The moment he was back out on the street, Jon pulled a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket and popped one in his mouth. He pulled out a stainless steel lighter with an M-16 engraved into the side and lit up before taking a long drag from his smoke and blowing a cloud into the early morning air.

The sun had not yet risen as he made his way down the empty street towards campus. His thoughts were wholly consumed by the dreadful image that had played in his head the night before.

The last memory he had of seeing his family alive.

--

Young Jonathan had shut his eyes and prepared for the worst. It was at that exact moment he heard the sound of a shotgun being cocked behind him followed by a loud blast of buckshot. The monstrous creature in front of him went flying backwards just as Jon turned around to see his father aiming the still smoking barrel.

“Dad?” He asked weakly.

“Get downstairs and out the front door, Jon! Run to the neighbors!” His father ordered.

“But…”

“Go!” He barked.

Young Jon fled down the stairs and ran for his life. Tears streamed down his face as he heard the sounds of an inhuman shriek followed by another blast of buckshot. He didn't look back. The eight-year-old boy ran as fast as his legs could carry him out the door and into the cold air of the night.

--

Jon's mood began to shift. He hated being reminded of his horrible past. But try as he might, not even sleep seemed to offer a reprieve from the dark memories that taunted him. As he took another puff of his smoke, a strange sound caught his ears. The sound of a woman yelling in Japanese two blocks away. He swore under his breath. Sometimes his heightened senses proved to be more of a curse than a blessing, as they often lead to him winding up in conflicts he had no business in.

“Well...better go check that out.” He relented before tossing his cigarette to the ground and stubbing it out.

Jon darted two blocks towards the sound. While no one else could have possibly heard it, Jon's acute ears picked up the arguing voices almost immediately.

“I said stay away, you perv!” The young woman being assaulted slapped the pushy older man’s hand away.

“Aww come on, baby. I'm just trying to be a gentleman.” He assured while backing her further into the wall.

“What kind of gentleman follows a girl into the lady's bathroom, huh?” She challenged, feeling a wall of stone brick press against her back.

Jon rounded the corner just in time to see him press both hands against the wall, cutting off all escape routes. “Don’t be like that. You and I could have a lot of fun together.”

The young woman turned her head away and shut her eyes. Her whole body was trembling.

Jon sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. Seems even this far from the South there were still plenty of monsters to be found. “Alright, what's going on here?” He asked in Japanese.

The older man shot him a death glare. “This is none of your business, Gaijin! Stay out of it!”

“Look, Buddy. I don't know as much as I should about this country considering it's my mother's birth nation.” He calmly explained. “But back where I'm from if a lady politely tells you she's not interested, it's time to walk away.” He got directly in the older man's face. “Otherwise there's likely to be someone else who comes along and asks you a little less politely.”

“Fuck off, asshole!” The older man shoved Jon backwards. Or rather, he attempted to.

He popped his neck and glared at the man. “You really shouldn'ta done that.”

His fist connected with the man's jaw faster than he could react, sending him careening into the nearby dumpster. With one more well-placed hook Jon sent the man tumbling backwards into the bin.

Jon popped his knuckles and walked back over to the trembling young blonde dressed in a rather revealing cocktail dress and fur coat. She stared up at him curiously, still wary of his intentions.

“You gonna be all right?” He asked in English.

She nodded timidly. “I think so, thank you.”

He cocked one of his reassuring smiles at her. “I don't wanna tell you your business, Miss. But you outta consider finding some better friends.”

She looked at him incredulously before breaking out into a small smile. She started giggling after a moment, finally realizing he was making a joke. The woman bowed her head politely to him. “Thank you, Sir. You saved me.”

He shook his head. “Nothing to it. You take care of yourself now, you hear?” Jon turned to leave before the girl stopped him.

“Actually…” She fidgeted in place, staring down at the ground with a slight blush on her cheeks. “I was wondering if you wouldn't mind taking me home? I'm scared to go the rest of the way by myself.”

He scowled angrily while his back was still turned. The stench of death was heavy in the air. As Jon turned around, he put his charming smile back on and nodded.

“I'd be right happy to. Just give me one moment to finish up some business.”

She beamed at him, placing both hands against her chest. “Thank you!”

He walked back over to the bin and peered down at the would-be attacker. Though still a bit loopy, he would live.

“Dammit. Why'd you have to interfere?” The man asked bitterly while spitting out a couple of teeth.

“You should be thanking me.” Jon replied rather cryptically. “I just saved your ass from an ugly death.”

The man stared up at him in confusion before Jon slammed the lid of the bin down on him. He then dusted his hands and offered the young woman his arm.

“Shall we?”

She wrapped her slender frame around his arm, pressing her healthy bust against him. “So long as you're ready.”

He left the alley with the young beauty on his arm. Ignoring the stench of death in the air and the familiar dread that enveloped him like a shroud.