Felicio

Felicio It's the saddest thing in a world. A beautiful girl, lying on the ground, dead. My hand was still there, still ready to catch her. I was moments too late. It was like she knew what I was going to do before I did it. She'd been trying to tell me something. What? Her hair was splayed over the concrete. Blood seeped out from underneath her. I could smell the death. Her body twisted unnaturally. People were gathering around. I stood on the building. I could have saved her. I should have saved her. Wasn't that my job? They looked down at the body. Then they looked up at me. Too slow. Again. I was supposed to have the reflexes of a cat. Why was I always so slow? I turned away, hoping that the night would hide my black costume. Moments ago I had been standing there with that girl. She had looked me straight in the eyes. “It's too much,” she said, “too many thoughts. You're a good man. Don't let them define you. Stay true to yourself.” Then she stepped back. Before I knew it she was hurtling through the air. Then she was on the ground. She looked so peaceful, like it was what she wanted, but how could anyone want death? Why had she done that? And why had she looked at me as though she knew who I was behind the mask. I was left with nothing but questions and remorse. I sprinted across the roof and jumped. My powerful muscles, enhanced by some kind of magic I can't even explain, propelled me across the city, taking the paths that mere men cannot take. The smoke and steam rose through the night sky. It's so quiet up here, so peaceful. But my mind is so loud. Why can't I silence it? I'm supposed to be a hero. That's why I put on this costume in the first place. That's why I got these powers, or at least that's what I assumed. I stopped and punched a wall. The brickwork shattered and crumbled to the floor. So strong. So fast. Yet it never seems enough. Already the police are hunting me and if they think I'm involved with that girl...I'm never going to hear the end of it. Maybe I should just give up now. Maybe this life isn't for me. The stupid thing is that I can't imagine doing anything else. Putting on this black costume and running about the city like a maniac is the only thing that has ever given me any kind of purpose or meaning. When that mask slips over face it feels like the true me is coming out, like I've always had this inside me and the costume lets me express it. But what's the use if I'm not doing any good? Has the world really been made a better place by my actions? It's nights like these when I wish I was a normal teenager. I can't remember the last time I had a date, or just had a quiet night in. Other people were busy living their normal lives and I was up on a rooftop chastising myself for not being able to save a girl who didn't want to be saved. The image of that last look would be etched into my memory for a long time yet. Her blue eyes, sparkling as she fell, her mouth curling into a smile. I wanted to know what drove her to her death. I didn't even know her name. I scrambled down a fire escape. My feet hit the floor. I was in an alley and pulled my mask off, after making sure nobody was around. Not that anyone would care. I'm just a nobody trying to be a somebody. The night was late and I raced home. I'd had enough of trying to be a hero for that night. I bounded up to my bedroom window and slipped through. As far as my parents knew I was studying or reading or just being a moody teenager. Little did they know I was the fearsome Felicio, the scourge of criminals, the harbinger of justice...the man who had let a girl die. I peeled off my costume and fell back on my bed, staring at the ceiling. When I'd started this vigilante life I had been filled with the idea of adventure. It had all seemed so easy. I would take out criminals and be lauded as a hero. The city would be filled with hope and people would feel safer. Instead I've been labeled as a meddling guy all because I accidentally busted up an undercover scheme the cops had been working on for years. How was I to know? I was only trying to do the right thing. That's what I was always taught growing up. If good men stood by and did nothing the world was never going to be a better place. That's what she had said to me...that I was a good man. I'd never seen her before and yet she seemed to know me. I wish I knew more about her. I wish I knew anything about her. * Detective Alan Lang “Detective Lang, what is your opinion on the eye witness accounts that the masked vigilante known as Felicio was responsible for the girl's death?” “That girl has a name, Emma,” I scowled. The worst part of my job is to deal with these hack reporters who would sell anything for a story. All they want is to have people paying attention to them when there's real work to be done. “As for my opinion, I think I've been very clear. If he wants to fight crime then he should join the force.” “But do you think he could have killed her? So far he's only ever punished those who have committed crimes. Do you think he's gone too far this time?” “I think you're trying to put words in my mouth. So far Felicio hasn't killed anyone. I don't think he's a murderer, he's just a misguided individual. But if he has any information then he should come forward. That's the responsible thing to do. It's the saddest thing in the world to see someone so young die like this. I'm sure her family want to know why this happened. If he was the last person to see her alive then he might know better than anyone. That's all for now.” There were still a million questions to answer but I was done with them. I marched back into the office. “You really think it was just a coincidence he was up there with her?” Mary said. She was a good kid, bright, but too naive for her own good. She had a soft spot for Felicio, one that I needed to deal with eventually, but there were too many other things on my plate. “I have no idea, maybe it was, but either way it's like I said out there, he needs to come in and give us a statement.” “You know he's not going to do that, not when he's going to get arrested at the same time.” “If he was a true hero he'd be willing to take that risk,” I snapped. It was harsh, but this was a harsh world and if Mary was going to make it as a detective she needed to harden her heart. If she didn't it would just get broken again and again. It was a lesson I learned too late. I didn't want her to make the same mistake. “Are you only looking into her death because Felicio is involved?” she asked. I pulled the chair out from under my desk and tried to ignore the stacks of paperwork that had piled up around me. There was barely any space to breathe. “No, I'm looking into her death because she's the daughter of Albert and Lauren Shaw, who have donated a lot of money at charity auctions for us over the years and have personally requested that we take a special interest in the case.” I wasn't a fan of these rich people thinking that justice was their privilege, not a right for everything. Just because they had granted us a lot of money over the years didn't mean they should get preferential treatment but that was the world from the top. I was just a loyal soldier ready to obey orders. Not that I knew where to start. The only lead we had was Felicio and he wasn't exactly the easiest man in the world to catch. Nobody knew anything about him, only that he was making a big mistake by trying to take the law into his own hands. Maybe it had backfired and someone innocent had gotten hurt. It had only been a matter of time until it happened. “That name sounds familiar.” “It should. They own the research facility downtown. Lots of secrecy. Lots of rumors. Nobody really knows what goes on there. It's all on a need to know basis and people like you and me never need to know. We're always just expected to get the job done no matter what.” “So where do we start?” “The crime scene. Let's see if daylight has shed anything.” People crowded around the building. Emma's body had been taken away, thank God, but the stains of her blood were still present. It was a hell of a fall. “Excuse me, do you know what happened? I mean, why she did it?” I turned to see a young kid standing too close for my liking. He stammered. Probably got off on something like this. Kids these days were all messed up. “That's what I'm here to find out.” “Do you really think he pushed her?” his eyes darted about furtively. The signs of a guilty conscience. My instincts were telling me something was up but I didn't know what. “I have no idea. What do you think? Did you know her?” “No, I, uh, I was just wondering. I saw it on the news you know and it just doesn't make sense, like, why would she do that to herself?” “I don't know. Why wouldn't she?” He tilted his head and didn't seem to know how to answer my question. I figured there he was just a kook so I shooed him away. It was time to get down to work. * Peter Well that had been stupid. I should have known better than to talk to Detective Lang. He was the one that had been gunning for Felicio, hard, and it was risk. The way he looked at me...for a moment I thought he was going to guess that I had been on that roof with the girl. Emma. I hadn't known her name until I saw his statement. At least he wasn't convinced it was me. Maybe my luck was changing. There weren't any clues at the crime scene and I didn't want to hang around there while Detective Lang was there. Knowing me I'd let the secret slip. It was already bad enough that people were associating me with the murder. I wanted to come forward and tell them but how could I? They'd slap handcuffs on me straight away and throw me in jail...if they could find one strong enough to hold me. I went and grabbed a hot chocolate in Starbucks and flicked through the news. Reports of Emma's death were on every site. Turned out she was a big deal. Emma Shaw, daughter to the scientists who had the big research center. Something didn't sit right with me. Her parents were rich, she had every opportunity, the friends that were coming out with statements all said how she was full of life, kind, and seemed happy. So the question still remained, why did she kill herself? It was a question I knew I had to answer.