The Spiralling

Chapter 7: Stepping Stone

My hands were tied for the next few days and nights- there was no way I could even get within a mile's radius close to the Demoness. The most I could do was to watch the bread crumbs fall from between her fingers by day and patrol for nothing by night. She had been leaving a trail of violence in her wake. The facts does not jump in your face, but the signs were everywhere. The police knew it, the reporters and journalists knew it. I knew it.

The Demoness had been going after both the police and the D'Amico empire, or what's left of it, as if they were a lump together under the umbrella of evil. She had been going after the little guys, the Sergeants and petty criminals first, before moving upwards in both the big, black tree and the New York police chain of command. She was after something, everyone knew it.

I have to admit though, if it weren't for my buddies, I would never have known why. Sure, we were all internet warriors and proud of it, but three heads are always better than one. Plus, they had way more time to dig up the juiciest worms; they weren't the ones to be awarded gashes and bruises in the solar plexus every night for fighting on the side of justice...

Atomic Comics Cafe, Monday Afternoon...

"So have you guys heard all this fuzz about this Demoness girl?" I brought the topic up after waiting almost impatiently for Todd and Marty to finish debating about American Idols- who would be the next Idol? I tried to appear as oblivious to the world at large around me as possible.

"You mean Todd's new love interest?" Marty said mockingly in an attempt to piss the other member of the trio off. It almost worked, unlike how my fake ignorance, for once, worked, "You've been living under a rock? She's one of those who actually made the cut as a superheroine."

"Superheroine? What? She killed several off-duty policemen AND their families!" I argued, shocked that my friends worshipped her for being on the other side of the law, "How's that heroic?"

"Well, from what I heard they were crooked cops, buddy." Marty debated in favour of the Demoness. The way I saw it, it was a failed statement as innocent souls were sent on their way to heaven as well, "She's doing us a favour."

"How on Earth is it a favour when women and children were killed in the making of the fuckin' film?" By the boobies and little whiners, I meant the families of the corrupted officials who were murdered in the most grotesque fashion. I was starting to blow my top, especially when I thought about an officer's beheaded baby, "How's beating up Kick-Ass a favour to the world? Seen the news and talk shows lately?"

"It's understandable. Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl could've killed her parents for all we know, man, in his hit against Frank." Todd reasoned dismissively, "Reminds me of Hit-Girl. What would you have done if dad or whoever gets killed one fine day when you're just starting to understand erection?"

"Okay..." I pretended to go along with their line of thought. Taking a sip of coffee as I worked out on what to chat about next, I struck gold quickly, "Any idea what she's trying to accomplish?"

"Obviously, she's trying to clean the city up; as in, really clean it up." Marty was quick to give his views. He seemed quite sure of his interpretation.

"Dude, its not about cleaning the city up. I bet it's revenge- I mean look at her, she's mutilating everyone she attacks." Todd corrected Marty- I was starting to be able to tell what he meant when he referred to the Demoness as Todd's new lover interest.

"Whatever, what I do know for sure is she's taking on the gang from the ass. She's a pro, that's how the police works too- bust a few low-lives here and there and eventually someone'd spill the beans." Todd added to my new found treasure trove of knowledge. Knowing these guys, they must had plucked up their info from a mix of some rarely heard of website or channel- and the popular ones like Youtube and BBC. That is not to say their sources were unreliable. Quite the opposite- they were as reliable as the experts who gave them their source.

The following night...

Needless to say, I was motivated all the more to take to the streets as Kick-Ass, and so I did. Before going off, I had to do some thinking- with not even the simplest clues as to where my nemesis would be, I would have to lower my expectations. No saving the world from a nest of giant ants or an incoming meteorite. Just regular street patrols, the same mission as the most common ones I took on in the good old days. To supplement my foot patrols, I've included a radio set that could tune in to both civilian and police frequencies, the same kind that Spiderman and Batman used. Guess where did I get it? Yep, good old dad.

My website in Myspace was all dusted up, with one huge announcement that I have returned to 'full-time' duty. In addition to the feature for any damsel in distress to cry for help, I had added another that allows anyone to give tips on criminal hot spots and hideouts.

Emails for a cry of distress and tip-offs goes into different email accounts. It was one way I figured may allow me to learn of where the Demoness could be. Learning from Red Mist, I've decided to crack my piggy bank for an Iphone so that I could reach Myspace anywhere, anytime I please.

With everything set, I climbed out of the bedroom window once my dad shouts a farewell from the living room. With the walkie-talkie, my range beyond hearing would be extended to a mile or twice of that.

The Demoness was a criminal, a supervillain, and the evil sort would mix with their own kind, or at least that was the theory anyone would know. Taking a taxi down to one of the more crime-ridden parts of the city, I had decided to start my search there, one block at a time, ears to the radio and eyes on every window, door or vandalised department store.

It was only at 1 am, just when I was about to give in when I heard a police report on a felony in progress- just across the street from me, in a pawn shop.

All I could think of was the Demoness, so I made a rush for the pawn shop, even when a few pieces of the jigsaw puzzle did not fit, but with the same blind faith that drove men to believe in the little green man, I was easily able to reason around them.

Upon entering the store and tripping the customer bell, all I found were two common street robbers, one holding a butter knife, the other an old .45 Colt pointed at the head of the Chinese storeholder.

'Fuck', was all that was in my head before the guy with the gun shifted his aim at me. He was a scrawny man of average height, with a gold tooth amongst yellowish naturals. He wore denim on both upper and lower bodies with a winter hood. When I looked at him, I knew he was quite a dead shot. Thank God I took a plunge sideways or his bullet may not have just grazed me in the leg. Knocking over a candy vendor when I hit the floor, I drew my taser- it was my only chance against an offender who knows his weapon.

"Hiding now aren't cha?" The guy with the pistol mocked. I could hear his footsteps behind me as I quickly got up and leaned against the store shelves I had lunged behind. It felt surprisingly light, light enough to give me a plan. Taking a few steps back, I ran and launched myself at the metal shelves, "You supershit sorts aren't worth a-!" Before he could finish his sentence, the combined weight of me, the shelf and it's second hand contents came crashing down upon him. He was screaming throughout, and there were panicked gunshots, which resulted in holes just an inch away from me and my lungs. I had pinned him down by the end of it, and possibly broke a few sensitive bones.

The second thug had seized the store owner by the hair, and his life by the knife at the throat. He was holding him hostage, and 'Fuck' was still the only thing on my mind- it was my first hostage situation- I hadn't really rehearsed for this yet.

"I swear I'll kill him man!" This guy had the looks of your average dude on the streets- he wore a pair of forgettable green T-shirts with some scraggly pattern round the chest, jeans and a pair of brown leather shoes. He had a moustache and hood. He looked more desperate than anything however, "Don't you take one step further!" Was all he needed to say to halt me dead in my tracks.

"Let- Let him go..." Was all I could utter as the victim's life was on the line. I could see rubies dripping down the China-man's neck. It was back to square one. I was fishing in uncharted waters again- all this and yet I was hunting for the biggest fish of them all, the Demoness. It was the realisation of the ambition of my operation that gave me strength however- should I falter now, what chance do I have against the pale-skinned ninja?

"I said let him go! Don't be such a God-damn coward!" I shouted demandingly. Another excruciating second passed, and the perp with the knife seemed at a loss of words. His face quaking with emotions, as if tears, grief and stress would erupt from his facial orifices any second now.

"They won't give me time! I couldn't pay up!" The seemingly normal dude explained vaguely as he trembled with untold inner turmoil. I had to admit though, it was only until he spelt everything out for me that my plan was conceived.

"What the hell're you talking about" I asked, trying to strike a balance between fucking rude toughness and justice man, stupid as I am when the obvious way to solve this problem should have occurred to me millions of years before.

"Jun kill him, Tommy! Or we'll-" The gunman with a gold tooth had tried to threaten the hostage taker, but...

"Shut the fuck up!" I was running out of patience. Bystanders were starting to gather outside the shop, watching the drama playing on from the outside, through the store display windows. Handphone cameras were taking down everything and anything transpiring, right down to the fly buzzing around the trapped gunman's head. I could hear the whine of the police siren at a distance- time's almost up.

"We were running into debts! My family! M-my kids!" The artist (he reminds me of one) was starting to panic. His face was having an earthquake rated 9 on the richer scale- there was no way he was faking it, "I took the sharks' money, but their interest rates were a lie!" It was at this point that I knew what to do, what to say.

"Let the man go. Do the right thing, and I'll put in a good word for you with the police." I tried convincing him, but it was obviously not persuasive enough. The sirens were drawing closer, "Look, can't you hear them! The cops are coming! You wanna see your wife and kids again?"

Another few seconds of silence. Admittedly, I was expecting him to either flee, or kill someone, but what came next was even more priceless than the movie adaptation of 300. Little by little, as if slowly absorbing and actually believing in what I said, he lowered his butter knife and handed it to me. Taking the few steps that he originally forbid me to, I took the knife by the blade, waiting for him to let go. Eventually he did, and the large crowd that had been gathering ever since 5 minutes ago went wild, started cheering.

The police came seconds later, as they always did in any superhero media. By then, my taser was already back where it belongs and I was escorting the artist towards them. As two NYPD officers hed us out of the store, breaking through the crowd, I eyed the sky, 'that's two less souls zooming towards heaven'. That was when I caught a glimpse of Demoness on the roof of a nearby building, or rather, at least I think that was her- it could've been anywhere between Hit-Girl and Captain Planet and I still won't know who it was- it was too dark to tell.

'You better be ready for me,' I thought in my euphoria of victory, 'Because I'm coming for you.' In truth, I was just more likely too drugged with one of my rare wins than I was anywhere closer to being a match to the Demoness.