After the attack on the dockworkers we returned to our regular patrol schedule the next night. Shockfire had a question that I was wondering about as well.

“Do you think the Power Brigade knew that would happen? Like, that specific place being targeted?”

“It could be,” Ice Guy answered. “More likely whoever asked for mercenaries in the first place. The Power Brigade might or might not have been informed of specifics. If it was something that was known about in detail someone would have just sent a squad specifically at that time, since knowing exactly what you’re getting into is better. And the Power Brigade can charge more for an individual mission than a patrol setup like this.”

“If it was that,” Shockfire continued, “Will we be pulled out of here soon?”

“Maybe,” Ice Guy shrugged. “But the Power Brigade likes to keep people on the same patrol for a while to familiarize them with an area, if they can. We’ll never get as much time in one place as heroes, but it’s more effective. Why do you ask? Got a problem with this area?”

“It’s just the night shift. Makes it kind of inconvenient for my daily life.”

Our captain nodded. “I’d suggest making some day friends and some night friends. Or some who are both. Friends from work are fine, but I’m sure you’d want to branch out.”

“Now that I think about it,” Acid Man said as he strolled along casually, “We haven’t really interacted outside of work.”

“Should we?” I asked.

“I mean, if we want to be friends… it helps,” Rasmus replied.

Were we friends? I almost asked that out loud, but my brain properly filtered it. We certainly weren’t not friends. It was just that I hadn’t had friends in… a while. Khithae counted, but that was just one.

Midnight commented, “We’re not great for keeping your identity hidden. Green with tusks and black cat that can talk… anyone who has a grudge with us could find us more easily. But the rest of you are just normal humans without your masks.”

Ice Guy nodded, “It is true that humans have it easier, but information on them can still be found by anyone determined. The benefits of spending time with other supers off the clock is that you have backup whenever anyone gets targeted. The downsides are lowered anonymity. It’s sort of up to personal preference and judgment. Eventually you’ll have to deal with people with grudges no matter what, unless you manage to get everyone locked up.”

“What about if they escape?” Acid Man asked.

“You have to watch out for that, but… the rules on escaped villains are looser. If we’re in real danger we don’t have to hold back anyway, but you can be less focused on trivial things like them losing an arm or two. With that said,” Captain Senan paused for emphasis, “The way we handle things is meant to reduce grudges. It won’t stop some people from forming them, but if all goes well villains will think about how not to get caught again instead of how to get back at us in particular. Besides, they can respect us for just doing our jobs… and most are smart enough to know that ‘mercenary super kills villain in self-defense’ doesn’t make the news. Unlike if you’re a hero.”

“Being a hero sounds like it’s worse,” I commented.

“You think so?” Ice Guy asked. “You get to show up at the last moment and take the public credit, and it’s generally safer. But I guess considering you, the lack of fighting is a downside.”

“Exactly. How are you going to get stronger like that? It would take forever.”

“Do mages live a long time in your world?” Ice Guy asked.

“Sure. Master Uvithar is over a hundred and he’s a human.”

Midnight commented on that, “I think he meant mages like you. With that um… Aspect of the Barbarian.”

“Oh,” I nodded. “Some of us.”

“And the rest…?” Captain Senan asked.

“Die young and high level.”

“That sounds awful.”

I shook my head, “It’s better than being low level and useless.”

“I think many people would disagree. Though I can’t talk, as a person with a good power.”

Shockfire tried to explain how he saw it. “It’s more like… being someone with a dud power. It means you can’t end up with a real power but you’re not considered a super. It’s hard for people.”

The conversation eventually petered off, but I was left with the information we would probably stay on this patrol for ‘a while’ and the realization that I had friends. Real friends, and not townspeople who tolerated me or Master Uvithar or halflings who I hadn’t seen in over a decade.

-----

Patrols on the docks continued to bring us past the same warehouses with Rositsa and Lei. We’d stop by and say hi sometimes, though since we were working and they were working we kept things brief. I was glad to see the vampire lady had gotten settled in to some extent already.

She was learning English fast too. After a week and a half I was pretty sure she was almost as good as I was, and I had magic. Though I suppose she had magic as well. Blood magic was a touchy subject where I was from for obvious reasons. Probably for her as well, since it seemed like vampires weren’t well liked. She wasn’t one from my world so I couldn’t form an opinion more than what I had seen. A scared person running and trying to survive- without killing anyone, even though it probably would have made things easier. I applauded that, and her co-workers appreciated how she had saved them. Her turning into a giant bat was more surprising to them than a real cause of concern. It was the night shift, after all. Hardly a human among them.

As for the other residents of the area just outside the docks, I gradually got a sense of them as well. Our patrol area wasn’t just the docks all the time. The nearby neighborhoods were tall skinny houses for the most part, sometimes condos stacked atop each other. The people who were out at night weren’t just the nocturnal sort, but still mostly humans going about their business. The streets weren’t exactly busy, but they weren’t empty either.

I rarely had any interaction with them besides a polite greeting, but I was eventually stopped by a kid, not even a teen yet. “Hey mister,” he said. “You a hero?”

“Nope. I’m a mercenary.”

“What’s the difference?” he asked.

“I get paid even when there isn’t a camera watching me,” I summarized.

“...Heroes get paid?”

“Everyone gets paid kid. People have to eat.”

“Oh. Are you okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“... your skin is green.”

“And your skin is brown. But you look fine to me.”

“Oh. Sorry. I thought you might be sick.”

“It’s alright. I’ve had worse comments than concern over me possibly being sick.” I looked around, “What are you doing up so late?”

“Waiting for my mom.”

“Is she late?” I asked with some concern.

“No. She should be here soon. It’s like this every night.”

That part was both relieving and concerning at the same time. That meant he’d been okay so far, but it also meant he did this repeatedly. “You should probably wait inside. It’s safer there.”

“I don’t like it there. The neighbors are loud.”

“Well… stay safe, I guess.”

“Isn’t that your job? Keeping people safe?”

“Part of it. But I can’t be in two places at once.” That was high level and expensive magic.

“Oh. What’s your name, mister?”

“Mage,” I said. “What about you?”

“Jerome.”

“Well, good luck kid. See you later.”

“You too. Oh. Aren’t you supposed to tell me not to talk to strangers?”

That… sounded like something I had heard about at some point. “Good point. Watch out for villains, kid. You can’t count on having a super around to protect you.” Even regular people could be criminals, but I didn’t need to worry him too much.

Not that he looked worried. Mostly just bored. “Then can you teach me magic to fight them?”

“I’m… pretty sure I can’t,” I admitted. “Power stuff. It’s weird.”

“Too bad.”

“Yeah,” I shrugged. “Too bad.”

I made a mental note to have Midnight watch over the kid if possible. He could also patrol around, but since everyone was in the same area one more person wandering around wasn’t necessary. I could do it myself, but someone who looked like a cat would fit better.

-----

Everything seemed to be going well. Except for one attempted robbery at a corner store that Acid Man stopped, the next week was peaceful. That was good. I had to keep reminding myself that so I didn’t wish for conflict out loud. Even though I was barely any experience from reaching level 18. Like 2 points. A session of sparring might do it, and even if I only got a couple experience per day I was still doing way better than I had been before I came here… but it was being so close to a level that bothered me.

The worst part was that I wasn’t sure what was causing it. Was it Aspect of the Barbarian? Was it because I was an orc? Or was it a thing everyone would feel? Unfortunately I didn’t know anyone but Midnight with class levels in this world. So I just had to deal with it.

Then I got shot. I heard the noise at the same time I felt a prick of pain. My brain didn’t seem to get it, but my body decided it was time to lay down on the ground rather directly. I briefly considered that it was probably supposed to hurt to hit my face on the pavement, but that hadn’t caught up yet.

-----

Midnight’s ears twitched as he heard a noise in the distance. It wasn’t the first gunshot he’d heard since they came to the area. Not even the first since he’d started watching over the kid Jerome. The kid just sat on the stairs in the dark until his mom got home around midnight. It seemed a bit sad, but as a Celmothian he didn’t really understand humans fully. And he was happy when she got there, so who was Midnight to say what he was doing was incorrect?

So there had been a few gunshots, but this one was different. For one thing, it came at the same time as unclear amounts of pain from Turlough. Rather than guess, he started running. Midnight tilted his head in a way he knew would activate the little communications earphone he had been set up with. Normally they needed hands and humanoid shapes, so Midnight was impressed they got him one. And it was a thousand times more convenient than pawing a cell phone.

“Midnight here. Just heard a gunshot. Mage appears to be injured. Heading towards his location.” Midnight checked a nearby street sign to give general directions. Though the team should be able to track his location anyway.

“Copy that Midnight,” Ice Guy’s voice came into Midnight’s ear. “We’re converging on the location. Do you have eyes on the shooter?”

“Negative. I only heard one shot though.”

“And Mage is injured? That’s… not a good sign.”

There wasn’t much more to say. Midnight took stock of his mana. He wasn’t quite full, closer to thirteen than fourteen. Haste seemed necessary though. That brought him down to eight as he dashed through the streets.

The connection to Turlough indicated he was still alive, but the sense of consciousness was blurry and the pain was turning sharper. Maybe the wound was getting worse, or maybe he was just now feeling it.

Either way, Midnight ran. It felt like it took just as long with nothing indicating the passing of time around him, but Midnight knew he was faster. And that was important.

Then he got eyes on him. Midnight wasn’t a cat… but he did have eyes very much like one. They were good for seeing in the dark, so he was able to pick out Turlough’s shape just outside of the cone of a lamppost. He also saw the pool of blood forming. Midnight sped up even more. They hadn’t known each other that long, but his first memories of Turlough were being fed when he was hungry and eventually pulled out of a tree when he was too stubborn to admit he was unable to get back down. It had been terrifying, but Turlough had saved him almost casually. Like a real hero. Now maybe he could do the same for him.