CHAPTER 33

Wally and Gar sat in a brightly lit room as they went through the documents concerning the hospital and police reports. They've been at it for some time now and were planning to track down the so-called vigilante so they could hand him over to the police as a criminal. 

"This guy seems like bad news dude." Gar cringed as he read the information they had on the vigilante and saw more pictures of his victims. 

"He is bad news." Replied Wally who was just hung up on getting out there and start searching for him.

"Does the city know about the vigilante?" He asked as he kept flipping through the files. 

"No they don't, he's just some neighborhood vigilante who goes after thugs and low life criminals with no relevance to society whatsoever."

"Oh I see, then he hasn't done anything significant that might cause an uproar." Gar responded as he looked at the hanging clock which made him realize it was almost time to get moving. 

"It's almost time to go hunting for some vigilante." He said. 

"You've got that right. Let's suit up." Wally had a smile on his face as he had the feeling that night would be different from the rest nights he went alone, and there was excitement brewing within him. 

They arrived at the part of town the vigilante was reported to operate on the most as they prepared themselves to apprehend him once they got the slightest glimpse of him. 

They waited for an hour and Gar was bored out of his mind but he knew stakeouts weren't meant to be fun so he kept to himself and tried to focus, Wally had a serious look on his face as he tried to stay alert and ready to pounce on any suspicious individual. 

"Remember, he wears a balaclava mask sometimes but some said he was just a young guy so just keep an eye out for anything suspicious." Wally was as excited as he was nervous, that burst would be huge and he does not want to fuck it up. 

"Suspicious..as in 'an alarm going off somewhere around the neighborhood' suspicious?" 

"Yes… An alarm? Let's go, Gar. Move out." Wally ran to the spot as Gar transformed into a cheetah and raced over. 

On getting there they realized it was a jewelry store which was broken into by some thugs but they were in a bad shape as if beaten to a pulp. They were on the floor with hands behind their backs, the crowbars they had used as the tools for breaking into the store had been used as a man made metal cuffs on them. It was twisted and seemed like the person behind must possess super strength or something. 

On seeing this, Wally turned to Gar then asked him to circle around the neighborhood and search the area for any suspicious person moving around it. 

"Sure." He ran outside then transformed into a hawk since it had both speed and longer range of sight, so it would be easier to spot anyone who was moving around the block that night. 

As he circled around the hood, he spotted someone wearing a black mask, who had just turned around a corner and was heading away from their current location. He flew back to Wally immediately he caught sight of that person. 

"Kid Flash, I saw a dude with a mask on, and he turned around a corner a few paces back." He flapped his wings as he stayed midair while he informed Wally about the suspicious person. 

"A dude with a mask, did you say he was heading around a corner not too far from here?" He asked Beast Boy, it seemed he has found the person he had been searching for. 

"What direction?" He asked as he looked at Beast Boy who just pointed in the direction using his beak. 

He immediately ran in the direction he was pointed to and caught up with the stranger who was wearing a mask that night, so he ran in front of him. He stood in his front blocking his path and with both hands crossed. 

"Not so fast buddy." He halted the stranger who seemed a bit surprised at his sudden presence. 

"Where are you coming from, this time of the night? Don't you know there's been a break in around here?" He asked the stranger who didn't seem the least interested in his question. 

"It's not a matter of where I'm coming from but where I'm heading to, and that is to catch what little sleep I can before morning." Tom responded while he yawned as a result of tiredness. 

"That does not answer my question but once you do, I'll let you go and you can be on your way to get that sleep you seem adamant on catching up on. But if you can't provide an answer regarding your previous whereabouts, then I'd have to assume you are the vigilante who has been operating around this neighborhood."  He spoke louder so Beast Boy who was on the roof of the building they were next to could hear that stranger was a potential suspect and keep at alert incase of any sudden move. 

"Vigilante?" Tom asked as the term amused him a little. 

"Did something I said intrigue you?" Kid Flash was starting to get a little bit irritated by the long and ignorant game the stranger seemed to be playing with him. 

"Wait, first you'd have to tell me what you meant by terrorizing the neighborhood?" He crooked his eyes then pointed at him while he asked the question out of curiosity. 

"I meant the person who has been going around playing hero while landing multiple victims in the hospital." His tone suddenly sounded a little bit more serious than it previously was. 

"Playing hero? Then that means his victims are actually bad guys right? If so, then why not just let him be as he cleans up the mess the heroes and the police seem to have neglected around this parts." He spoke as he continued to feign ignorance to Kid Flash's claims. 

"It seems you're trying to defend the actions of the vigilante and make it justifiable, but what he's doing isn't right." He dropped his arms and waited to see Tom's reaction to his claims and far fetched accusations. 

"I don't think he is a vigilante. If you asked me I'd say he's just a garbage man who's cleaning up the dirt around these parts and taking out the trash when it's called for. Mind you, there is a lot of trash in need of cleaning up." He looked Kid Flash in the eyes as he spoke without a hint of intimidation from the young hero. 

"You speak like you know what's going on in his mind, almost as if you were talking about yourself. Also, you are the only suspicious person who matches the description we were given. Come with me peacefully and you can explain your fucked up crusade at the police station." Kid Flash took a step forward and hoped for a peaceful surrender but he knew better and was prepared for anything Tom might want to throw at him. 

Beast Boy was still on the roof and he wanted to get involved in what was going on down there so badly but it wasn't his mission, he was there to act as support for Kid Flash and he wouldn't want to screw things up for him. So he stood there in wait of Kid Flash's signal to engage while he watched Tom's every move, just in case he had anything up his sleeves then he'll be prepared for it and not taken by surprise. 

"Oh, well I don't have time for this. Maybe some other night we could sit down and discuss it over a drink like civilized men. I don't think you are old enough to drink yet, so we could have soda if you wish. But right now I'm tired and in need of some sleep before the morning sun comes to drive the night away." Tom tried walking around Kid Flash but was stopped by a hand to his chest which halted his movements. 

"Where do you think you are going? We aren't done talking yet, you are coming with me and that's final." Kid Flash sounded like Tom was coming with him no matter what and Tom wasn't going to let him have his way. 

"Or what? You and the kid up there are going to stop me?" Tom tilted his head a little to look at the stunned Kid Flash who was surprised he knew about Beast Boy's presence. 

Over the course of the past few weeks Tom had started to become aware of the vectors around him as he exploited his powers and practiced on criminals, his range in use of his powers had improved a little. 

He could barely notice the vibrations Beast Boy was making with each twitch of his feet up there, he wouldn't have been able to notice him if he wasn't as alert as he was right now and was ready to engage the young speedster who didn't seem to understand that all he wanted to do that night was to get back home and have some sleep. 

Tom attempted to continue with his advancement but was obstructed by the young speedster who was hell bent on not letting him go. 

"You ain't going anywhere buddy, except with us and the destination is…you guessed it right, the police station." Kid Flash said as he tightened his grip on Tom's shoulder. 

He looked at the hand on his shoulder and slowly spoke with a slightly riled up tone. "Mind getting your hands off of me?"