05-05-2014, 09:35 AM
The train was closing quickly but appeared to be slowing down. Connor threw himself onto the platform, rolling and immediately stood up. He was maybe 10 feet from the man. The man had his arm around the woman's neck and was pointing his gun at Connor. The man was weasily and dressed in ratty clothing. The woman- maybe 25- was petrified, face white with terror.
"You stay back!"
The man said, waving his gun threateningly. He looked around nervously. This was obviously not what he expected. He'd expected an easy time of it. The woman's fear was palpable. She had just been heading home after work, probably tired and ready to spend the rest of her evening with her family. And then this scum comes up to her...Connor noticed the restroom doors next to the stairway leading to the surface and it crystallized in his mind. The man had been going to drag the woman into the bathroom and rape her and maybe kill her afterward.
Rage filled him. Rage at all the injustices of this world. But this time- this time- he could do something about it. His face hardened, he glared at the man and took one step forward. The train had slowed to a stop and the doors hissed open. The man was startled and looked from him to the opening doors and this time his fear was palpable. He pushed the woman forward and then turned and ran. She stumbled but caught herself on the bench.
Connor was not going to let him get away to do it again. Not this time. Not while I'm around, he thought grimly. A lifetime of sports- especially football and soccer- and running 3 miles a day for the last 15 years meant that he reached top speed in 3 steps. Legs and arms pumping, mind focused by righteous fury, he was a 200 pound train of muscle and anger- and he was going to hit this guy hard. He smiled grimly. He was going to enjoy this.
The man briefly looked back and saw him, eyes widening in fear. He desperately turned around and brought up his gun. You better be a good shot with that thing and hit something important because otherwise.... The thought flitted across his mind in an instant. But it was too late. Connor slammed into the guy, hitting him as hard as he could with his shoulder, pushing him with all his strength. The guy flew back the remaining few feet and hit the center handrail running up the staircase with his back. It made a sickening crunch. The man's momentum carried him over the rail and he smacked his head on the corner of a step with a satisfying crack.
Connor stood over him breathing heavily. The man didn't move. Connor went to where the gun lay and kicked it toward the train so that it fell between it and the platform. Connor felt good. Satisfied. He looked to the woman. She was still there, holding herself up against the bench. Surprisingly, there was no one in the cars, so no one had come out. The doors just stood open. Connor went to the woman.
"It's ok miss. He's not going to hurt you."
He touched her shoulder lightly- he wasn't sure if she'd welcome it after the man had accosted her. "It's ok. You're safe now."
She surprised him by burying her face in his chest and crying. She was shaking terribly. He just held her for a moment. "It's ok, It's ok,"
kept saying softly over and over again. The adrenaline was leaving his body and he felt some tiredness wash over him.
The chime of the train startled him. The doors were about to close. The woman pushed away and then darted into the car, just before the door slid shut. She looked at him through the window and mouthed "Thank you."
He smiled at her and watched the train accelerate away.
Then it was just him and the man on the platform. The man still hadn't moved. Connor looked across and saw Tehya and Elias looking at him from the other side of the tracks. He laughed to himself. How he must have looked to them, jumping down, running across the tracks, almost getting hit by a train, almost getting shot. But it had been worth it. That smile had made it worth it. Knowing what he had prevented had been worth it.
Connor pulled his wallet out and was about to call the police to pick the man up when something above caught his attention. It was over the tunnel mouth where he had been looking before. Now that he was closer, he could see more clearly. His mouth fell open. In the darkness, he saw a black mist. His stomach fell and heart started pounding. It was one of those mist things. What had Aria called them? Iji...something? He stood very still, watching the mist. It drifted slowly, deliberately toward the other platform, it's movements reminding him of the way the man had snuck up on the woman. Connor didn't understand. He had been the one moving and running. Why was it moving toward Elias and Tehya?
He had to warn them. Pointing at it, he yelled "Look out!! There's something dangerous up there!!"
For the second time, he jumped down from the platform and started running, again doing his best to avoid any electrified rails. Hopefully this time there would be no train coming.
Edited by Connor Kent, May 5 2014, 09:44 AM.
"You stay back!"
The man said, waving his gun threateningly. He looked around nervously. This was obviously not what he expected. He'd expected an easy time of it. The woman's fear was palpable. She had just been heading home after work, probably tired and ready to spend the rest of her evening with her family. And then this scum comes up to her...Connor noticed the restroom doors next to the stairway leading to the surface and it crystallized in his mind. The man had been going to drag the woman into the bathroom and rape her and maybe kill her afterward.
Rage filled him. Rage at all the injustices of this world. But this time- this time- he could do something about it. His face hardened, he glared at the man and took one step forward. The train had slowed to a stop and the doors hissed open. The man was startled and looked from him to the opening doors and this time his fear was palpable. He pushed the woman forward and then turned and ran. She stumbled but caught herself on the bench.
Connor was not going to let him get away to do it again. Not this time. Not while I'm around, he thought grimly. A lifetime of sports- especially football and soccer- and running 3 miles a day for the last 15 years meant that he reached top speed in 3 steps. Legs and arms pumping, mind focused by righteous fury, he was a 200 pound train of muscle and anger- and he was going to hit this guy hard. He smiled grimly. He was going to enjoy this.
The man briefly looked back and saw him, eyes widening in fear. He desperately turned around and brought up his gun. You better be a good shot with that thing and hit something important because otherwise.... The thought flitted across his mind in an instant. But it was too late. Connor slammed into the guy, hitting him as hard as he could with his shoulder, pushing him with all his strength. The guy flew back the remaining few feet and hit the center handrail running up the staircase with his back. It made a sickening crunch. The man's momentum carried him over the rail and he smacked his head on the corner of a step with a satisfying crack.
Connor stood over him breathing heavily. The man didn't move. Connor went to where the gun lay and kicked it toward the train so that it fell between it and the platform. Connor felt good. Satisfied. He looked to the woman. She was still there, holding herself up against the bench. Surprisingly, there was no one in the cars, so no one had come out. The doors just stood open. Connor went to the woman.
"It's ok miss. He's not going to hurt you."
He touched her shoulder lightly- he wasn't sure if she'd welcome it after the man had accosted her. "It's ok. You're safe now."
She surprised him by burying her face in his chest and crying. She was shaking terribly. He just held her for a moment. "It's ok, It's ok,"
kept saying softly over and over again. The adrenaline was leaving his body and he felt some tiredness wash over him.
The chime of the train startled him. The doors were about to close. The woman pushed away and then darted into the car, just before the door slid shut. She looked at him through the window and mouthed "Thank you."
He smiled at her and watched the train accelerate away.
Then it was just him and the man on the platform. The man still hadn't moved. Connor looked across and saw Tehya and Elias looking at him from the other side of the tracks. He laughed to himself. How he must have looked to them, jumping down, running across the tracks, almost getting hit by a train, almost getting shot. But it had been worth it. That smile had made it worth it. Knowing what he had prevented had been worth it.
Connor pulled his wallet out and was about to call the police to pick the man up when something above caught his attention. It was over the tunnel mouth where he had been looking before. Now that he was closer, he could see more clearly. His mouth fell open. In the darkness, he saw a black mist. His stomach fell and heart started pounding. It was one of those mist things. What had Aria called them? Iji...something? He stood very still, watching the mist. It drifted slowly, deliberately toward the other platform, it's movements reminding him of the way the man had snuck up on the woman. Connor didn't understand. He had been the one moving and running. Why was it moving toward Elias and Tehya?
He had to warn them. Pointing at it, he yelled "Look out!! There's something dangerous up there!!"
For the second time, he jumped down from the platform and started running, again doing his best to avoid any electrified rails. Hopefully this time there would be no train coming.
Edited by Connor Kent, May 5 2014, 09:44 AM.