Man of Steel(26)

“So we’re trading in one set of tyrants for another? What’s to say that after this bunch gets rid of the ones we have now that they won’t take their place? Better the devil you know. At least the ones parading our streets are just fighting amongst each other, they haven’t really done anything to any of us except for a few threats here and there. What happened the other day was a one off, it was an accident. If we’re more careful and stick to our homes we can avoid anything like that happening again. If we go off half cocked and bring these guys in here who’s to say this bunch won’t subject us to worse than we’ve already been subjected to?”

That set off a little debate and my guys and I just stood back and let them hash their shit out amongst each other. What they didn’t understand is that once I’d studied their little town and seen what was going on I’d already made up my mind to take care of shit with or without their approval. If someone didn’t, this shit was going to spread and become something none of them had ever experienced before in their lives. Then it might be too late.

“I think since these guys have come all this way the least we can do is hear what they have to say.” That was Thomas the first speaker. The room quieted down as I made my way to the front and faced them. There were mostly middle-aged men and women here with a few late twenty to thirty somethings thrown into the mix. Old enough to know better than the shit they were spewing, they couldn’t be that fucking green.

I decided not to beat around the bush and get right to it. These people didn’t need any more coddling; they needed a serious wakeup call before they lost their whole way of life. It was a situation I was all too familiar with, both from my days on the force and now. Entire communities victimized by a few criminal element types. There was only one of two ways to deal with this shit. Fight back, or lay down and give up. Since the place was only a stone’s throw away from where I lived only one of those options applied.

“Your neighborhood is fucked because you’ve got people running around killing each other. Now they’ve fucked up and killed an innocent kid and that’s where I come in. Some of you seem to think that the lost of a young boy’s life was no big deal.” I glared pointedly at the stupid fuck who’d been spewing his shit before and watched him cringe back into his seat.

The cops can’t do shit because each time something happens and they talk to you, suddenly everyone’s suffering from the same fucking disease. D.K.S, don’t know shit. You claim to want to clean up your streets but you refuse to talk, you prefer to let a bunch of punks run you. You’ve given them all the power and you have none.

Well you know what? That’s fine, you’re all adults, that’s your choice and you have to live with it. But you know who don’t? Your kids, the innocents whose lives are in grave danger day in and day out. That’s who we’re here for. These kids will not pay for your cowardice and stupidity. I will have every last one of them moved into foster care and away from this shit hole until you lot grow a fucking pair and take your fucking world back. If you think that shit can’t be done try me. As to your assumption that we’ll just take over where these thugs left off I have only one thing to say to that.” Once again I turned my attention to the resident asshole. “Fuck you.”





I gave them some time to hammer out what it was they wanted to do, but I left them with the knowledge that one way or another, we were gonna do something whether they were too afraid or not. In the end Thomas, who it turns out was the uncle of the fifteen year old who was gunned down while playing a friendly game of basketball, was the one to take the lead and ask for our help.

“I can’t speak for everyone else but I live here too and it was my family that was hit the hardest. We can’t afford to let this shit go on any longer. Do whatever it is that you need to Mr. Blade, my family and I appreciate it.” His words shamed some of the others it seemed because soon more people were approaching us and offering their hands in thanks. Then they offered us coffee and cake and I felt like I’d fallen down the rabbit hole.

Served Deke’s ass right that the elderly women latched onto him. He did have that innocent boy next door look if you overlooked the million and one tats and the piercings that were visible. He blushed beet red when one of them took his hand led him over to the table where she handed him a cupcake with sprinkles and gushed over what a polite young man he was when he said ‘yes ma’am’ and ‘thank you’. I kept my hand over my mouth to hide the laughter and not embarrass him farther, but Stryder and D’Angelo had no such qualms. Of course I was the one he glared at once the deluded grandmother wasn’t looking.