Jonin

The rain poured heavily onto the busy streets of Mayday City. The streets were filled with people. Some are going home. Some to the bar. Some with their families. Some alone. Amongst these people, was Lana Mathews. A waitress, aged 25, who worked in the Luigi's bar and restaurant in the centre of the city. She was tall, fit with blonde hair and green eyes. She was headed back home, located Downtown, from her tiring shift. Even with all the people around her Lana felt alone. This was how the city was. Glamorous from the outside yet void on the inside. Downtown was worse. This was the epicentre of crime in the city. She was born and raised there but there was still a fear that surrounded her. That anytime a thief could assault her. Her father works as a clerk at the High Court and his salary was not enough to shift to the upper town, the better part of the city. Safer, quiet and much better. But crime still existed there. Just not as much as Downtown. That's why she worked. So she could earn enough and leave the place.

Lana took a shortcut and entered a dark alley leading to Downtown. The alley was empty. Suddenly everything was quiet. Including the rain. Lana stepped through a puddle of water, and hurriedly walked through the alley. Thud! Lana heard a noise behind her. Her heart skipped a beat. She immediately looked back. To her surprise the alley was quiet. She continued walking but increased her speed. She almost reached the end of the alley when all of a sudden, she felt a force pulling her back in the dark corner. Lana tried to scream but the man covered her mouth with his hand as he dragged her. The next thing Lana felt her head was being slammed against the hood of the car. The pain was atrocious. The man had bent her over, with one hand on her head and the other picking up her skirt and unzipping his pant. Lana struggled but the injury to her head had weakened her. The man brought his face near her ears.

"Relax bitch," he whispered. His breath smelled bad, "It will be over soon."

Lana immediately recognised the voice. It belonged to Archie. A local thug, who lived near her house. The next thing Lana felt was Archie entering her from behind. She closed her eyes and cried out loud as Archie kept on inflicting pain. Her voice echoed through the alley and got lost in the commotion of the city.

SIX MONTHS LATER

Croxley Winchmore was reading the newspaper on a cloudy weather. It had been three months since the sun shined in this place. He was getting sick of the weather and the people in the city. Winchmore was 73 years old. He remembered a time when Mayday city was one of the most profitable city in the country. He had seen its downfall with his own eyes. First, it was the politicians. Then the Mafia took control. Then recession happened. And now the city was filled with criminals. Thief's, rapists, murderers. Even in this chaos there was order. The two gangs that ran the city, constantly at war with each other. On one hand you had The Martin crime family, running the cities organised crime for decades, and the newly risen Max, also called the Hound. There were rumours about him that he would chop his enemies and feed them to his hounds. The news paper was filled with their stories.

"Just another day in Mayday," said Croxley.

Croxley continued to read his newspaper when he heard knock on his door. There was a man wearing a black shirt and brown jacket, standing there. He was Six foot tall with long black hair and black eyes. He had a muscular frame but seemed flexible at the same time too. His eyes were devoid of any emotion, and his presence filled the room. The man was carrying a camping bag on his back and a large metal suitcase.

"Are you Mr Winchmore?" the man asked. His voice was deep.

"Yes," Croxley replied, "How may I help you son?"

"I heard you are renting an apartment here?"

"Yeah i am, whats your name?"

"Shaw, James Shaw."

They both shook each others hand.

"You not from around here are you?"asked Croxley.

"No, I just arrived in the city today," Shaw replied.

"Then how did you know i am renting out an apartment?"

"Mr Schmidt, told me about you. I met him on the train here."

"Ah,that bastard!" cursed Croxley, "He is back and he didnt even call me. Anyways, i have an apartment upstairs let me show you?"

Before they could go upstairs, they heard the sound of sirens from an ambulance across the street.

"What the hell happened out there," Croxley asked a man who was standing across the street.

"Mathews girl committed suicide!" the man replied loudly.

"Ah that poor soul."

Shaw saw Croxley's face descend into sadness as if it was a personal loss.

"What happened?" Shaw asked curiously.

"The guy who lives across the street is Mathew, Six months ago his daughter Lana was raped by that filthy bastard Archie, she was in trauma eversince, slowly dwelling into madness. And her father was trying to fight for justice."

"Did the police not do anything?" asked Shaw.

Croxley's face turned from sad to angry within a second.

"The law will not do shit!" said Croxley, "He belongs to the Hounds gang, the cops here won't do shit, even if they did,the Hounds lawyers would have gotten him out on bail. You new here son, I don't even know why you came to this dying city. A city where a father needs to bury his young daughter while the culprit will be sitting and drinking at Crossroads."

Shaw listened attentively and did not even give a hint of expression or remorse.

"Anyways,lemme show you your apartment," said Croxley.

They both headed upstairs to the top floor on a eight story building. Croxley opened the door and entered first followed by Shaw. The apartment is quite spacious. There was a hall with a fitted kitchen and an ensuite bedroom and a staircase leading to the terrace.

"This is the apartment, the rent is $650," said Croxley.

"That's quite cheap for such a huge apartment."

"Well, in the night when all the lights are switched on this whole apartment is lit. It is uncomfortable for most people. Will that be a Problem?"

"Not for me," replied Shaw, "Not for me."

"Cool, we will finalise the contract later, you can stay here since you don't have a place to stay. Anyways I got to go see Mathews we will talk later, here are the keys."

Croxley left the keys on the table and left Shaw. Shaw took a stroll around the apartment. There was no furniture other than a table by the kitchen and a bed in the room. But he didnt require that at the moment. He was used to living like this. Shaw looked out of the window,where he could see the ambulance loading a dead body of a young girl. Mr Mathhew was there holding his wife, who was crying inconsolably. After all they just lost their only daughter. Shaw closed his eyes.

Justice must be served! he heard the voice echo in his head. He then picked his metal suitcase and placed it on the ground and opened it up. Below a heap of clothes, there was a black armored outfit and two ninjatos, short swords, sheathed in a black cover. He picked it up and looked at it.

JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED!

LATER THAT NIGHT

Archie drank his last drink of the night.He was accompanied by his two companions, Jacob and Charles. They were on a limit tonight as they had to go and collect a consignment for their bosses from the docks. They all left the bar and walked down towards the docks, which was not far from the bar.

"Did you bring the gun?" asked Jacob.

"Yeah," Archie replied pointing at the gun holstered behind his back.

"And the Money?"

"Charles has it."

"Do I?" asked Charles who seemed confused.

"I gave you the fucking envelope you prick," Archie swore.

Charles quickly checked his pockets.

"Oh shit! its there," said Charles with a sigh of relief.

"You better not lose it or else the Hound will kill us."

"Is it true?" asked Jacob with fear in his voice, "that he feeds his enemies to the hounds."

"If you want to find out, try screwing up this deal," said Archie.

After a while they arrived at the docks, where a car was parked and two men armed with automatic guns were waiting. Another man came out of the car and walked towards Archie and gang with a black bag in his hand.

"You brought the consignment?" asked Archie.

The man gave the bag to Archie who opened the bag and checked it. Inside was several packets of cocaine wrapped around with plastic and duct tape. Archie closed the bag and signalled Charles to give the money. Before Charles could do so they heard a noise from one of the containers. They all looked towards a dark alley between the containers. One of the man with the gun walked towards the alley with his gun raised. He could not see anything in the alley. All of a sudden he was pulled into the darkness. None of them could see what pulled him or where he was. Archie immediately pulled out his gun and started firing the darkness along with the other thug. They emptied their gun. When the firing stopped, a long and sharp dagger swinged through the darkness into the neck of the smuggler. Blood dripped through his neck flowing on to the ground. Archie's leg started to crumble. He could feel the sweat in his feet.The man grabbed the envelope from Charles hand and tried to run to his car but was struck down by another blade, this time through his brains.

"Lets get the hell out of here," scream Jacob.

They all ran outwards towards the gate. Archie was in front whilst Jacob and Charles were behind him. Suddenly a figure first tackled Charles onto the ground then immediately struck Jacob. Archie saw all this and ran as if a cheetah was chasing him. He was slowed down by a sharp pain in his leg causing him to fall on the ground. A blade had pierced through his right ankle. Archie screams of pain. He looked at someone approaching him. It was a man. He wore a black outfit that seemed like a ninja. They were two swords strapped on his back and knives on the right side of his waist.His face was covered by a hood and mask that covered his mouth. The only thing visible was his eyes. Eyes that resembled the fear of death.

"Let me go," Archie begged,"Please let me go."

The man crept down looking directly in Archies eyes.

"I am sure she said the same thing?" said the man with a deep gruffy voice.

"Who?" asked Archie.

"Lana Mathews."

Archie immediately realised what was happening. His sins had finally caught up with him.

"Please let me go, I am sorry I am really sorry!" Archie cried.

"Say sorry to her yourself," said the man in black.

The man kicked Archie right into his genital, then punched him repeatedly till Archie fell unconscious. After he was done, all that remained was Archie drenched in his own blood. The man pulled one word out from his back and swung it on an unconscious Archie, whose blood splattered across the street.

THE NEXT MORNING

Mr Mathew woke up early in the morning and left the house to have a cigarette. It had been a while since he had some sleep. SInce his daughter died, he and his wife couldn't even close their eyes for a minute. It was not until an hour ago he managed to make his wife sleep. He stood on the balcony of his apartment. Before he could light his cigarette, he saw something.Right at the end street, on top of a tower crane, a dead body hanged. Mr Mathew squinted his eyes. He got the shock of his life. The dead body was none other than Archies, his daughter's rapist. H e immediately ran out of the apartment to the crane. By the time he got there, there was already a crowd. Even Croxley was there. Mr Mathew burst into tears. Not of sadness but of happiness. What the court could not do, someone did. Justice was served.

From his apartment, Shaw saw everything. Behind him laid the bloody swords and knives he had used to deliver justice. This was the reason he came to Mayday city. His mission was to protect the city from evil. Deliver justice where the law had failed. Be its Guardian Angel. It was mission and his life's only purpose. He was a Jonin.

THE END OS ISSUE 1 STAY TUNED FOR ISSUE 2