He's Back
by Eric J. Krause
He sat perched on the stony edge of the roof of the American United Banks building, looking every bit the iconic gargoyles he named himself after. Crime festered below, from the petty crooks shaking down helpless citizens to the mastermind costumed supervillains whose crazy schemes could net millions in a single night. They'd all grown complacent, cozy, in his absence, but that ended tonight. Tonight they'd remember the fear that compelled safety in the streets for so long.
Politics had driven him away. With no crime, less police officers were needed. With cutbacks looming, the officer's union sprang into action, condemning costumed vigilantes, as they called him. Once the darling of the police force, the Gargoyle now found himself ordered shot on sight. The union rallied the public into a frenzy with TV, radio, and Internet smear campaigns. It wasn't long before he had to endure taunts, boos, and heckles anytime he showed up to stop a crime. The hurled rocks and broken bottles came next, followed by pot-shots from .22s and bigger caliber guns. John Q. Public proved more hazardous than the actual criminals. So he gave them their way and left town.
Pleas from civic leaders started not two weeks later. "Save us, Gargoyle. We're sorry for how we treated you. Please come back." And on and on, over and over. He knew he'd relent and return, but first he let them stew in their own juices. Let them see how ineffectual the crooked police union had become. He considered a press conference to announce his return, but that was never his style. Next he thought about a fireworks and laser light show as he burst into action, but that was too flashy. No, it had to fit him, and what better way to come back than by simply showing up and stopping crime? The murmurs in the underground would scare a great deal many crooks into going straight before he ever had to face them.
He spread his oversized wings and launched into the night. It didn't matter where he landed; each street in the city had turned into a cesspool needing his immediate attention. First he'd clean out the vermin on the streets, then decimate the costumed heavies, and finally destroy the corrupt police union. This great metropolis deserved nothing less.
He was back. Evil beware.
I'd love to see this as a comic! Then again, the story was great on its lonesome.
ReplyDeleteIs that how you view yourself in the #fridayflash community? A granite guardian, lurking above, saving us from the worse angels of our nature? You humble man, you!
ReplyDeleteNice to see you stretching your wings...er, um, I mean spreading your wings...wonderful character. Hope to see him kick butt.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments! Glad you like this character. He was fun to write. I may put him in some future adventures, but I haven't really given it much thought yet. Time will tell.
ReplyDeleteAnd, John, of course this is how I see myself in this community. And being humble is my best characteristic, if I do say so myself!
(Or maybe the truth is more along the lines of using "He's back" as a prompt for the tale and nothing more. But I think I like John's explanation better...) ;-)
Yup, Eric ... Great character indeed... Always something good going on 'round these parts...
ReplyDeleteOh I do love a good vigilante tale! I'd like to see some more from the Gargoyle.
ReplyDeleteSuch is the life of the superhero - how fickle those he helped can be. Nevertheless a superhero gotta do what he's gotta do - long live the Gargoyle! May he have many more adventures for us to read. :)
ReplyDeleteHelen - helen-scribbles.com
Good work Eric, there are many underlying truths about human nature in this story too.
ReplyDeleteA line from an old Joni Mitchell song springs to mind...
"We only know what seems to go, and you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone..."
C'mon Gargoyle, show them what they threw away. :)
I'd definitely like to hear more from this guy. He reminds me a bit of Rorschach. Evil beware... good beware, too!
ReplyDeleteLoved the opening where you had him echoing a rooftop gargoyle pondering the dirty city below
ReplyDeletemarc nash
Oh yes, I love this character Eric! Somehow I see him as pitifully clumsy, though adorably so of course. More more more please!
ReplyDeleteI can see the scene so clearly. Excellent stuff. A really strong sense of character from just the internal judgements.
ReplyDeleteI love superhero flash! Great comeback Eric, we've missed you. :)
ReplyDelete"Go on, scream. Who do you think is going to save you, the Gargoyle?" *WHUMP!*
ReplyDeleteGood story.
This fits perfectly within the tradition of costumed vigilante stories. You caught the cadence and sense of them, perfectly.
ReplyDeleteI think you have a rich vein to mine here - graphic novel anyone?
Wonderful dark and ominous tone. I would not want to live in that city.
ReplyDeleteAh, the price of politics. Too bad he couldn't start with the unions and the politicians first. You let those cockroaches have a chance and they'll crawl under a wall, only to turn on you another day. The buggers.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this piece, Eric. A well written story in the same style of our comic book heroes.
Thanks for the great comments, everyone! The Gargoyle just may make another Friday Flash appearance sometime in the near future.
ReplyDeleteSuch a great description, glad he decided to go back :)
ReplyDeleteI have to echo most everyone else here, such a comic book feel to this piece, love it!