Vigilante: Book One

First Kill

Lazarus hit again. The man pulled out his pistol. Lazarus broke his arm before he could fire a shot. The demons were starting to realize he was a threat. They had started calling him something. The Mask. They didn't have a better name. The police had also begun looking for him. He didn't care. He was wanted on multiple charges of trespassing, assault, and who knows what else.  He had realized something. That the law fails those who need it most. To fight this he decided he had to go outside the law for true justice. The man yelled in pain. 

"Where is he?" 

"Who?"

"Tell me where the Devil of San Francisco is!"

"I don't know! I swear!"

"Stop Lying! Tell me th-" Lazarus heard someone behind him. He turned and saw another man. But it was impossible. It could not be. It was the man that killed his best friend, his brother. Somehow, standing there, was Akimi. 

"No. You're dead," Lazarus said. "I watched you die."

"That is the thing with death. Where I have come from, there is no such thing." He lunged at Lazarus with his spiked chain. Lazarus moved slightly to the right. 

"You killed my friend."

"Getris? I assure you, nothing personal, he was just too good at his job." Akimi pulled his chain back and span it a few times before guiding it towards Lazarus. "He wasn't the first and certainly won't be the last person that I must kill. Now stand still so  I can kill you."

"You just shrug that off? You killed people! How does that not affect you!?"

"The last one of your kind was not nearly so mouthy. She simply beat the life out of people and moved on. You are not nearly as good at her, Mask." Akimi said.

"What do you mean, last of my kind?" Lazarus wanted to fight this guy, to kill him, but he needed answers. He lunged at Akimi and saw the Russian smile. 

"The vigilante before you. I mean, the ACTUAL vigilante. Not these groups of people in masks that advocate for social justice, no. I am talking about Dagger. She was always fun to fight. Seemingly endless knives." He threw a punch at Lazarus, which he dodged. 

"You killed her too!" Lazarus said as he uppercut Akimi. 

"No, now I was there, and I helped a little. I simply lured her there. The Devil did the actual killing. If I do not kill you and you get to him, he will kill you. He controls life and death. He takes life from those unworthy and gives it to those who need it most. "

"You sound like you worship the guy."

"Cults are not my style," Akimi said as he headbutted Lazarus. "I prefer free thought." 

"You know you can't win. I will kill you."

"Funny," Akimi pulled his chain back towards them, "I was about to say the same thing." 

Lazarus kicked Akimi to the ground. The man was up in a second. Lazarus saw the chain come flying at him. He pulled out his stun batons and let them hit the chain. He turned them on. The electricity buzzed. 

"Oh no. We are not doing that. Not again. It hurts but will not stop me. I will simply kill you, then go find your family, boyfriend, girlfriend, children, whoever I can that knows you, and kill them too." Akimi said.

"No. You are not going to hurt anyone ever again!" Lazarus leaped forth. Something in him snapped. When he threatened his family and friends. He knew this man was too dangerous to be left alive. He had to do this.  He hit Akimi's legs with his batons and he fell. The Russian rolled over. 

"So Mask, what are you going to do, hm? Kill me?"

"This time you are not going to get another chance. You failed Akimi. You failed your Devil, but more so, you have failed my city." Lazarus said and turned the batons as high as possible. He hit Akimi till his face was disfigured. Then, he did it. He could feel the anger and darkness rise up in him. It went into his hands. He pushed down on Akimi's chest with his batons. Akimi twitched all over his body, electricity sparking. Just to be sure, he did one final thing. He lifted his left baton and shoved it into his chest. He turned on the electricity.  "No resurrections this time." He pulled it out. Now, if he somehow got up, his left lung has a hole in it and you can see through the hole, through the other side.  He had done it. He had KILLED someone. But then again, this is war.