Fighting Back

How could things have gotten this bad? It’s a cold April night in downtown Chicago, IL. The year is 2017. The crime rate is at a ridiculous level, and there are very few cops left who aren’t accepting bribes to let the chips fall where they may. People kept waiting for the economy to turn around. We should’ve seen this economic collapse coming along with the fallout, but nobody did. They even elected a new president in the hopes that someone else could make things better. But it never happened. It was a new Great Depression and now gangs and corporate mobsters ran the show. A select few CEO’s and businessmen had made deals with the devil, and now a large percentage of the population was living in poverty. Ordinary citizens were being caught in the crossfire as the wealthy elite were literally going to war with each other. Someone had to fight back…

That’s me. At least I was the first. My name really isn’t important, but you’ll hear the media and the gossipers refer to me as Jack... Jack Lantern. It’s pretty silly if you ask me. They call me a superhero, but I’m just as mortal as anyone else. I’m not Batman. I’m not wealthy. I don’t have any training. I made my debut as a vigilante on Halloween night. It wasn’t something I’d been waiting for or anything. I killed a rapist and the two cops who let him carry out his sick acts. I won’t get into the details, but it wasn’t pretty. I put the bodies in an abandoned apartment and set it on fire. That night I didn’t have a plan, weapon, a costume, or a mask. But a lot has changed since that night…

I can hear the police sirens wailing in the distance. They are getting closer. That sound used to mean that help was on the way. But like I said, a lot has changed. Now it meant that Hell was on the way. With sweat on my brow and my heart pounding hard in my chest, I duck into a dark alley and hide behind a dumpster. I press my back against the cold metal and load a couple more shells into my shotgun. Tonight I snuck into the penthouse of the former owner of Harris Banks, roughed him up a bit, and stole several thousand dollars from his private vault. The money isn’t for me. It’s for some other families in need. But it’s not much really, just enough to put some food on the table for a few nights. But every little bit helps. I guess I’m like a modern day Robin Hood. Only I have guns instead of a bow and I don’t wear tights…

When I first committed myself to this I must’ve been trying to get myself killed. I figured my attempts to fight back against this corruption would last a few weeks at best before I was killed. But now it has been 6 months, and even though I’m stronger and wiser I can’t do this alone anymore. Now I’m hoping that my efforts will be acknowledged and others will join me in the fight. But maybe that’s just wishful thinking. Maybe I’m the only one crazy enough to do this… I stay hidden here for a while, listening to the sirens and catching my breath. I adjust the generic looking black mask that covers the top half of my face and reach down to grab the mini bottle of water at my side, taking a quick swig before putting it away. I stand up and throw the duffel bag of money over my shoulder, running off down the dark alley…


Name: Unknown
Alias: Jack Lantern, The Halloween Hero
Age: 31
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 227 lbs
Appearance: Green eyes, brown hair that just barely cover his eyes, average build

((( Okay here’s the deal… I’m going for a Watchmen/Christopher Nolan’s Batman type world here. This is set in the real world, so barring a really awesome idea I think we should keep superpowers out of this. I thought about making this an open thread, but it might get confusing that way. So I’m looking for one or two girls and one or two guys to join the story (both heroes and villains are encouraged). Message me if you are interested in writing for this story and let me know what ideas you have. Posts don’t have to be really lengthy, but a paragraph or two is preferred. Now let’s have some fun!)))

***Bump***

*Bump Bump*

Daniel Westhal

Name: Daniel Westhal
Age: 28
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 210lbs
Appearance: Chin length blond hair, dark blue eyes, well built without seeming to be all muscle.

Daniel is a military nut, he served 5 years in the force and went AWOL when his parents died in an automobile accident. He could remember back when justice was still justice and not something bought by the highest bidder. He watched in silence as everything started to go from bad to worse to pathetic. He had decided to punish the criminals...his way. Starting out with nothing more than a silenced Beretta and his training and experience in the Army, Daniel started to lay several drug operations to waste. Stealing what money he could from these operations, he built up an arsenal of weapons, his favorite being the long range rifles.

For a long while he thought that he was the only one who actually faced all of the evil in the world and then he heard about Jack Lantern. He followed Jack's exploits and finally decided to contact him, he found Jack as he was running from the Police, following along the rooftops, he tagged along; waiting for the right time to announce his presence

Jack’s foot dropped into a small puddle as he ran, sending splashes of water in a million different directions throughout the alley. He was winded, but he kept going. He wasn’t the most athletic person in town and he never really received any training. The fact that he’d survived this long doing what he was doing was something of a miracle. But as his dad had always told him, “I’d rather be lucky than be good”. He clutched the duffel bag of stolen money close to his side. He passed by a couple of bums who were making a drug deal. They looked up at him alarmed and as he ran by he could hear a “What the fuck?!” come from behind him.

He made it to the street on the other side of the alley and immediately ran into the middle of the road. A car honked its horn loudly and swerved to miss him. Jack didn’t even react as he’d reached his desired destination. He stood atop a manhole cover and immediately used the barrel of his shotgun to pry open the lid. Cars continued to speed by as he did so, and around the corner came two BMW police vehicles. Their tires screeching as they hit the brakes and made their way in his direction. Gunshots rang out as he jumped down into the dark sewers, and he was immediately submerged in a world of stench and darkness. Of course he’d just left a similar world as well. “Close but no Cuban cigar for you bastards,” Jack said aloud. He kept to the walkway along the sewage water and jogged in the direction of his hideout…

Daniel Westhal

Amateur move, of course he would know, he's been there before and did things exactly the same way. He watched as the policemen converged on the open manhole cover. They wouldn't follow immediately, but judging from the grim set of their faces, they were going to. Daniel stayed in the shadows and pulled the incendiary grenade from his tactical vest.

"A little present for you bastards"

He pulled the ring on the grenade and lobbed it with practiced ease, it landed and rolled under one of the cars. He grinned and beated a quick retreat, a few seconds later there was a dull thump and moments later a huge explosion as the car's petrol tank ruptured and the fuel came in contact with the burning phosporous. Daniel had other things on his mind, finding out who was supplying drugs to the two bums that Jack had passed in the alley.