicion.
"Helping you" He looked back at her. There was something about her, that he couldn't put his finger on, she looked familar... then it hit him. Yesterday at the park... he looked into her face. She had been strong and fearless, she had kicked ass... and now she looked like... shit, what the hell had happened?
"Why are you doing this?" Sarah asked as they walked to get back onto the path.
"Because of the shit that's going down, things are bad, besides those guys were attacking you... and the cops aren't doing anything... I couldn't stand by and let it happen.."
"You like it don't you?" He stopped and looked at her. "The fighting, it's a rush isn't it?"
"No, they need to be taught a lesson" Sarah said nothing. Indeed they did, she had to agree, sometimes it was something that had to be done. "You can fight can't you?" She snapped out of her trance.
"Excuse me?" They had stopped at a curb, waiting for the traffic to pass.
"I saw you yesterday..." It was starting to make sense, she had sensed someone watching her, but had been unable to see him, it hadn't been the thugs afterall.
"Are you following me?" She asked and gave him a weak grin.
"I was going after those creeps..." Casey stopped as he noticed that people had started to stare. There was something about her that he had missed. They quickly crossed the street, then Casey stopped and swung Sarah around, to get a good look at her. She evaded him and stepped into the drugstore, just as the clerk was closing up for the night.
When she reemerged, she stuck to the shadows, there was no point in Casey knowing just HOW bad she was.
"Can I at least walk you home?" Sarah shrugged her shoulders.
"Why the hell not" after all, the bug had taken most of her strength, and for some strange reason she trusted Casey, maybe the fact that he had just saved her butt had something to do with it. "Just don't try anything"
"Oh yeah, and whatcha gonna do... " before he could even finish his sentence, Sarah had spun around, crabbed his wrist, and had it twisted at an odd angle, forcing him to his knees. It was quick and effective, most of all, she didn't have to exert herself to get the required result. "Good answer..." Sarah let go and Casey jumped to his feet, rubbing his now sore wrist. He grinned at her.
"You and me sister, we're gonna get along just fine!"
~ Chapter Five ~ Up Soon!