A Collection Of Short Storys

Mistaken Identiy

I'm going to be honest I wrote this at like 3am so I don't know if its actually any good but oh well.
Prompt from @yourlocalwriterfriend on Instagram, this is the hero realising too late that they got the wrong person after the "villain" was sentenced to public execution.

⚠️ Trigger warnings ⚠️
- Brief mention of blood
- the motions of a public beheading
- mentions of daggers and other weapons

My face paled as the black hood was roughly removed from the villain and the axe lifted swiftly in the air.

That wasn't the villain.

I had spent so many months chasing him that I would recognise those eyes anywhere and those, the ones filled with terror, tears and confusion before me, were not his.

Not for the first time in the past week, time screeched to an agonising crawl. I lunged forward with all my strength and silently cursed at my still recovering limbs. The axe started to make its powerful descent, on route for one clean swing. No don't think about that I'm more then half way through the crowd now, I'll be able to stop it. I'll still be able to save them.

In my peripherals I could see head's turning, anger and betrayal seeping across thier faces at my actions, but they don't know what I know. They have no idea why I can't let this continue.

I'm at the stage now but I fear it may be too late, the axe is ever nearing the poor innocents neck closer and closer with every passing second, despite how slow I'm willing them to be.
Come on, all this power,
all this talk of being a righteous hero and you can't even save one person?!
Dammit think!

My hand strays to my partial concealed sheath, as if having a mind of its own.
Of course, my dagger!
Although I'll have to aim it just right.

Can't mess up.

No second chances.

Briefly aiming, I summon all but the last of my strength and launch the weapon. Hurtling towards its target, the axe mere centimeters from thier neck, I shut my eyes tightly in fear of the worst. A piercing scream echoed throughout the stadium and the following silence was more powerful then any words I had ever uttered.

Tentatively, I opened my eyes and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in. The axe was buried in the wood next to thier head, just grazing their ear.

I did it.
They were alright.
I had actually saved them.

Shock turned to confusion turned to outrage as the crowd erupted into chaos. Food and pieces of small debris were hurtled towards me, along with some rather colourfully inventive language.
I heaved myself up onto the stage, the now dampend cries of the wounded axeman just audible against the growing mob. The dagger was still firmly embedded into his lower forearm, glistening blood steadily flowing onto the wooden decking like a crimson waterfall. However, I paid no attention to him, he'll be fine after all it's only his arm, nothing the healers cant fix.

Instead I knelt down in front of the innocent victim and gently asked "Are you alright?" A small and terrified nod accompanied by a shakey breath was all I got in response as a tear ran over thier cheek and trickled down thier face.
I leaned over and with my other blade cut the rope around thier hands, freeing them. In a firm but kind tone I apologised for the previous days events but told them to wait where they were.

Walking over to a verry conflicted looking government official I informed them, in a hushed tone, that that was an innocent bystander and not in fact one of the most dangerous villains in history.
What seemed to be relief briefly swept over her face, to the fact I wasn't switching sides I presume, before her confident and professional expression returned. "Alright, we'll see to it that they are safely released and adequately compensated for this mistake" then  gestured to the guards that were present.

The guards who, after a second of hesitation, guided the former prisoner away from the stadium and increasingly violent sounding audience. Most of them demanding justice and retribution, although a few of them were strongly calling for the hero to take the so called villains place instead.

After the complete shit show that was today, a formal apology was later officially made to not only the public but also to the innocent Civilian and thier family.
"So what happens now hero?"
"The search continues and next time? Next time I'll him pay"