Bogota, Columbia. 1995.
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José was fairly certain he was going to die. He recognized the man approaching his little stand of bananas. He recognized him as the man who had stabbed Miguel a week ago after Miguel had pissed off some local cocaine dealer over the worth of some brass jewelry. Miguel had been dead before nightfall. Of course José's fat mouth had gotten him in trouble when he'd announced that he wouldn't buy no more from that guy. Now he was going to pay the price.
He held his head high, ready to face the man, maybe he could hd his own long enough to get help from a customer.
"Señor!" He yelled "Do you want a Banana? You must be hungry after a hard day's murder!" The man looked up, apparently confused. Apparently he wasn't coming for José, at least until the vendor had insulted him. He turned and began walking right towards José's stand. Passers by began to watch like one might watch a train wreck.
The man laughed, "I know you! The friend of that manwhore who though his pretty little necklace was worth more then dirt! Tell me, are you a manwhore to?" The man pulled out a knife and casually walked towards José. "Will you scream like a little girl?"
José began to panic and started stuttering "N..n.....no I won't…I mean a wouldn't, but it doesn't matter si…since you won't stab me.
The man cocked his head. "I won't? Can you fight me manwhore? I doubt you can."
"I…I can stop you."
"You can? With whose army?"
"I…" José had no chance to reply before a man's voice called out.
"Stop!" The voice was not a pleading one, it was not begging for José's life, but commanding the man stop. The voice's owner pushed his way through the crowd. He was tall and burly, and had light brown skin. But that was all anyone could tell, because he had a white ski mask, which was likely hell on a hot Columbian day.
The man turned towards the man in the mask and asked. "And who are you? Another manwhore?"
"My name isn't important." said the Masked Man "What is important is that you do not harm that man."
"Why?"
"He is innocent. It is you who is the scourge upon society! Now step away from him!"
"Get away boy! Who do you think you are? Superman?"
"I just want peace and justice on the streets, not scum like you."
"Call me scum, do you boy? Well let's see how well you fight." The man with the knife turned away from José and towards the Masked Man. He grinned and started walking towards his new target, José scurried away from the stand, watching on horror.
The Masked Man stepped forward in response and readied himself for a fight. The man with the knife started running towards him. The Masked Man stepped aside like a Matador and seized his opponents shirt, before throwing the assailant to the ground. The man with the knife stood up again, still wielding the knife. The fight resumed.
They fought for what seemed like hours, but for what was really 10 minutes. It finally ended when the Masked Man grabbed his opponents knife hand and turned it against him, stabbing the man in the gut. The Masked Man pushed his defeated attacker to the ground and turned away from the astonished crowd.
"You saved my life." Said José.
"And how many others died while I did so?" The Masked Man asked. "I must go now." And he began to walk away.
"Who are you?" Asked a women in the crowd.
"A man who had had enough of the lack of action." With that the Man ran down the street, dropping the knife as he left.
José's eyes flicked to the bleeding man on the street. The man was dying.
José shrugged his shoulders and began to pack up his cart, he needed to move locations, and fast.