Colberton has a vigilante, named Votary, attacking the criminal element that operates in a city with a limited police force. A social climbing reporter, Claire Kennedy, is determined to discover the identity of this would-be hero to boost her station's ratings and her own clout with her boss. Her investigation will quickly reveal that real-life vigilantes do not reside in the fantasy worlds that comics and movies allude to. Death and trauma affect not just Claire, but the other residents of Colberton. They include the police officers, paramedics, surgeons, criminal bosses, and teenaged fans of Votary. All of them will experience the lasting effects associated with over-the-top battles in the back alleys and residential streets. During it all, Votary will keep his identity a secret, even from the audience.