It was the usual thing. A wealthy couple, maybe married, walking through a dark alleyway on their way back to their car, intercepted by a mugger. He knew he should intervene. Encounters like these went sideways more often than not, especially since the capes had started interfering. If a bad guy knew that any moment he might be zapped with a stun ray or slugged by a brick, he was now much more likely to shoot, grab what he could and run rather than wait around for his victims to fumblingly hand over their valuables.
If he was going to intervene, therefore, his window to do so was vanishingly small. But as he sat there on the rooftop staring down, he realized all at once that, honestly, he just… didn’t… care anymore.
So he stopped the mugger this one time. Would it really change anything? There were a dozen other crimes like it happening in the city right now. There were a lot more capes these days, but even they couldn’t be everywhere at once. (Well, literally speaking there were a few that came close, but that raised a whole separate set of issues). And then there were other cities, and other countries, and all kinds of bad stuff happening everywhere, and if he let himself think about it all he’d probably go mad.
People, really. That was the problem. He hadn’t seen Android Pete around for a few days, but he was sure the guy would agree; humanity had issues. He was human himself and he had to admit, he wasn’t doing so good. And now- he saw the mugger was, of course, pulling a gun and he swore.
Honestly, a guy couldn’t be left alone in this town to brood; someone had to pick this place and right now to go villain on him. Muttering in frustration he swooped down and shock-waved the gun out of the guy’s hand and psychically knocked the guy down for the count, and then before the couple could pour on handshakes and “oh-thank-God”s and “we’re so grateful”s he swooped away again. Next time he wouldn’t, he told himself. There hadn’t been any point, he knew. The guy would be out on bail in a day or two anyway, after all.
Still, he had to admit. Even so. What else could he do?
This short story was inspired by a prompt from to use a sleazy back alley as a setting.
The fight against evil is an endless one. Superheroes must grow weary. Well done.
I loved this, especially with the unnamed superhero bit!