Enter Sting

Japheth finished closing up the shop. Sales today had gone up, especially since it was a holiday. He'd probably be able to buy that new pair of shoes. He couldn't help but smile to himself.

"Something put you in a good mood?"

Japheth turned. It was Cynthia.

"Nah. Just thinking of stuff."

"Seems pretty interesting to me."

The two walked down the street, passing by the guys who stood by fireplaces. Japheth grabbed two pastries, handing one to her.

"So," Cynthia asked, "What do you think of today's celebration?"

"Well, it's just another holiday."

"Oh c'mon, J." Cynthia said, "I saw you itching to say something when them guys were arguing in the shop."

"It's just that I really don't see any importance in today's celebration."

"Really?"

"Don't get me wrong. The heroes do a good job. But…" Japheth looked around him, "Well, you get the point."

"Hey, it's not like we got some guys who don't keep the streets around here safe."

"You mean the Special Officers?"

"Don't play dumb with me. You know what I mean."

"Cynthia…"

"C'mon. I know you still go out sometimes to patrol. I was the girl that pushed you into it in the first place, and also made sure that your old man didn't find out."

"Yeah, but it was a onetime thing."

Cynthia drew close to him, poking at his chest, "Is it really?"

Japheth looked at her and couldn't help but smile. Trust Cynthia to always read his thoughts. True, he wasn't going to lay back down on something he had started.

"Do you got have it here?" Japheth asked.

"Yeah," Cynthia said, "You know me."

Japheth sat on the edge of the fire rail. The black suit he wore was his personal favorite; the hoodie, the knee braces and elbow braces, the fingerless gloves and metal knuckles. And the mask.

"J, do you copy?" Cynthia said over the coms.

"It's Sting."

"Oh yeah, Sting. Still sounds weird."

"You know, we still have to find that fire guy, right?"

"Yeah, right."

"What do we know about him?"

"Guy can shoot fire balls. What victims normally said was that he normally targeted the gas lines in homes to create quite the bang after he stole their stuff."

Japheth jumped down, blending with the crowd. "Seems to be hiding evidence. But why? Special Officers don't even come around here no more."

"Don't know myself." Cynthia said, "He's awfully careful for a mere armed robber."

Japheth crossed the road, passing by some guys who looked like thugs. They eyed critically, but didn't bother to approach him. They knew who he was. Japheth continued down the street, stopping at what remained of an apartment. The yellow tape still meant that they were fixing up the place.

"This is the east side of town, right?" Japheth asked Cynthia.

"Yeah, why."

Japheth looked around him. He was attracting stares from pedestrians. He wasn't comfortable with that, but what were they going to do.

"People on the eastside are those who're mostly well-to do. They aren't rich, but…"

"… They work in Utopia. They're paid higher than any job in Downtown. That explains the tracks he was trying to cover up 'cus they could bring in the Special Officers."

"But they never came." It was odd. Where they afraid of the fire ball guy? Or was it something else? From what he'd heard there wasn't even a description of his face given to them. Thinking like this made his head hurt.

Japheth made his head hurt. He took a deep breath.

There were five victims. The first and second victims were on the same street. The third was a turn away from where he stood. Fourth was the next house. This was the fifth. The next victim would be close. Very close.

The first three victims had a month's interval. The last two were a day apart. Yesterday. He was getting desperate….

A loud boom brought him back to reality. Japheth run in the direction of the sound.

"J?"

"He's here Cynthia," Japheth said, jumping over a car. He rushed to meet a burning building. People were running out, coughing and gasping for air.

"Everyone out?" Japheth asked a guy.

"Nah." The man said, "That idiot took someone."

Without waiting for him to finish, he rushed into the building. The first floor was full of smoke, making it somewhat difficult to breath. Japheth removed his mask. To hell with his face, he needed to breath. Japheth climbed up the stairs, reaching the waiting inferno. He could hear two voices; a man and a woman. The woman was begging for her life, the man was asking for something, a key or something. Japheth made his way through the burning hallway. Burning debris began to fall around. He reached the room. The pyromaniac stood with his back facing him, the fire seemingly surrounding his hostage and him. Japheth signaled for the girl to not say a word. Slowly, he tiptoed towards the man. He was running short of air, but that wasn't the time to bother about that. So were they.

"For the last time! Where the hell is the safe?!"

"I…I don't know. My husband never…"

A fire ball flew past her head, sending shivers down her spine. "I ain't joking around, girl. Next one's really going for your face. Where the hell is the damn safe!"

Japheth took the chance. With swift movements, he dashed at the man, knocking him to the ground.

"Run!" Japheth cried. The girl obeyed, but her path was immediately blocked by flaming debris. Punching the man in the face, Japheth picked up the girl, jumping through the flames. He used his arm to block the incoming falling debris, being rewarded with a burning sensation. The two made it to the ground floor, coming out of the building. The building exploded a second time, releasing a minor shockwave.

"You okay?" Japheth asked the girl. The girl nodded. Japheth put his mask back on and looked at the building.

"You going back in there?" an onlooker asked him.

"Yeah," Japheth replied. "I knocked him out…"

"Guy's resistant to fire."

"But…"

A fire ball burst out of the top floor, aiming straight at the onlooker. Japheth pushed him out of the way, receiving the blast, rolling across the street. Japheth looked up, seeing the guy jump out of the building and make a run for it. Japheth chased after him.

The guy fired at him, Japheth had no choice but to receive the blast, using his arms as a shield. He continued his chase, following the guy through a dark alleyway. The man suddenly stopped and turned, holding a bigger fireball in his hand.

"I don't know how the hell you ain't feeling all those burns but you better back the hell away from me or this ones gonna hurt real bad."

"You were attacking innocents," Japheth said, "just making sure people don't get hurt."

"Ever the saint, huh. People like you live in this part of town too, huh? I would have thought that you were part of them guys form that Conquer shit, but you sound like a guy from around here. Why don't the two of us work together, huh?"

"Dream on."

"Sad." The guy said, raising the fire ball. The guy suddenly fell to the ground, as a metal baton hit him in the head, revealing a woman in a black suit similar to his, but somewhat better. She wore a black mask that covered part of her face.

"You guys talk too much, you know that right?"

Japheth looked at her confused. "Who're you?"

"Just some guys doing these streets a big favor." A voice answered from behind him. The guy had spiky red hair and brown eyes, a piercing in his left ear. He wore a brown coat over a black tight t-shirt and black jeans, with armor paddings on the knees and shin.

"Hello. Sting, right?"

"Ye…yeah."

"You have little to know regard for your safety, do you?"

"Someone needed to be saved."

"You took two fireballs to the chest."

"If I dodged, it'd have it someone else. Who are you guys?"

"We're vigilantes. Just like you." The girl said, "But better."

"May I?" The guy said. He touched Japheth arm, where the fire balls had hit.

"You're not feeling that?"

"It's complicated. I do, not the same way you do."

The guy smiled, "The name's Dimitri Beckson, the Identity. She's Shatter. We're part of a vigilante group called the Ghost Trails. We do stuff like you do."

"Never heard of you."

"Yeah. Most people would say the same thing of you. Guys like us aren't popular. We just do it for the greater good."

Japheth nodded. The guy handed him a card, which he reluctantly took. The girl dragged the body of the fire ball guy away.

"What would you do with him?"

"We'll hand him to Special Officers,"

"And no, we don't work with them. We just leave them at the front steps and walk away," Shatter said.

"Cool."

"If you need anything, call me." Identity said, and with that, the two walked away with the armed robber.

"So, what the hell was that all about?" Cynthia asked.

"…I… I still don't know."