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With Timeo Severe traveling places in the world, Meridian is left to his apprentices, the most dangerous of which is Kane Mundr. The gunslinging hero spares or executes criminals based on the judgment of their souls and isn't worried about going against the law to ensure true justice is satisfied. Along with Idelle Elio, John Elio's older sister, the two will carve a bloody path of death and destruction in their quest to ensure Meridian's safety, no matter the cost.

Mercy and Justice in Both Hands: Chapter 4 – Justice in a Trigger Pull

Chapter 4 – Justice in a Trigger Pull

Using my motorcycle, Idelle and I race to the bomb sites around Meridian and coordinate with members of law enforcement and Dominion so that every location is covered. Idelle and I hit each place hard and fast. I cover Idelle as she heads for the bombs, tosses them into the air, and I shoot them so that they can’t be detonated. While we continue going from location to location, we hear about criminals leaving the city in an effort to escape us, so we chose to chase them since the rest of the bomb sites are being covered. Idelle uses her super speed to run alongside me and take out the other superhumans with super speed and the fleeing cars and trucks. Meanwhile, I fire at the flying superhumans and shoot out the tires to make the criminals crash. The streets of Meridian are in chaos because of what’s happening, but it’ll end soon.

Racing to the suburbs of Meridian, we find pockets of fighting where the syndicate had their hiding spots and more fleeing criminals that Idelle and I take out. In a matter of hours, the syndicate is confirmed to have been cleaned out of Meridian. Every hiding spot has been searched, every criminal and villain is either killed or locked up, and every bomb and assassin has been taken care of.

“We did it!” I say to Idelle as I get off my motorcycle and hug Idelle.

I let go, but she continues to hold onto me. Should’ve seen that coming.

“Since we just defeated an entire criminal syndicate, does that mean we can celebrate? Perhaps with ice cream?” she asks.

“Haha, of course. Let’s go celebrate.”

 Idelle and I head to the ice cream and dessert place she loves, and she eats another five ice creams. Since word about our deeds is in the news, the people in the city congratulate and thank us for what we’ve done. The party crasher, Polina, and Raziel soon show up and stand over us with judgmental eyes.

“Kane. We need to talk,” Polina says.

Sensing this is serious, the crowd disperses.

“About what? About how I toppled a crime syndicate in a matter of a couple of days? You know L’Obscurité did the same thing, in the same manner, leaving no criminal or villain able to leave the city they tried to take advantage of and either had them arrested or killed.”

“You-”

“You should sit down. The entire menu is on the house.” Interested in this, Raziel picks up a menu and points to a few items on it. “You can yell at me later, but for now, you can’t argue that I didn’t save the city and should celebrate with us.”

“…tch. Fine,” Polina says.

Together, we enjoy our desserts and then head back to the Dominion office. I let Polina have the glory of making a public statement about what happened and accepting the rewards given to the Dominion, none of which interests me. All I care about is that justice was done and the city is just a bit safer now. In my office, I comb through the files I have with Idelle still by my side.

“What are you doing?” Idelle asks.

“Looking for my next adventure,” I say.

“Are you seriously looking for another fight?”

“Crime never sleeps or is stopped for long. Sure, we’ve scared away one syndicate, but smaller groups, independent villains, and other sinister forces are still lurking in the dark.”

“Come on. You have to take a break from time to time.”

“What? Do you want to go out for ice cream again?”

“No. It’s not that. Well, not entirely that. I just want to spend more time with you outside of work, if that’s okay with you.”

I consider it, get up from my chair, and hug Idelle.

“Okay, but it’ll have to be a date.”

“A…a date?”

“You remember that I said that you’re meant to be there for someone else besides your brother? I think it’s supposed to be me, and I think I know why he wanted us to work together.”

“Hmm. When he was little, he knew I was his older sister, despite my never him. He could also tell who his real father was and the woman he was supposed to marry at a glance. Are you suggesting he could tell that you’re meant to be his brother-in-law?”

“Yes. It’s not that big of a logical leap.”

“Yeah, but…do you…Would you really want to be with a woman like me? I’m what? About twenty years older than you and a mess of a person and good for nothing besides hurting and killing.”

“That doesn’t matter to me. We’re both executioners of justice and people with messy pasts and personalities. It’s what makes us best for one another, don’t you think?”

Idelle and I close our eyes, and I lean in for a kiss. As our lips touch, there’s a knock at the door. We ignore it, but the person on the other side kicks it open. It’s Polina, of course, who is about to yell at me until she sees what’s happening, and she only gets more hysterical. Idelle’s black snake hits her with its head and sends her flying out of the door, while the white snake closes it. Feeling bad for her, Idelle and I go check on her to see if she’s okay. We tell her that we’re officially in a relationship and going to head out, but she merely looks shocked at us, and that Timeo is coming.

“Ah, hell. I’m in real trouble now,” I say.

“We can still go out, right?” Idelle asks.

“Yeah. If Timeo is coming, there’s no hiding from him anyway, so we might as well enjoy the rest of the day while we can.”

I take Idelle’s hand and head out for a nice first date in the city. We go to the usual spots like parks, a barcade that Timeo loved going to, and finish it off with a nice trip to a high-rise flower garden.

As we sit together in each other’s arms, I ask Idelle, “Did you like any of the places we went to? I wasn’t sure what a country girl like you would like in the city.”

“They were fun. All I really cared about was being by your side,” Idelle says.

“Ah, that’s right, and never really letting go of my hand and giving a killer look to the girls who looked at me.”

“Did you want me to let go now?”

“No, it’s fine. You’re right in that being by your side is the best place to be. I guess I should’ve remembered that lesson from your brother, that being with the ones you love is the best place to be.”

“He does typically know best.”

“That he does,” a familiar voice says from the dark.

Timeo manifests himself from the dark, out of his L’Obscurité appearance and into his normal one. He wears another of his fancy suits; this time, it's red, dark blue, and black, and his eyes are as dark as his powers.

“I was wondering when you were going to show up. So, uh, how long have you been watching us?” I ask.

“Since you were at the barcade. You seriously couldn’t invite me to it?” Timeo jokes.

“Hey, if I knew you were there and not somewhere in the world doing important things, I’d happily invite you.”

“I’m sorry that I don’t make time to visit, but I am glad you’re handling everything here well.”

“I…oh. You’re not going to give me a talk like Polina wants you to?”

“She may disagree with your methods, but she’s not as upset at you as you think she is. Her powers that lean towards mercy make her upset when a sinner dies, even if that person had a less than one percent chance to repent. Polina just wants you to be careful because she knows that extremists and crazies might follow your example in a way you might not like. It happened to me during my first years as a hero.”

“I’ll be ready for it when it happens.”

“Heh, I know you will.”

“You’re not going to try to stop me?”

“No. After what happened because of Nexum, we need members of the Dominion who expose the weaknesses of the law, so that it can be strengthened in those areas.”

“Thank you for seeing things as I do. It means a lot.”

“Still, there is one area that I’m most concerned about.”

“And that is…oh. That’s right.”

“What?” Idelle asks as Timeo and I look at her.

“Haha, you have nothing to worry about, Idelle. John told me that he knew Kane would be his brother-in-law and hoped that having you work together would make it happen.”

“See? I told you,” I say.

“Nevertheless, I don’t see what the problem is,” Idelle says.

“It’s nothing like I said. It’s Kane’s problem.”

“I still don’t get it.”

“Timeo told me about being careful about attracting dangerous women.”

“Huh? That’s a problem?”

“Not when God puts you two together.”

“Okay…”

“Even so, can you offer me any help, Timeo? I might be stuck here for a while.”

“What? You don’t like us being like this?”

“No, it’s just that you’re developing a habit of sticking to me and never letting go.”

“Hmph. We’ll stay like that this extra long then, and when we go back to your house, I won’t let you go until tomorrow morning.”

Looking up to Timeo without a free hand to reach out with, I say, “Uh. Help?”

Idelle looks up at Timeo as if threatening him with her gaze.

Timeo laughs and says, “I’ll pray for you.”

“Hey, where are you going?!”

“I have some friends and family to visit before going back to John and my own obsessed lover. See you later, Kane.”

“Wait, Timeo! I need help here!”

Just when I need him the most, he disappears into the dark. Now, Idelle is giving me the killer look, which is giving me the chills. Being unable to move my legs or arms and having no way out of this makes me certain that I won’t be feeling my body in the morning. I’m also sure that Polina will get a kick out of hearing what Timeo is going to tell her. God, save my broken body.

“Idelle…”

“I won’t let you go to sleep without giving me kisses either. I…really enjoyed the one you gave me before. Actually…I’d like another right now. Several, now that I think about it.”

I now completely understand Timeo’s warning to me. What I’m feeling now is probably how he felt with Darcy, but I guess there’s no getting out of this now. As I’m about to kiss her, a group of masked criminals is trying to rob the rich people in this high-rise garden, some of whom are looking for us.

“Guess we’re bigger celebrities than we were before,” I say.

This is perfect. We’ll take care of them, and then-okay, Idelle already ripped them apart, threw a few of them off the building, and is back to holding me. I think I’m more afraid now than I was before. At least I know I’ll be safe with her around me from most threats, and that, together, we can keep this city safe and bring divine justice upon all criminals and villains we come across.

 

The End

Mercy and Justice in Both Hands: Chapter 3 – Enemies of Evil

Chapter 3 – Enemies of Evil

When I wake up in the morning, I feel a weight pressing on me and a warm embrace. Opening my eyes, I see that it’s Idelle with her arms and snakes wrapped around me. I can hardly move my arms and legs, and it looks like Idelle is in a peaceful rest, her face appearing to be happy rather than her usual blank expression.

“Idelle,” I whisper and tapping her back with my hand. “Wake up.”

Idelle grunts and nudges her head to rest on my neck. I keep tapping and whispering to her until she eventually gets up. When she does, she stretches and takes a few seconds to realize where she is. Once she does, she jumps up, she apologizes, and blames her snakes, which I’m not sure is true in the slightest. Regardless, I accept her apology and go downstairs to see Raziel, who has the news on, is praying his rosary, and preparing breakfast. While waiting, I think to myself about what Timeo said to me about being careful around dangerous women, especially if they get attracted to me. I guess I can’t consider that advice now.

As we eat, I go over Idelle and my plan for today. From my investigations, the discoveries by my contacts in law enforcement, and what I learned from reading the souls of the criminals we encountered yesterday, I conclude that there’s a syndicate of a combined group of villains and criminals out there, trying to establish themselves in Meridian.

I explain to Idelle and Raziel that, “They’ve been at it for years, ever since Timeo cleaned Meridian’s reputation as a crime-ridden city, and are getting close to establishing a beachhead.”

“What’s their goal?’ Idelle asks.

“The only one I’ve been able to discern as their shared goal is creating a safe place for all criminals to do business. It’s the sole reason why they’re putting up with one another. Afterward, some have their own goals, which I’m not privy to.”

“I guess it won’t matter if we stop them before they can get to the second step of their plan.”

“How come they’re targeting Meridian?” Raziel asks.

“For the glory of it and because they know its primary protector is out of the country. It’s true that when Timeo took a break that this city got worse without him, but with us here in his place, we should be able to meet the challenge.”

“I assume you have a plan?” Idelle asks.

“The plan is the same as always. Shoot first, ask questions later. If we show them that no criminal syndicate can escape our notice, that should keep the rest of them away from the city, at least until the next band of idiots shows up.”

“I hope you don’t end up shooting ex-hero association members without letting us know beforehand,” Raziel says. “Polina called me about that and was going to come here to personally reprimand you if I didn’t talk her out of it.”

“That was my fault. I talked Kane into attacking them.”

“Don’t worry about it, Idelle, and thank you for saving me the headache, Raziel. My contacts in law enforcement have all the evidence you need to write a legal justification for us to pursue the targets we’re after. While Polina and you handle the paperwork, Idelle and I will start the cleanup job, alright? Alright.”

“Just be careful out there, brother.”

“I’ll be as careful as I can be facing people who want me dead.”

Idelle and I head off to different locations, taking out criminals, one after the other. One particular location that we have on our list is a police station, of all places, which was used by criminals who bought out members of the police force so they could use it to rescue or recruit others to their cause, under the nose of the law.

Before heading in, Idelle says, “Polina isn’t going to like this. How will I know which people to target?”

“Easy. They’ll start shooting at us when I get things going, but to be safe, try not to kill them. We need to interrogate them for information,” I say.

Going into the police station, I go up to one of the officers I know and tell her to give the signal to exit the building. It’s a silent signal that gets set to each officer we trust that tells them that there are rogue officers among them that the Dominion needs to arrest or kill. Even though it may cost us time, I’d rather there be fewer friendlies, innocents, and misunderstandings when the fight begins, and it looks like one of our targets knows something is up. I try to keep Idelle and me out of sight of them until all of our allies are out of the building and covering the exits. Once we’re ready, I step into sight of one of our worried and confused targets and lock eyes with them. I smile, point a finger gun at them, manifest my revolver, and shoot them.

Idelle leaps into action, breaking and twisting arms and legs in painful ways to disable them, while I only use my revolvers to ensure everyone here is taken alive. The rogue cops try fighting back with their guns and acquire body armor and specialized anti-superhuman weapons from their armory. Still, they end up cornering themselves and putting the majority of themselves in a convenient corner. The smarter ones, knowing their cover is blown, free the criminals in the cells, give them weapons, and help them retreat, only to further expose themselves and fall into the hands of honest cops outside who shoot or arrest them, depending on whether they surrender or fight. After that, I thank my friends, and, as expected, Polina arrives in a cop car.

“Here we go,” I say.

Before Polina says a word, I point out her fellow officers arresting suspects, that most of our targets are taken in alive, and that the officers were given a heads up and helped us out. The look in her eyes suggests she still wants to tear my head off, but she simmers down.

“Good work,” Polina tepidly says.

“Did you get the rest of my list and everything I sent over about the syndicate we’re after?” I ask.

“Yes, we have, and the Dominion and officers are going after them all as we speak.”

“Great, but don’t think this is over yet. We need to question these suspects for further information. This syndicate needs to be wiped clean from the face of the earth. Nothing and no one can be left standing.”

We wait ten minutes for our prisoners to wake up to start questioning them. To get the results we need faster, now that the syndicate must know that they’re secret is exposed, Polina, Idelle, the other officers, and I each get a criminal to talk to. Reading the soul of the person I’ve chosen to interrogate, I can already see a plot to blow up parts of the city. It’s an emergency plan to ensure that their leadership escapes to the suburbs, assassinate key members of the city, so that their allies can take their place, and sneak in their people to the underground parts of the city in the chaos to keep their syndicate going in the dark.

“You won’t get anything out of me,” the scumbag says.

“I already got most of what I wanted,” I say, and then explain the basic details of their plan. “Care to tell me where the bombs are and your secret hiding spots?”

Shocked by what I said, the scumbag says, “I…I don’t-”

I shoot my gun near the scumbag’s face, leaving it bleeding from the grazing.

“I don’t have time for this! Explain what you know, and I may do you a kindness. If you don’t, I’ll just shoot you and move on to the others.”

“I…”

I shoot another shot that grazes her face.

“Decide! Now!”

“Okay, okay!”

The scumbag tells me several locations that she knows where the bombs are located, and the locations of others who may know the other bomb and hiding spots.

“Thank you,” I say before pulling my pistol out and pointing it at her. “Beg God for mercy one last time.”

“Wait! You said you’d do me a kindness!”

“This is kindness. He’s already decided that you should die, despite my praying for you. This last chance to repent is a favor.”

“Please, please-”

I shoot the scumbag in the head, killing her.

“I hope for your sake that was acceptable to Him.”

Going over to Idelle, I find her strangling and questioning an injured rogue cop with her snakes and bare hands.

I put one foot up on a chair, manifest a pistol, point it at him, and say, “You’d best tell the pretty lady what you know. She’s the bad cop, and the good one is pointing a gun at your head.”

Sure enough, I get every answer out of the rogue cop, whom I shoot and kill afterward, after giving them one last chance to repent.

Outside of the interrogation room, Idelle asks, “Do you think I’m pretty, even with my armor on?”

Honestly, I didn’t expect my thoughts to so easily come out of my mouth.

Backed against a wall by Idelle, I admit it and say, “Yes, I do.”

Idelle blushes and thanks me. I move us on to learn what the other offices have learned and deal with the criminals and rogue cops, respectively, according to the judgment they are given. By the time Polina hears about what I’m doing, I already have officers, heroes, and vigilantes scrambling to take care of the bombs and hiding spots of the syndicate. She yells my name on the way out, and I simply wave goodbye at her as Idelle and I get in on the action to ensure that no member of the syndicate escapes justice.

Mercy and Justice in Both Hands: Chapter 2 – Mace and Guillotine

Chapter 2 – Mace and Guillotine

Back at the Dominion office, I see Polina and Raziel waiting for me. Polina is a red-haired, red-eyed image of what a cop and by-the-book hero looks like, while Raziel is a blonde, yellow-and-orange-eyed modern-day knight in up-to-date crimson armor. Seeing Polina cross her arms, Raziel does the same to look as serious as she is.

“What are you Boy Scouts up to? You helped your quota of old ladies cross the road?” I joke.

“You should be telling us what you’re doing and getting our approval before going out and shooting up the city again. How many times have you done it so far this year, Kane?” Polina asks.

“I’m not going to waste time while crime happens under our noses and the innocent get hurt and killed.”

“I understand, but procedure is procedure. You set the example that heroes and vigilantes can dispense justice at will. That’s not how we operate. We need to be orderly about this; otherwise, we’ll be inviting anarchy and chaos into the streets.”

“Timeo gave me my responsibilities and the authority I need to do what I need to, and God gave me the power to see His judgment on souls. Trust me. I’m doing just fine, and if people get the wrong idea and cause chaos, then I’ll handle it.”

“You’ve already handled enough for today. I suggest taking a break.”

“That’s fine with me. I need to wait for the other cops to finish their investigation so I can continue my own.”

“I’ll come with you,” Idelle says.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. My brother told me to spend time with you on and off work.”

“Yeah, I think you should keep an eye on him, too. Make sure he doesn’t cause more trouble,” Polina says.

Polina and Raziel let us walk by so we can head into the office and change our clothes. I take off my tattered outfit and put on a fresh red and black hoodie, black shirt, black pants, and black boots. When I leave my room to find Idelle, I see her waiting for me, not too far from the changing room I was in. I was going to say something to her, but seeing her in civilian clothing is always strange to me. She wears a short-sleeved dark pink jacket and a light pink dress, both of which were made by her adoptive parents, and a pair of black trim boots. It’s cute, really, even though the red blotches on her skin show due to not being covered by armor or her bodysuit like they usually are.

She tilts her head and asks, “Are you alright? Do you want to tell me something?”

“I’m fine. Let’s head out and take a walk around the city. I know some nice places we can go to,” I say.

“Lead on.”

The first place that I take Idelle to is an ice cream and dessert shop I frequent.

While we sit and wait to be served, Idelle says, “You strike me more as a man who likes beer or at least wine like Timeo does.”

“I admittedly was a beer guy, until Timeo kept taking me and the others out for ice cream. Drinks are good for cooling nerves, but ice cream is tastier and can do the same if enjoyed with a friend,” I say.

Idelle and I look at the menus we’re given, I tell her the best items on it, pick one for her since she doesn’t know what to choose, and dig in once we get our order. At first, Idelle tepidly tastes the ice cream. After one taste, she finishes it under what must’ve been twenty seconds. She then looks at me, a bit embarrassed, since she finished hers so fast, and I’ve hardly put a dent in mine.

“Haha, is this your first time eating ice cream?” I ask.

“No. I just didn’t expect it to taste this good,” she says.

“Ah. You have some on your face,” I say as I take my napkin and clean her face.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“It’s fine. Do you want another one?”

“Yes-if that’s fine with you.”

“With the salary we have, we could probably buy the store. Eat and enjoy as much as you want.”

By the time I finish my one ice cream, Idelle finishes five of them, and always manages to leave some on her face, which I keep wiping away.

“I’m sorry for being so messy.”

“It’s cute, really.”

Idelle blushes a bit and asks, “You think I’m cute?”

“I do. You don’t have to sound so offended by it.”

“I’m not. I'm just not used to hearing it outside of my family. You can’t blame me for feeling surprised because of the snakes on my back and all these red scars on my face and body, results of horrible experiments by my blood-related parents.”

“You make the most of it, and the scars add a lot to your appearance. I don’t see why anyone would think you’re scary or ugly.”

“Thank you.”

Idelle’s white snake slithers over to me and coils around my arm while looking at me, and her black snake seems to slump down as if struggling to stay awake.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. The snakes can act on their own, sometimes. I don’t know what’s gotten into them,” Idelle says while pulling her white snake off me.

I shrug it off as we leave the ice cream and dessert shop and head to a newly created art park supported by the Travail family, Timeo’s wife’s family. With the city now as safe as it is, parks like these have been built to promote local artists and provide a relaxing spot for friends and families. Idelle’s white snake keeps wanting to wrap around my arm. Since we’re walking together, a child mistakes us for a couple, which we both deny.

“If that’s the case, does that mean he’s available? I’d love to have the honor of being the wife of one of L’Obscurité’s apprentices,” a passing woman asks.

As the woman and her friends eye me up, Idelle’s snakes snap and hiss at the women, scaring them away.

“What was that about?” I ask.

“I don’t know what they’re doing. They’ve been acting really strange all of a sudden. I’m sorry,” Idelle says.

“It’s okay. I get people approaching me like that all the time, and I ignore it.”

“Hmm. It may sound selfish of me, but I wish more people approached and liked me, outside of my hometown of Poca Bellezza.”

“They don’t? Seriously? No one is a fan of the older sister of John Elio?”

“Not really, no.”

“Well, consider me your biggest fan then, if no one else will be.”

Both of Idelle’s snakes are wrapping themselves around me now and tightly squeezing me. Idelle helps me loosen their grip until they come off. Wanting to go somewhere else, I chose for us to go to one of Lancetto Affare’s high-rise dinner restaurants. Timeo’s best friend, or rather, his brother, as he calls him, has dozens of nice places to eat, in addition to buildings for politics, religion, and business. Given our status, Idelle and I are given a mostly private table on the balcony that overlooks the city.

Idelle’s eyes widen as she points out, “They have milkshakes here…”

I laugh and say, “Go ahead and get it. It’s not a sin to have dessert multiple times in a day.”

Sure enough, Idelle finishes multiple milkshakes before finishing her meal, and I finish mine. As we sit and enjoy the view from the seats overlooking the city, we relax and watch the sunset.

“Kane, do you think you’ve made the most of your life? That you did the right things, or at least tried to, while also making up for your mistakes?” Idelle asks.

Confused by the sudden question at first, I take a second to think before saying, “I do. Why?”

Idelle looks at me, dead in the eyes, and asks, “Your powers allow you to see if God wants someone dead or alive, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am. I spent many years talking to a spiritual director about it and honing the power.”

“What do your eyes say about me?”

“That you deserve to keep living.”

“Truly?”

“Yes. They tell me you deserve to keep on living because you’re a repentant soul who always makes up for her mistakes, and that you need to be there for the people you love and protect like your brother, and…someone else?”

“Who is that person?”

“I don’t know. I’m not getting a clear answer. My powers only allow me to know so much. I can’t access people’s memories like Timeo does.”

“Hmm.”

“Was that not a good answer for you? What’s come over you?”

“It’s just that…I don’t feel like I deserve this. My sins keep taking control of me now and then, and all I do is kill and hurt people. It’s all I’ve ever done, especially when I worked for my blood-related parents.”

“I’m in the same camp as you. It’s all I do, but we kill and hurt the right people. It’s what separates us from the scum of the earth.”

“Really? Who are the right people to hurt?”

“Those who sin against God, break the law, and hurt others for their own gain. To be honest, that casts a wide net over humanity since all have fallen and are unworthy of mercy, but the difference is that we’re not defined by or let our sins control us. We accept the mercy of God and are given mercy as a result, in contrast to those who spit on God’s offer day in and out. We do our best to fight against it from within and without, and that’s what makes us virtuous.”

“I see.” Idelle hugs my arm. “Thank you, Kane.”

“For what?”

“For everything, today.”

“Anytime.”

“Can we do this again sometime then? Maybe later this week in a day or two?”

“Haha, sure.”

While walking Idelle back to the Dominion office, we see movers taking items out of a now-closed hero association office. Idelle wonders what they’re doing, and I explain to them that their hero association was in opposition to the Dominion when people were choosing sides between them and Nexum, and they chose the wrong side. Looking at them, I see they are judged to die because they mean to use what they’re taking out of the office for nefarious reasons.

Telling this to Idelle, she asks, “Shouldn’t we stop them?”

“Yeah, but I wouldn’t want to cause trouble for Polina. Besides, we’ve already passed by others, I’ve had an itch to shoot,” I say.

“Aren’t these people a greater threat if they’re taking robots, armor, and weapons? Even if they’re legally doing so, they’re going to be a problem later. Were the other people we passed by as dangerous as these?”

“No. These people are significantly worse because of what they have planned.”

“Then we should stop them, right? When has potentially getting into trouble stopped you from doing the right thing anyway?”

“Heh, you’re a good kind of bad influence on me, Idelle, and I like it.” I manifest my guns. “Let’s do it.”

Idelle and I engage the criminals, me shooting at them from a distance, while she gets in close, either injuring them for me to finish judging or killing them outright. We go from room to room, breaking down doors and walls to erase every bit of filth from this building until it’s wiped clean, save for the bodies and bloodstains left behind from our fight. By the end of it, Idelle and I are a bit roughed up, but not seriously hurt.

“That was quite a way to end the day,” I say.

“I’m sorry I suggested we do it. I just thought it’d be the right thing,” Idelle says.

“No, you were right to. I got information from reading their souls that relates to the criminal trails I’ve been following, which will give us a clear target for tomorrow. Who would’ve thought that criminals would be patient and work together for a common goal?”

“Is that what you found?”

“I’ll explain more tomorrow. Let’s just rest until then. Would you like to come over to my house to rest so you don’t have to sleep at the office?”

“Yes-I mean, if you’ll allow me.”

“Of course you can. Do you need a moment to get your things-”

Idelle uses her superspeed to run back to the office, get her bags, and is back to where I am in seconds.

“I’m ready.”

“Okay then.”

I call my contacts to let them know about the mess Idelle and I made, and then arrange a personal taxi to get us both home. Back at Timeo and Darcy’s mansion, I see Raziel in an apron making dinner. He says he’s made some for me and didn’t expect to see Idelle with me.

“She’s staying with us so she doesn’t have to sleep in the rooms in the office,” I explain.

“That’s nice of you, but you remember what mother said about letting girls stay with us,” Raziel points us.

I still can’t believe Darcy, Timeo’s wife, adopted Raziel and me into their family, even though we’re only roughly ten years younger than them.

“She’s off with Timeo somewhere in the world, probably with their tenth child. Also, Darcy used to forcefully stay with Timeo when they weren’t married, Idelle is going to stay in one of the guest rooms, and it’s not like I’m in the habit of bringing any girl to the house that neither of us is familiar with.”

“Tenth child? I thought they just had their eighth last year?”

“Knowing her, I wouldn’t be surprised if they come back with an eleventh and some other adopted children around our age.”

“I can’t say you’re wrong about that. Idelle, would you like something to eat too? I can make you something.”

“Yes, please. Thank you for your hospitality.”

Raziel, Idelle, and I eat our dinner and then head off to our separate rooms to rest for the night. Today was probably one of the best I’ve had in a while, thanks to Idelle. I think I’m already catching on to the other person she’s supposed to be there for.

Mercy and Justice in Both Hands: Chapter 1 – Gunslinging Saint

Chapter 1 – Gunslinging Saint

In an illegal abortion clinic hidden deep beneath Meridian, I bring God’s justice. I manifest my ebony pistol and white revolver and begin firing. My pistol targets the workers, cultists, and women who have already aborted the infants, while my revolver knocks those deserving of mercy out with its bullets. One room holds the mangled remains of a recently aborted child, and I can feel its cries scream through my mind as if calling for justice, so I answer. Who am I to deny the plea of the truly innocent?

By the end, I call my contacts in law enforcement to have those still living taken to jail and see them on my way out of the underground. They thank me for my work and my constant efforts to root out evil from Meridian, and I simply tell them that they’re welcome and nothing more as I walk away and roam the streets. Ever since my mentor, Timeo Severe, redeemed his hero association, the Dominion of Mercy and Justice, with John Eli in their war against Nexum and became the first international hero association, he’s been away and given his apprentices, like me, the power and authority to be independent. I used to work with my fellow apprentices, Polina Yelizaveta and Raziel Emundato, but they’re already using their responsibilities and resources to aid law enforcement. I, on the other hand, use my privilege differently.

I see true heroes as people who not only defend the innocent and punish the guilty but also fix laws where they are broken or lacking. True heroes stick their necks out more for the people they serve and don’t let the complexities of human law interfere with true justice. My dad was one of the few politicians who never took bribes and did his best to pass laws to help the people he served, and he was killed in an “accident” involving an AI-driven car. My mom tried to seek justice for him, and presumably was killed too. I buried the finger and toe her killers sent me, and I still keep the necklace she wore that they returned to me, as a reminder of better times.

As I pass by people in the streets, my power judges them, and because it’s recently evolved, I can see the reason behind each judgment. One dad deserves to die for leading his children to Hell with him. A woman deserves to live, despite selling her friend into prostitution, because she’s done penance and is a nun now. Another man deserves death due to his petty theft, and another deserves to die for destroying his life and the lives of others through willful ignorance and laziness. Yet another man deserves to live despite wasting twenty years of his life drinking and trying to kill himself because he’s had the divine inspiration to change because of a dream, and there’s a man I see who deserves to live despite being the reason better people than him are dead. I have to keep my mind off them, or else I’ll go crazy shooting everyone, including myself.

I have to remember the lessons Timeo taught me. He’s the reason why I went from being the common criminal known as The Guillotine to the sidekick of Timeo’s dark hero identity, L’Obscurité. After being touched by his powers of dark justice, overcoming the trials they put me through, and joining up with him, I’ve become a changed man, and yet, I’m still the same at my core. All I do is shoot people who I know deserve it, bringing justice and death to the guilty. My mission is divine and one that I mostly walk alone, as I try to find my way with the added responsibility and power I’ve been given.

Now, I find myself having wandered to the edge of Meridian, and looking back at the city, I see how vast it is from a distance. I can appreciate all its architecture, from different generations to modern ones. However, I’m not here for sightseeing or to reflect further on myself and my present situation. The outskirts of Meridian hold my next targets, who are conducting their illegal dealings in what they think is relative safety under the noses of the city’s protectors. There are various factories and warehouses here owned by independent companies, and as the city focuses on keeping its relatively new crime-free status, the outskirts of it are a place where the odd spike in profit and strange dealings go unnoticed, but not by me, who investigates every weird occurrence that catches my attention. I’ve come just in time, as a few trucks are unloading their cargo into one of the big warehouses that’s connected to a metal factory.

Manifesting my pistol and revolver, I start shooting. Some don’t know the crimes they are helping with, and are spared, and then, some do know, but continue to help due to not being able to find another job. These people who do know I kill because they prefer to help themselves and their own rather than consider how their actions hurt others. I don’t feel pity for the desperate, who don’t deserve it, and knowingly help criminals traffic weapons, drugs that create artificial superhumans, pornographic material, and robotic weapons and hacking tools. Yet, I still recall Timeo’s wisdom to constantly pray for my enemies, and doing so changes the judgment in my head in an instant for some, telling me to spare people, rather than execute them, for no better reason than the potential for them to change in the near future.

I’m reluctant to follow these judgments, but who am I to deny the commands of God? I have to depend on them, so I spare those whom I am told. What I’m concerned about is the criminals going back to their ways after being spared and finding them in another encounter, either doing the same thing they were doing before or worse. There are some familiar faces here today; some get another second chance, while others don’t. As for the reason why, I don’t know, but I must trust my senses.

The criminals send out their superhumans and armed guards against me, making this encounter more than a simple slaughter, and forcing me to pay more attention. I dance between bullets and superpowers, while continuing my barrage of fire and judgment, making sure to hit every target, so that no one escapes, even if it means taking a hit or two, another benefit of my powers. I’m not nearly as invincible as Timeo’s friend, John Elio, but I can take a bullet or two without being slowed down or hurt very much, especially with the body armor I always wear. These rookies don’t stand a chance against me, despite my being outnumbered one-to-ten. While fighting them, I shoot the many shelves, large machinery, and boxes of volatile goods to give me a better edge to have things fall on my targets, make them fall from their elevated positions, or take out large groups of them.

Getting into the offices, I am pushed back by a squad of robotic soldiers for a second before pushing back against them and executing the heads of this operation, each of whom begs for their lives. They receive no mercy. None of them deserves it. None of them honestly repents or cares about the lives they’ve ruined by their actions, so neither God nor I will care about sending them to Hell, their just judgment. With everyone dead, I search the room and bodies for files, devices, and phones to glean information on future targets.

Before I call my contacts in law enforcement to clean up this mess, I hear sounds of fighting until I see Idelle Elio burst into the room with blood on her hands, feet, and snakes. The older sister of John Elio, Idelle, differs from her younger brother in personality and appearance. She wears golden armor with a visible layer of crimson bodysuit underneath, a white snake on her back that pulls her toward virtue, a cursed black snake on her back that tempts her to sin, grey hair, and white and black eyes. The look in her eyes suggests she was going to kill me if she didn’t recognize me, but since she knows me, she calms down and drops her guard.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” I say, while making my guns disappear into thin air.

“Me neither. Looks like we were following the same leads and took care of some of the targets you missed,” Idelle says as she looks around the room.

“My thanks,” I say with a little bow. “Did John send you here? I’m surprised you’re not with him in other countries or other states in the Columbian Union.”

“He wanted me to work with you specifically. I’m surprised you’re not with Timeo’s other apprentices.”

“Eh. They’re too soft on crime for me and focus more on charity and building our image as clean, noble protectors, not that there’s anything wrong with that.”

“Given our shared mindset and how you’re doing everything solo, I see why John wanted me to work with you. It looks like you need it because of the criminals you missed and how injured you are.”

Looking at myself, I see that my body armor is in tatters because of the bullets and hits from superhuman strength it took, and my clothes are ripped up due to the superpowers that burned them.

“Heh. Yeah. I could use some help, if for no other reason than to not ruin my entire wardrobe.”

“Do you need help getting back?” Idelle says with her arms open as if offering to carry me back.

I respectfully deny it and counteroffer to take us back on my motorcycle, which she agrees to. After calling my contacts to clean up our mess, Idelle and I head back to the office of the Dominion in the city. With the information I collected and the targets I have on my list, we should have plenty more work to do, and more justice to bring for the cockroaches who are hiding in the dark.

The next collection of John Elio stories is out today!

Paperback ($10.99) - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FWZCHFFF

Kindle ($4.99) - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FWYW6HWB

A deacon, a father, a husband, and a superhero. John Elio is all these things in this collection of short stories that follow his life and watch as he goes from strength to strength, while overcoming every challenge thrown at him. This beacon of hope and mercy extends its reach through the Dominion of Mercy and Justice. Alongside his brother-in-arms, Timeo Severe, the two heroes will bring the mercy and justice of God to all they encounter, inevitably as the night turns to day and day to night.
This book includes: Love and Salvation, Deacon of Mercy, The Light of Mercy and Darkness of Justice, Formation of the Dominion, and The Terror and Mercy of the Cross, along with Behind the Story trivia for each short story.

The final entry in John Elio's saga is out today!

Download for free at various online retailers - https://books2read.com/b/3yn1nB

As John Elio is serving at mass, explosions blow up the church and everyone inside. He and Timeo Severe's hero association, the Dominion, is under attack by people who know that both men are invincible and that the only way to take them down is to ruin their legacy, forcing them to be criminalized by the world, and take matters into their own hands. As they take the fight to a foreign land, true justice bends to no man-made law, and John and Timeo will be both terrifying and merciful to their enemies, as the suffering their enemies put them through will only make them more powerful.

The Terror and Mercy of the Cross: Chapter 4 – Mercy and Masters

Chapter 4 – Mercy and Masters

Timeo and I pray for hours while waiting for Giovanni to “work his magic”. We wait and pray so long that the spy joins in, and we share our faith with him and get him interested in pursuing it. Sometime later, we received a message that Giovanni is doing his part and to watch the news. There, we see a separated media and world, those who support us and those who don’t. Because of the intel that Timeo and the spy retrieved, we’ve exposed Nexum for their crimes. Yet, there are defenders of Nexum who doubt the legitimacy of the information, dislike the way we obtained it, or claim their actions are justified because they disagree with our beliefs. Giovanni publicly berates them all online and on live TV as he rallies more support for us.

The part of his speech that gets my attention the most is when he says, “This is the line in the sand in beliefs that I constantly emphasize and explain why I act the way I do. I use vigilantes and people made into villains because their countries criminalize them and refuse to give them a second chance. I exploit the grey areas of the law because it is flawed, taken advantage of by corrupt leaders, and an embarrassment to our country that needs fixing. There is no such thing as common sense between people of different beliefs, and we see this most clearly in the conflict between us and those who support Nexum’s terrorist and hypocritical actions. There is no shared goal or common ground to reach through dialogue because they refuse to accept the truth. So, what is left other than fighting them with physical force? What else can we do but force them to submit like the rabid dogs they are or slap them across the face like spoiled children?”

Our objective is clear. With Nexum deploying the full force of its military to defend itself from protesters outside its borders, and vigilantes and heroes from our country and others who are knocking on its doors, we are tasked with bringing its leaders to justice. What Giovanni did was clear our reputation and that of the Dominion. Now, we must finish this fight against our greatest enemy yet, and possibly pursue their allies afterward. Giovanni sends us a message indicating where to go to end this, and Timeo and I head there, to a palace that resembles a cathedral with walls around it, surrounded by superhumans on both sides.

A shot is fired by someone we can’t see, probably one of Giovanni’s people, and those for and against Nexum start fighting. Timeo and I join in on the chaos, push against Nexum’s defenders, and bring its leaders to justice within minutes. During the fight, many defenders die in battle, a few are captured, and others, like their leaders, kill themselves to avoid the disgrace of being captured or killed by us, as they said before they died. From there, we’re given the green light to go home by Giovanni, and when Timeo and I arrive back in the Columbian Union, we are exonerated of our crimes by our country’s leaders, as the traitors within the system are expunged and jailed or die during capture, either at their hands or by law enforcement. The media and ideological war continue as people from across the world argue against the morality and legality of our actions, some in support, others against.

As for me, I’m glad to just be home with my family again, and divine justice has been satisfied. Deborah tells me that, while Timeo and I were gone, she was defending our remaining allies here with Idelle, Darcy’s family allies, and Timeo’s apprentices from assassins sent by Nexum allies within our country, something that Timeo and I knew would happen and would result in our allies, friends, and families not letting us down. With Nexum brought to its knees and the world in our favor, the Dominion is not only reinstated but dubbed the first international hero association. We have supporters in all countries across the world, will have offices in them, and the ones who support us are subsumed into it. Since the Dominion is now the most powerful hero association in the world, we can better protect our country and others across the world so that what happened to us doesn’t happen to anyone else.

Giovanni tells Timeo and me that, “We’ll make sure that the law serves God and its citizens rather than being used to serve select ideologies, except our true one, of course.”

“What should we do with Nexum? They still hate and want to fight us,” Timeo says.

“Whatever you want. They’re threatening us with violence and are probably conspiring to take their revenge as we speak. No action that you can think of will be too harsh because of what they’ve done.”

“I think we should try to smooth things over with them,” I suggest. “They’ve all been taught falsehoods, so they don’t know what they’re actually doing. If they continue to be violent, then we’ll put the detractors in their place, but until then, with the power and people we have, we should be the better men.”

“Agreed,” Timeo says.

“Eh. I’d say that it’s a bit too merciful, but it’ll be good for our public image,” Giovanni says before walking away.

“We both know you’ll do whatever you want, despite what we say,” Timeo points out, only for Giovanni to laugh.

The wheels of change are set in motion, and the world will be different from now on. Through the power we now wield, no villain, criminal, or enemy of the Dominion will escape justice nor its embrace of mercy. To think that my simple goal of serving God every moment of my life led me to this present moment is crazy to me. I, a simple man who loves his God, family, and country. While I ponder this amazing truth and greater moments await me in the future, I enjoy the present as I eat a celebration dinner with my family and friends, all the while enjoying seeing them happy and thanking God for everything.

The End