Don't Drop Your Mask

“Sir, I think I’m going to have to cut you off,” I said.

“What?”

“You’ve had a bit too much to drink. Would you like me to call a cab for you?”

“I think I know when I’ve had too much to drink,” he slurred.

I frowned. I hate drunk strangers. “Well, you will receive no more alcohol from this establishment tonight. Especially not until you pay for those last few drinks.”

He pulled out his wallet and slapped just enough cash on the counter, then threw down a few more bills. “Another gin, and how about a lap dance?”

I threw the extra money back at him. “Out.”

He laughed, and said, “I was only joking, baby,” before trying to say something else.

“Security!” I yelled out, and pressed a button on the little walkie talkie machine that called Bruce up.

Bruce came up and ‘escorted’ the guy out. Sometimes I hate my job.

I got off work about an hour later, carrying my tips for the night securely in my pocket. I tightened my jacket around me. “Well, well,” I heard a drawled out, drunk voice to my left. “We meet again.”

I turned to see who was talking to me. I rolled my eyes. “Alcoholic,” I muttered to myself and kept walking.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me back. “I’m not an alcoholic.”

“Good for you. I have to get home.”

“What? To your perfect little life? Your perfect boyfriend and family and you’re nice little apartment?”

I ripped my arm away from him. “My life is of no concern to you. I suggest you call a cab and get yourself home.”

He smirked and pushed me up against the wall. He had one arm resting over my head, holding himself up. He opened his mouth to speak, and I winced at the stench of gin. “I sensed some anger in your tone. Everything not too peachy at home? Problems with your boyfriend?” I turned my head and tried to slip out of his grasp, but he pulled me back. “Ah-ah. I know a way I can make it feel better.” He leaned in to kiss me, and I struggled harder.

“Where the fuck is Romeo when you need him?” I asked to myself, still struggling to push Handsy right here off me.

“Awe, you still think about me!” I heard from behind the guy groping me before he was pulled off. My masked avenger slugged him in the face once, and he fell over. “We need to stop meeting like this,” he said.

I laughed. “Straight out of the comic book.”

“Into your arms,” he finished.

I shook my head. “Are you setting these up? That guy fell pretty fast.”

He laughed. “Coincidence. You sure are bent on getting into trouble, huh?”

I nodded and started walking. “It’s quite a thrill.”

He caught up with me. “Layla, right?”

I nodded. “Batman, right?”

He smiled. “Better.”

“Oh. Do you have a name yet?” I looked him up and down. “The Average Avenger?”

“I take offense to that! I like to think I’m at least a little bit better than average.”

“The B Minus Bully?”

He rolled his eyes. “That doesn’t even make sense. I don’t have a name. Well, I have a name, but… You know.”

I shook my head. “Well you’ll never get well known and have a symbol they flash in the sky when they need your help without a name. You need to get on your superhero persona.”

“You could get on my superhero persona,” he said. I stopped and sort of gawked at him. I totally didn’t see that coming. “I mean, you already came up with two good names,” he said, rushing to cover up the comment.

I smiled and bit my lip. “Is this going to become a habit?” I asked him.

“Are you going to continue to try to get raped?”

I looked at him, and said in a dreamy voice, “If it means I get to keep seeing you.”

I kept walking, just a few steps from my building. “Seriously, though. You should be more careful,” he told me.

“Would you like to come up for some tea? Coffee? Water? Soup, possibly? I think a few marshmallows survived.”

“Layla, we’ve been through this before. I know you like me, but we could never be.”

“But… masked crusader! Vigilante of my dreams… I love you!”

He laughed and just stood there.

“So what happens now? Do you fly off into the night, leaving the poor mortal to shake with sobs at her lost love? Do you aban—“ He cut me off with a kiss.

“Goodbye, Layla,” he said, and disappeared around a corner before I could compose myself.

I smiled and touched my lips. As I walked up to my apartment, I half hoped there was another threat on my life tomorrow.