Whumptober 2021

Garotte, choking (2)

Hero was ambushed out of the blue.

Walking back to his apartment, he casually swung the double-bagged groceries back and forth. He had gone shopping earlier, with a mask of course, to hide his face. The self-checkout kept him from speaking. He got some side-glances at his hair, which looked like he was a Caprice fanboy. His long gold streak stood out against his brown hair like a sun ray against storm clouds. People whispered, some giggled, and he smiled slightly under his mask. Little did they know.

All was going smoothly until he felt a presence. Like one would know someone was staring at them, Hero turned his head, looking from one side of the street to the other. There was nobody. Hero laughed to himself and continued on. After all, tomorrow was his day off. He needed to get home and enjoy it. Maybe he'd call a place, order a large plate of California rolls.

When he felt the metal wire around his neck, he knew it was too late. The bags fell to the sidewalk and he was yanked into an alley. He couldn't breathe. When he thrown to the cracked pavement, the wire was released and he was immediately picked back up into a chokehold. He tried scratching and clawing at the man's large arm but it did no use.

He was seeing spots by now. He was going to get captured. Please- please- he closed his eyes and kicked backward. There was a yell and he was released.

It actually worked.

He turned to see the damage but was grabbed by the back of his shirt and slammed into the brick wall. He broke the impact with his hands. The man that attacked him was thinner, a lot thinner than the man who almost choked him out.

One, two... he stopped. He had encountered two men so far, but-

His back hit the pavement and he groaned. So that's where the third man was. He sat up but was pushed down again by a foot. Hero drew a the knife from the man's leg sheath and stabbed him with a cry of exhaustion. Once. Twice. Lighting streaked across the sky. The man reeled backwards and fell, clutching his leg. Hero smirked but was picked up again, dropping the knife.

"What do you want with me?" Hero yelled as thunder echoed over the city. He must have wanted him to speak. The man laughed and Hero felt a drop of rain hit his nose.

"For one of the top heroes in the city, you sure don't keep a low profile out in public. I'd think someone like you would have at least a little common sense." That stung worse than his knee. Lightning flashed again and lit up the alley. For a second, he could see the hunter's face like the clear of day.

It was horribly scarred and twisted in a sick smile under the hood. Hero winced. "Bounty hunting." Hero kicked out and a thunderclap shook them all. "Your face is pretty much plastered all over the boards. Not to mention you're one of the more known heroes in the city. It wasn't so hard to find you." Rain was falling steadily by now. There went his groceries. He'd bought a cheesecake too.

That doesn't matter now.

He grabbed at the man's thumb, using both hands to pry it back. The hunter's grip loosened and Hero kicked out once more, his foot hitting the man square in the stomach. He was released, and caught his fall.

He had picked himself up when something entered his right leg. It was cold and wet. He froze. The object twisted and he fell. No.. no no no! He rolled over and with his boot heel, slammed the closest contact point of the man that stabbed him. That was his head. The man didn't try fighting anymore, and Hero slowly started to crawl away.

His phone was lying out in the pouring rain. Please... it didn't turn on. Expected. He was such an idiot. He didn't even have a rendezvous point with his sidekick. The hunters were right about something.

He was too carefree.