Vigilante | ✔

Part I: Watchman

The first time Eli heard about the city's newest hero he thought it was a joke. Or at least, that he had misheard the girls on the bus and they'd been talking about some new superhero movie. He was quickly proven wrong as he watched the news anchor reporting about a fire in an apartment building. The people had been rescued by a guy who - from the description that was given - sounded like a comic book character.

"And I thought things couldn't get any weirder," he muttered as he shook his head and continued wiping the counters.

It was just past the rush hour at the coffee shop he worked in and it was just him, Michael - his manager - and Matthew - one of the regulars at the shop. He was an odd guy, showed up everyday at different times, usually right after the lunchtime rush, looking like he'd just gotten out of bed. His black hair was a mess and his blue-gray eyes were a bit red, supporting Eli's theory that Matthew had just changed his pajamas and headed to the coffee shop.

"I don't know, I mean, is it really that weird for someone to try to help out a bit, clean up some of the city's messes?" Matthew asked from his seat on a small table by the counter. Before him was a still warm cup of coffee. His third one of the day. Eli thought the guy needed to cut back on the caffeine.

"If the guy wasn't dressed like a second rate Batman wannabe then I'd say no, it's not weird at all." If Eli was being a bit more snarky than he should be with a customer it wasn't his fault. He just got like that when confronted with a particularly ridiculous situation.

"Well, at least this guy's doing something good. Not like that guy in Seattle, you know the one with the fancy suit," Michael said, walking in from the backroom. He was a ridiculously tall man, or so Eli thought, with short dark hair and olive skin.

"The one who pepper-sprayed those people in the name of justice?" Eli said and yes, Eli could have said it with a bit less sass. But then it just wouldn't be him.

"Yeah, that one," Michael agreed, ignoring Eli's tone because he was used to it already.

"It's still ridiculous," Eli insisted.

"But he saved those people," Matthew pointed out. "I mean, the firefighters couldn't get in, but he managed it and he saved someone."

"The firefighters could have gotten in if the guy hadn't rushed in first without actually taking safety precautions. He's lucky he's still alive, but he should probably leave this kind of stuff to the people who are actually supposed to take care of it."

Michael sighed and shook his head, just barely refraining from rolling his hazel eyes.

"Don't mind Eli," he told Matthew as he refilled the man's cup. "He's just bitter about his dream of being a superhero being shattered after he found out he was too short for the job." Michael didn't even have to look at Eli to know that his comment had earned him a glare.

"I am not short," Eli snapped, looking indignant. "Just because you're a giant doesn't mean I'm short."

"Being six feet tall doesn't make me a giant," Michael shot back calmly.

It was an old argument, one they had a few times a week and one neither could ever claim to either win or lose. And yet it was still entertaining enough for Matthew to watch as he sipped his coffee with the faintest of smiles.

- - - - - - - - -

The second time Eli heard about the man that was supposedly patrolling the city at night was when one of the regulars was chatting with Wendy - a part timer at the shop. Apparently, there had been a story in the news about the so called hero stopping a couple of robbers before they could get away after they'd cleaned out the cash register at a liquor store. What was really impressing people was that he'd actually given the guy that worked there medical attention before leaving. The guy claimed he saved his life. The paramedics agreed saying he might have bled out from a stab wound had it not been for the masked man.