Author's Note: Just a short one-shot I've had sitting on my USB forever. I originally wanted this to be a continuous story, but couldn't decide where I wanted to go with it. I eventually edited it down to this and most likely will leave it as it is. Anyway, enjoy!
Redemption
Her high heels clacked on the concrete path as she made her way home through Middle Park. She was lost in her thoughts of whether or not she'd get her promotion and blissfully unaware of the man that followed her. His short legs carried him quickly towards her delicate shape. His yellow, bloodshot eyes followed her every movement, watched as her long and shapely legs gracefully carried her towards her home. He began to walk a little faster, getting closer to her.
She heard rapid footsteps approaching and she spun around to face the source of the movement. Her eyes took in the man before her. He was clearly homeless, his skinny face was gaunt and drawn, his baggy, torn clothes hanging loose on his emaciated frame. His eyes were a sickly yellow as they drank in her figure. She unconsciously clutched her purse a little tighter.
"Do you need some money?" She asked, her voice wavering slightly.
"No, I was looking for a little…company," He responded, a smile growing over his dirty face, his lips parting to reveal rotted teeth.
She began to back away a little, his rancid breath stinking of garbage and cheap booze.
"Look, if you want money, take it, just leave me alone!" She said shoving her purse at him as he drew a filthy knife from the waistband of his ruined pants that were held up by a rope that had been loosely tied around his waist.
"I'll get around to that, I just wanna have some fun first," He slurred as he stepped forward. With this, she screamed. She spun around and began dashing wildly for the nearly empty street. She knew she shouldn't have decided to work so late and walk home at this hour. Her high heels made running difficult and he had caught up with her in an instant. He grabbed her by the back of the black business jacket she wore and pulled her roughly backwards, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground. He jumped on her, putting the knife to her throat. "Scream and I'll cut your fucking throat."
He began to awkwardly fumble with the task of pulling down his pants when suddenly a dark shape stepped out the shadows. She noticed this, the look of fear on her face growing. The shape moved forward, something long and shiny clasped loosely in its right hand. The shadow moved, now gripping the base of the shiny object with both of its hands. The object whistled through the air, striking the bum in the side of the head, a metallic clang ringing out. The bum fell to the side, slamming to the ground with a groan, blood slowly leaking from the side of his head.
Suddenly, she was hauled to her feet, her purse thrust into her hands. "Go," The shadow commanded with a accented voice. That was all the incentive she needed. She began to jog away, as quickly as her heels would let her, as more metallic slams and the bum's cries of pain rang out behind her.
Niko watched the woman awkwardly run off, her shiny black high heels making running difficult. The bum lay lifeless at his feet and he sighed as he looked down at the corpse. He supposed that it was good that he was killing the wicked and saving the innocent. Perhaps this would get him a bit closer to the redemption he so craved…