The house is dark and quiet. On a fold out bed Cody sleeps soundly but wide awake and patrolling the upper floor is Finn, far from sleep. He begins to collect some items, a torch, some rope and a number of other items as yet unseen. Finn sneaks past Cody in the front room with his bag slung over his shoulder and leaves the house. He endeavours to shut the door softly but the creaking wakes Cody who stares around wildly.
Outside the house, Finn makes his way down his street before suddenly veering off down a side alley. He traverses several alleys and streets and takes shortcuts over fences. It’s clear he knows this are like the back of his hand. Eventually, he approaches a fire escape and jumps up, catching the bottom rung of the ladder before heaving his body up in a feat of upper body strength. He climbs two flights of stairs and enters an open window. In the distance, a poorly dressed and hurried Cody turns the corner into the same alley and sees Finn’s outline entering the open window. Cody pursues but stops short of the window and sits outside, listening.
Finn, now at the foot of a gentleman’s bed, waits for him to start awake as Finn taps on the end of his bed. The man screams but nothing comes out, fear overcomes him. The man tries to run but Finn hastily grabs him in a headlock and drives him to the ground. Finn takes out his rope and ties the man’s wrist tightly to the bedpost so he sits against it at the foot. The man manages to speak.
Man: Wha-what do you want from me?
Finn: Surely you know.
Man: I…I don’t understand…
Finn: Oh really? Forgive me. Let me explain. 3 weeks ago I stopped, and hurt, a man attacking a helpless woman on the streets of my new home whilst I was out on a morning jog. As is usually the case with the guilty, no charges were pressed, no-one came knocking at my door. That told me this man deserved what he got that day. So when I saw this man on the street a few days later, walking with another very attractive young woman, buying her a number of lavish and expensive items, I decided to follow him.
Man: Whoah man I…
Finn: Shut your god forsaken mouth this instant. This man, I’ll have you know, was called Greg. He lived…well in this very room actually. The night I followed him home I found him partaking in some sort of exchange at the bottom of the fire escape out there. A package and cash. When this man departed I confronted the gentleman who now held the package from this transaction. Coke. So my experience of the “man†if you will was that he attacks women and deals drugs. It’s likely how he gets the money to afford the expensive gifts and have the young women in tow…
Greg: I swear to God…
Finn: You’re swearing to your god now?! Does your god smile upon your actions? Does he come to you in visions and inform you that you are some sort of disciple or deity and that you are righteous and good and pure? You will NOT speak of any god; any greater power and you will NOT speak with any wisdom for you are the bottom rung of society. I want you to realise something…you are powerless here and that’s how your victims feel. You have been bested by someone clean of mind, something you will never know upon the continuation of your drug trafficking and your drug habit.
Greg: You untie me right now you stupid motherfu-
Finn: Silence. And patience. You will be untied just as soon as someone comes looking for you.
Finn stuffs a pool ball surrounded by cloth into the man’s mouth and tapes around his head. He secures his other hand and ties it to the other bedpost, leaving the man completely vulnerable.
Finn: Listen to me and listen good. I don’t think anyone’s going to come looking for you. If you thrash around enough you might be able to break something or loosen those knots and if so, good for you. Although you look sort of weak…that sort of dependency on a substance can do that to you can’t it? I’ll tell you what, if you get free before you rot away and I see you again I will not be so kind. This isn’t vigilante justice. This is just fucking justice.
Finn exits the window, the man’s eyes screaming behind him, and Finn lowers the window from the outside. He does not notice Cody, who had just jumped to the street and was hiding in the shadows. Finn walks down the alleyway and turns the corner with Cody in silent pursuit. As Cody turns the corner however Finn is there waiting and immediately places him in an arm lock.
Finn: Cody?! What the hell are you doing?
Finn releases him and Cody brushes himself off before charging at Finn and pinning him to the wall, Cody’s forearm in Finn’s throat. Cody talks in a raspy, angered whisper.
Cody: The fuck is this huh? I came and watched your match last week, front row, and you nearly broke that guy in half, you pummelled him. I could see the anger as you unloaded fist after fist. That’s how I knew something was wrong and now, now you’re some sort of batman? Stamping out crime?
Finn throws Cody off.
Finn: You have no idea and this has nothing to do with you.
Cody: I’m your best friend damn it, this has everything and more to do with me! What are you going to do this week, huh? Kill a man in the ring.
Finn: I won’t kill, I don’t kill, that’s absurd.
Cody: Oh so all this is sensible is it?
Finn: People constantly think they know me, you think you know me and so does this guy I’m facing this week. He’s got some dark mysterious shit going on and he thinks he knows me and knows why I do things like this. Just like you, he’s wrong. If I have to hurt him this week, I will, I’ll show him exactly what it means to be ‘dark’ and I’ll show him exactly why it’s best to stay out of my business. If you don’t back up and come home and drop this shit, I won’t hesitate in…
Cody: Oh, hurting me too?
Finn thinks for a moment.
Finn: No, just kicking your ass out.
Cody brushes himself down again before walking straight past Finn towards the house.
Cody: Not good enough brother.
Finn, confused, stares after Cody before throwing his hood up and beginning to walk in his wake.