as written by Calcos
It was a hellish day in Westeria, and plenty of people were taking advantage of that fact; especially the unscrupulous types in An Cupla. This was never a safe neighborhood, even during periods when the city wasn't being blown to hell by several different doomsday weapons and monsters of the apocalypse. Still, despite all the otherworldly danger that ripped through the streets mere blocks away, people were still wreaking their own havoc, taking what chances they had whilst the authorities' backs were turned to commit crime with impunity.
Rafael thought to correct that way of thinking, taking his baseball bat in hand and prowling the streets, donning a set of old clothes and a black balaclava. It wasn't long until the sounds of screaming caught his attention, as he darted his eyes to the origin of the noise, seeing a woman being dragged from her home by a group of four laughing Irishmen. One of them held her arms in place while the second guy attempted to remove articles of her clothing. The others had just exited the apartment complex carrying an assortment of valuables. Rafael made his way over to them, stepping hurriedly as the two looters descended the stoop leading to the street. One of them turned around to gawk at what his friends were doing, joining them in a laugh as they attempted to rape the young woman.
The other looter was busy stashing the goods into a truck's bed, looking up just in time to call out for his friend, all too late as a baseball bat crashed into the back of his skull, flooring him instantly, blood pooling from the nasty gash left in the wake of the blow. Bat in one hand, Rafael stared hatred into the forms of the three remaining punks, the two on the stoop having dropped the girl, rushing towards their friend's attacker.
With a quickness, Rafael buried the top of his weapon in one man's gut, while simultaneously stomping down into the other guy's shin with his left foot, causing the thug to stumble, opening him up to an under-the-jaw strike with Rafael's bat as he whipped the blunt instrument around, putting a second cretin permanently out of commission, knocking loose some teeth in the process.
He smiled as the one to his right raised his fists, seemingly ready to duke it out. Rafael raised his bat, ready to strike, when suddenly he felt himself falling forward; he'd completely neglected the looting thug by the truck, who had just rammed a charging shoulder into his back, making the young vigilante eat hard asphalt in mere seconds. The two muggers took the opportunity to wail on Rafael with a flurry of kicks, aiming to keep him pinned down.
The Hispanic young man wouldn't be so easily defeated, however, as one well-placed groin kick sent one of the two reeling, removing themselves from the gang-up, allowing Rafael to repel the incoming blows of the remaining man with his bat, before getting in a shin strike with his bat, causing the Irish whelp to hit his ass, screaming as he cradled his injured leg. Standing, panting, Rafael turned and clubbed the man into silence, blood reaching up and staining the vigilante's clothes.
It was then that he'd noticed the remaining punk had regained his composure, aiming a gun at the kid who had just fucked up their plans. "Ye got a death wish, aye?" he asked. Rafael made no noise, didn't smile. He merely held up a hand, aiming his palm at the Irish prick.
"The fook you doin' ye loony shit? D' ya know what yer- AHHHH! AHHHHHHHHH!" He howled in agony, dropping his weapon to the ground as the realization that he had been hit with a ball of fire settled in. Like an idiot, he ran around in circles, until he eventually made his way down the street before tripping and hitting the ground. He continued to writhe in pain as his body was engulfed in the roaring flames bestowed upon him by the very loon that had just killed his partners.
Looking back, Rafael noticed the girl staring at him, her mascara running down her face, eyes wide in horror. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words emanated. She merely closed her parted lips and nodded curtly. 'Thank you,' it said.
Rafael nodded in return, walking away without so much as a smile across his face.