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She was sitting at the kitchen table of her apartment when the explosion occurred and the room shook. Confused Ellie stood and ran to the window, in the time it took for her to get there another boom happened, that one closer. Out of nowhere she was being pushed over by an invisible force, her ears ringing, dust falling into her eyes. With a groan, Ellie sat up, seeing through the now shattered window the apartments across from hers, completely demolished.
Achingly picking herself off the ground, she limped over to the stairs, each step causing her discomfort. When Ellie stepped out of the emergency exit she found the streets in chaos.Through the high pitch sounds coming from her ears she could hear the muffled screams and panic from those around her. Hoping to avoid being caught in any other attacks she snuck into a nearby back alley, taking the less populated route to anywhere but where she was.
Turning around the corner of a building she was shocked to find herself standing behind a police officer with a gun pointed at a man that lived across the street, before she could call out, the cop pulled the trigger, Ellie flinched, silently stepping back behind the corner. She did not just see that, what the fuck was going on. She knew that man he was kind, he wasn’t sketchy in any way. Why did the police just shoot him? Waiting till she heard the footsteps grow further away until no longer existent, she snuck back around the corner, seeing the ally empty Ellie ran up to the man, his chest still rising and falling quickly as he held on to life.
Panicking, she pushed her hands on to the bloody wound on his chest, in hopes of slowing down the bleeding until help could arrive…but who was to help if the police did this then who could she trust, if somebody else came across them would she meet the same fate as this man?
Just then Ellie heard the rough sound of somebody shuffling around the corner, looking up she saw two men, one holding the other one up with an arm around his neck, and his arm around the other guy's waist.
“We need help!” Ellie shouted out.
“Shhhhh” The man hissed.
“The police are killing people.” She whispered back, as they got closer.
“You need to leave, get as far away from here as possible.”
“But this man, he is still alive, I-I can’t carry him out of here!” Ellie stuttered.
“Leave him, he won’t make it.”
“Not with that attitude he won’t” She shot back with a glare.
“Look down, he is already dead.”
Doing as instructed, Ellie let out a gasp. The masked man was right, her neighbors eyes were glossed over, mouth slightly agape, chest still. Glancing down to her hands she felt ill, covered in a crimson glaze and still locked into place where she had been putting pressure on the wound.
“Snap out of it we need to move now!” The man commanded, breaking her out of her shock momentarily.
“H-He is dead…” Ellie stammered.
The dark man shuffled up behind her, crouching down he used his free arm to grab her under her arms dragging her up and away from the body.
“The cops are only a block away. If we don’t go now, we all are going to be on the ground dead, so I suggest you get your shit together and come with me because I can't carry both you and this imbecile here.” He whispered into Ellie’s ear gesturing to the almost unconscious man he was slowly losing his grip on.
“R-Right, you’re right.” She strengthened her legs standing on her own two feet.
They quickly maneuvered their way through the neighborhood stopping several times to avoid running into the police. One specific time they were waiting, Ellie was observing the masked man in front of her as he listened closely to the men around the corner, when a strong arm grabbed her dragging her into the building she had been standing against. The strong arm flung her to the concrete ground and pulled out his gun, pointing it at the masked man who followed them into the room.
“You're the one who did this.” The cop spoke.
“They lied to you, I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.” The masked man tried to explain as he slowly set the injured man down so he was leaning against the wall. “Let me and my friends go without making it an issue, we can all go our separate ways.”
“You know I can’t do that.” The officer reached for the radio at his belt.
Instantaneously, the masked man had lunged at the guy and they were on the ground wrestling each other inches from where Ellie sat in awe.
The gun that had been in the officer's hand slid across the floor and into her reach, though she didn’t dare touch it. There was already enough blood on her hand, literally.
The cop got quite a few hits on the masked man, but eventually he got the upper hand and knocked the officer out. He stepped back breathing heavily. The masked man gave her a glance seeing that she was ok, he went over the man he had left against the wall. Tearing open the man’s shirt he exposed a bloody gun wound.
The shot man began to come too, with a groan.
“Don’t move.” The masked man instructed, “You got shot.”
“I am going to kill you for taking my brother’s head.” the injured man growled in a Russian accent.
“You got the wrong guy. I don’t kill people. Not even scumbags like you who deserve it.”
The man chuckled, “You dropped Semyon off roof, put him in coma.”
Ellie ignored the rest of the conversation, without the context it began to make no sense, and she found the blood that had congealed on her hands more interesting.
The way the red was darker in the creases and under nails, than on the palm. Blood was brighter than she had imagined.
“It's time to go.” A voice said from above her
“Hmmm.” she hummed a reply, eyes not leaving her hands.
Once again the man pulled her to her feet, directing her mindless body through the building and down into dark access tunnels. Only when the bright sun met her sensitive eyes again did she come out of her dissociated state.
It was now her arm around the masked man's neck and his arm supporting her at her waist, instead of the injured man from before. They were alone on a quiet street, the man unlocking a door in front of them.
“Th-The Russian… Where did he go?” Ellie mumbled in confusion as the masked man led her into the apartment building.
“He didn’t make it, you are in shock. I am going to get you something to drink, you are going to get some rest and when you wake up you are going to leave state, and forget any of this ever happened. Got it?” The masked man explained, setting her down on a couch and walking to the kitchen preparing a glass of water.
“Oh right my apartment got blown up right… why do i need to leave state though. I-I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“You were caught on camera with me, and currently I am an alleged criminal.”
“Are you a criminal? Wait, who even are you, Mr. Mysterious Masked Man.”
“That is to remain a mystery,” he replied, handing her the glass and a blanket he grabbed off of a nearby chair. “Rest, I will prepare for your travels tomorrow.”
When Ellie reached for the glass, she was reminded about the large amount of dried blood still on her hands.
“Uh oh my uh hands I should um--”
“Drink, I will get you something to clean them off with.” He interrupted.
She obeyed, placing the blanket over her lap and taking a sip of the water. Suddenly finding herself more thirsty than she was expecting, Ellie took several more gulps before setting the almost empty glass on the nearest side table. Ellie heard the man in the next room running the sink, so she laid down on the couch, exhaustion creeping up on her. She let her eyes shut, only for just a moment until the man came back.
Though she ended up falling completely asleep.
The next day she awoke in a hotel in New Jersey. The man in the mask left her with a thousand dollars and a note that read:
Ellie,
Sorry to leave you without saying goodbye but it is better this way. I hope the money is enough to get you further from New York and settled somewhere where you can get a job and be safe. Don’t call anyone in New york. The footage from last night is all over the news. If anything happens or if anyone comes after you call the number below, I will come if i can. Emergencies only!!!! Stay safe, sorry about your home. Go meet a cute boy and get married or some shit. Don’t get involved in what is going on here in Hell's kitchen.
Best wishes,
The man in the mask
THE END