Hero in the Shadows
Prologue

The night was crisp and cool, the stars glittering in the blackness. Moonlight bathed the darkened city.
Panting, a figure ducked into a shadowed ally and pressed against the wall, clutching a bag to her chest tightly. Sirens wailed and a police car shot by, followed by its companions.
Silence. Cautiously, she stuck her head out of the ally and looked about the moon-bathed street. Satisfied, she stepped out and walked along the pavement. The money she got from the hold up should be enough to buy food for the week and pay the rent on her filthy apartment. Unfortunately, she dropped her gun in her escape.
Pulling her shabby coat tighter around her as she tucked the money inside, she mused about how this city used to be two years ago. Crime was a rather uncommon thing then. Of course, they had somebody to depend on, who gave money to the poor and brought justice to criminals.
Sighing, she ignored the bitter air and stepped into a slimy restaurant. Careful to avoid stepping on unidentified substances, she sat on a stool in front of the counter.
A large, rotund man with greasy hair and shaggy beard walked up from behind the messy surface.
"Whaddya like, lady?" Keeping her blue eyes shaded by her brown hair, she replied, "A cheeseburger and some water, please."
The man nodded and scurried off, bringing back her water a minute later. The liquid was a murky brown color, with bits and pieces of who- knows-what floating around in it. She was used to it.
Picking it up, the "water" sloshed around a bit, lapping at the rim of the glass. She gazed into it, eyes unfocused as she started reminiscing.
A hero from a comic book. That's what one could have summed him up as, even though the people of the town had never seen him. She'd heard his voice, though, and it convinced her that The Shadow, as they called him, was a man. Some believed he was a girl, and some thought he was an angel sent by God to save them. The crime rate had dropped significantly while he prowled about the city, using the shadows to conceal himself. The city nearly glowed.
However, nine years after he started helping, he disappeared. Steadily, crime and darkness once again shrouded the city.
She clutched the glass in her hand tighter. In her eyes, the Shadow had abandoned them when they still needed him.
"Hey lady, here's ya burger." The portly man interrupted her thoughts.
Nodding her thanks, she ate her burger hungrily. She forgot when the last time she had something substantial to eat was (even though the burger was starting to slide off the bun).
Finishing, she took out a few bills from the bag in her jacket and laid them on the table. Unknown to her, a figure that sat a few seats away watched as she got up and left.
Sighing lightly, she stopped and looked up at the night sky. "We need you," she whispered before turning to go. A hand grabbed her upper arm. The heavy scent of alcohol permeated.
"Now where do you think you're goin'?" His words were slurred. The feel of his breath and the smell of alcohol made her skin crawl.
Startling her, the man wrapped his hand around her neck and slammed her against the wall. Her head bounced off it painfully and she fought to keep the world from spinning.
The man's other hand reached into her coat and grasped the bag tightly as he pulled it out.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Smirking, the drunken man let go of her neck and stepped back, jingling the money mockingly. She glared at him.
The man had beady eyes and a large, puffy face, with a two-day-old beard. Tangled brown hair reached down to his shoulders.
Narrowing her eyes, she sank a swift punch into his gut. The drunk staggered slightly before letting go of the bag and clutching his stomach. Giving him one last blow to the head, she made a move to run before a familiar hand grabbed her by the neck and flung her into a wall. The world went in and out of focus as she blinked rapidly to avoid unconsciousness.
Reaching towards her, the man once again grabbed her neck and took something out of his pocket. Cool metal touched her throat and a trickle of blood made a path down her neck. Closing her eyes, she gulped and felt a bead of sweat drizzle down the side of her face.
"I suggest you let the lady go," a firm voice stated.
All thoughts of unconsciousness left her head. That almost sounded like.
Her head, along with the drunk's, swiveled to the left. A man was standing there, with a large wool coat drawn around him. Short, messy black hair sat on top of his head, partly covered by a snow hat. Bangs shadowed his eyes.
Snarling, the alcoholic turned to him without moving his hand.
"Why should I?" The new man looked over to the woman that was staring at him in surprise. She was fairly short, maybe about five feet five inches, with brown hair that reached the middle of her upper back. Blood stained the back of her head, matting the hair there. She had bright blue eyes that were currently wide with shock. A shabby winter coat hung off her frame loosely, which, he noted with a frown, was too thin. Eyes widening slightly beneath his bangs, he realized that he'd seen her before.
He shook his head and walked calmly towards the man, square- shouldered posture never changing.
"What are you.?" the drunk's sentence was cut off as the man gave a swift chop to the side of his neck.
She choked down air as the hand that held her flopped away limply. Slumping to the ground, she rubbed her neck where bruises would most likely form. Her vision swirled as she remembered her head pounding against the wall.
The man walked over and helped her up, gently steadying her.
"Are you going to be alright?" The concern in his voice startled her slightly.
Nodding her head, she reached down and grabbed her bag of money that still lay on the sidewalk. As she straightened herself, her head swam and she grabbed on to the man for support. She caught his gaze and was startled to see gentle blue-gray eyes staring back at her.
"What's your name?" The question caught him off guard and made him stumble over his words.
"Uh. Jacob Sterling, but please call me Jake."
Beaming a bright smile, she held out her hand and said, "Hope." He grasped her hand, both of their cold hands warmed by the other's, and looked at her quizzically, but she replied, "Don't ask," with a sad smile.
Hope. It suited her well, though, even if she didn't say her last name. Hope in a city shrouded by darkness.
Smiling warmly, Jake moved his hand from Hope's to her shoulder.
"Do you need any help getting home"
Returning the smile, she shook her head no, but fought to keep the world straight. "My apartment is just around the corner."
He nodded and let go. Turning, he called over his shoulder, "I'll see you around!" before continuing on his way.
Hope stared at the retreating form of Jake before shouting, "Count on it!" She couldn't see his face, but somehow she knew that he was smiling.
Turning, she placed a hand on the wall for balance and stumbled her way back home. She smiled lightly as she remembered the kind-hearted man. Somehow, Hope knew things were never going to be the same.
One couldn't be more right.