Flavor Text Chapter 14 (Patreon)

Chapter Fourteen

“What the fuck do you mean, wait!?” I hissed quietly. “That guy’s getting attacked, what more do you want?” 

“Just… wait. Look at him, Ta-Mulligan. Look.” 

I looked and saw the same as I’d seen before. A black guy getting his fucking ass handed to him by three white members of the E88. Classic really. 

“I see a guy who could seriously use our help. What the fuck are we waiting for!?” I demanded firmly.

“Watch. Wait and see.” 

I did so. The man held up his hands to block a punch, but failed to so do. His face was bleeding. He crumpled in on himself. Huddling against the kicks that the Empire goons threw at him.

“Wimp. You see Taylor? This is the way the world works. He’s not worth saving. Just like you were. I have no respect for losers like this guy who won’t even try to defend themselves.” 

I looked at her for a moment while trying to wrap my mind around her. 

“He’s hurt! How do you expect him to fight back?” I hissed. 

“Big guy like him? He could’ve at least tried. Wait till they’re done fucking with the weakling. Catch them when their gaurd is… No, fuck Mulligan wait!” 

“Hey!” I yelled. I jumped off the building’s roof. The ornithopter fell before slowing to a stop a foot or so above the ground. I let go and landed with a soft clop, kicking one of the bastards over as I did. 

“The fuck?” One of them shouted, spotting me against the gloom. I was visible but blended into the night even better than Shadow Stalker did. My cloak made me almost fully invisible but it wasn’t perfect. Underneath I wore a cheap domino mask, but everything hidden under the cowl was invisible anyway. I looked wraith-like, even standing in front of my own mirror. In the dead of night? I looked terrifying. 

The two remaining men had backed away from their broken victim, the one I’d kicked quickly scrambling to his feet to join his friends.

“New fucking capes. God damn I hate this city,” One of the men said before he turned and booked it. 

Another drew and took aim with a fucking gun in an eyeblink, and almost fired at me before a shadowy mist coalesced into Shadow Stalker pouncing onto him. The gun didn’t go off, but instead, flew out of the thug's hand towards me and the victim. Standing on his chest like a cat, she smashed her fist into his face once before leaping off him and going to mist again. 

She needn’t have bothered. The man dropped like a sack. 

The third man, whom I’d first kicked, bolted behind the first. 

“The fuck were you thinking!?” Shadow Stalker hissed. “Even I don’t just jump the fuck in! You could’ve been shot! Killed, dumbass! This isn’t a fucking movie!” 

“If I hadn’t, they might’ve killed him.” 

“Why… why didn’t I just keep working alone? Look. This is a fucking tuesday for him! He is a lone black guy living in empire territory. Do you really think they just kill everyone they see!?” 

The black man groaned as he sat up. “Ughhh… Stalker,” he said while rolling his neck. He sounded almost familiar with Sophia. “Pleasant… ashhh alwaysh.” His mouth was bleeding, his speech slurring. 

He was a regular 1/1. His color was green though, which was kind of rare. I associated it with peace loving people most the time. There weren’t too many of those. 

Shadow Stalker blinked. “I know you?” 

The man barked a laugh. “Ya! Hah. You saved me three weeks ago. Same shit, different day. Don’t even remember?”

Shadow Stalker looked annoyed. “I don’t make a point of remembering weaklings. Much less ones who aren’t smart enough to get out the first time.” 

“Ain’t that easy kid,” the man said sadly. I wasn’t even sure he’d heard Sophia’s insult. “Wish it were.” 

Sophia scoffed. “Whatever. Need an ambulance?”

“Can’t afford an ambulance. Thanks. F’what it's worth,” the man said through his busted lip as he pulled himself up off the ground, using the building’s wall as a crutch. “I appreciate being saved and all, but ‘at guy would’ve shot you if not for her.” He paused and coughed up what looked like a lot of blood. “I’d rather take the beating then have that on my conscience. Be more careful, eh hero?”  

His accent was harsh and hard to parse but I got the general gist. His color was blue, costing only one mana. 1/1, as most people were. I didn’t really understand why my power didn’t seem to register him as hurt. One power. One toughness. Regardless of the fact that he couldn’t swing a punch to save his life right now. 

I only got the vague sensation that he was… tapped. Whatever that meant. I guessed it was a catch all phrase for unable to fight though. 

I bristled. “I… suppose I could be more careful.” 

“No shit,” Sophia’s voice fluttered up from the ground where she was busy handcuffing the attacker she’d taken down.