I had left the agency by Sarah’s orders. Her breasts were so soft that they overwhelmed me for real. They were extremely soft.
I hope she is not that energetic with everyone. It would be nice to have a bit of exclusivity.
I was in front of the New Kroy Agency building waiting for any kind of order from Sarah.
I had met several superhumans. All of them were quite friendly with me. None stepped out of the formality of work. They were extremely professional.
They had also finally given me the agency jacket. I already felt included and part of a company that actually pays its workers well.
Although the truth is I did not care much about feeling included. The most important thing was the pay. Only the pay.
I have some hope that seriously, if I had that amount of money every day, I could do all kinds of things.
Like buying a better bed, a heater in this winter season, and of course a lot of food.
I had been waiting for twenty full minutes.
That does not sound like too much time, but when you have a smartwatch on your wrist, a fire power you still do not fully understand, and an energetic coordinator who tells you “wait for instructions” without telling you where to sit, twenty minutes feel like a psychological test.
I looked toward the entrance and there was nothing.
Only cars passing, people walking, and me pretending I was not nervous.
My watch beeped PIP.
[Sarah Murphy - Support Mission Coordinator]
[Oliver! Initial field mission assigned. Preventive patrol in commercial zone 7-B. Several stores bought New Kroy’s protection subscription. Your job is to walk, observe, report, do not start unnecessary fights, do not burn products, do not burn customers, do not burn the street and definitely do not burn yourself.]
Understood as mission coordinator.
[Estimated duration: 180 minutes.]
[Classification: Danger E.]
[Base reward: 40 silver coins.]
40 silver coins. My brain stopped reading mission and started reading money.
In barely 3 hours of work I am going to earn double what I did in the previous one. I still find the advantage that having powers gives you incredible.
“This really is a job” I murmured with a smile. The watch had vibrated again.
[Do not smile so much. The street cameras are watching you. You look suspicious.]
I looked up and several cameras pointing toward me that immediately diverted their aim.
“This is early workplace harassment” I said in a low voice.
[I am supervising you. It is different.]
I was not going to argue with a woman who could send me missions, routes, and possibly internal penalties.
I followed the route marked on the watch until I reached commercial zone 7-B.
It was a wide street full of small stores. A bakery, a pharmacy, a sports clothing store, a cell phone shop, and a small jewelry store.
Of course there was a jewelry store.
Jewelry stores should have a sign that says: “Welcome villains, here you can ruin a rookie hero’s day.”
I walked slowly looking like a professional hero.
I did not know how a professional hero walked, but I suppose it was not going around looking at every shop window wondering if he had enough to buy food afterward.
On the watch screen the protected stores appeared with a blue border.
[Bakery Dulce Sol - Basic subscription.]
[Pharmacy Medina - Standard subscription.]
[Lily Jewelry - Premium subscription.]
“Obviously the jewelry store has premium” I murmured. “The owners recognize the danger.”
A lady bought bread, a child cried because his mother did not buy him a candy, and a man argued with the owner of the cell phone store.
That was my first mission as a hero. Walking and looking at small problems.
But then I saw something strange.
Three people were on the other side of the street, near an alley between the pharmacy and the sports clothing store.
They were not buying anything and they were not waiting for an Uber.
They were just there, looking toward the stores with too much attention.
One had a black cap, another was carrying a huge backpack, and the third was talking on a small communicator stuck to his ear.
Maybe they were delivery guys.
Maybe they were thieves.
Maybe I was so excited on my first day of work that I was already seeing crime in anyone who did not walk normally.
Although I should feel good or bad when there is a crime near me, the truth is I still do not know the answer.
The watch vibrated.
[Report observation.]
“Possible suspects in the alley next to Pharmacy Medina” I said in a low voice. “Three subjects, one with a large backpack, one with a communicator, and another with the face of someone who does not pay any taxes.”
[Oliver.]
“Visual description, only visual description.”
I moved a little closer but without crossing directly toward them. The idea was to spy. I had never spied on anyone professionally.
The closest thing was listening to my neighbors fight while trying to sleep, but that was more survival than espionage.
I stopped next to a vending machine pretending to check drinks.
Then my phone had vibrated.
I took it out carefully and saw a message from Vanessa.
Vanessa: [Lunch?]
Before I could reply, another message arrived.
It was a gif of a gray cat hitting a table with its little paw.
Vanessa, the same woman who could turn invisible and threaten to throw me out the window, had just sent me a gif of a cat asking for food.
I did not know how to process that.
Oliver: [I am on a mission.]
Vanessa: [I already know.]
Oliver: [Then why are you asking?]
Vanessa: [Because E missions do not last all day, flame boy.]
Another gif, this time a cat under a blanket attacking a hand.
I laughed. It was a small laugh but enough for the lady from the bakery to look at me weird.
Vanessa in person was rude, jealous when any girl flirted with me, and capable of getting serious.
Vanessa by chat was quite different.
Rude but sending cat gifs.
Oliver: [I did not know you send gifs.]
Vanessa: [There are many things you do not know.]
Oliver: [That sounds a bit weird.]
Vanessa: [It is.]
That made me smile more than I should. The watch vibrated hard.
[Oliver. Concentrate.]
“I am concentrated” I murmured.
[Your heart rate says otherwise.]
“This watch is a traitor.”
I put the phone away before Sarah sent me a penalty for flirting during work hours.
I looked back at the suspects. They were no longer in the alley.
I quickly turned my head and found them walking toward the back of the premium jewelry store.
Of course, the jewelry store. Always the jewelry store.
I crossed the street carefully without running so I would not draw attention.
If I ran like a madman, the suspects would notice and I had a jacket with the agency logo. It was basically a visible badge but I did not have enough experience to shout “stop in the name of the agency” without sounding like an idiot.
I followed them from a distance. The one with the backpack opened a side door with a black card. That was no longer normal.
I approached a corner and heard voices.
“Quick, we have five minutes before the system notices the cut.”
“And the rookie?”
“He is only patrolling in front. He does not seem dangerous.”
I felt offended. I understand that I do not look like a cover hero, but having a criminal tell you “not dangerous” when you have fire powers hurts the pride a little.
But they had already noticed my existence.
I felt heat in my fingers. Breathe, Oliver, I told myself.
Do not burn products, do not burn customers, do not burn the street. Sarah had been very clear about that.
I was going to report when I heard a different voice. It was feminine, quite confident, with a playful tone that made my back go rigid.
“Move with elegance, boys. Stealing without style is simply poorly paid work.”
I froze. I recognized that voice. It could not be. I peeked slightly around the corner.
Inside the back hallway there were four people, but my attention went directly to the woman leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.
Tight black suit, dark feathers on her shoulders, black hair with purple strands.
A villain smile that enjoyed ruining other people’s days.
My first patrol mission had just turned into a huge problem.
I swallowed while the watch started vibrating like crazy.
PIP PIP PIP.
[Alert: possible recognized threat.]
The woman raised her gaze as if she had felt that I was watching her.
Her violet eyes almost met mine.
“Corvus Night?”