#no matter how hard you try you cant outrun the past. but you can try your damnedest to get better

[toytanks]

just thinking about how 3 of tdkr's four major antagonists are people who swore to change their ways and show the public a new face before reverting to old habits

[briemudzinski]

Unexpected

Frank

           When I looked into his case I was an intern at the NYT’s I was there to hand out paper work at meetings, and collect coffee orders. I wasn’t allowed into press conferences or allowed to voice my opinion, the newspaper was constantly face passed and always moving so I stayed on the side and absorbed everything I could. I had just graduated that May and had landed an internship anyone would have dreamed of, however when signing up I did believe it would have been a little bit different. However, I knew one day I wouldn’t just be delivering caramel mochas, and hot espresso shots. I would get my chance to voice my opinion, however who would have guessed I would find my voice on one of the deadliest cases to ever hit New York city. It was mid November 2017, and just about everyone had heard of “the punisher”, a cold stoned killer ravaging his way through New York city, no eyes on him, not a trace of him, just bodies to follow his name. For all we knew the punisher was a woman. The only thing that had been stated about this killer was that he or she didn’t kill for sport, all of these murders had been of people accused of something; murder, man slaughter, stealing, rape, underground mafia. Every kill had an explanation, so were these kills worth it maybe so. Maybe this so-called punisher was a good guy but that was only seen by so many people. Labeled as a terrorist and constantly wanted on every news screen, people were warned not to walk out late at night, not to peruse New York city in the dark however being a true new Yorker myself everyone knows in the city that never sleeps you don’t really get a choice in the matter.

So, leaving my internship to head back to my apartment one late night of sorting through paperwork and filling away old stories, had me kept up late in the office. I left at around 6:30, so it was pitch black out with only the slight ora of a street lamp to guide my way home. I lived in hell’s kitchen, it was close enough to the main areas of the city where I could always find something to do but far away enough where I could get some space. My internship payed me very well, as well as having my trust fund from my grandparents, I was able to live on my own with out so much of a worry other than walking home alone at night. I walked with a usual fast pace, keeping to myself with my headphones in walking to the beat of the music. I was bundled up with my leggings, pea coat, scarf and gloves however the wind was a bitter hold this night that had my exposed skin burning. The air smelled of winter it was crisp and cold which was comforting because it usually smelled of hot cement and perspiration. I was about 10 minutes away from home following a few short cuts down an alley to cut my time in half, I usually never take this way but I thought with this late night it would be in my best interest to get home as soon as I could however in doing this soon I soon realized I should have taken my regular route home. The alley had smelt of garbage and old beer, I kept my head down and watched my footing, this alley was notorious to hold a few homeless men, but they were usually asleep when I would walk though, dropping change every now and then. At the end of the alley were a few men gathered around a fire in one of the old garbage bins, trying to keep warm they huddled together. I saw a few of them swaying back and forth and could hear their laughter through my headphones. I don’t know what it was that made my stomach turn, it might have been the sight of them or maybe the smell of them liquor excreted from there pores and wafted into my face, but I did everything I could to walk by them as quickly as possible without drawing to much attention to myself. I pushed myself to the right grazing the brick wall to keep myself as far away as possible. Out of sight and out of mind however I was in their sight and officially planted into there minds. I heard a few cat calling whistles as I walked past, I smiled trying to be polite but had refused to pay them any mind. However, they took more offense to that, with a abrupt stop I halted myself to stop from running into the tallest mans chest, he made his way to stand in front of me blocking my way of getting to the end of the alley. I took a few steps back and ended up bumping into the larger male with a strong chest. There breathe smelled of bitter tequila and bad breath. The third man stood a few feet behind to watch. “Please excuse me gentleman” I said to them as I kept my head down and tried to move to the side and out of the way. However, the tall gentleman in front had other ideas. “Come on sweetness why don’t you stay a while we don’t bite,” the men behind me laughed at his comment. Once again, I smiled but tried to move out of his way, “please I would like to go home its getting late.” I could feel the gentleman behind me drawing closer to my body, I could feel him trying to smell me, I shiver ran down my spine. I had no idea how I was going to get out of this, what I should do. Scream? Run? All three of them would over power me, but maybe in the state they were in I would be able to outrun them and reach a public area. I was a fool for coming down this alley, I wanted to cry for being such an imbusil but I knew at this moment I had to stay strong. The man behind me walking closer as well as the taller one in front of me drawing closer I wasn’t sure which way I should turn. “What are we not good enough for you?” the man asked with an irritaeted tone “no please”. I whimpered stepping away, “I think we can show you how good we actually are for you, cant we boys?” the leader of the group clearly stood out and was the main one asking all the questions. The boys had agreed with laughter and had, had enough of me not complying as they drew closer. Without any other choice I pushed the taller man in front of me with all the power I had in me, and watched with a shocked expression as he toppled over and hit his head hard against the frozen cement, and with that I had taken my opportunity to run. I ran with all of my might trying to reach the end of the alley, I knew at this point I was already crying but I kept running I knew I was about to make it until I felt a firm grip on my hair wrench me back. It hurt terribly as I was flung against a wall my head taking the brunt of the hit, I let out a high-pitched scream as my head cracked against the brick wall I was dizzy but didn’t pass out. As I slid down the wall I felt a body crawl on top of me, with panic in my heart I started to scream and cry. Hitting with all of my might I felt completely weak underneath this man, he was heavy and sweating even in the cold weather, he smelt of garbage and liquor. I felt him panting on top of me swearing and muttering to himself as the two others behind him coaxed him on. He reached for his belt and that’s what drew me into fight or flight, I tried to buck him off of me, I screamed and spit in his face scratching at his skin. With a hard smack across my face that I knew would bruise, I hoped he would hit me again harder maybe it would knock me out, maybe I wouldn’t feel anything. I tried to regain my strength a little bit more screaming for anyone to help me. I closed my eyes trying to will myself to pass out maybe it would go by fast maybe I wouldn’t feel anything. I quietly whimpered to myself as I felt his greedy hands tear at my clothes, and then I heard something behind him but didn’t dare to open my eyes. With gruphs and yelling going on behind him I heard yells and cracks, something that sounded branches breaking in a harsh storm, like rocks hitting against one another, I heard a few loud yells and then nothing. The man still laid on top of me before he was gone in seconds. The weight lifted off of my body instantaneously, it felt like a dream like he wasn’t even there. I prayed to myself, something I rarely do not being a religious person, but at this moment I needed anyone to talk to. I curled myself up against the wall as I heard more yells a few feet away continuous smashing sounds and cracking’s, whatever it was didn’t sound good in the slightest but I was grateful for whatever it was. I stayed in my ball against the wall the cold cement underneath me causing me to shacking uncontrollably. I squeezed my eyes shut so tightly I felt my eyelids start to cramp but I was too scared to open them. I felt a hand gently wrap itself around my leg however I delt no other choice but to try and scream and pull away again. However, with the hand tightening around me this person spoke to me and he don’t sound like the other men. “Shh shh darling it’s okay, your okay” “Please, please, don’t hurt me” I begged the mysterious man as I tried to crawl away. “No, no, I’m not here to hurt yuh. I took care of it don’t you worry yourself.” “Did they hurt you? Did any of them touch you?” his voice was deep with a certain rasp to it and heavily New Yorker. He sounded concerned, was he the one who had stopped this from going any further. I didn’t know how to answer him. I finally opened my eyes to look around, my vision was blurred and everything was spinning. I took a look at myself covered in dirt and muck some of my clothes ripped, I tried to pull myself together and cover my exposed skin to the stranger who I assumed saved my life. I finally looked up at him, covered head to toe in black and face barely visible through facial hair and covered in a hoodie. His eyes were a deep brown, almost black his face slightly bruised almost as if he was healing from a past confrontation. I tried to answer him, but I couldn’t find the words to speak or the will to move I was losing my breathe everything that had just happened all coming back to me running through my head I felt as if I was going to pass out. I tried to stand up but only found that my legs had gone numb from the cold causing me to fall over, with a firm grasp on me the man has managed to move from my leg to hosting me up on my own two feet. He stood a full foot taller than me, as I looked up at him through my lashes, moving up to fast I got dizzy once again leaning back getting ready to hit the brick wall again. “Hey, hey, hey, you’re alright. You gotta stay with me you hit your head pretty hard.” I heard him say to me with his deep brooding voice which seemed intimidating however at this moment it soothed me. I did try, I tried to keep my eyes open to stare at my savior however the more I tried to keep my eyes open the more the world seemed to spin around me. Within the matter of seconds I felt myself lifted from the ground and wrapped in this stranger’s arms, close to his chest he was warm and full his arms feeling like the closest thing to home at this moment, his scent was warm a mix of mint and vanilla. I didn’t know if I had a concussion but right now all I wanted to do was shut my eyes and forget everything, and so I did.