The air was wet and thick as a hooded figure made his way through the crowded city street. Dodging umbrellas as he went. His eyes remained locked on the other hooded figure a few yards in front of him. His hands not visible, stuffed into his jacket pockets. The atmosphere got noticeably more frenetic as they entered a bar district, loud drunks spilling into the street, ignoring the rain.
A group of drunken bar patrons exited as the hooded figure was passing by the entrance to a bar. They spilled out into the sidewalk in front of him like marbles, everywhere all at once. He lost site of his quarry, and quickened his pace, bumping roughly into one of the drunken men.
“The hell is your problem?” the drunken man barked, his words slurred, turning sharply around, darting at the hooded figure, and grabbing his shoulder to wheel him back around.
The hooded figure was caught off balance for a moment as he was wheeled back around, his hood tumbling down, revealing a middle aged Asian man’s face, eyes still trying to keep a fix on the quickly disappearing figure down the block.
“I said wus your problem old man” The drunk said, his eyes swaying between each of the old man’s eyes, as he stifled back a gag. His hand was still on the old man’s shoulder. His friends were slowly coalescing around the old man as well, subconsciously forming a circle around the old man.
Loosing site of the other figure around the corner, the old man’s eyes snapped back, looking straight at the younger man’s eyes. The drunk seemed a bit startled by how sternly the old man’s eyes had come around to his.
“Let go.” The old man said firmly, jerking his shoulder back, releasing the drunk’s grip. He quickly turned on his heels, towards where he’d seen the other hooded figure go, down an alley. He was met with a fist to the cheek, staggering him for a moment before he fell to one knee.
“Aw come on Hal! You didn’t have to do that. He’s harmless. Just rude is all!” One of the women said from somewhere behind the old man.
The drunk looked up from the old man and sneered “Shuldnta started nuthin if he didn’t want troooble”. Then he turned his attention back to the old man, who shook his head and rubbed his cheek for a moment. “You wanna apologize old man? I’ll letcha go if you apologize.” he asked, in a joking tone, as he reached down to grab the old man’s shoulders again, pulling him back up to his feet. The old man’s eyes were fire and brimstone as he looked into them, seeming to glow a green light from the pupil.
The movement was imperceptible, a blur accentuated by the rain splashing off his jacket as he moved. The drunk’s arms clutched the air where the old man’s shoulders were a moment ago, before he collapsed on the ground clutching his stomach and vomiting, the rain carrying it down to the gutter. Another moment and the old man’s hood was back up and he had disappeared down the alley. The sounds of the drunken group could be heard behind him, reeling from what had just happened.