In silence I often find solitude; a place to clear my head and finally get my thoughts in order. I always enjoy the long car rides to work, usually taking the scenic route. Everything is relatively peaceful and the scenery is beautiful. A nearly perfect Friday morning I thought to myself. Trees old and young towering over the road, their bright green leaves providing a calming presence. A vast, radiant blue sky with clouds scattered about hung above me. It's enough to bring a smile to my face. The sun is happy as always, providing its generous warmth. The yellow beams shooting across the sky.
My car right now was the perfect place to enjoy some me time. It feels like I never get time for my own life anymore. I'm constantly drowning in paperwork and talking to countless people, so I savor the moments of quiet I still get.
Many people don't understand why I am this way but they're also the same people who don't appreciate the silence like I do. Most days the only time I have at home is for sleep. Which I was okay with a lot of the time. But now I wish for things to be exciting in my life. In my case I wasn't going to get any excitement from working at the Bank of Neonhaven. Neonhaven is a large, industrial city located in the heart of the US. Nothing happens here other than a surplus of crime.
That wasn't the type of excitement I was interested in though. A tall, skinny guy like me wouldn't survive a life of crime. The name is totally ironic as well, considering it's no haven at all. It's really just well….a dump. The only reason it got that name was because you can see all the neon lights from miles away. A serious tourist attraction actually. It's the only good thing that the city is known for. Then they just tacked a haven on there to make it sound safe. Such a stupid name, totally uncreative on whoever came up with it. I must admit the lights are totally awesome though. My gaze started to shift away to the city off in the distance. Shame it's only pretty from so far away. The road started to distract me from my trance with all of its twists and turns.
Now's probably not a good time to be zoning out. I tuned out my outside surroundings and focused on the almost never ending stretch ahead.
That same popular song blaring on the radio for a 3rd time this morning, obviously I skipped it. It's all the same garbage anyway, I don't know how kids get into this hip-hop stuff. Eughh listen to me, I'm acting like an old man and I'm only 19. That's besides the point though, the music was still pretty bad..So I switched the radio to a good ol' rock station. Yea that's more like it! My kind of jam. My fingers started tapping the steering wheel, my head rocking to the song without me even thinking about it. Even if I was a boring person I still had an ear for music, if I wasn't enjoying the noises that already surrounded me I'd turn it on. I found music enjoyable. It wasn't annoying like "chatting", Blehh I hated chatting.
After some time had passed I finally made the turn into the City and many red lights later into the parking deck. I drove up 3 levels until I saw my parking spot with my name on it "Victor Chase". I slowly backed into my space and turned off the car. Before getting out I flipped down the visor and stared at myself in the small mirror.
Same old Victor stared back. Dark hair falling into my eyes, looking like I'd been running my hands through it all morning trying to make it look somewhat decent. Which I had.
The stubble on my jaw was getting heavier—when was the last time I'd actually shaved? Three days ago? Four? My eyes looked tired. They always looked tired, dark circles underneath like permanent shadows reminding me of all the sleep I didn't get. While my mom was still alive she used to say I had nice eyes, same as my brother's before he died. Now my eyes just looked... worn. Like I'd seen too much. Which maybe I had. I ran a hand over my face, feeling the rough skin on my knuckles brush against my cheek. Small scars and nicks from who knows what over the years. My jacket was wrinkled, my t-shirt had a small stain on the collar I hadn't noticed until now. Perfect. I looked exactly like what I was—someone who'd been through the wringer and was about to go through it again. I flipped the visor back up and grabbed the door handle. I let out a long deep sigh, time to go.
I opened the car door slowly and got out. I slammed the door behind me with a loud thud, it echoed throughout the whole parking deck. I made my way to the passenger side door to grab my things and head onwards to the elevator.
While I was walking I noticed an unusual van parked a few spaces away but it was probably nothing. Right? Best to just ignore it, so I hit the elevator button and step into the small cramped space.
I pressed ground level and after a boring elevator ride the doors opened with a DING and I stepped out. Pushing through the side door another loud sigh escaped my lips. All that was left now was a walk that consisted of a few blocks. The warm breeze felt great on my skin, but I didn't like walking. Well it was either that or riding the public transportation. I hated that more though, too many people. It was always packed and you would be stuck next to some weirdo. The thought of it is enough to make me visibly shudder. Welp….walking it is then. On the way I avoided a small puddle on the ground of who knows what. It was busy today, I had to maneuver through crowds on the sidewalk. Homeless people lined the streets, around every corner they'd be there. I did feel bad for them but I didn't exactly have any money to spare. Just don't make eye contact with them and they won't bother you.
I could see the bright yellow bank sign like a shining beacon from where I was now. Wait, that's totally ironic. I hated the damn job.
Shit that means I'm almost there though... The reason I didn't like it was the fact all I do is talk to customers all day. Of course this was joined by getting left out of all the interesting things. It's miserable really. It probably didn't help that I had no real friends either.
I started dragging my feet but even then I was standing at the front door before I knew it.
My hand on the handle, I opened the door and went inside. Some people gave me strange looks, I didn't really care though. From here it was just one step after another until I got to my desk. I set my things down and what was waiting for me was a big huge stack of papers.
"You have to be shitting me, not on a Friday man!"
Well guess I won't be doing any of it. I can put it off. I sat down and I'm ready to start. All I could do to pass the time was listen to the same playlist on spotify and tapping my fingers on my desk while shuffling papers. I had to do something to look somewhat busy. This time I really thought today would be different, maybe just an ounce of excitement. Even just a little bit of work place drama would suffice. I'd finally get to see why people are actually happy to come to work.
I was sadly mistaken. I keep hoping for an interesting day at work, but it never comes. I should know better by now then to keep my hopes up.
Dave, one of my co-workers, shuffled by in his usual khaki pants and collared shirt—same uniform every day, like he was proud of it. "Morning Vic—" He said with that annoying cheerfulness. He has a thick country accent, definitely not from around these parts. Dave was in his mid 30's and had a serious receding hairline. Most of the time he would wear a hat to cover it up. He was a relatively shorter man standing at a whopping 5'6 and had a gut to him. His belly was probably the result of all those sweets he'd stash in his desk.
The only thing I really didn't like about Dave was that he is chatty. He could talk your ear off all day about football and other sports and it annoyed me. Like last week he had cornered me by the copy machine for at least 20 minutes explaining why the Bears were going to have a comeback season this year. Complete with player stats he'd memorized and predictions about draft picks. I'd just stood there nodding while my copies piled up. Thank goodness he didn't try talking to me today. I would've just blown him off today.
But despite all that I just nodded like usual and he passed by to get his coffee. Dave was always happy when he came in, and I never understood why. Was it possible he actually liked working here? He must be crazy.
When you really think about it, everyone follows the same boring schedule. Why is that? It's almost like people are allergic to branching out. Same food, same clothes, and same everything. I continued watching him. He used his grade 2 fire flair to heat up his coffee. Great, just another reminder on how I'm the 1% of the population who wasn't born with a flare.
I take the singular earbud out of my ear to greet the client standing before me. The man was at least in his early 40s. He lacked hair on the top of his head. His worn out black shirt is an insult to the dark green pants he wore with them. Equally bad dark blue sneakers stood out. I hope his wife doesn't usually let him go out like that.
"Goodmorning sir, How may I help you?"
"Uhh I have some problems with my account, I can't seem to remember my password." He continued talking but the rest of what he was saying sounded like gibberish.
Some words were blocked out entirely. I noticed myself drifting off, I tried my hardest to listen and care.
"Can *** **** me young man?"
"Sorry, could you please repeat that sir?"
"*** you help ** ***** ***?"
"Yea sure I could help."
The more he rambles on the harder it is to focus. More words start disappearing. My attention wanders elsewhere as I zone out to be alone with myself. Every time I think hard about myself I always get caught up on the same questions. What am I doing with my life? Why am I here? Where would I be right now If I had chosen another path? It's hard to grasp onto the answers for those questions when someone is droning in your ear. I act like I'm listening, throwing in a "Yea" and "Mhm" every now and then.
I'm not sure how much time was elapsing while I was disconnected but it was a lot.
"Hey I'm not paying you to sit there and day dream all day on the job Victor!"
My manager says practically yelling at the top of his lungs at me. His screaming startled me out of my daze to find out the man once standing in front of me had vanished. How had I not noticed; was I really zoned out that long? I was so lost in my head that the man had simply walked away and I never even knew he did. Thank goodness my manager hadn't seen that or I'd be getting lectured in the breakroom for 30 minutes. Specifically on why paying attention to our clients is important and good for the business.
I spent the rest of my time sorting, actually looking at the paperwork and answering the same repetitive phone calls. Calls from people who can't handle their own issues. Since they can't fix their own problems they leave it to me to fix everything. At least it gets me a paycheck. Although I could go on about that, the clock mocked me as each second ticked away. It felt like seconds turned into minutes and minutes into hours. And then the telephone rang one last time before it eventually had been time to close. Everyone was starting to pack up their belongings so they could head home.
Who could possibly be calling right before we close; don't they know I have somewhere better to be right now? I picked up the phone and put it to my ear. "Hello this is Victor at the Bank of Neonhaven; how may I help you?". I mumble to the unknown caller in a monotonous voice.
A deep voice responds back, "Do exactly as I say or everyone in that bank of yours gets a bullet right between the eyes!"
My eyes go big, what did he just say? Clearly this just has to be some kind of sick prank right? Kids do prank phone calls all the time; they clearly couldn't be serious.
"Yea right I bet you're just some kid with a voice changer doing some kind of prank call to impress your buddies." I say to the person on the phone hoping it is just some kind of youngster screwing with me.
"Oh really, that's all you think this is? Why don't I just prove to you this isn't some kind of twisted joke," said the voice this time in a more serious tone than before.
At that very moment a loud explosion or more so a gunshot could be heard. I looked over my shoulder as I heard one of the windows shatter to the left of me. Right before my eyes one of my coworkers' heads exploded in front of me leaving me and the wall behind covered in blood. He was sitting right next to me. This can't be happening….right?
My world was changing around me so quickly. My expression was imprinted with the horrifying sight in front of me. The bullet made a sloppy mess out of his head. The whole bank erupted in screams of terror as someone had just been killed. Men, women, and even children began to run for the exits. They hope to make it out with their lives. More gunshots were fired slaughtering countless others who tried to flee.
Bodies…. bodies…bodies...
People began to freeze in place including me as they didn't want to be the next victims of this mass murder.
Where were the pro heroes and police? Was no one coming to help us? This is it isn't it we all die like rats in a cage. No I won't let this be it. No more bloodshed, even though I am powerless I will make sure the rest of these innocent people will make it out.
I knew I had to take action swiftly though because if not more people will die. "Alright, alright I believe you. I'll do whatever you want! I'll do anything just don't kill more of my co-workers! Please, they are innocent and they have families!". I say frantically.
For a brief second it's almost as everything around me actually fades away and I'm left in a black empty space. One of those three questions just keeps coming up over and over again. Where would I be now if I had chosen another path? Right now I was seriously hoping this was a bad dream and I was still asleep in my bed tucked in beneath the covers. Preferably with the T.V. still on. How did all the events in my life lead up to this one moment? Every choice I ever made had led up to this very point in my life. Now I'm wishing I had altered my decisions I made down the road.
"Tell everyone in that bank that they better not make one move! And they better not think about reaching for a phone and calling the police. If they do, they get shot too!" The voice said to me angrily.
All of a sudden everything set back in and this isn't a bad dream but it's very real. Now I'm the only person who can possibly stop the rest of these people from dying.
"Everyone, don't move or even try to call the police or you will die too! They probably have full surveillance over the bank and any sudden movements might make them pull that trigger!" I shout out..
"What…. this can't be real, why is this happening to me!" One man screams.
He begins to curl into a ball on the floor out of straight fear. The man's words were a reflection of my thoughts. Why is this happening to me of all people? Others began to panic as it hit them that this might be their final day. I could faintly hear the sound of one girl behind me praying. Even one of our regulars, John, supposedly hardened by war shaking harder than anyone else.
"Alright everyone stay calm please, I can get us out of this. I just have to do what the man on the phone says and we all get to go home." I say in a much calmer voice.
I'm hoping maybe it will provide the people with a little reassurance. All the pressure of this was on me. I'm not even sure I can actually save all these people. Who am I to give them all some sort of false hope.
"Alright Victor, you are going to go into your boss's office and fetch that vault code. I want you to put all the money in the vault into a bag and slowly bring it out to me with your hands up." His voice is low and grim.
"Alright I will just promise you won't hurt anyone else!"
I had to think of every viable option to stop this from escalating any further.
"Oh Victor, maybe just do what I tell you and possibly everyone lives through this if that is what you want so bad." The man says.
I take a deep breath realizing maybe there isn't anything else I can do but give into what the man says. This is not the way I want my story to end though. Not as some bank desk clerk who makes slightly over minimum wage. Right then it hit me what I could do, a way without having to succumb to this man's orders. I very slowly move my hand under the desk towards the panic button. I was hoping maybe at least I could notify the police of what was happening.
The second my finger is almost on the button another shot is fired but this time as a warning shot at me. The bullet blew a hole in the desk, almost hitting my hand.
"You think you're one real slick kid huh? You didn't think I hacked the security cameras beforehand!! I can see everything you do!" He sounded almost amused now.
Sweat was coating my body. That was way too close, I almost lost my hand.
"My flair is Technology Manipulation! Every phone, every camera, every electrical component is mine to take over. Not just allowing it to be mine but to enhance it instantly. That grainy security camera feed? It's now crystal clear in 4k resolution. I can even see the beads of sweat on your forehead. That is how I can see everything so clearly!"
Who is this guy?
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I won't do it again, give me another chance please. I won't make any more mistakes."
"You're very lucky you caught me in one of my better moods. I will be more than merciful and give you one more chance so don't blow it."
I could've gotten everyone killed right then and there but now I get my chance at redemption.
"Thank you so much for the second chance, I will not disappoint you!"
"Good, that's the attitude I want out of you Victor, now go get that code and open the vault. But Tick tock, Victor. You only have so much time." he said.
"I know, I know!" I gasped, my voice barely audible over my ragged breathing.
I started towards the stairs when a woman's voice echoed out "Please save us mister!" I gave her a slight smile and said "I will, don't worry." No one deserved to go through this and that's why I was going to save everyone. My legs felt like lead, but I pushed harder. Second floor, third, the manager's office was on the fourth. My vision blurred at the edges. When was the last time I'd run like this? The stairwell echoed with my footsteps, each one a countdown I couldn't afford to lose.
Finally—the fourth floor. I burst through the door and stumbled down the hallway, my shoulder hitting the wall as I rounded the corner. The manager's office door stood closed. I twisted the handle.
Locked.
"Come on!" I slammed my shoulder against it. The wood groaned but held.
Another hit.
The frame splintered and I crashed inside. Going straight for the desk I yanked open the top drawer so hard it flew out completely. Papers scattering across the floor. Pens, paperclips, nothing. The second drawer stuck. I pulled until my knuckles went white.
"Tick tock, Victor." His voice chimed out again.
"Shut up!"
I threw the phone aside and used both hands to wrench the drawer free. Files. Invoices. Where was it? My hands shook as I rifled through everything, sweat dripping onto the papers. The bottom drawer. There it was, a small black notebook. I flipped it open, pages flying past my fingers. Numbers. Codes. Access sequences. And there it was: VAULT - 7739-B.
I grabbed the phone. "I have it!" But the line was dead.
I pounded down the stairs, taking them four at a time, my hand barely touching the rail. The main floor rushed up to meet me. I burst through the stairwell door. Some soldier was waiting for me at the bottom. He was massive, shoulders that could block a doorway, arms like tree trunks. He stood perfectly still, watching me with eyes that lacked any emotion.
I was decent at fighting, I knew how to, just not how to against a man this size. I had to do something regardless.
"Hand it over," he said simply. His voice was calm, almost bored.
I clutched the notebook to my chest. "No."
He tilted his head slightly, like I was a child who'd said something amusing. "Hand it over, Victor," he said to me.
"I said no." My voice cracked. I took a step back.
I wanted to be a hero and that meant not being a pussy. I had to stand up to this monster of a human. His massive frame towered over me. The lack of any soul, that was the scariest part of the whole thing.
He moved faster than anyone that size should be able to. His fist caught me in the stomach and I doubled over, gasping. The notebook slipped from my fingers. I lunged for it, but his boot caught me in the ribs. The world tilted. I was on the ground, reaching for the notebook, when his fist connected with my temple. White light exploded behind my eyes. Another punch, this one to my jaw. I heard something crack. The last thing I remembered was his boots walking away, the notebook tucked under his arm, and the warm wetness spreading across the side of my head where my skull had met his knuckles one too many times. The last thing I remember after that was blacking out.
Was that really it? That was my last mistake I was ever going to make and I didn't even get the chance to make some sort of hero's entrance at all. Everyone was going to die because of me because I thought instead of freezing up I could be a tough guy all of a sudden. I really am the most pathetic human on Earth and I don't even have any kind of cool powers to show for it like most others do. Why was I born without a Flair?
I wake up after being unconscious to faintly hear police sirens and the sound of ambulances. Everything is hard to see as my vision is blurry and the room is spinning. I can barely even pick myself off the floor anymore. Blood is dripping down my face and I have a definite concussion. I just barely make my way out of the stairwell into the main lobby to find everyone DEAD. Every single person but me had been killed because I majorly screwed up. Why is this happening to me?
It's like my body became a statue made of stone, or like I was no longer in control of my own movements. All I could do was look at what I caused…Once what were happy and nice people were now just lifeless corpses sprawled out all over the floor. Dave didn't make it either, he was slumped against the wall. He was riddled with bullets, blood all over him. Why couldn't I have just been a little faster? When reality had finally set back in I took a few steps back before falling to my knees. The whole moment had overridden my brain, I couldn't even cry. All I could do was keep blaming myself for everything. I failed everybody, didn't I?
My emotions transformed into anger…whoever that guy was I will find him and make him pay. He'll learn quickly keeping me alive was a mistake he will forever regret. I passed out again from the blood loss. I wasn't going to let this be where my chapter ends. I was broken but not out.
What was, is no more.