It was a strange, sinister sight to behold. Three (two) goodhearted people being held at gun point just because a degenerate that held human life in contempt wanted some money. It was dire, but after coming to a realisation Luke found it almost laughable.
The cashier was still shoving green notes into the bag. The robber's eyes gleamed with satisfaction, with a sense of control. I had to remain calm and handle this man—more animal now—properly, any error could end with a wasteful loss of life.
Against conventional wisdom I slowly rose to my feet. "Get down, get the fuck down!" I ignored his hollering shouts. I felt his finger tighten on the trigger, his dark eyes widened. His arms tightened, committing to the action he threatened me with. Of which I didn't comply.
I stood at my full height with both my arms still above my head. The woman next to me was pleading with more vigor. She glanced at me with scorn, angry that I was endangering her life. She tugged at my trousers doing her best to force me to the ground.
The cashier's eyes were clear, he was telling me "Don't be a hero. Get on your knees and stay safe." At least that was how I interpreted his gaze. I didn't listen to either of them. It was already too late, I had committed to my decision and I had to see it through.
"Are you deaf boy, on your damn knees. Don't make me kill you. Don't fucking do it, just get on the ground and I might let you see tomorrow." The robber's muffled voice sounded sinister, he meant every word. His words were a promise, one without fail.
"Listen it's not too late. You can still leave, you can just leave now while your identity is still unknown." I cursed myself. Here I was offering him a chance even though I had resolved to manhandle him just moments ago.
Perhaps Miss Adelaide's teachings had stuck to me far harder than I liked to admit. No, that wasn't it, it was just my conscience giving me restraint.
He was running out of patience, he was feeling angst and pressure. I was near the threshold of his morals, the final straw before he committed an unforgivable crime. 'Unforgivable? Was murder truly unforgivable. Perhaps in some religion it could be forgiven, but not in the law.' Either way I was hoping he didn't do it.
By pulling that trigger he would cross a line and condemn himself. The act itself was symbolic, it was a euphemism for the loss of his humanity. "I warned you!!!" He screamed the words at me, I heard no guilt, no hesitation, maybe some regret but even that was swept away by his avarice for money.
There was a strange emotion in his eyes. I had seen it somewhere before, I had been looked at like that. Strange, where had I seen it, what did it mean? I was so close to grasping it, unfortunately I didn't have enough time.
His fingers squeezed the trigger, following it all the way through. The components of the gun whirled in response, the bullet primed and ready in the chamber. Gears and levers moved, the hammer primed to strike the waiting projectile and send it barrelling into my chest. What came next was a anticlimactic *Clinck*.
The gun didn't fire. The robber disgruntled and ungrateful for it's failure squeezed the trigger again. But again it just wheezed out a soft click. He tried again and then one more time. He gave it a tap on the magazine then racked the slide, hoping to fix it. Again he pointed at me and fired, nothing.
He could continue trying, but he would be unsuccessful as long as I was still here. Stopping him was simpler than expected. Of course it would be impossible for me to leave this store unscathed if the bullet had left the barrel. Stopping such a high velocity projectile was impossible even for me, especially at my current level.
But stopping the hammer from striking the bullet's primer was easy enough. I had no need to hold back a flying tube of lead exploding with multiple joules of force. Simply holding back the steel hammer that weighed only a few grams and struck with insubstantial force was enough.
In fact I could dislodge the bullet or hold back the trigger, possibly even bend the barrel with a bit more concentration. I was happy to be alive though, but also saddened that he committed to harming me.
'What would he have done if I was just your regular person. He would shoot me and I would have no way of saving myself, no way to reunite with my family, no way of experiencing life ever again.' It was sad, so very sad to think about.
"Drop you gun now!" The cashier was very perceptive. Immediately the first shot failed, he was already doing his best to retrieve his firearm while the masked robber was occupied. The pistol was already aimed between the robber's eyes, a promise of a violent result should he fail to comply.
The robber had no choice. The gun was thrown to the ground and I kicked it away for safety. The cashier barked more orders, forcing the man on his knees and his hands behind his head. I was thrown a phone and prompted to call the police, to solicite for his timely arrest.
Ten minutes later, five armed police officers burst through the doors. The man was violently pinned to the floor and cuffed rather roughly. The cashier finally lowered his gun with a tired sigh, he looked outside the window with a lost, forgone gaze. My eyes followed, staring into the dark night sky, happy that this would soon be over.
Through the struggle the masked man's face was finally revealed. His hood was pulled back and his clear voice peeled out once the mask was discarded. He was arguing, screaming and his body jolted occasionally. The police kept a form grip on him, curbing any chance of release.
He looked at me, there was so much disdain in that gaze. There was hatred and a promise for violence, if he could escape his restraints. Just below his dark eyes was a small tattoo marking his cheek bone, resting on his dark skin.
The Ace of spades, a popular choice for a tattoo, the card carried many symbolic meanings. I wasn't sure what his intentions were when getting the print, but it was definitely wasted on him.
A statement was taken, but nothing detailed for now. I was told to report to the station tomorrow for an official statement. Nothing good would come from it, especially explaining why I confronted a man with a loaded gun.
The woman was tearful and hysterical to the very end. Her grand theatrical displays would earn her some sympathy, but I hoped that it wasn't much. Perhaps she was hoping to be compensated after all of this. I stopped myself, making assumptions of someone's character was not examplary behaviour.
I walked out the store, leaving behind the crime scene, departing police officers and the mess behind. I walked slow, pondering everything that had transpired within the store. It was deeply unsettling and I had so much to unpack.
It could wait, I needed to get home and figure out how to explain all of this to the people waiting for me at home. Miss Adelaide was especially frightening to deal with.
There was a rush of footsteps behind me. The figure barrelled towards me with unknown intent. I stopped briskly and avoided her brutish gait. It was her, the last person I wanted to see again today. The woman was red-faced, anger and her expression was absolutely spiteful.
"Are you going to apologise!?" My brows raised instantly. "You put my life in danger back there. Why didn't you stay down when he told you to. Do you know what would have happened to me if his gun didn't fail. I would end up dead, all because of your stupid heroism. No I can't even call it that, it was just you being stupid and reckless."
Was she being serious. Was she actually damn serious right now!? 'I can't even... *Sigh* Damn it.' The constraints were closed to snapping. I needed to leave right away, any longer and I would get very angry.
I walked away, she kept pace with me, calling out in a harsh voice. I sped up, she did the same.
She grabbed my arm very roughly, stopping my feeble attempt to cool down. "Listen stupid child. I don't care how moronic you are, I'll be taking you to court. What you did back there was attempted murder. You tried to take my life and I will not let you get away with it. I'll find you and...."
"Listen woman." My voice came out distorted, morphed by my rage and the tremor of the veil. The street light above us shattered, the stop sign beside her bent like rubber. "I am not in the mood for your folly. Take the liberty while I'm still in control. Back off and you might return home with your arms still intact."
Her grip on my arm loosened and her arms fell like jelly to her sides. She backed away in horror, her lips trembling when she glanced at the stop sign.
"D-d-dem-demon." That was the last thing I heard before she took off with a sprint.