Even Heroes Fall

Chapter Five - Ghoul

Camberwell is a shit hole. Not surprising really, low-income families crammed together in dilapidated housing estates. I can see why Castlemain would choose to sometimes operate out of one of the abandoned tower blocks, located conveniently behind the hospital, where no one will think to look for him. It doesn't bother me that this is not his permanent base of operations. If hitting this den hurts him I am satisfied the night was not a waste. If I am going to tear him down, piece by piece, I have to start somewhere.

Security is lighter than I expect at the tower block, just a couple of kids with knives patrolling outside. Not even patrolling, more like lounging in front of the main door smoking weed. In fact if anyone walks past they might just look like ordinary kids.

If Castlemain happens to be around I don't want to alert him to my presence so I silently sneak up behind the first kid and grab his neck, pressing on the pressure points to knock him out. The other kid just stares at me in surprise, not even bothering to take out his knife. He holds up both his hands warily and steps aside, allowing me to walk up to the front door. I grab the door handle and pull it hard enough to break the lock.

Inside the tower block there are no lights and no sounds of movement. Every apartment seems empty and abandoned. I furrow my brow considering if David was lying about this place, but if no one is here why the security outside. I stop to listen, allowing my hearing to reach across all floors of the building until finally I pick up on muffled movement on the tenth floor.

The lift is out of order but climbing ten flights of stairs does not bother me. I don't tire out as easily thanks to my super-strength. I head up them two at a time, thoughts straying once more to Castlemain. Having an arch-nemesis is exhausting. We have chased each other around the country for the better part of ten years. At first I tried to live a normal life, despite the super powers, but Castlemain was always in the background ready to demonstrate just how ridiculous that idea was. Every time I moved on thinking he would leave me alone for good he would reappear, his life's mission to make my life a living Hell. But not this time. This time it is me who is coming for him.

I reach the tenth floor, the sounds of movement becoming a lot clearer the closer I get. I exit the stairs onto the landing and am rewarded with the sight of two guys who appear more intimidating than the kids downstairs, and more like the serious type of criminal Castlemain associates with.

At first they do not see me. In the darkness of the corridor, a single bulb flickering overhead, I linger at the start of the corridor. Seemingly more interested in their mobile phones, I take the opportunity to survey what I am about to go up against. I note the automatics they are both carrying. It doesn't necessarily mean Castlemain knows I am in London yet but these weapons do make it easier for them to injure someone as fast as me.

I clear my throat and the guys look up, startled to see someone standing there. I wait for their expressions to turn to one of fear, or panic. But instead I see the same as Justice gave me when she started laughing, for fuck's sake, these bloody trousers.

'Who are you meant to be? Robin Hood?' sneers one of the guys. He does not even bother to reach for his gun.

The suit has to go. I cannot build a reputation like this. My dramatic entrance is ruined and their amusement is stirring my anger but I force it back, clenching my firsts, walking down the corridor towards them.

'Is Castlemain here?' I ask, adding a menacing growl to my tone.

'Bro, you lost? The circus is in Bermondsey.' They both cackle with laughter at the joke.

It is taking all my self control not to lose my shit with them. I move quickly, grabbing the automatic from its resting place against the wall, bending it easily into a useless shape. Maybe this is a bit dramatic but I need them to take me seriously.

Immediately they stop laughing. 'What the fuck?!' one of them says, mouth gaping open, whilst his companion reaches for the remaining gun but I am quicker and grab it first, twisting it out of shape.

The moment they realise what they are up against they try to scramble away from me towards the door they are guarding. I grab the one closest to me by the neck and propel him into his companion, both crashing to the floor. I only learnt this trick recently in a fight against multiple adversaries throwing them at one another gets the job done twice as fast.

'One more time,' I say to them, my hands trembling in impatience and annoyance as I resist the urge to unleash my full strength on them. 'Is Castlemain here?'

'S-shit! Man! No! He ain't here tonight!'

'Where is he now?' I demand, looming over them.

Before they can say anything more the door to the apartment bursts open and out tumbles another guy, a loaded automatic in his hands.

'What's with the shouting?' he barks and, unlike his colleagues, the moment he sees me he does not hesitate to fire.

I hit the floor just in time as bullets explode around me. I roll to one side, jump to my feet, then use my super speed to charge towards the guy, dodging aside most of the bullets, and using the wall to propel myself at the man with the full weight of my body. We both crash backwards into the apartment where he came from.

He lies on the floor, unconscious from the impact, and I find myself face to face with about a dozen guys all staring back at me. A couple of them are lounging on a worn old sofa, some are in chairs, or leaning against the wall. Most of them are smoking. The TV is showing some old American sitcom: the ones with the really annoying faked audience laugh in the background. On the kitchen table, and the coffee table, and pretty much every spare surface, are piles and piles of drugs.

Time seems to freeze as I look at them and they look back, eyes flickering to the broken door under my body and their unmoving body of their friends. Then the guns and knives appear, and I let go of my self-control.