Nightingale: The Vigilante || EDITING

Chapter Ten

Present day:

Sightings of the other vigilante had been known on rare occasions. If Nightingale showed up to the scene, the other masked man could sometimes be seen from the shadows, cleaning up messes from criminals before I could do my part. As much as I adored fans, this other vigilante was stealing my spotlight, and it was really getting on my nerves. I even saw on the news the other day that the image of Nightingale was fading with this new vigilante in town. The guy steals a few of my gigs and now thinks he owns the place.

I have already planned on beating this guy the next time I see him. He took my job, ruined my vigilante namesake. Hell! He's dropping bodies rather than saving them! Killing people as their punishment for committing crime is wrong. In my book, the new vigilante is not a hero. He is a mad-man that thinks that killing people is the same thing as saving them.

I have only actually ran into the vigilante once. It was almost like running into a gender-swap mirror. He was tall, black military armor with blue accents. Knives kept away in his suit sleeves. He looked like he relied on fist fights, using weapons must have been his last resort. He could have easily taken me out with his size, but for some reason, he didn't. Yet, I don't know if the information I gathered was true from that night. It's hard to pick out details in the city atmosphere: noisy alleyways, old flickering lights that buzzed every now and then.

I knew if I were to face the new vigilante, it would take a while to track him down. If I were to stop this guy, I wouldn't know how. I haven't been around him long enough to know his strengths, weaknesses, and even his fighting style. I only got bits and pieces when I arrived late to a crime scene with the vigilante present. Based on the locations spotted by the new vigilante, there really isn't a pattern on the whereabouts of the impostor. The only two options I could think of on catching the vigilante was if I were to set some sort of trap for him, or wait until he pops up on the police's radar.

Even if I wanted to set the trap for the impostor I wouldn't have a clue on how. I would practically have to set up a robbery or some kind of crime that would lure the vigilante out of hiding. I'm not willing to put my name in a deeper shade of red back at the police's HQ. The only safe option for me was to wait until the vigilante showed up.

And so I waited. How long you ask? Let's say a good few weeks without any sightings of the other vigilante. Luckily school got out a few weeks ago so I was really able to focus on my vigilante activities. Granted there were other crimes that were committed that I was able to stop during this time as well. At least this helped boost my reputation back up a bit, not enough however to knock the other vigilante off the playing board. A few burglaries and a car chase off the highway: nothing I couldn't handle.

Tonight was different. There was a burglary a few streets away from my apartment. As usual gets from my vigilante schedule, I race down to the housing complex as soon as I get the call. Luckily I was the first person to arrive on the scene without the other vigilante or the cops showing up. The door was kicked down, pieces of wood scattered across the floor. I have to tiptoe over the shards of wood to avoid making any sound and scaring off the burglars. A hallway stretched down the complex a a few doors down. I look down to watch where my feet were landing. I struggle to get across knocked over furniture when I notice something wet covered on the wall. I brush my glove's fingertips over the surface, leaving a streak of red behind as I brushed it over.

Blood, I realize. I rose from the spot of ground I crouched over and draw out my katana blade from its holster. I slow as I approach another door in the hallway that was open by a crack. I lean against the edge of the door frame, and crane my neck as much as I can to see inside the room, without being seen. As soon as I peer my eyes through the slit of the door, I see him.