Hero

Hero

Vic:

"Staying late again, Fuentes?" My partner Randy asks as he locks our office door. I look up from my paper work and nod at him. "Oh, well I'll see you then."

"Alright, good night." I say just as he leaves the station. I let out a sigh, I can't finish all this tonight. When I became a police officer, I thought it would be all action, but sadly, it's not. Most of the time, Randy and I are stuck doing filing since we're relatively new to the precinct. Believe it or not, but I don't make a lot so even though I live alone, the struggle is real. It doesn't matter, cause I'm doing what I love, protecting and helping people.

After thirty minutes of signing and filling out documents, I decide to call it a night. I still, however had a major stack of papers left that had barely been dented, but whatever I'm tired.

I grab my stuff and lock up. I check my watch, it's 9:45. It's really dark out, since it is October. Remember when I said the struggle was real? Well, I don't own a car. I get to and from work by walking, it really doesn't bother me.

I take in the usual evening scenery as I walk down the streets of Michigan. Luckily, I only lived a few blocks from the station, so it wouldn't be an extremely long walk.

In the midst of the normal dog barking, I hear a faint cry. Maybe it's just a baby being way too loud. I continue to travel down the sidewalk until I hear it again, this time I can make out the words 'help.' I hear it yet another time, and figure it's coming from the alley way just on the next block. Instead of slowly strolling, I ran--good thing I was still in uniform.

The cries for help get louder until I find the source, at first they had seemed feminine, but they were actually from a guy. I don't turn the corner into the alleyway as of yet, I listen. "Just shut up and take it!" A man's vague voice demands, his words are followed by a loud slap and a whimper. "That's a good slut." He says. Shit! Someone is defiantly getting raped.

I don't sit and listen to anything else. Grabbing my gun, I round the corner to see a huge guy behind a very petite feminine looking boy who's silently sobbing. They were fully clothed. "Back away from him." I demand pointing the pistol at the man. When he doesn't do anything I repeat it louder and with more force, "I said step away from the boy!" This time he does what he's asked. Still holding the gun, I walk towards the man and he backs himself into a corner. I grab the radio on my uniform shit and request backup.

It takes three off duty cops five minutes to arrive and they take the guy away, leaving me with the boy. "Are you alright?" I ask approaching him slowly. We were still in the alley. I had asked if he'd like to come down to the station, but he just shook his head still crying.

"I-I think so." He answers back in a small voice. He's sitting on the floor, so I join him, keeping about a foot of space in between us. "Thank you." He mumbles after a while.

"It's my job." I said, returning to the silence.

"Shouldn't you be getting home to your wife?" He says in between small whimpers. I chuckle and he looks at me, "W-what?"

"I don't have a wife. I'm as single as a dollar bill. I don't have anyone to go home to." He mouths an 'oh' and hugs his knees to his chest. "How old are you, anyway?"

He doesn't respond for a bit and I wonder if I crossed any lines by asking. It wasn't really any of my business anymore, all I had to do was stop him from being raped and my job was done. But here I was asking questions. "I'll be eighteen in two months." He finally answers.

"Shouldn't you be home? Your parents must be worried about you." I state. Once again, he's silent.

"My parents kicked me out of my home and I've been homeless ever since." He confesses. "Oh, I'm Kellin, by the way." Damn. I can't believe anyone would do that to their kid.

"How long ago was that, Kellin?" I know I'm stepping out of line by getting into his personal life, but it just happens. I want to help him.

"That was three months ago..." He's cut off by his own sob. It breaks my heart to see kids on the streets. I can't leave him out here alone.

I get up, stand in front of him and reach my hand out. He looks at it, the. His eyes trail up my arm and to my face. He takes my outstretched hand and lifts himself off the ground. "You're not staying on the streets tonight. You're coming with me." I smile. He blinks his eyes in disbelief before he gives me a skeptical look.

"Y-you don't have to." He mutters.

"Yeah, I know. But I want to." He looks into my eyes, searching for any signs that might tell him if I'm lying, and when he doesn't find any, he gives me a genuine smile.

"Thank you." A tear rolls down his cheek as he utters the words. I start to walk down the block and look back, waving for him to follow me. Without hesitation, he runs to catch up.

We walk a couple blocks before he asks, "what's your name?"

"Oh. It's Victor. But you can call me Vic." I smile at him. He returns it.

"Vic, you're my hero." He says before running into me and wrapping his arms around me. It takes me a bit to realize what he did, but when I do, I hug him back. I'm his hero.