Vigilante: Book One

Realization

Lazarus looked in the mirror. He saw someone he did not recognize. He saw a killer.

"I killed a man."

Realization sunk in. He had overdone it, hadn't he? Akimi was already done and on the ground. But now he wasn't going to get up. He had killed him. But it couldn't be all bad, could it? He had killed Jason and who knows how many other people in the years that he was a demon. It was better now that he was off the streets now, wasn't it? He was just going to keep coming back, he would never have stopped and that was bad considering how much of a threat he was. He was there when the previous vigilante, Dagger, was killed. If he was that dangerous, isn't it ok for him to be dead? Now he can't hurt anyone. Even though he was somehow resurrected. How would a man that was shot through the heart be walking and swinging a chain not even two months later? That is not normal, at all. He should have been in the ground, but what happened to him? He had a bullet to the heart, there is no coming back from that. Unless someone had found a way to reproduce heart cells in a manner that can bring someone back to life, but that is impossible.

Lazarus looked at Jessica. In the past few years, she had become a powerful woman. She was a great fighter, but also an amazing lawyer. So amazing as a matter of fact, that she is Assistant District Attorney. She could come in handy sometime. But what if she knew? That her friend, who sits in front of her, killed someone? She would lock him away. The public would turn even more against The Mask. This is another reason to make sure no one knows his secret. He had to keep his secret under wraps, because if only they knew...

"So, where are you thinking of doing it at?" Jessica said, waking him from his daydream.

"What?" Lazarus responded.

"Your office, do you have a good place yet?"

"Um, yeah. I'm using my apartment for now." He responded.

"You gotta get a place," Jessica said, then she looked closer. "Hey, are you ok?" 

Lazarus wanted to spill everything to her, his crimes, his identity, all of it. But he knew this would only cause problems. She is the Assitant DA, she would make sure he was locked up for life. Maybe one day Lazarus could tell her. But today he is still at war.

I really need a new suit.

Lazarus looked at his suit. It was trash. The batons were even wearing down. 

I need money.

He pulled the other mask over his head. This one had no eye holes, but it was thin so much so that he could still see perfectly clear. He stood atop the building. The air felt nice, a gentle breeze to go with it. 

Well, time to go to work.

"I told you. I don't know no lady named Dagger." The bloodied crook said.

"Of course you wouldn't, she's dead." He twisted the man's arm almost to the breaking point.

The man yelled in agony. "I told you." He said through gritted teeth "I don't know anything."

"Tell me," He twisted it a bit further, "Who killed her."

"I can't say." The crook said with pain in his voice, "I am more afraid of what he will do than what you can."

"That is where you are wrong," Lazarus said, releasing his arm, "You should be far more afraid of me. Because I'm here, with you, alone." 

The crook tried to get up and away, but Lazarus grabbed his right ankle, the dominant one, and he broke it in one fluid movement. 

"As I said," Lazarus grabbed him by his hair and pulled his head up and whispered in his ear, 

"Fear me more." 

He broke the crook's neck.